This webinar will cover the latest in greenhouse climate management. We will cover basics as well as advanced strategies and innovative techniques to optimize environmental conditions for enhanced crop growth and yield. Led by industry expert Dr. Bruce Bugbee, this session aims to equip greenhouse growers with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate and control the complex climate dynamics within their facilities and optimize plant growth and profit.

Join Dr. Rose Buitenhuis to learn comprehensive strategies to develop and sustain an IPM program for thrips management to mitigate the risk of pesticide resistance. Gain invaluable insights into proactive measures and holistic approaches essential for effective thrips management in greenhouse environments. View additional Q&A Session for this webinar here: https://youtu.be/2re2RyIHZqQ

Dr. Lopez will discuss the phenomenon of foliage purpling in young plant propagation under LED lighting. We will uncover the reasons behind the purple coloration, exploring anthocyanin accumulation, nutrient deficiencies, and environmental stressors. Join us to understand how to mitigate and manage purpling issues, ensuring optimal growth conditions for healthy young plant development in evolving greenhouse environments.

There has been increasing interest in the use of drones in cut flower production as a way to reduce labor issues and costs involved with pest and disease scouting, stress monitoring, pesticide applications, soil compaction, and more. Drones may provide a way to improve precision in stress detection and spray applications, and contribute to more sustainable production practices. This webinar will provide information on how drones and other UAVs are currently used in cut flower production, current work being done to implement and improve the use of drones in floriculture, and the future of drones and other UAVs in floriculture production systems.

Floriculture crops are produced in a diverse range of systems which can bring along the risk of many soilborne diseases, including fungal and oomycete root rots. This webinar will help growers learn how to identify important root diseases in floriculture production and strategies for managing them.

With peat shortages, supply chain uncertainty, and environmental concerns (and even restrictions in some parts of the world), many growers are looking to reduce their peat use. However, when switching to new substrate components, questions can arise about changes in cost, crop quality, crop uniformity, substrate stability, fertilizer requirements, water management, and more. This webinar will give growers insight on how to effectively and efficiently deal with peat shortages and successfully use peat alternatives in their operation.

Thrips parvispinus emerged as a significant threat to tropical ornamental crops in North America in 2020. Given the extent of the damage it causes, as well as the documented insecticide resistance, integrated pest management (IPM) approaches are needed to supplement chemical control measures until cost-effective biocontrol initiatives can be established for this pest.

Botrytis blight (aka gray mold) is a devastating disease that can affect over 1400 plants worldwide and is especially harmful to the cut flower industry. Disease management relying solely on fungicide applications is unsustainable for profitable production and for health and environmental concerns. The American Floral Endowment has funded a series of research projects focusing on alternative and effective management strategies for Botrytis blight in the floriculture industry. This presentation emphasizes the use of biorational products and management strategies to avoid fungicide resistance.

Biochar, a carbon-rich material with porous structure produced by the thermo-chemical decomposition of biomass in an oxygen depleted or oxygen-limited atmosphere, has become popular as a container substrate component as a peat replacement. Using biochar to replace peat moss as a container substrate component for greenhouse/nursery production could provide environmental and economic benefits. Biochar could be derived from various feedstocks that are regenerated faster than peat moss and possesses price advantages over peat moss when local feedstock is available. Certain types of biochar can provide nutrients, accelerate nutrient adsorption, and suppress certain pathogens, leading to reduced fertilizer and pesticide usage and leaching.

Greenhouse and nursery producers have been filling containers uniformly with peat- and pine bark-based substrates for the past 60 years. Instead of filling the entire container with the same substrate, new research is exploring ideas of layering or stratifying substrates in containers to improve plant performance, reduce agrichemical leaching, and reduce substrate costs. Substrate stratification can dramatically improve weed control, reduce fertilizer leaching, reduce fertilizer costs, reduce water stress, and improve overall plant performance. This seminar will present concepts in stratifying substrates and how this opens up a myriad of new ideas and approaches for solving production-related problems.