Horticulture & Related FieldsMaria Alvarez Zavala
2021 The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies
Characterization of Nutraceutical Compounds and Detection of Glyphosate-Containing Herbicide Residues from Opuntia Species.
Alvarez Zavala’s research encompasses three objectives: 1) measure medicinal compounds in prickly-pear fruit from two cultivars “Rojo Pelon” and “Blanca Cristalina”; 2) determine the amount of glyphosate residue remaining on the edible prickly-pear pads after drift from a simulated herbicide application incidence; and 3) simulate a human digestion of glyphosate-containing herbicide to measure bioavailability of the herbicide in the human gut. No known research has been done with herbicides, and this could provide new knowledge for existing cultivation practices.
The Garden Club of America Montine M. Freeman Scholarship in Native Plant Studies
To encourage the understanding, development, and use of underutilized native plants. Established to encourage the development of research, documentation, and teaching skills in the field of horticulture.
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