Caillouet Receives Grant for Organic Fruit Project

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Olivia Caillouet

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Olivia Caillouet, a junior majoring in horticulture in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, has been awarded a grant to work as an intern on a research project on the market season of organic fruit.

The Southern Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education program, which is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, has awarded Caillouet a Young Scholar Enhancement apprentice/internship grant.

“I am thankful for this opportunity to work with skilled professionals and know this will positively impact my future horticulture career,” said Caillouet. “I plan to use my knowledge of plants to educate others and strengthen communities.”

Caillouet will manage experiments on the effects of shade on primocane blackberry growth, flowering and yield. She will participate in the operation and management of the high tunnel and field production systems located at the U of A System Division of Agriculture, Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville. High tunnels are temporary, freestanding greenhouses – built of arched poles, overlaid with clear plastic, without heating or electrical power and using passive ventilation – that help extend the growing season for a variety of crops.

Caillouet, an honors student from Little Rock who is minoring in sustainability, is reporting to horticulture professor Curt Rom. Rom is the director of the Bumpers College honors program and also co-director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability.

“The goal is to provide Olivia with an experiential learning environment that will enable her to learn sustainable organic crop management, and high tunnel and field production systems,” said Rom. “She will also learn research operations and conduct an experiment, and share information learned through project activities.”

Caillouet’s project focuses on the production, outreach and research involved in extending the market season of organic fruit through high tunnel technology. The project develops environmentally and economically sustainable organic fruit production systems by combining high tunnel production with traditional field production to provide for extended crop production.

“I hope to gain knowledge of fruit production and the steps that go into completing a research project,” she said. “I plan on learning everything I can about environmental impacts, such as light and temperature, on overall yield.”

During her internship, Caillouet will develop high tunnel production systems for season extension of organic high value fruit crops, develop and test pest management strategies, and share the knowledge acquired in production, pest management and economic analysis in an educational, outreach and extension program.

In addition to her involvement with the high tunnel field systems, Caillouet will contribute to the project blog, contribute research to the Berry Grower Sustainability Notebook and participate in a workshop on high tunnel management.

“This internship will advance me toward my career goals by providing me with a foundation of experience and knowledge that compliment my academic studies,” said Caillouet. “I am excited about gaining hands-on experience outside of the classroom. I have learned so much in my courses at the University of Arkansas, but I am excited about getting my hands dirty. As a horticulturist, I am very much looking forward to working directly with the plants.”

 “This is a win-win for Olivia, and the college and our research project,” said Rom. “She is a high-achieving honors student preparing for a career in sustainable horticulture, and we are pleased to help her advance toward that goal and have her help us with this research.”

Caillouet is the treasurer and secretary for the Horticulture and GroGreen clubs on campus, and also helps manage the campus community garden, which provides food to the Full Circle Campus Food Pantry.