10
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • MARCH 2018
• CONFERENCE REPORT
Speakers fromCanada andHollandwerepart of the
programme that brought growers to the annual conference
of theBritishProtectedOrnamentalsAssociation. Held in
1anuary at Stoneleigh, the full day technical seminar gave
aplatform tonine speakers. Topics includedgreenhouse
environment control, plant health and labour supply
issues, andpathogenmonitoring and control inwater.
Therewere also updates onRHS trials and the coming
season’s experimental programme at theBedding andPot
Plant Centre. Reports 1ohnSutton.
TheBPOAwas founded twelve years agobut has
historical roots datingbackmuch earlier. The organisation
is for growers of bedding, patio andpot plants, cut
Åowers andother ornamentals under glass or plastic. The
membershipof almost twohundred includes companies
supplyingproducerswith youngplants, seeds, containers
andmany other requirements. TheAssociation is a
specialist groupof theNational Farmers’ Union.
AmongBPOA activities in2015 therewas a latewinter
study tour of nurseries innorth-easternUSA. This led to
the headgrower for 1effery’sGreenhouses inOntario –
located a fewmiles from theborder with theUSA - being
the first speaker in theAssociation’s programme for the
17th 1anuary. Albert Grimm hasworked for almost twenty
years for 1effery’s, one of Canada’smajor producers of
beddingplants. Thebusiness comprises 10ha 25 ac of
glasshouses heatedby lowpressure steam. The effect of
the intensity of radiation from the very hot pipe surfaces
is to increase leaf temperaturesmore thanwouldbe the
casewith hot water piping. This enables slightly lower air
temperatures tobe runwithout reducinggrowth.
Coupledwith avoiding excessive use of energy-saving
screens andwith the use of vertical airÅow fans, Albert
Grimm keeps plants activebymaintainingVapour
PressureDeficit at crop level. This has apositive effect on
plant quality and shelf life. His environmental management
policy does come ‘at a cost’, he said. But he continued
‘There is no such thing as cheapplant quality, and there is
no cropmore expensive thanone that does not sell’.
1effery’sGreenhouses has only one customer, the
US home improvement chainHomeDepot. Plants are
delivered to 55of its stores inCanada and 29 in theUSA,
in an area stretching up to800km 500miles from the
nursery. As supplier, 1effery’smanages theplant inventory
at each store, and tops up stocks on thebasis of retaining
ownershipof theplants right up to the time of sale. Home
Depot takes an agreedpercentage of thepricepaid.
‘Vendor-managed inventories andpay-by-scan are
among thebest things that have happened toour
industry’ saidAlbert Grimm. ‘They are very successful for
growerswilling to embrace the concept and to invest in
consistent plant quality.We only growwhat we need to
meet our commitment toHomeDepot,’ he said.
Peter Kempof PrivaBV reportedonwork inprogress to
develop a new crop-relatedgreenhouse climate control
system. Thiswill be characteriaedby close relevance
to theplant’s functioning, especially itswater balance.
An authority ongreenhouse climate control and energy
management, he highlighted some of theproblems that
"0OACON&ERENCE 2018
Speaker Albert Grimmbrought expertise fromCanada.
Speaker Peter Kempof PrivaBV.
