What makes a fertilizer high-grade?

Quality is highly important to Prayon, a fertilizer producer. More fertilizers have been sold than in recent years, so it is important to keep stock and quality at a high…

Hort Americas

Mastering ornamentals in a controlled environment

A new Hort Americas video takes a look at growing ornamentals in a controlled environment such as a greenhouse. Orchids and other ornamentals can all be grown in greenhouses with LED grow lights for great results. Technical expert M. S. Karla Garcia discusses the details. For more information:Hort Americashortamericas.com

e-GRO puts spotlight on nutritional monitoring

In their latest alert, e-GRO is highlighting bougainvillea, coleus, crossandra, delphinium, ipomoea, mini-pot rose, and pentas production. Seven new nutrient monitoring…

HRI Launches tHRIve Series

The Horticultural Research Institute has created a new web-based series featuring key research findings that help environmental horticulture businesses grow. The series is called tHRIve and aims to…

Climate protection thanks to living plants

Plants are natural air conditioning systems. They store water, only to release it again in a well-dosed manner. Thanks to innovative solutions from horticultural companies from North Rhine-Westphalia and elsewhere, it is child's play to 'green' roofs in cities and municipalities. Their climate protection…

Plant growth research and technologies featured in upcoming NASA webinar

The Veggie Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is a Plant Processing Area - a web of ground research laboratories equipped with plant growth chambers of all sizes and the ability to simulate the International Space Station environment. That along with a team of researchers capable of applying the…

Growing Cyclamen under high light levels

During periods with high light levels there is an aspect of the culture of Cyclamen that is underestimated: the temperature of the leaves of Cyclamen. What is the situation of plants that are active and in a normal light level? The leaf temperature is at a level just below the air temperature. This is the…

Irish vertical farming Agtech start-up Farmony signs European distribution agreement

Irish Agtech company Farmony has signed a European distribution deal with Sananbio for their vertical farming Radix systems. The Dublin based startup, established in 2018, will incorporate Sananbio’s technology into their controlled environment vertical farming solutions.  “As our climate continues to change…

HortScience

Treatment with calcium chloride enhances water deficit stress tolerance in viola

Water deficit stress can reduce the postproduction shelf life and marketability of floriculture crops. To alleviate the damage by water deficiency, plants need to limit transpirational water loss by inducing stomatal closure. Osmotic stress induces stomatal closure like the response to water deficit…

"75% of crops worldwide depend on pollinators"

On May 20, the world will celebrate bees, one of the insects that most actively contributes to the global population's food security and nutrition, as 75% of the world's crops depend on pollinators like them. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “some…

Aphid behavior on Amaranthus hybridus L. associated with Ocimum spp. as repellent plants

Various plant species contain biocidal and/or semiochemical components. These can be used for managing insect pests, in order to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and to improve the quality of vegetable crops. This study was conducted to assess the effect of repellent plants Ocimum gratissimum L.…

Hungry bumble bees make plants flower early by cutting holes in their leaves

When bumble bee queens emerge from hibernation, they need to gather pollen and nectar to start their new colonies. If they wake up too soon, there may not be enough flowers in…

Argus Control Systems

Webinar: strategies for automating your fertigation system

You can’t grow a good crop without a solid fertigation strategy. Automation can help you finetune your irrigation and nutrient delivery in any production environment, from nursery and greenhouse to vertical farm and indoor grow. But with so many options and levels of technology available, how do you…

sina.com.cn

Chinese liquor producer invests in sorghum greenhouse

Right now, it is the golden period of Maotai liquor production in China. The red sorghum is undergoing the brewing process of Maotai liquor to be perfect for the final products. At the same time, in the mountains of Renhuai City, the seeds of red sorghum are taking root. The source of Maotai liquor lies…

Webinar series: Implementing plant empowerment

The Implementation Partners of Plant Empowerment start a free webinar series of four webinars. Participants will learn how to implement the basic principles of Plant Empowerment. They also learn how to grow crops in a sustainable way by using the natural growing power and resilience of a plant. The first…

WUR

Plant biologists discover simple principle of plant responses to hormone

In a new study researchers from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and colleagues in Japan and Spain have found a simple mechanism for control of plant growth. Implementation of these findings can help growers to design new crops with for example resistance against disease, drought or…

Achieving sustainable cultivation of ornamental plants

Ornamental plants are plants grown for decorative purposes. They include cut flowers, bulbs, potted plants, shrubs and trees for gardening and landscape design. Like other crops, ornamentals face challenges such as biotic and abiotic stresses as well as the need to develop more sustainable,…

"Don’t let your Garden Mums bud too early and set back growth"

Mums may be short day (long night) flowering plants, but they can still flower under long days, especially during cold nights. Although flowering takes a bit longer, varieties that are Very Early to Mid natural season timing, as listed in the Fresh All Fall Guide, will initiate flower buds under 14.5…

Schoneveld Breeding

Growing tips for transplanting Cyclamen

After the bedding plant season many Cyclamen plants are being planted. Below is a list of topics for review when potting your cyclamen. Growing Area Water quality Insects Greenhouse climate Soil Media Plant height after potting  Watering Fertilization Clean and disinfect growing areaIt is always wise to start with…

The journey of dracaena marginata

Houseplants are hot and the demand is stronger than ever. But how did the trend start, how did it develop, and how are the plants propagated, distributed and grown? In an article published recently, Michael Perry, a.k.a. Mr. Plant Geek describes it all and puts special focus on the dracaena, the dragon…

ICL

UK: Optimising crops now there is light at the end of the tunnel

With Welsh garden centres opening their doors, and English and Scottish centres predicted to follow suit later this week or next, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for production nurseries, says ICL’s technical area sales manager, Ian Todd. “With many retail outlets having been closed for…

MDPI

The effect of soil volume availability on Opuntia ficus-indica canopy and root growth

A new study investigated the effect of soil volume restriction on the below- and above-ground growth of Opuntia ficus-indica through understanding the limit imposed by root confinement via different soil volumes on root and canopy architecture and growth. In 2014, one-year-old O. ficus-indica cladodes…

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

Phosphorus restriction influences P efficiency and ornamental quality of poinsettia and chrysanthemum

Better synchronization of plant-available phosphorus (P) with crop P requirement is required to reduce P losses to the environment and to improve resource-efficiency of the exploitation of non-renewable phosphate rock. In horticultural plant production, a restricted availability of P may limit stem length and…

New Guinea impatiens: Do’s and don’ts

New Guinea impatiens (Fig. 1) are one of the most popular bedding plants. Their attractive foliage and large, colorful, and plentiful flowers have made them an important annual crop for grower. While they are not the hardest crop to produce, they are not without their challenges. This article highlights…

Lucia Draghia

Research regarding the behaviour of rose varieties in Romania

A new paper aimed to present the behaviour of some roses from floribunda group in cropping conditions from Iaşi, Romania. Research was carried out in the rose collection of Floriculture discipline from University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine from Iaşi, Romania, during 2016-2018.…

Studies regarding the behaviour of ornamental species Lagurus ovatus in Romania

A new paper aimed to analyse some aspects about behaviour and multiplication of Lagurus ovatus species in cropping conditions from Iaşi County, Romania. Research material was…

Special labour this month

Times are challenging, hectic but also terrifying. COVID-19 is affecting many links in the chain and in turn, all people in the chain. Even though more and more is being automated nowadays, people are still needed and especially now, when there is a lack of labor in many sectors. Therefore, this month labour will be put in the…

Chilling and freeze injury and heat stress of geraniums

Sub- and supra-optimal temperatures can cause injury or discoloration of geranium foliage. This Alert highlights freezing and chilling injury and heat stress symptomatology in zonal, ivy and regal geraniums. by W. Garrett Owen (wgowen@uky.edu) Managing greenhouse temperature by either heating or cooling…

Why plants should never 'kiss' but 'talk'

Ben Geijtenbeek is Senior Technical Crop Specialist at Syngenta Flowers. At the IPM in Essen he explained to growers why it is important that plants should have some personal space to reach the best quality.  “To improve the climate for optimal growth, it is important to know how many plants you can grow per…

Coronavirus: Mother's Day could be saving grace for beleaguered flower growers

Growers dumping flowers intended for export in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic are hoping for a Mother's Day reprieve. New Zealand's $50-70 million export floral trade could wilt even if its main markets re-open soon because the cost of international freight has increased so steeply since the…

The subtle art of making climate

What does it take to be a good grower? A grower needs to do 100 things right all the time. If one parameter is out of bounds, the energy spent on optimizing the other 99 was all for nothing. There…

Visser Horti Systems

"Now each plant takes up the water as they need it"

Growing healthy, strong and uniform plants is the ultimate goal and the biggest challenge at the same time. Wick & Grow, developed by Visser Horti Systems and Costa Farms, helps growers and retailers not to worry about watering their plants in the greenhouse, during transport or in stores. "Using Wick &…

"Put the hold on your perennials"

Some markets are slow and growers have to hold their perennials, sometimes for weeks. by Chris Fifo ProblemSome perennials, especially spring bloomers like Aquilegia and Iberis, only flower for a period of time and are done. What is the best way to hold your perennial crops that are not selling? Members…

Gibberellic acid can improve seed germination and ornamental quality of selected cyclamen species

Cyclamen species (swinebread spp.) are perennial herbaceous plants which belong to the Primulaceae family, widely used as medicinal or ornamental plants. Currently, gibberellic acid (GA3), an environmentally friendly bioregulator is widely used to enhance the productivity and phenotypic characteristics…

Dancing peonies with night frost

Wondering what it looks like when night frost disappears from peonies? You can see it with your own eyes in the video below. This timelapse video shows how the peonies 'dance'. In this case Coral Charm after -4,7 C night frost. It started at 11 pm and the night frost was not out until 8 am. For more informationGreen WorksEd KleijbeukerM:…

US (MA): Weather and botrytis in the greenhouse

Since it appears that the weather will shift back to the cool and rainy side over the next couple of days, it’s an opportune time to think about botrytis. by Angela Madeiras, Extension Educator and Diagnostician, UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab with Jim Mussoni, Private IPM Scout Botrytis was…

Environmental impact of edible flower production: A case study

Nowadays the heightened awareness of the critical trend in resource depletion impels to improve the eco − sustainability of any productive process. The research presented in a…

Holding greenhouse crops – When temperature and PGRs don’t suffice

Many greenhouse producers and retailers are having to hold onto crops longer than anticipated because of restrictions in place from COVID-19, the infectious disease caused by novel coronavirus, pandemic. In a previous article, we focused on two strategies to hold greenhouse crops: lowering the…

Influence of exogenous hydrogen peroxide on Ficus deltoidea

A study was carried out to investigate the regulatory effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the growth, photosynthesis, biochemical properties, leaf anatomy and Rubisco gene…

Which pathogens should you worry about in your water?

When it comes to talking about disease-related issues in greenhouse crops, one point of confusion is often over which pathogens can be transmitted by water. Some are obvious – we all know Pythium is water-borne. But what about other culprits, like Fusarium or Erwinia? Should you worry about these in your…

Tips on holding crops

MSU recorded the webinar last week covering the extremely relevant topic of holding crops. When crops can’t be shipped on time, there are things you can do to help hold plants in the greenhouse. Commercial greenhouse growers can implement practices to slow down growth and maintain crop quality, such as: lowering the…

Full spectrum LED grow lights: The truth you need to know

Many LED lighting suppliers will say that full-spectrum LED grow lights are the best option for growing plants because they mimic the natural light from the sun. The argument goes: “Plants have grown under sunlight for millions of years. Why would we want to change what mother nature knows is best?”…

Tips on how to hold ‘em

Spring is well on its way, but with plant sales on hold in many states due to COVID-19, you may need to consider these strategic tips for maintaining the quality of your annual bedding plants. by Brian E. Whipker (bwhipker@ncsu.edu) and W. Garrett Owen (wgowen@msu.edu) Tip 1. Lower fertility rateFor constant liquid feed…

Compact cultivation of kalanchoe without the use of Tilt

Van der Knaap has researched compact cultivation of kalanchoe in collaboration with the growers of Blos5. Blos5 is a cooperative of kalanchoe growers who work together in the…

Cultivating Lilium Table Dance in an aquaponic system

Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture and hydroponics in a recirculation system, where aquatic animals like fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants are connected with the production of vegetables in a controlled environment, nutrients reach the system through the feeding fish and bacteria…