AFE Grant Helps Improve Spanish Language Access

 A new education grant from the American Floral Endowment helps improve Spanish language access to University of Florida online grower coursesGreenhouse Training Online courses, including Disease Management, offered by University of Florida IFAS Extension (UF) have received a boost with an education grant from the American Floral Endowment (AFE). The four-week courses in English and Spanish are designed for growers or technical managers in the US and other countries and have been completed by over 1,000 growers.The education grant from AFE will help cover the cost of translating course materials into Spanish. This commitment to diversity training is critical. Even though approximately 80% of agricultural workers in the U.S. are of Hispanic origin and are Spanish‐speaking, there is a lack…

YPC Member Receives First Place at ASHS

Last month, during the 2018 American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) conference held in Washington, D.C., Sadikshya Sharma, received first place in the Graduate Student Poster competition at the master’s Level.Her poster illustrated the studies she has done on the “Effects of Narrow Bandwidth Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) on Petunia and Spathiphyllum.”“My research with LEDs helps in building a foundation for further combining different LEDs and optimizing light quality in commercial propagation and production industry. This would ultimately reduce the cost for the lights used in propagation and production of petunia and spathiphyllum,” says Sadikshya.She is a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Horticulture, at the University of Florida where her adviser is Dr. Thomas Colquhoun.We want to congratulate Sadikshya,…

Daily Light Integral Maps for the U.S.

Daily Light Integral (DLI) maps display the ambient light delivered daily during each month across the entire U.S. These maps were researched and developed by James Faust of Clemson University and Joanne Logan of The University of Tennessee. They are unique because DLI is a measurement of light that is particularly valuable for estimating plant growth. Other solar radiation maps created for photovoltaic purposes, i.e., installing solar panels, are not directly applicable to horticultural applications. According to Faust, the project leader, the DLI maps are valuable because they allow growers to better manage the light environment of their plants. “For example, one can estimate the number of days per year that supplemental lighting may be necessary to achieve the desired…

Two Students Receive Altman Family Scholarships

Two students were awarded $5,000 scholarships from the 2018 Altman Family Scholarship Fund.Krishna Bhattarai, a Ph.D student at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, and Nathan Nordstedt, of The Ohio State University were both awarded the 2018 scholarship for their exemplary work and outstanding dedication to their floriculture studies.The Altman Family Scholarship was created in 2015 by Ken and Deena Altman (owners of Altman Plants) and assists in funding the education of floriculture graduate students (MS or Ph.D.), who will become leading floricultural scientists and educators.Krishna Bhattarai“I’m inspired when I review these applications,” said Ken Altman.  “Every single student was extremely deserving of a scholarship”.Krishna Bhattarai is a doctoral student at the University of Florida with…

2018 Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship Announced

Melissa Muñoz, a Master of Science student at Clemson University, was awarded the 2018 Paul Ecke Jr., Scholarship Award — a $10,000 scholarship ($5,000 for two consecutive years).  She will be continuing for her Ph.D. upon completion of her Masters degree.“There were a record number of applications for the second year in a row, which shows the growing interest and need for these scholarships. The high quality of students is a testament to their exceptional determination and passion, and I am confident these future leaders will help the industry progress,” said Greg Royer, AFE Chairman and Education Committee Chair.Melissa Munoz, 2018 Paul Ecke, Jr.Scholarship RecipientMelissa graduated from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellin in 2016 and is currently enrolled…

Botrytis, Meet Calcium

By: JC Chong, Clemson UniversityWe pack our carts with the best crop of bedding plants ever, or our boxes with the best cut roses, only to receive a call from our customers rejecting the shipment because of gray mold. Botrytis meltdown is a huge problem during shipment because high humidity in sealed shipping carts or containers is just what Botrytis needs to cause an outbreak.With funding from AFE, Jim Faust and his graduate student Kathie Bennett (Clemson University) studied the potential of reducing Botrytis meltdown on petunia flowers with pre-shipment sprays of calcium chloride. Kathie sprayed four concentrations of calcium chloride (at 0, 400, 800 and 1,200 ppm) over two weeks before the expected shipping date. She infected the flowers…

All About Thrips IPM Programs

By: Rose BuitenhuisThe Vineland Research and Innovation Centre has a six-part series published in Greenhouse Canada magazine with practical information for thrips integrated pest management (IPM) programs.Written by Biocontrol Specialists Rose Buitenhuis, Michael Brownbridge and Graeme Murphy, the articles offer application tips and tricks, information on new technologies, and are supplemented by short videos demonstrating techniques or principles.Part 1, Designing Your Greenhouse IPM Program, introduces the systems approach to IPM and goes through the different elements of thrips IPM from start to finish, setting the stage for the rest of the series. The video explains the importance of choosing the right plant, the right environment and the right control agents for a complete IPM strategy. Part 2, IPM: Prevention and Early…

Applications for 2018 Scholarships Due May 1

Applications are now being accepted for more than 20 different AFE scholarships.Emily Currens, University of Georgia 2017 John L. Tomasovic Sr. Scholarship recipientSophomore, junior, senior and graduate students studying floriculture and horticulture must submit their applications online by the May 1 deadline.Scholarships range from $500 to $6,000.Two new scholarships were recently established with AFE, so even more opportunities are available to qualified students.In 2017, the Endowment awarded 20 students with scholarships totaling more than $36,000.“Awarding scholarships to students is a primary function of AFE. We understand the financial burden they face and are doing our part to help them,” said Dwight Larimer, AFE Chairman and Education Committee Chair.Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted to AFE by May 1.Click…

Applications Being Accepted for Two MS/Ph.D. Scholarships

The Endowment is now accepting applications for the Altman Family Scholarship and the Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship.Their application deadlines are Feb. 1, 2018. Deena and Ken AltmanThese merit-based, prestigious scholarships are for graduate students who have the skills and passion to become leading floricultural scientists and educators.Applicants must be in the process of successfully completing either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in horticulture or a related field (e.g., agricultural engineering, entomology, agricultural marketing and economics, plant pathology, etc.) and must have the intention of pursuing an MS or Ph.D. degree on a full-time basis.Applicants attending land-grant universities will automatically be considered for the Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship. All others will qualify for the Altman Family Scholarship.The Altman Family Scholarship was…

Show Some Flower Love in AFE’s New Video Contest

A new video contest has been launched encouraging people to showcase their love of flowers, with a grand prize of $4,000.Funded by the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) and sponsored by Asocolflores, the 2017 #FlowerLoveVideoContest aims to inspire creative videos from anyone and everyone who loves flowers, and promotes the use and giving of fresh flowers.“We are fortunate enough to work with a product that can be used to tell stories and evoke emotion,” said Gabriel Becerra, President of Golden Flowers, FMRF President and past AFE Chairman.“The #FlowerLoveVideoContest is a great initiative for us to come together as an industry, and tell different stories about the impact that flowers can have on a daily basis. I invite everyone to participate and…

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