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THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • APRIL 2018
GROWER UPDATE •
shorten and it becomesmoredifficult to reduce humidity
at plant level.
Humidity control is also key in combatingFusarium losses
on cyclamen, he said. Disease symptoms do not show
until well after infectionhas takenplace.
‘Robots are coming’ was the title given tohis talkby
Professor SimonPearson. Hepredicted that robotic
Danish trolleyswould soonbe available togrowers. They
are already inuse in theUKby the online homedelivery
companyOcado. And seventeenBercomex robotic
flower packing lines are also already inoperation in this
county. Research is inprogress at King’sCollege London
on robotic ‘rubber fingers’ to replace human labour in
handling cuttings.
TheBritishProtectedOrnamentalsAssociationheld a
members’meeting twoweeks after theBallColegrave
event. Seventy of themheard five speakers at the
MeadowCroft GardenCentre, ownedbymembersRoland
andMichael Smith. The audience also had the opportunity
to seeplants beinggrown for an extensive annual pansy
and viola trial. The five hundred-plus varietieswere in the
final stages of growing for the 15th annual MeadowCroft
Viola andPansy Festival (TheMay issue of Commercial
GreenhouseGrower will carry a report).
ShaunHerdsmanofModiform introduced the company’s
newEcoExpert product range. In this, thepots and
trays aremade of recycledmouldedpaper, togive a
rigiddurableproduct that couldbe recycled again,
or composted. The appearance of thepots by the
time of salemight limit their use, saidShaun, but the
environmental casewas unanswerable for replacing
plasticpot trays on the nurserywith their paper
equivalent. Across the spectrumof containers used
in horticulture, currently the greatmajoritymade from
technically recyclableplastic eventually finishes up in
land-fill sites or aswaste.
Anti-Reflect is a recently introducedglass coating
product fromMardenkro, theDutch companywith an
international name for its shading and coating agents
for glass andplastic. Solar radiation is diffusedbyAnti-
reflect, with a resulting increase of at least 3per cent in
thephotosynthetically active radiation (PAR) that reaches
plant foliage.
The company’sPaul vanGils urgedgrowers touse
ReduWizard, on theMardenkrowebsite. This is an inter-
active tool toguide the selectionof thebest product
from the company’s range for the grower’s specific
needs. ReduSol is a straightforwardwear-resistant
shadingproduct, but others reflect, for instance, infra-red
radiation, or light of blue or greenwavelengths.
Fargro technical officer DavidHide spoke at both the
BallColegrave event and theBPOAmeeting. He spoke
on IPM at the first andonbiopesticides at the second.
Investment inbiopesticides development is increasing,
spurredonby the loss of syntheticproducts andby rising
levels of pulic concern about both foodquality and the
environment.
The newbiopesticide FLiPPER is derived from extra
virginolive oil. Its use is approvedEurope-wide for some
edibles, and approval for use inornamentals is expected
soon. It haswide-spectrum contact activity against foliage
pests. DavidHide urgedgrowers tomake full use of
Fargro’s free advisory service.
Seed companyBenary sponsored theBPOA event. Dave
Wales, their salesmanager for theUK, reported that new
breedingprojects on vegetatively propagated lineswere
under way, in collaborationwithVolmary. Seed-raised
introductions tobe launched this year include a newdwarf
sunflower, Bert, andPopStar, a new series of platycodon,
a campanula relative that couldhave goodgrowth
potential in theUKmarket.
Other speakers at the two events includedScott Ruschof
PanAmericanSeed,WayneBroughof AHDB, Neil Bragg
of Bulrush, onpeat-free growingmedia, and consultant
ChrisNeed, BPOA co-ordinator for newproject ideas.
Therewas also apresentation from theBedding&Pot
Plant Centre team –Dr. Jill England andChloeWhiteside,
fromADAS, introducedbyCarolineShove, who chairs the
management committee. InApril an updating videoon the
work of theCentrewill be released toAHDB levy payers.
The next OpenDaywill be on the 19th June.
Modiform’sEco-Expert range is
made from recycledpaper and card,
‘pulped’ and formed into specific
shapes to offer your products
protectionduring transport and sale.
• RECYCLED
• RECYCLABLE
• BIODEGRADABLE
• COMPOSTABLE
• FOOD SAFE
