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- Senior Grower Tomato, NSW Australia
- Grower Managers (5ha or 10ha) - Australia
- Rose Grower
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"Tweeting Growers"
Top 5 -yesterday
- US flower distributor reports waste reduced by more than 50% in certain flowers
- Fulfilling the demand for filled chrysanthemums
- GASA Young Plants shows main selling varieties for Scandinavian market at “Poinsettia Open House”
- In case of emergency, turn wheel
- CAN (QC) Poinsettia grower prepares for holiday season
Top 5 -last week
Top 5 -last month
Cultivation
Selecting and using plant growth regulators on floricultural crops
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are chemicals that are designed to affect plant growth and/or development. They are applied for specific purposes to elicit specific plant responses. Although there is much scientific information on using PGRs in the greenhouse, it is not an exact science. Achieving the…
Godfrey Dol about CO2 in semi-closed glasshouses:
"In a worst-case scenario higher CO2 still increases yield with 2.8%"
CO2 plays a major part in the production of glasshouse crops. Carbon (the C in CO2) is the second most abundant element that makes up a tomato plant. (Water makes up 80% of the plant, carbon makes up half of the remaining 20%). Most of that carbon is taken up by the plant via the absorption of gaseous…
Getting started in the production of field-grown, specialty cut flowers
Specialty cut flowers are one of the most profitable field crops to grow. Lynn Byczynski, editor of the Growing For Market newsletter, estimates a value of $25,000 to $35,000 per acre for field-grown cuts. The most basic requirements are at least half an acre of open, arable land, a rototiller, and, of…
No substantial relationship yet between energy-efficient cultivation and physiological abnormality of alstroemeria
The project ‘Monitoring energy innovations in practice’ of Kas als Energiebron is, among other things, looking for a relationship between the appearance of lines in alstroemeria and the cooling down of the crop as a result of eradiation. So far, a firm conclusion cannot be drawn. The project ‘Monitoring energy…
Chrysanthemum successfully planted at record-breaking altitude
Chinese researchers have successfully grown chrysanthemum at a record-breaking height of 3,000 meters above sea level in Qaidam Basin on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Xinhua News Agency reported. Researchers of Nanjing Agricultural University started an experimental plantation of various species of…
US (FL): Veterans gain stress reduction techniques through gardening
When U.S. Navy veteran Deanne Thompson, 52, signed up for a free group gardening class through the University of Florida’s Wilmot Botanical Gardens, she didn’t realize the stress relief benefits and social outlet she would gain. “I needed to do something for me; a hobby that’s centering,” Thompson said.…
India: Floriculture helped reduce distress migration among Adivasi farmers
Young boys in tee shirts, shorts and chappals, their hands adorned with long floral garlands, is a sight one cannot miss on the 31-km main road connecting Limkheda with Dahod. Their presence also marks the entry into Rozam, a village in Dahod district and taluka, where there are marigold fields of both…
webinar, December 18
Current management and research on cut peonies
The Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University is hosting a webinar focusing on cut peonies. Registration is open and free. Apart from production practices, new research on postharvest handling methods and management of pest and diseases will also be shared. This webinar is…
Genetic patterns associated with plant immunity
Genomic information from plants can be used to enhance agricultural production and improve food security in a sustainable manner. Through better understanding of the relationship between a plant's genetic information and the resulting behaviour, improved crops with better traits (resistance to diseases,…
Labor, water & climate
US (CA): Challenges for California horticulture
At its monthly meeting today, the California State Board of Food and Agriculture heard a cautiously optimistic appraisal of agriculture’s future through 2050 from economist Dr. Daniel Sumner, director of the Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis. Dr. Sumner believes that net farm income will continue to…
Are edible flowers a solution for the struggling floriculture sector?
In a greenhouse near Nice, in the south of France, edible flowers are the star of the show. Scientists are ranking various varieties according to certain characteristics such as taste. The ANTEA project is a cross-border initiative between France and Italy supported by the EU Cohesion Policy. The policy…
"4G scanners make the entire system cleaner"
For 5 years now, Joost van Dijk has been working at Beekenkamp Plants Ornamentals, being responsible for the production processes. He is very excited about the new 4G scanners. After a successful test period, Beekenkamp Plants Ornamentals is now working with new 4G scanners. These scanners replace the…
Problem-free panicum: Production scheduling
This is the final post from a talk Hoffman Nursery's head grower Bill Hall gave on Panicum virgatum at Cultivate’19. Most of the nursery and greenhouse customers grow Panicum virgatum, so the company is sharing details from his talk. The first post focused on understanding the range and warm-season…
Microstructural and lignin characteristics in herbaceous peony cultivars with different stem strengths
Authors conducted experiments with stem strength on 8 cultivars of Chinese peonies, P. lacitflora. They were interested in learning if lignin and/or cellulose were the main components of stem strength (lignin won). In a previous article, they found that stem strength could be significantly improved by…
Vertical farming reaches new heights in Germany
The AVF was invited to visit its member Fraunhofer IME in Aachen, Germany, one of 72 institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, an organization for applied science in Europe with over 26,000 employees and various international branches around the world. Fraunhofer IME building in Aachen, Germany. Credit:…
Digging into nighttime humidity in semi-closed glasshouse
"Plants prefer a higher humidity at night"
The approach to day-time humidity in the semi-closed glasshouse differs much from the conventional glasshouse. But how does the superior air movement affect the plants at…
Prepping for frost
In the fall, many growers finish and bulk their perennials outdoors. But are you prepared for all the variables this season brings? What do you do if there is an early frost or freeze in the forecast? by Chris Fifo By this time, most perennials should be matured and well bulked – they should be able to take a frost without being…
Tips to improve grow room and greenhouse temperature control
Managing the temperature inside of the grow room or greenhouse is essential for plants to grow to their full potential. When temperatures are outside of the desired range for a crop, critical biological processes, like photosynthesis, may slow down or even be brought to a halt. Two common causes for poor…
How to calculate pollutant loads in your runoff
In this YouTube video, Mohammad Nayeb Yazdi (PhD candidate) explains how to use the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to calculate annual total suspended solids, nitrogen as total N, and phosphorus as total P in runoff from a nursery production area, providing a valuable planning tool for container…
Indian students on orchid cultivation field visit
On October 15, twenty-six students along with two faculty members from Abbyapuri Collage, Bongaigaon Assam on their 3 days study tour visited ICAR-NRC for Orchids, Pakyong Sikkim. During the farm visit, Sh. Ajay Bhusal (Sr. Field /Farm Asst.) coordinated the students and explained the diversity of orchids in…
Securing clean water for the future
For the past several decades, threats to America’s water bodies have been on the rise. From harmful algal blooms choking water intake pipes in Toledo, Ohio, to the erosion and degradation of shoreline in coastal areas, the safety of our water is at stake. by Carol Kauffman Nowlin, Manager of Corporate…
Paris's underground car parks turned into mushrooms farms
Apparently, the French capital built too many underground car parks in the 1960s and 70s. Falling car ownership means many are standing empty, or finding new and surprising uses. Digital reporter Dougal Shaw made a short video about underground mushroom growing in La Chapelle, north Paris. Source: bbc.com
Tulip farmer successfully experiments with cover cropping
Table Cape Tulip Farm in north-west Tasmania came alive in Spring. Not just with the colourful blooming flowers but with thousands of tourists hoping to snap a picture or walk among the many coloured rows. The Roberts-Thomson family began growing tulips in the 70s to diversify away from traditional…
Elementary School gets a lesson in planting flower bulbs
The flower bulbs of Klaas Hogervorst brighten up a schoolyard
Between the autumn rain showers on Monday, the 4th and 5th-year children from the Antonius elementary school were planting hyacinths, daffodils, tulips, and crocuses around their schoolyard. Earlier this year, the elementary school won 1,000 flower bulbs as a result of partaking in the so-called ‘Soil…
Stimulatory effect of silver nanoparticles on the growth and flowering of potted oriental lilies
Nanoparticles exhibit unique biological activities and may serve as novel plant growth stimulators. This research consisted of a two-year pot experiment designed to find out if silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) might be used in the cultivation of Oriental lilies. In the first year, the effects of various…
Pyrethrum’s rich history in Kenya and old good days
Pyrethrum is a naturally occurring mixture of chemicals found in certain chrysanthemum flowers. It was first recognised to have insecticidal properties around 1800AD in Asia and was used to kill ticks and various insects such as fleas and mosquitoes. Six individual chemicals have active insecticidal…
"Floriculture can provide additional income for farmers"
The Hislop College flower show - the culmination of year-long floriculture undertaken by its department of botany - is a keenly awaited event not only by plantsmen but also citizens. Started as an extension activity by the department in the year 2003, the past and present keepers of its floriculture unit…
Australia: Scholarships looking to support growth & innovation of horticultural sector
The Australian nursery industry and broader horticultural sector are thriving. To support further growth and innovation within the sector, the industry must focus on the development of one of its most important resources – people. Hort Innovation using nursery industry levies and funds from the…
Problem-free Panicum Details: Cultural Conditions
Hoffman Nursery's head grower, Bill Hall, gave a well-received talk this summer on Panicum at Cultivate’19. Because so many of the company's customers grow Panicum virgatum in container production, they are sharing details from his talk in a series of posts. The first post focused on understanding the…
'Perfect Rose' gets through the summer well
In the rose test The Perfect Rose, which is running at Wageningen University & Research, the crop survived the summer well. This summer had three hot periods (June 23-25, July 23-27, August 23-27). In the rose greenhouse with cooling, during those periods the 24-hour temperature could be kept lower than…
India: Orchid farming is catching up in Telangana, but is it sustainable?
80% of India’s orchids are transported from Thailand. Barring a few North-Eastern states, orchid farming is considered to be a risky proposition because of the heavy investment required to grow the crop. The climatic conditions of Telangana are not conducive to the growth of the flower crop. However, a…
How LED and HPS lighting affects air and leaf temperature
As growers are educating themselves more on different lighting technologies, we have been faced with questions many times over about what effects different light sources have on temperature and crop production; what is the difference between Convection Heat and Radiant Heat? Anyone remotely familiar with…
Micropropagation's huge growth potential
Production of high quality planting materials is expected to grow by 5% to 10% a year. This growth is fueled by two developments: the increase in global demand for tissue-cultured industrial crops and food crops, like tropical fruits and berries, and the need for high quality planting materials. Yet,…
US (NC): Understanding switchgrass
The most common production concerns Hoffman Nursery hear about with Panicum are yellowing, rust, and slow emergence in spring. Yellowing and rust are often related to cultural conditions and management practices. In addition, as warm-season grasses, Switchgrasses are some of the last to emerge in spring.…
Ellepot and PROPTEC partner up: Ellepot Australia
New partnership to provide integrated paper-pot solution to Australian growers
As part of Ellepot's vision to be active in key regions globally, Ellepot is proud to announce its partnership with PROPTEC and Brad Skinner in Australia. Ellepot Australia will be supplying the market with the latest technology from Ellepot to provide a fully integrated paper-pot solution including…
Godfrey Dol about daytime humidity in semi-closed glasshouses
"No limit on humidity in semi-closed glasshouse"
A plant responds to low humidity by making large leaves. This meansthat low humidity creates a vegetative plant and that a grower can create a more generative plant by…
Nivolution to realise homogeneous greenhouse climate & major energy cost reduction
"Grower ought to focus on Absolute Humidity"
In case outside temperatures are lower than inside the greenhouse, while at the same time humidity levels are higher, opening the windows will not necessarily have the right effect. Even though real temperature levels might go down, humidity levels and therefore the amount of energy in the air, the…
US (MA): 2020 Easter lily schedule
The UMass Center for Agriculture, Food, and Environment reports that Dr Richard McAvoy, Professor and Extension Specialist for greenhouse crops at the University of Connecticut, has released his 2020 Easter lily schedule. The document can be found here.
Peony scientist breaks new ground for cut flowers
One of the world’s most popular flowers – the peony – can now be grown in hot climates, following a discovery that could disrupt the multi-billion dollar global cut flower industry. University of the Sunshine Coast Science graduate Krista Bogiatzis has found a way of replicating perfect winter conditions…
Increasing humidity in semi-closed glasshouses
How to prevent plants from becoming too vegetative?
Managing humidity provides the biggest challenge in learning how to work with a semi-closed glasshouse. So much so that Godfrey Dol, an expert on growing in semi-closed glasshouses, wants to spend some time discussing it. But before he gets into the technicalities of what humidity means in a semi-closed glasshouse,…
Genap focuses on local production
"If you want to grow sustainably, local presence is a must"
There is a worldwide call and necessity to store water. Genap, supplying water storage tanks to the agricultural and horticultural sector for ages, notices an increase in the demand and therefore focuses increasingly on local production. In November, production in Kenya started, while another production…
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