Golf course turf looks effortless until summer heat hits and then the science shows up fast. We sit down with Chiara Ammaturo, an award winning early career researcher, to unpack what happens when creeping bentgrass faces heat stress and why “just add a product” is never the full story.

We walk through her ASHS published research on microbial inoculants and biostimulants, including a fungal treatment, a bacterial treatment, and a combined approach. Along the way we talk turfgrass quality, pigment content, and soil health metrics like respiration, moisture, and enzymes, because the real action is often below the surface in the rhizosphere. Chiara also shares an important research lesson: when greenhouse results were not significant, the team investigated root tissues and found the endophytes were not colonizing as expected. That kind of honest troubleshooting is exactly how horticulture research moves forward.

Then things get even more practical. A seed coating approach shows a meaningful improvement in germination under high temperature conditions, and Chiara explains how formulation details like powder particle size and adhesion can influence outcomes, especially with tiny bentgrass seeds. We also zoom out to sustainability in agriculture as more than chemistry reduction, tying it to people, ethics, and long term resilience.

Chiara’s story spans Italy, a dual degree master’s at the University of Padova and the University of Georgia, and a new PhD chapter in Spain, with plenty of candid advice for anyone considering an international graduate program. If you enjoy conversations about climate change, turfgrass management, soil microbiome science, and sustainable agriculture careers, this one is for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Read the published reserach here: Evaluating the Use of Microbial Inoculants in Ameliorating Heat Stress in Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera)

https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/60/12/article-p2346.xml?isSearch=true

Send us Fan Mail

Learn more about the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at https://ashs.org/.
HortTechnology, HortScience and the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science are all open-access and peer-reviewed journals, published by the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS). Find them at journals.ashs.org.

Consider becoming an ASHS member at https://ashs.org/page/Becomeamember!

You can also find the official webpage for Plants, People, Science at ashs.org/plantspeoplesciencepodcast, and we encourage you to send us feedback or suggestions at https://ashs.org/webinarpodcastsuggestion.

Podcast transcripts are available at https://plantspeoplescience.buzzsprout.com.

On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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We can learn about horticulture from slides in a classroom, sure. But everything changes when the classroom is perhaps Rome, or the lab is a botanic garden in Scotland, and the homework might be noticing what’s growing on the hills and valleys outside the bus window. In this episode, our co-host, Curt Rom, talks with Co-Host Samson Humphrey about the value of studying abroad and how it can make the world feel bigger and smaller at the same time - something that Curt has learned not only from personal experience starting in his undergrad years and onward, but also by leading annual study abroad programs at his university.

Hear how Curt builds his study abroad trips from the ground up: setting learning objectives, choosing sites, holding regular pre-departure prep sessions, pacing days so students can absorb what they see, and balancing “great gardens” with real production horticulture. In addition, Curt talks about some of the human sides of study abroad: the day-three slump, the culture shock that turns into self-awareness, and more. In the end, you will hear a practical case for why studying abroad grows better observers, better collaborators, and more confident young professionals.

If you’ve ever wanted to study abroad, build international connections, or just understand how horticulture looks beyond your home region, this conversation is your roadmap.

Send us Fan Mail

Learn more about the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at https://ashs.org/.
HortTechnology, HortScience and the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science are all open-access and peer-reviewed journals, published by the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS). Find them at journals.ashs.org.

Consider becoming an ASHS member at https://ashs.org/page/Becomeamember!

You can also find the official webpage for Plants, People, Science at ashs.org/plantspeoplesciencepodcast, and we encourage you to send us feedback or suggestions at https://ashs.org/webinarpodcastsuggestion.

Podcast transcripts are available at https://plantspeoplescience.buzzsprout.com.

On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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Roses have a reputation for being high-maintenance, but the best rose breeders are chasing a different future: roses that bloom for months, shrug off disease, and succeed for everyday gardeners. We sit down with Dr. David Zlesak, a master rosarian and rose breeder, to unpack how roses went from ancient treasures traded across regions to the modern plants you see at big box stores and independent nurseries.

We dig into the deep history of cultivated roses, including how genetics is rewriting origin stories and how repeat-bloom traits from historic Chinese roses helped shape today’s garden varieties. Then we zoom into what buyers want now, from cut-rose goals like longer shelf life, fewer thorns, and more fragrance, to shifting tastes in flower form influenced by everything from rose shows to English-style, old-fashioned blooms.

The conversation turns practical and science-forward: black spot disease resistance, why multiple races make durability hard, and how stacking resistance genes and developing useful genetic markers can speed up breeding progress. We also explore environmental stress, including heat tolerance and winter hardiness, and how the American Rose Trials for Sustainability (ARTS) tests roses regionally to identify truly tough, low-input performers. Finally, David shares how the rose business has changed, why Knock Out roses reset the market’s expectations, and the career mindset that keeps him moving: ask what if, focus on market-limiting traits, and build a community of collaborators.

If you love gardening, plant breeding, or sustainable horticulture, subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a fellow rose grower, and leave a review so more listeners can find Plants, People, Science.

Read more from David Zlesak -

Plant Science Students’ Thinking Styles and Multiple Intelligences Based on Major, Gender, and Course

The Effects of Short-term Drying on Seed Germination in Rosa

Northern Accents® ‘Lena’, ‘Ole’, ‘Sigrid’, and ‘Sven’: Four Cold-hardy Polyantha Rose Cultivars from the University of Minnesota Woody Landscape Plant Breeding Program

Send us Fan Mail

Learn more about the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) at https://ashs.org/.
HortTechnology, HortScience and the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science are all open-access and peer-reviewed journals, published by the American Society of Horticultural Science (ASHS). Find them at journals.ashs.org.

Consider becoming an ASHS member at https://ashs.org/page/Becomeamember!

You can also find the official webpage for Plants, People, Science at ashs.org/plantspeoplesciencepodcast, and we encourage you to send us feedback or suggestions at https://ashs.org/webinarpodcastsuggestion.

Podcast transcripts are available at https://plantspeoplescience.buzzsprout.com.

On LinkedIn find Sam Humphrey at linkedin.com/in/samson-humphrey. Curt Rom is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/curt-rom-611085134/. Lena Wilson is at https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-wilson-2531a5141/.

Thank you for listening!

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