UK: New product opportunities for bedding and pot plant growers
The Centre has gathered momentum over the last two years, with a number of knowledge transfer events helping to bring growers, breeders and researchers together, and is developing into a research centre and knowledge hub for the UK horticulture bedding and pot plant sector. This proposal has been developed to continue the work of the BPPC for a further two years.
The work programme covers several areas of work on PGRs, incorporating trials of adjuvants and biostimulants for application with Stabilon 750 to reduce phytotoxicity (WP1), evaluation of products, some new to the UK, for drenches and spray application (WP2) and an investigation of the effect of application water pH on PGR efficacy (WP6).
New micropropagated cultivars of white Hellebores are being produced as pot plants, and there is a need to evaluate their performance in shelf-life, including flower colour longevity (WP3). It is also proposed to continue work carried out in 2016 to evaluate products to increase the success rate and reduce rooting time in unrooted cuttings (WP4). Growers have reported difficulties in stimulated plug plants into full growth following periods when they have been held back due to lack of demand, and this will be investigated to develop solutions in two trials (WP5a & b). An indicative trial has been included to investigate the role of silicon in improving bedding and pot plant quality (WP7).
The knowledge transfer programme (WP8) will include trial Open Days which will provide members of the UK horticulture industry with the opportunity to view the trials as they are underway and allow preliminary results to be disseminated quickly. Industry will also be kept up to date through a regular blog, ADHB grower articles and briefing notes. A study tour relevant to the industry will be organised for the second year of the project.
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