New Research Offers Cost-Effective Solutions for Ethylene Problems

The tomato plant on the right has been exposed to ethylene.Ethylene is an odorless, colorless gas that plays a role in seed germination, fruit ripening, leaf yellowing, etc., but too much ethylene can lead to product loss via accelerated flower wilting, abnormal growth and other problems. Results from two new research reports by AFE-funded researchers Michelle Jones, Ph.D., and Nichole Edelman of The Ohio State University can help with ethylene concerns.“Ethylene can be very destructive in both production and post-production environments,” Jones said. “Research aimed at understanding plant responses to ethylene and how to prevent damage will benefit producers, wholesalers, shippers, retailers and consumers.”Epinasty in tomato ‘Tumbler’ treated with different concentrations of ethylene for 24 hours.Use of Indicator Plants to…

New Badges Show Your Proud Support of AFE!

AFE has made it easy for you to let other industry members know you support its efforts. Download AFE’s “proud supporter” badges today in PDF and JPG file formats for print and electronic purposes.Badges can be used in publications, shared on social media, posted on industry websites or utilized in other ways to fit your needs. Please link the image to www.endowment.org.For more than 50 years, the Endowment has worked to address critical industry issues by funding scientific research, educational grants, scholarships and internships to support healthier, longer lasting flowers. AFE also aims to attract and retain the best workforce and foster the next generation of leaders. Let the industry know you stand behind these initiatives by downloading and using…

AFE Launches New Website

AFE has launched a new and improved website at www.endowment.org to serve as the hub of its activities.The newly designed website makes use of the latest technology and is completely mobile-friendly. The streamlined site features everything you need to take advantage of all the ways AFE benefits the floriculture and horticulture industries, from free research reports to applications for funding to the latest industry news.“AFE is committed to staying current and providing top-notch resources for the floral industry, so it was time for the website to get a facelift,” said Charles Kremp, AFE Public Relations Committee Co-Chair and owner of Kremp Florist. “The new site is sleek and, best of all, was designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. We hope…

AFE’s “Murder, Sex and Greed” Video Takes Second Major Communications Award

AFE brings home the gold! AFE earned its second major industry award, the Gold Circle Award from the Center for Association Leadership (ASAE), for its original “Murder, Sex and Greed” animated video, developed to educate the floriculture industry about the positive impacts AFE makes on critical industry problems.“The awards AFE is winning prove that being innovative and taking some creative risks pays off,” Paul Bachman, AFE Chairman and President of Bachman’s, Inc., said. “Ultimately the entire industry wins from this increased awareness of the Endowment and how it works to advance the floral industry.”The Gold Circle Award was bestowed upon AFE’s video for its excellence, innovation and achievement in association/nonprofit marketing, membership and communications.With more than 195 submissions, this year’s…

AFE’s Murder, Sex and Greed Video Wins 2014 American Advertising Award

Awards season is officially underway! The DC Ad Club presented a Silver 2014 American Advertising Award (ADDY award) recognizing creative excellence to AFE for its original Murder, Sex and Greed animated awareness video. The video was developed to educate the floriculture industry about the positive impacts AFE makes on critical industry problems.“We’re honored to receive this award for our outside-of-the-box video, which was produced to spread awareness of AFE to the floral industry,” Paul Bachman, AFE Chairman and President of Bachman’s, Inc., said. “The video was created to reach retailers, wholesalers, growers, importers and allied organizations, and we share this success with the entire floral industry.”The competition received 647 entries from 87 agencies, design firms, in-house marketing departments, freelancers, interactive…

New Banker Plant Research Identifies Environmentally-Friendly Pest Management Tactics

Parasitoid ‘stinging’ an aphid to insert an egg that will develop into a new parasitoid (left) and a typical banker plant system using biological controls to eliminate pesticide usage at a commercial greenhouse in North Carolina.AFE has new research that proves once again how Murder, Sex and Greed align with floriculture.North Carolina State University (NCSU) researchers describe how aphids can be managed (murder) by releasing the parasitoid wasp Aphidius colemani in Optimizing Banker Plant Systems for Aphid Biological Control in Floriculture Greenhouses, Research Report #217. This report explains how using banker plants is an environmentally friendly way to sustain the parasitoid with alternative hosts, removing the need to repeatedly purchase new parasitoids.“Aphids can murder profits for growers, wholesalers and retailers…

AFE Announces More Than $280,000 in Floriculture/Horticulture Research Funding

Mary HausbeckMichigan State UniversityAFE has approved more than $280,000 in floriculture/horticulture research project funding for 2014-2015 to support five continuing projects, five new projects and the Gus Poesch Research Fund.“AFE research covers expansive topics that help address and solve critical industry issues,” said Eric Nissen of Sunshine State Carnations, Inc. and AFE Production and Post-Harvest Research Committee Chairman. “These projects will all provide useful information that will enable the entire floral industry to become more productive and profitable.”The goal of all AFE research is to provide knowledge that helps the industry grow stronger and more profitable.Disease ManagementManaging Pythium Species in Floriculture Irrigation Water: Dr. Mary Hausbeck, Michigan State University, $40,000 (year one of three)Research significance: While this research is most…

Too Good to Pass Up! Two Students Awarded $10,000 AFE Ecke Scholarships

Joshua CraverNot one, but two promising students have been awarded a 2014 Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship through AFE. The merit-based scholarship honors the late floriculture pioneer and is awarded to M.S. or Ph.D. students who are on track to become exceptional researchers or educators.Joshua Craver, who will soon earn a graduate degree at Kansas State University and begin a doctoral program at Purdue University, and Emma Lookabaugh, a doctoral student at North Carolina State University, were both awarded the $10,000 scholarship.“Generally only one Paul Ecke Jr. Scholarship is awarded each year, but this year AFE made an exception to award a scholarship to two remarkable candidates,” said Dwight Larimer, AFE Education Committee chairman and DESIGN MASTER color tool, inc. president.…

AFE Pledge Campaign Offers Wire Service Members A Chance to Win!

BloomNet, FTD and Teleflora have partnered with AFE for the 2014 Friend of the Endowment Pledge Campaign, which runs through June 30.Retail florists belonging to BloomNet, FTD or Teleflora have a chance to win a free registration to the 2014 Society of American Florists’ Annual Convention (Aug. 13-16 in Marco Island, Fla.) or a free iPad (their choice), just by becoming a Friend of the Endowment (a three-year, $50 per year pledge commitment).Signing up is easy. Visit www.endowment.org/pledge and complete the pledge form or watch for information in the monthly wire service billing statements.“BloomNet, FTD and Teleflora have all been generous longtime supporters of the Endowment,” AFE Executive Director Debi Aker said. “Having their support in reaching out to retail…

AFE Trustees Get a Dose of Flower Power at UC Davis

Students in Lieth’s Flower Power class spend one session learning the art of flower arrangement. Credit: Brad Hooker, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences.While at the University of California, Davis in conjunction with their February board meeting, the AFE Board of Trustees learned a little something about flower power from the dozen or so presentations they heard from innovative industry educators.One presentation came from Professor Heiner Lieth, Ph.D., who teaches the widely popular course titled Application of the Art and Science of the Beauty and Perfection of Flowers, or “Flower Power” as the course is fondly called. With 350 students enrolled in the class this spring, every seat in the hall is filled.The course encourages students to develop an interest…

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