Maria Celeste Ortez


  Master’s student Maria Celeste Ortez, mentored by Dr Ariana Torres, evaluated the economics of incorporating cut sunflowers into diversified specialty-crop operations using the Purdue HortCalculator framework. Under the study’s baseline assumptions, a 1,000-ft² sunflower planting generated $4,760 in gross revenue and $629 in net returns, with profitability highly sensitive to marketable yield and price….Read more about Graduate Research Explores Profitability of Cut Sunflowers Using HortCalculator[Read More]


Mario Muñoz and Maria Celeste Ortez of Purdue’s Horticulture Business Lab presented at the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) Annual Conference in Kansas City, July 26–28. Their presentation showcased how the Purdue HortCalculator can be used as a climate-adaptive financial decision tool to support decision-making in high-tunnel cut flower production.


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