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…

Joshua Craver Joins Vic & Margaret Ball Committee

Joshua Craver, Ph.D. has been appointed as the newest member of AFE’s Vic & Margaret Ball Committee for the Vic & Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program. He is an assistant professor of Controlled Environment Horticulture at Colorado State University.Craver received his M.S. in Horticulture from Kansas State University in 2014 and Ph.D. in Horticulture from Purdue University in 2018. He teaches multiple courses at CSU including Greenhouse Management, Indoor Crop Production and Physiology, and Greenhouse Practicum. He also advises multiple graduate and undergraduate students engaged in research focused on enhancing the production of vegetable and floriculture crops in controlled environments.Craver is not new to the American Floral Endowment. In 2011, Craver was a recipient of the Vic & Margaret Ball…

Your Investment in Research Pays Dividends

Science and technology keep moving forward. Sometimes, we may not realize how scientific and technological advancements guide our daily lives and benefit floriculture businesses. The amazingly rapid response of medical researchers to develop COVID-19 vaccines shows the impact on our lives as a whole. At the same time, floriculture research has developed techniques leading to better quality and longer-lasting flowers. As the industry celebrates 60 years of AFE support for research benefiting all segments of the floral industry, we can be thankful for the investment individuals and companies have made in AFE. The AFE research committee and board focus industry dollars on projects that will have value to the industry. We recognize that every segment of the industry faces challenges…

Impact of Irrigation and Fertilization Practices on Herbaceous Perennial Growth and 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 length, and leaf area. Over-irrigation and over-fertilization can also result in unfavorable growth responses. Excessive growth often results in leggy, floppy plants with uneven growth; these plants have a greater potential for damage during shipping or in the retail setting. Reduced irrigation and fertilizer inputs can lessen the environmental impact of production by reducing the nutrient-laden coming from the production area. Reduced irrigation also has the potential to be used as a method of plant growth control in place of…

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…

AFE’s Research Accomplishments – Past, Present, and Future

In 1843, Charles Dickens introduced the world to the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. The visits by these spirits transformed Scrooge from being a miser to someone who treated everyone with kindness, generosity, and compassion. This same type of generosity has allowed AFE to help the industry through the years. The support given to AFE goes directly towards helping our floral community overcome challenges and further grow.As the Ghost of Christmas Past would note, the floral industry has been providing funds to the American Floral Endowment for nearly 60 years. AFE-funded research has led to successful advancements in flower production, care and handling, shipping, marketing, and pest/disease challenges.Present AFE research focuses on eliminating thrips and botrytis, lighting advances,…

Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI)

A Brief History and Current ProjectsIn the early 1990’s, the Society of American Florists (SAF) and the American Nursery and Landscape Association (now AmericanHort), sought support of Congress to allocate dedicated funding for floral and nursery research. In 1996, Congress agreed to begin funding the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI) and the Agriculture Research Service (ARS) has managed projects and funding. Funding is split between floral and nursery projects with funding allocated to university and ARS projects. Projects that receive funding are based, to a large extent, on industry recommendations. SAF provided governmental support by interacting with Congress and, with grower input, made recommendations for projects of greatest need to the floral industry. FNRI is designed to support longer-term…

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…

Paul Ecke Jr. and Altman Family Scholars Story – The Best and Brightest

Meet this year’s Paul Ecke Jr. and Altman Family scholars: plant-powered people, creating people-powered plants. Talk to the five graduate students selected to receive this year’s AFE Paul Ecke Jr. and Altman Family scholarships, and some common themes quickly emerge. They are self-described plant nerds with a passion for horticulture—and enthusiastic advocates for their chosen field.Young as they are, they are already leaders, with an impressive record of volunteer activity. Each of them is also a well-rounded individual who pays attention to soft skills like communication and time management.More than most students, they have the benefit of real-life experience (because they took initiative to seek it out) that informs their understanding and their sense of purpose.As dedicated graduate students, they…

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