Protect Spring Crops from Ethylene

Protect Spring Crops from Ethylene Ethylene damages and kills plants and flowers. Ethylene is a naturally occurring wound hormone that causes leaf yellowing, leaf drop, bud drop, and reduced flower life. Ethylene gas is given off by dying, decaying, and dead fruits and vegetables. Also, plants and flowers produce ethylene internally as they age and when plants have undergone mechanical damage, such as vibration during shipping, drought, and heat stress. Damage to plants and flowers may be caused by ethylene in the atmosphere and from ethylene produced within the plant.  In severe situations, plants may not be marketable unless plants are treated with anti-ethylene products. You can protect your plants and flowers from ethylene. Today, several products are available from…

Celebrating AFE’s 2022 Research #Eras

Some of you may have seen people talking about their 2022 “Eras” on TikTok or other social media platforms. (By the way, AFE is on TikTok – follow us at @AmericanFloralEndowment) An era, in this sense, is a lighthearted and often humorous way to look at an important phase, event, or milestone that happened during the year. As we wrap up 2022 and look back on AFE’s research accomplishments, I thought it might be fun to put our own twist on this trend and share some of our standout #2022Eras.#InvestmentEra:AFE-funded university researchers, along with the help of highly talented graduate students, work with all segments of the floral industry to understand challenges and identify solutions in order to prepare for…

Keep Calm and Grow On: Research to Prevent Plant Stress and Stressors Before they Happen

Stress-free plants = less stress for growers and retailers. Two AFE-funded research projects from scientists at the University of Georgia are currently underway that investigate new ways to detect and reduce plant stress from abiotic pressures and diseases before they happen. These two projects, providing valuable insights to growers, are funded through AFE research funding. This funding is only possible with generous contributions from our supporters. If you would like to help us as we continue to tackle tough industry challenges facing floral and nursery growers, consider making a contribution as the end of the year approaches at endowment.org/donate. Let’s strengthen the future of the industry together. Here’s what the researchers have to say after this past year of funding:…

White LEDs: A Cost-Effective Alternative to Red + Far-Red LEDs

Many important greenhouse floriculture crops are long-day plants, meaning they require long days and short nights (usually less than 8–10 hours of darkness) to produce flowers early. In areas where winters have short days and long nights, the flowering of long-day plants grown during that time is delayed or inhibited. To shorten long nights and promote flowering of long-day plants, growers can use dim photoperiodic lighting at the end of the day (day-extension lighting) or in the middle of the night (night-break or night-interruption lighting). 16-hour days created from day-extension lighting or 4 hours of night-break lighting are generally sufficient to achieve complete flowering of long-day plants.In the past decade, “flowering” LED lamps with custom light spectra including red (R)…

AFE’s Newest Research Coordinator, Laura Barth

Among the five focus pillars of AFE is the important branch of research. This area guides the industry’s current practices to new heights in sustainability, improved methods, and revolutionary discoveries. To help facilitate this mission, AFE has expanded our team to include Laura Barth – AFE’s Research Coordinator.Research is a continuous top priority for AFE’s funding. Research helps AFE provide the best and most current information and solutions to pressing issues in the industry. Laura will work alongside Dr. Terril Nell, AFE’s current Research Director of 8 years, to pursue and disseminate this information through industry outreach and collaboration, communications, and other critical resources like our Grow Pro Webinar Series, Thrips & Botrytis Research Fund, and other currently funded research.Dr.…

Biocontrol of Whiteflies in Poinsettia: What Works and Why Do It

Unfortunately, poinsettia and sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) go together like cats and fleas; if you have one, you’ll have the other. By this time (June) you should already be considering your whitefly management strategy. Here, we make a case for biocontrol as both a viable and economical way to control whitefly based on leading research supported by the American Floral Endowment (AFE) and many years of grower experience in Canada. The Problem with Pesticides Management of Bemisia whiteflies with pesticides can be difficult, if not impossible, in some years. This is because whiteflies that originate on cuttings (and those that fly in from field crops, as in the Southern US) have likely been exposed to multiple applications of several…

2022-2023 Funded Research Projects

The American Floral Endowment (AFE) strives to aid in the ongoing success of our industry through supporting impactful research which faces current challenges and provides new advances. For over 60 years now, AFE has been the ‘go-to’ source for funding research projects and communicating the results, along with the researchers, to the floral industry. In 2022-2023, AFE will support 15 research projects in total. With 5 new research projects and 10 continuing projects totaling over $500,000 in funding from the Endowment, Gus Poesch Research Fund, and the Thrips & Botrytis Research Fund. These projects range in focus including plant breeding, disease and insect management, post-production, and production technology/protocols. “This research continues AFE’s mission of addressing industry challenges and acting as the catalyst for…

Accepting Research Proposals Through August 1

Calling all Researchers! We are now accepting new research proposals for the 2023-2024 funding cycle. The application deadline is August 1, 2022. Apply Today Funding innovative research is a critical pillar of our mission to be the trusted source and catalyst for floriculture advancement. New research proposals should support forward-thinking exploration of cost and labor savings, pest and disease management, reduced waste, and other solutions to promote healthier, longer-lasting flowers and plants. A detailed list of our research priorities is below. In 2022, our Research Application was condensed and updated to include industry references that support the research project. Get helpful tips on how to submit a strong proposal from AFE’s Research Coordinator, Dr. Terril Nell, in the video below. We…

Answering Some of Your Questions on Insecticide Rotation

Article Author: Juang Horng “JC” Chong, Clemson University Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesAs a researcher and educator, I receive questions that touch on the minutia of how to build a successful insecticide rotation program as I preach and write about the importance of developing a rotation program. In this article, I’d like to take the opportunity to explore some of these direct questions.I’m going to proceed with the assumption that everyone who reads this article has some basic knowledge of how to rotate pesticides. If you’ve never heard of the terms “pesticide rotation” or “pesticide stewardship,” or if you are a novice to the practice of rotating pesticides, I invite you to read one of my older AFE’s Growing…

Thrips & Botrytis Webinars and Key Takeaways

New Thrips & Botrytis research and resources to keep your flowers and plants happy and healthy! AFE is pleased to share webinar recordings and one-page key takeaways highlighting new research findings from our specially-funded Thrips and Botrytis Research Fund.Initially presented exclusively to our Thrips and Botrytis Fund supporters, these recorded webinars and key takeaways are now released to the industry in both English and Spanish. Take advantage of these FREE resources to help with your pest and disease management!Throughout these webinars and through the one-page summaries, you will learn the best practices for managing and controlling thrips and botrytis, understand why decisions are made, and how to make the best management decisions for your greenhouse. Our featured topics also include…

Get Involved with AFE

Make an Impact

Ways to Give

Volunteer With Us

Opportunities