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…

#FlowerLoveVideoContest Winners Announced & New Flower Video Library Launched

The Endowment is excited to announce the grand prize winner and two honorable mentions of its #FlowerLoveVideoContest, sponsored by Asocolflores and funded through the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF).$4,000 Grand Prize Winner – “Let Happiness Bloom” by Jaclyn FiolaThe contest was created based on results from the 2016 FMRF-funded study “Marketing Tactics to Increase Millennial Floral Purchases,” also sponsored by Asocolflores.The study suggests that reaching millennials through short, authentic videos is an effective way to engage them, and that millennials enjoy sharing funny, sentimental and how-to videos on social media. The study also reveals that 75% of millennials use Facebook daily, and 46% visit YouTube daily.$500 Honorable Mention – “The Flower Princess” by Mickelle MartinFlower lovers from across the country…

Two New 2018 Scholarships Established

The Endowment is pleased to announce that two new scholarships have been established, just in time for the 2018 scholarship application season!These new scholarships join the 21 other scholarships awarded annually to promote and assist young professionals joining the floral and horticultural industries.The application deadline for all AFE scholarships is May 1. Click here for more information.Click on the links below to download the press release for each scholarship.Long Island Flower Growers Association — Bob Gunther Memorial ScholarshipBob GuntherThis scholarship was established in memory of the late Bob Gunther, owner of Gunther’s Greenhouses & Florist in Oceanside, New York.It is intended for students from Long Island and New York who are studying ornamental horticulture at a community college or four-year institution…

AFE Bulletin November 2017: Video Contest Deadline, Consumer Study Reminder, Painting Raffle, and More

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…

AFE Bulletin October 2017: New Video Contest, Botrytis and Thrips Presentations, New Consumer Study, and More

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…

New Floral Purchasing Study Reveals Data on Flower-Buying Consumers

AFE and SAF announce the release of the Floral Purchase Tracking Study.Formally called the Consumer Tracking Study, the last study of this kind was conducted in 2005, the last of an annual study that started in 1992.AFE and SAF partnered together to provide a study that is packed full of substantial data regarding the purchases of flower-buying consumers. The study reveals details such as types of flowers purchased, amount spent, for whom and what occasions, satisfaction levels, and more.Funded by the Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) and conducted by IPSOS, the study provides valuable information to florists that can greatly impact how they plan their marketing strategies, inventory purchases and structure their pricing. The information shared in this study has…