SFA horticulture club earns awards

SFA horticulture students who participated in the recent J. Benton Storey Horticulture Judging Contest in Orlando, Fla., included, from left, freshman Amny Rose, senior Spence Simmons, junior Ken Moyer, senior Felicia English and senior Eric Golestan.

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Five Stephen F. Austin State University horticulture students recently competed against other members of the American Collegiate Branch of the Southern Region of American Society for Horticultural Science at the annual J. Benton Storey Horticulture Judging Contest in Orlando, Fla.

"The judging competition consists of plant identification, as well as judging of nursery and floriculture crops, fruit and nut crops, and vegetables," said Dr. Jeff Adkins, SFA Horticulture Club adviser. "SFA traditionally does quite well, despite competition from larger universities like Texas A&M and Mississippi State."

The SFA judging team earned several awards, including second place for overall team; third place for greenhouse floral and foliage plants; first place for woody ornamentals; and third place for vegetable crops.

Felicia English, a Kennard senior, was the high scoring individual in greenhouse floral and foliage plants, and she also placed first in vegetable crops. Ken Moyer, a junior from Cypress, placed second in woody ornamentals. Eric Golestan, a Southlake senior, placed first in fruit and nut crops.

In addition, Spence Simmons, a senior from Tyler, gave a presentation titled "Influence of N Source and Rate on Growth and Leaf Nutrient Content of a Taxodium Clone" in the J.B. Edmund Undergraduate Student Paper Competition.