The New England Nursery Association (NENA), in cooperation with the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), named Raul Cabrera, Ph.D., the recipient of its Industry Growth Fund grant award for his research project, “Use of Alternative Irrigation Water Sources for Urban Landscapes and Nursery Crops.”

Cabrera is the first-ever recipient of the award, which HRI and NENA introduced in February 2014. The purpose-restricted fund is designed to allow grants to be drawn from both the interest and the principal as needed. In its inaugural year, the Industry Growth Fund saw more than 60 applications.

“Water conservation is a major priority for commercial horticulture,” NENA President Peter House said. “The results of Professor Cabrera’s innovative research will help shape the way our industry manages this vital resource well into the future.”

Cabrera, who since 1999 has been an associate professor at Texas AM University, recently accepted an extension and research position with Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Regarding his ongoing research, he said: “Dwindling water supplies and environmental pressures are severely challenging the operations and future of the nursery and landscape industry. We believe that the evaluation and eventual large-scale use of alternative irrigation water supplies by the green industry will play a major role in its sustainability.”