The Physiology of Photosynthesis: Implications for Supplemental Lighting

Supplemental lighting is often required to produce high-quality plants in a timely manner. However, the costs associated with that supplemental lighting can be high. For the profitable production of high-quality crops, it is important to assure that the crops can use supplemental lighting efficiently. To develop to most cost-effective lighting methods possible, we decided to start with the basics: quantify how efficiently different crops can use light and use that knowledge to develop smarter lighting strategies. In this article, we will focus on perennials. There are of course many species of perennial plants, so we decided to focus on 10 popular species.Light Use Efficiency of PerennialsThe first two questions we wanted to answer were simply: 1) how efficiently do different…

Introducing Research and Outreach Project LAMP: Lighting Approaches to Maximize Profit

Figure 1. Black-eyed Susan seedlings exposed to the same DLI as photoperiod increased from 12 to 21 hours. Plants receiving 21 hr of lighting had a 30% higher shoot dry weight than 12 hr plants.IntroductionSupplemental 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 costs and lighting has been estimated to cost the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) industry $600 million annually. Enter Project LAMP. They are a research and outreach team funded by a grant from the USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative. The study’s mission is to…

Prime Your Plants for Success with Biostimulants

Read More >> This article was originally published on Greenhouse Grower.

Successful Poinsettia Packing, Shipping, and Handling

Preparing Your Poinsettias for Shipping and Retail Display Begins at Bract ColorIt is hard to believe that the first poinsettias will be shipped to retail stores in just 4–5 weeks and shipments will continue until near December 20. Life becomes hectic in poinsettia greenhouses as the season progresses so it is prudent to establish handling and shipping practices now that will ensure that quality poinsettias are shipped, and quality poinsettias are received. In the past, growers would ‘harden off’ crops to prepare them for the entire handling, shipping, and handling programs by reducing watering and fertilizer and lowering temperatures. Today, poinsettia performance is best when plants are grown with strong root systems and are grown lean in the final four weeks…

Best Practices for DIF on Poinsettias

Read More >> This article was originally published by GrowerTalks.

Growing Impatiens More Safely—A Plant Pathologist’s View

One important lesson that we’ve learned together as an industry is how to manage bacterial blight disease of geraniums. We’ve figured out that exquisitely careful sanitation procedures are critical at the upper levels of production, with constant checking for any breaches in safety measures. We’ve learned that growers should keep geraniums from different suppliers separate, and should grow hybrid seed geraniums separately from the cutting-grown geraniums. We know it is the vegetatively-grown geraniums that bring the risk of introducing the dreaded Xanthomonas hortorum pv. pelargonii (or Ralstonia solanacearum) into the greenhouse. By separating the crops with the highest risk of disease from those with much less risk, the potential economic loss is minimized. Now we’re applying these same principles in…

Robotics, machine vision, and automation – The Future Reality of Flower Production

The new realityIt would be very hard to argue against the notion, that a wide range of technologies will lead to marked changes to horticultural production systems in the coming decades. Many (possibly all!) other industry sectors are facing the same reality:1) Automation – It is all about labor savings and efficiency!  Robots are becoming less expensive, smaller and lighter, more robust, easier to use and program, more agile – all leading to robots being able to solve more problems and handle a wider range of specific tasks.2) Batteries are lasting longer, faster to recharge, and less expensive – enabling airborne drones and ground-based rovers to operate longer and carry larger payloads. And, with longer battery life, there may be…

Smart Sensor for Measuring Plant Nitrogen Status of Floriculture Crops

Plant nitrogen (N) content affects the growth and quality of floriculture crops. The deficiency of N causes leaf yellowing and stunted growth. In many floriculture crop species, leaf yellowing is usually seen in the older leaves. However, this may not be the case in all species (see Fig. 1). Excess N levels result in undesirable shoot growth and increased susceptibility to insect pests. Figure 1. Poinsettia plants supplied with deficient (left) and sufficient (right) levels of nitrogen Greenhouse growers use several monitoring techniques like visual assessments, laboratory analysis, and sensors (e.g. substrate electrical conductivity) to ensure that floriculture crops are supplied with a sufficient amount of N during production. Small-scale growers often resort to visual assessments, mostly due to limited…

Growth Promotion by Bacteria-based Biostimulants

How can biostimulants promote growth and crop quality?The most common active ingredients in biostimulants are beneficial microorganisms (fungi and bacteria). These fungi and bacteria can increase the availability of essential macro and micronutrients that would otherwise be leached from the container. Increasing nutrient uptake and use efficiency improves plant health and tissue nutrient content while reducing the cost of fertilizer inputs.The result is larger plants with greener leaves and more developed root systems, as well as finished plants with more and/or larger flowers.Production timing may be reduced due to faster growth and earlier flowering. Growth promotion from biostimulant applications will be less obvious if plants are already growing under optimal water and fertility levels. Microbial-biostimulants can be used to reduce…

To LED or Not to LED

By Erik RunkleLight-emitting diodes (LEDs) have captured the interest of a lot of greenhouse growers as well as academics. One of the best ways to exploit this lighting technology is to grow young plants indoors. Here, we have full control of the growing environment. While LEDs have rapidly advanced, especially in the last five years, we still have more questions than answers. With support from American Floral Endowment, we have expanded our understanding of how different light wavebands (or colors) regulate growth. This includes plant architecture, leaf color, and flowering time across a range of floriculture species.Growing Indoor PlantsEarlier this year, we wrote a five-part series in GrowerTalks magazine, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Florida. In the…

Get Involved with AFE

Make an Impact

Ways to Give

Volunteer With Us

Opportunities