US: Cultivating beautiful flowers and greenhouse vegetables at Castle Hayne Farms

Growing up in the Netherlands, Mark Hommes was raised on horticulture and a love of Dutch iris. Current co-owner of Castle Hayne Farms, Mark always knew he would become a commercial-flower grower, learning the trade from his father, but what he didn’t realize is the amount of rich history both his…

NYS winter greenhouse growers school webinar series

Eager to join the NYS for a 5-week webinar series? They will occur January 19, January 26, February 2, February 10, and February 17; 1:00-3:00 PM each day. They are offered by…

Netherlands: Few youngsters interested in parents' greenhouses businesses

In 2020, more than half (59%) of agricultural companies in the Netherlands run by over 55s had no successor. This is especially true for (very) small farms. The larger the business, the greater the chance it had a successor. The Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported. Their report is based on…

Fresh herbs in bio-degradable flower pots

In this video below, Desch Plantpak show how their D-Grade®BIO pots are not only a good fit for flowers, they are as well for fresh herbs. "This combination is the perfect choice for sustainable growers," says Kees Waque, Manager Retail & Marketing at Desch. In their new Colour your Story magazine,…

Plant production lunch and learn webinar series for horticulture

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension Landscape and Greenhouse Team is hosting a Plant Production lunch and learn webinar series. The webinar registration has…

"The Colors of the Year reflects at time for hope and renewal"

For 2021, the Pantone Color Institute has done something unique – naming not one, but two Colors of the Year: the neutral Ultimate Gray and vibrant yellow Illuminating. Posted in HC's Blog “It’s a combination that speaks to the resilience, the optimism and hope and positivity that we need, as we reset, renew,…

Weed Management in ornamental plants

Weeds are a problem in areas where ornamental plants are grown. Recognition of these weeds is important in determining the appropriate control method with them. The area where…

"The demand for horticultural solutions changes"

Investing, experimenting and collaborating in a changing market for horticultural solutions. How do you respond to the increasing demand for complete cultivation systems with knowledge and technology and contribute to efficient ornamental, food and herb cultivation? Roeland van Dijk, Codema's logistics…

Mexico: Biodiversity, management, and commercialization of ornamental plants at nurseries in Fortin de las Flores, Veracruz

The aim of this study was to create an inventory of the biodiversity, management, and commercialization of ornamental plants at nurseries in the municipality of Fortín de las…

Introducing Research and Outreach Project LAMP

Supplemental lighting provides quicker crop turns, higher yields, and increased quality for the $6.5 billion a year greenhouse floriculture and vegetable industry. But it comes at a steep cost, especially when growers adopt LED technology. Electricity for lighting can account for 20-30% of operating…

Benchmarking of the effects of salinity on antioxidant enzymes activities, Lipid Peroxidation, H2O2 levels in the leaves of 2 zinnia species

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of salinity, which is an important environmental problem, in the cultivation of ornamental plants (such as zinnia) and…

The right light intensity and illumination length for plants

Based on the plant's natural habitat, all plants and crops require a different light intensity in each growing phase for optimal plant development. Therefore, the required light intensity is different from crop to crop. Next to that, every crop is in need of a different illumination length. The HortiOne…

onfloriculture

OAFRI funding available for research projects

Do you have staff on hand that can conduct high-quality research? Have a project idea that can improve plant health in the floriculture industry? Then you might be eligible for research funds. Keep reading to see the specific types of projects that are eligible for funding. BackgroundThe Ontario…

Smart irrigation technique

Some crops need a lot of water to grow. There are different kinds of irrigation options, but we haven't seen this one before! Smart solution! MISSING VIDEO  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ajjames_smart-irrigation-technique-activity-6735851332151861248-6TUg

UF/IFAS

US(FL): Greenhouses as classrooms

For Conor McKee and Jacob Ewert, the physical demands of greenhouse work were a surprise. It’s one thing to be told a greenhouse is hot. It’s another to swelter in one for hours. Conor and Jacob, plant science majors in the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, have learned hydroponics and experimented…

US: Watch how helicopters harvest millions of Christmas trees

Why are Christmas trees harvested by helicopter? And what does cutting them down mean for the environment versus an artificial tree? True Food TV spent an entire year filming the life cycle of a Christmas tree at Noble Mountain Tree Farm, Pine Valley Christmas Trees and Chris Cresci to find out how they…

"Coating systematically optimizes production"

Amaryllis is a crop that is grown to a precise schedule. And a systematic approach to coating – agreeing at an early stage when the contractor can start – fits in well with that and avoids unpleasant surprises. Amaryllis growers would welcome a longer sales season, and new colors and shapes are…

'Seed cocoons increase seedling survival rates to 90%'

The world economic forum shared a video on LinkedIn showcasing their innovation when it comes to boosting seedling survival rates. Using a seed cocoon, the survival rates go up to 90%, rather than 10%. 

Growing of Dendrobium Orchids in greenhouse

Protected cultivation of high value cut-flowers has become attractive because of more income from unit area. Orchids are attractive flowers with greater diversity and commercial importance. Among different orchids, Dendrobiums can be grown under different climatic conditions even in open ventilated…

Influence of environmental factors on stomatal opening and development

Research shows that Stomata, the microscopic pores surrounded by a pair of guard cells on the surfaces of leaves and stems, play an essential role in regulating the gas exchange between a plant and the surrounding atmosphere. Stomatal development and opening are significantly influenced by environmental…

Impact of irrigation and fertilization practices on herbaceous perennial growth, flowering

The visual appearance of plant materials is an important purchasing factor for consumers. Uneven growth, poor branching, wilting, and nutrient deficiencies can reduce the salability of plants. Insufficient irrigation and fertilization can impact various aspects of growth including height, internode…

US: Thriving Design to debut world’s first fully DIY plant support system at MANTS 2021

Thriving Design, the innovative garden product start-up of Colorado inventor Jason Rider and his sister Morgan Rider, announced the debut of its C-BITEs at the Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show on January 6-8, 2021. C-BITE garden clips are a customizable, reusable, and super strong alternative to…

Holland Ridge Farms

Growing greenhouse tulips at Holland Ridge Farms

Holland Ridge Farms is known for their u-pick flower seasons, sunflowers in the fall, and tulips in the spring. What many do not know is Holland Ridge Farms was born from parent company Holland Greenhouses Inc. Holland Greenhouses Inc was started by founder, Casey Jansen Sr when he was just 17 years old.…

"Green & Growin’ 21 Virtual Education fills a need for online learning"

Online education has been available for decades, but many have turned to it for the first time in 2020. The global pandemic forced everyone to find new ways to do business,…

Advanced liquid nutritional and crop enhancement product launched

BioSafe Systems is launching a new product, CalOx FT, an advanced liquid nutritional and crop enhancement product for a wide range of agricultural and horticultural crops. The…

Bottom heat that rolls out like a carpet

Growers now have a quick, easy way to provide the game-changing root zone heating that plants prefer. Roll’N Grow covers benches and floors with growth-enhancing heat in a fraction of the time it used to take. “The benefits of root zone heating are well documented – some growers say they won’t produce…

Tanzanian PM calls for increasing horticulture production

Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Saturday directed the Ministry of Agriculture to work hard towards the improvement of horticulture production in the country.…

"This study represents the first transcriptomic analysis of gerbera PM resistance"

RNA sequencing has been widely used to profile genome-wide gene expression and identify candidate genes controlling disease resistance and other important traits in plants.…

University of Vermont

Vermont becomes a center for the fledgling U.S. saffron industry

In March, researchers at the University of Vermont held a saffron workshop attended by about 60 people in person and another 60 online from all over the country. A UVM saffron email list has 700 members, and the university runs the North American Center for Saffron Research and Development for growers,…

Adaptive solar shade system means horticulturalists can smell the roses

Researchers have modeled the effects of various PV module arrangements on a greenhouse used for rose growing in Iran’s Shiraz region. The team determined a ‘sweet spot’ where…

India: ‘Centre of Excellence for cut flowers in Thally an excellent example of Indo-Israel co-operation’

The Centre of Excellence for cut flowers in Thally is an excellent example of Indo-Israel co-operation and collaboration, said Jonathan Zadka, Consul General of Israel to…

Deep propagation trays added to AIRtray assortment

AIRtray Technology by Blackmore announces the release of deep propagation AIRtrays in the sizes 144ct 1 1/5” Deep, 128ct 2” Deep, 72ct 2 5/8” Deep, 50ct 3 3/5” Deep, and 32ct 4 1/3“ Deep.  72ct 30x70mm AIRTray and 72ct 35 x 60mm AIRtray Plant HealthAiIRtray Technology is a production system customized to optimize…

CO2 GRO

CO2 GRO announces accelerated flowering results in ornamental orchid species receiving supplemental CO2

CO2 GRO Inc has announced accelerated flowering results in ornamental orchid species receiving supplemental CO2 via its CO2 Delivery Solutions compared to a control grown under standard atmospheric conditions.  The orchid growth trial began in April 2020 at St. Cloud State University's greenhouse facilities…

Jiffy doubles its growbags range

Jiffy has doubled its range of growbags. "Now it’s easier than ever for plant propagators and growers to meet their crops’ needs and boost yields," the company states in a press release.  New Jiffy Essence Growbags: "the perfect budget choice"Jiffy Essence is our new standard range of growbags. Filled with Jiffy’s peat-free substrate,…

Scabious as a cut flower for the UK market

Scabious are well established as a garden plant, but apart from the outdoor production of traditional perennial varieties they have not been grown as a commercial cut flower in the UK. Trials undertaken at the Cut Flower Centre (CFC) from 2015 through to 2019 have assessed the potential of two new series…

What influence do carbon compounds have on the growth of biofilm?

Organic substances are increasingly discussed in the horticultural sector, and the term carbon compounds is regularly mentioned. But what are carbon compounds? In short, they…

"Ornamental grasses suitable for use as ‘fillers’ in mixed bouquets"

Trials undertaken at the CFC in 2016 and 2017 set out to assess the potential of ornamental grasses as a ‘seasonal filler’ to add structure and bulk to cut flower bouquets.…

UK: "They act as a hub for industry to facilitate networking and encourage best practice"

The two Strategic Centres for ornamental crops act as an umbrella for a range of near market projects, decided upon by the grower steering group of each project. The centres host a range of small-scale trials along with extensive knowledge exchange programmes including open days, workshops, study tours,…

Metazet FormFlex and Meteor Systems investigate the use of disinfectants on cultivation gutters

The time of crop rotation has come. A busy period in which the old crop has to make room for the new crop. To protect the new crop in the best possible way, everything is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. Especially the greenhouse structure and interior appear not to be able to withstand the…

"From IPM plans, to harnessing social media"

Hort Science Online 3 (HSO 3), the last in ICL’s digital autumn events, went live yesterday providing access to six topical workstations featuring diverse subjects from creating IPM plans to harnessing social media to grow online presence. ICL’s UK Technical Manager Andrew Wilson and the HSO logo.  “With HSO…

How water quality affects pesticide efficacy, the bottom line

Water quality expert Dr. Sarah White, Professor and Nursery Extension Specialist from Clemson University, describes how water quality affects pesticide efficacy and the bottom line in this new YouTube video. Do you know how the pH of water in your spray tank affects the effectiveness of pesticides? How…

"We have been cultivating saffron in Belgium for 11 years"

Halfway between Brussels and Liège, not far from the city of Namur, we find the only professional saffron farm in Belgium, called "Le Safran de Cotchia". The idea of cultivating saffron in Belgium was a gamble of Eric Léonard and his wife, motivated partly by a need to "go back to basics" by working the…

Cactus and Succulent Society of Australia

Cactus garden preserves collection for Australian growers

Nearly 90 years ago, a German named Harold Blossfeld set sail on an expedition to South America. He travelled about 6000 kilometres over two years through Bolivia, Peru and Argentina looking for one thing: cacti. In Australia, cactus hobbyist Ralph Field had invested in the voyage, paying £200 for his…

Kathy F.Atkinson

UD researchers identify gene that regulates how plants respond to stress

Maybe you go for a leisurely walk, curl up with a good book, lift weights or reach for some comfort food when you’re not feeling well or have had a particularly stressful day. Although there are myriad ways that we all outwardly cope with stressors, one thing is constant: at the cellular level, the…

Agronomy

Expression of ELF4-like genes is influenced by light quality in petunia

The signals from photoreceptors modify plant morphogenesis and regulate the timing of flowering. In the long-day plant petunia, flowering is accelerated under blue (B) and white (W) light compared to red (R) light. In Arabidopsis thaliana L., ELF genes are involved in circadian clock-associated…

Using crop level data to optimise IPM strategy

Ant Surrage works as a Technical Development Specialist for uni. In this article he explains how collecting and visualising crop level and crop walk data can be helpful with the optimisation of an IPM programme. Integrated pest management (IPM) is now becoming a mainstay of crop protection. However,…

Brazil: Flower and ornamental plant consumers profile and behavior

Due to the importance of the flower and ornamental plants sector in Brazilian agribusiness, studies that analyze the situation of its different segments can help to understand…

Dr.Bangemann, Saka Pflanzenzucht

Researchers might have found a way for plants to strike back at viruses

Recently discovered interactions between plant and viral proteins open up new avenues for making plants resistant to viruses, thus safeguarding crop yields in changing climate conditions. Many diseases caused by common plant viruses reduce the crops of important food plants. In the worst case, potato…

Kerala opens new Indo-Dutch Centre of Excellence for flowers and vegetables

An all new Indo-Dutch centre of excellence (CoE) for flowers and vegetables was recently inaugurated in Kerala's Wayanad area. The centre will put together exercises like the…

Most important changes MPS-ABC as of 1 January 2021

The updated MPS-ABC certification standard (v16) will take effect from 1 January 2021. This certification standard meets the requirements for a reliable environmental…