Raul Cabrera

The vibrant and economically important green industries (nursery/greenhouse production and landscape horticulture) of New Jersey lend great support to its eponymous nickname as the Garden State. Over the past decades, data from the national census of horticultural specialties (USDA-NASS) has placed New Jersey in the top ten states in total horticulture sales (farmgate value). The 2022 data shows a sales value of nearly $725 million from the combined nursery, greenhouse, floriculture, and sod industries, ranking NJ as fifth in the nation in nursery stock sales and third in potted flowering plant sales. Adding the economic impact of the value-added landscape horticulture sector to these green industry activities effectively places the state as a leader in the Northeast Megalopolis urban corridor (Washington DC to Boston), the largest in the nation.

The applied research and extension programs and activities of Dr. Cabrera are geared to address some of the salient challenges faced by constituents and players in these green industry activities in New Jersey and surrounding region. Some of the more recent projects focus on the use and evaluation of conventional alternative waters (saline, reclaimed, graywater) for irrigation of ornamental crops (nursery, greenhouse) and urban landscapes. This includes assessments of water use efficiency and water footprint in these commodities, along with the optimization of their fertilization and nutrient management. Other research interests and activities include studies on integrative plant/crop physiology and mineral nutrition; nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency and fertilization pollution impacts; soilless (substrate and hydroponics) crop production; irrigation water quality and salinity tolerance. While a focus of these activities has been on ornamental nursery/greenhouse crops, more recently we have included other high-value crops such as novel vegetable spice crops (e.g. ginger, turmeric)  and industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa).

Dr. Cabrera’s extension education programs focus on the rational use and management of water and fertilizer inputs in green industry activities (nursery, greenhouse, landscape). The goal here is to assist growers and landscapers to adopt best management practices that sustain productivity, quality and performance of their crops/plants while minimizing environmental impacts. Extension educational activities include delivery of bilingual (English-Spanish) programs and materials across the region, nationally and internationally.

Associate Extension Specialist in Nursery Production & Management
Department of Plant Biology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences,
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Bridgeton, NJ 08302