Brian Whipker

Brian Whipker is a Professor and Commercial Floriculture Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University, with a 80% Extension role and 20% research focus on commercial floriculture. His research emphasizes diagnostics, plant nutrition, water quality, plant growth regulators, and economic analyses. He provides production guidance and diagnostic services for greenhouse floriculture, specializing in crops like pansies, bedding plants, poinsettias, and potted plants.

Education: Ph.D. in Horticulture (Purdue University, 1995); M.S. in Agricultural Economics (Purdue University, 1988); B.S. in Horticulture and Agricultural Education (Purdue University, 1985).

Research interests include plant nutrient deficiencies, substrate management, cannabinoid production in hemp, and the application of machine learning in crop diagnostics. His work addresses challenges in sustainable agriculture, precision farming, and ornamental crop production.

Recent publications focus on nutrient interpretation ranges, biochar applications, and spectral analysis for deficiency detection. He contributes to extension programs and collaborates on graduate student mentorship in horticultural crop production and management.