The theme for the technical conference presentations of BPOA Spring Conference was pot plant culture. The group of exciting, international speakers dealt with a wide range of topics from Rob van Tol on trapping Western Flower Thrips and the insect’s perception of colour traps to Jane Perrone, journalist and podcaster, who spoke enthusiastically about how the public are motivated to go out and buy plants that they have learned about via the internet and podcasts. Opening the conference, Brian Whipker from North Carolina, known for his research and extension work in all areas of floriculture but especially for growth regulation and plant nutrition, spoke about his work in plant growth regulants and later about phosphorus nutrition and specific responses to varying levels. The conference took place at the Kingsgate Conference Centre, Staplee Way, Orton, Peterborough; this was a new venue for the conference and got members to the eastern counties where some attended the poinsettia discussion group organised by AHDB on the following day.
Brian Whipker, Professor of Floriculture, NCSU opens this year’s conference with his presentation on the economic benefits of PGR usage on pot and bedding plants.
In the year when they are celebrating 40 years of ‘Growing Together TM’, the speaker programme was full of value for members and whilst appropriate to the audience was detailed and would bear further reading; the presentations and the slides shown by Peter Seabrook in relation to the developments of the RHS Garden at Hyde Hall in Essex are available for download here https://www.homegrownplants.org.uk/spring-conference-2020-downloads-page/. If you were unable to be there then go online now (register as a member to use the download page and catch up on the presentations)!.
In addition, the papers from the AGM 2020 are available (held at the end of the technical presentations on Tuesday 14th at Kingsgate).