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Table of Contents
March 2015 Volume 25 Number 3
Russian nursery stock sector is breaking new ground APPM president Irina Savateeva shared her vision for Russia’s nursery stock industry. APPM is the country’s premier nursery stock association which wants to be a top class forum that understands the unique nature of this business. by Ron van der Ploeg and Maria Starodubroskaya
Tropical Treat
While Winter Storms Juno and Linus made mockery of the idea of spring in the northern U.S., down south in Florida the coming season was top of mind at the annual Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE), held January 21-23 in (as always) sunny and warm Ft. Lauderdale. by Chris Beytes
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Industry leaders set to gather for Dutch Lily Days
Dutch lily industry representatives, breeders and vendors will come together in the Netherlands from Tuesday June 2 to Friday June 5 for the annual Dutch Lily Days, an eventdesignedtoshowcasethelatestbreeding breakthroughs and bring awareness to the significant economic impact of lilies. by Ron van der Ploeg
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Global demand for HB-101 continues to rise
Exactly how the plant vitalizer HB101 produces its effect on growth and susceptibility to pest and disease damage is a subject of ongoing research. What is certainly known about it is that it is used byprofessionalgrowers,farmersandhobby gardeners in over fifty countries.
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by John Sutton
Special Keukenhof Supplement
Are holistic roses a holy grail?
Increasing demands from retailers for low ornochemicalresiduesonrosesmeansthat rosegrowersneedtobuildtheirexperience and understanding of a more Holistic approach to rose production, if they are to maintain yield and quality.
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by Louise Labuschagne
Scope of PBR: a quest for harmonisation
In a series of exclusive interviews for FCI the Secretary General of CIOPORA Dr. Edgar Krieger elaborates on the breeders’ vision of IP protection for the future incorporated in the CIOPORA Position Papers on Minimum Distance, Scope of the Right, Exhaustion and Breeders´ Exemption. by our own correspondent
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Departments World News International Events Science Monthly Advertising Index
Columns 16 44 45 47
From the editor Miami Dutch Comfort
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FloraCulture International is proud to present a 16-page supplement on the forthcoming Keukenhof, which will run from 20 March to 17 May, 2015. The goal of the Guide to Keukenhof is to develop a directory, which provides information for visitors allowing them to research and plan their Keukenhof visit ahead.
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FloraCulture The business magazine for worldwide floriculture
‘Concordiaresparvaecrescunt’ Editorial & Administration Offices FloraCulture International Hedd Alwyn Business address: ECA Office 140-21, Legmeerdijk 313, Hughes 1431 GB Aalsmeer Postal address: Postbus 1081, 1430 BB Aalsmeer T (31) 297 769 095 Circulation Administration: FBW Woerden P.O. Box 612, 3440 AP Woerden, the Netherlands T (31) 34 84 31 393 E info@fbw-woerden.nl Angie Duffree Editors: Ron van der Ploeg (ron@floracultureinternational.com) Editorial team: Chris Beytes, Lotte Bjarke, Alicja Cecot, Aldo Colombo, Arturo Croci, Audrey Gerber, Marie-Françoise Petitjean, John Sutton and Jennifer Zurko. Founding editor: Debbie Hamrick Publisher: FloraCulture International (jaap@floracultureinternational.com) Printer: SDA Print+Media Designer: Finnmedia, Aryen Bouwmeester Copy correction and sub-editing: Vanessa Heinrich
Advertising Sales Offices
Dr. Sun Jing Xian
Europe, Africa, Asia/Pacific International Accounts Management: FloraCulture International, Business address: ECA Office 140-21, Legmeerdijk 313, 1431 GB Aalsmeer Postal address: Postbus 1081, 1430 BB Aalsmeer, the Netherlands T (31) 297 769 095 M (31) 62 21 65 220 Hedd Alwyn Hughes (hedd@floracultureinternational.com) Angie Duffree (angie@floracultureinternational.com) Italy, Southern France: Arturo Croci, (acearturo@yahoo.it) Scandinavia: Lotte Bjarke (post@lottebjarke.dk) LB Text & Idé, Søndervej 10, 8350 Hundslund, Denmark T (45) 21 48 75 30 USA, Canada, Central America: Paul Black (pblack@ballpublishing.com) Ball Publishing, 622 Town Road, PO Box 1660, West Chicago, IL 60186, United States T (1)6 30 23 13 675 F (1)6 30 23 15 254 Miami:WilliamArmellini(william@floracultureinternational.com) China: Dr Sun Jing Xian (consultingflower@yahoo.com.cn) India: Niranjan Deshpande (team@kisan.com) T (91) 20 302 52 000
Niranjan Deshpande
From the editor by Ron van der Ploeg
“Keukenhof’s mission, now and in the future, is to be the international and independent showcase for the Dutch floricultural sector. Keukenhof highlights colourful displays of 7 million spring-flowering bulbs, donated by over 100 bulb farmers. The most beautiful spring garden was founded 66 years ago as a living catalogue for the famous Dutch bulb growers.” With this message Keukenhof managing director Bart Siemerink introduces this month’s Keukenhof supplement (pages 17 to 32). The Keukenhof special is packed with the latest news and in depth feature articles educating the bulb industry’s breeders, bulb farmers, flower growers, retailers and florists. Siemerink is thrilled with this year’s Vincent van Gogh theme. It’s a tribute to the iconic, postimpressionist painter who became famous for his emotional intensity and bold use of colours. One of this year’s absolute showstoppers is a 250m2 flower mosaic based on a self-portrait by the artist, using different colours of tulips and Muscari. Another highlight is an impressive line-up of flower shows to be staged in three pavilions, named after members of the Dutch royal family. A striking display of hyacinths and tulips kicks off a series of 16 indoor flower shows that will present a permanent floral abundance of unprecedented beauty. When the organisers of Keukenhof welcome visitors from all corners of the world to their magnificent display of spring flowering bulbs from March 20 to May 17 2015, their biggest challenge might be breaking their own exceptional track record. Last year, Keukenhof reached a new record with a total of 1 million visitors. Expectations for 2015 visitor volumes are high, as the Van Gogh theme is sure to attract extra visitors to the 32ha of parkland in Lisse filled with artistically presented tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, Muscari and Fritillaria. In the Netherlands, Keukenhof traditionally heralds the start of spring. For our industry peers in Florida, USA, this new season has already been underway for a few weeks with the first major trade exhibition of the year, TPIE, always being a good place to gauge the mood of the industry. Our man in the USA, Chris Beytes from sister publication Grower Talks reports that coming off a strong Spring 2014 and an equally strong fall mum and poinsettia season, attendees and exhibitors alike were as upbeat as we have seen in recent years. Turn to page 14 to get all the info. While Florida was already basking in mild temperatures, much of Russia was still battling blizzards and sub-zero temperatures. APPM, the country’s premier nursery stock association, however, announces a big thaw now that its 115 members are breaking new ground. APPM’s main goal is to reach the highest level of professionalism in terms of education and transparency, through clear relationships with the state and controlling organisations. Page 8. Speaking of Russia, FCI is very happy to announce that in September its Russia edition will be back in Moscow for a second year after a successful debut in 2014. The Russian-language FlowersEXPOsure magazine is the joyful cooperation of FloraCulture International business magazine, Russia’s leading horticultural trade show FlowersExpo and event organiser GreenExpo. The magazine offers a truly unique opportunity to promote your company, product and services to the 140 million strong Russian consumer market. We are happy to provide any additional information you might need.
Follow us on facebook and twitter FloraCulture International (ISSN1051-9076) is published monthly. Worldwide distribution. ©2015 FloraCulture International magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of editorial may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Publisher is not liable for advertisements using illegally obtained images. Send address changes to FloraCulture International magazine, Postal address: Postbus 1081, 1430 BB Aalsmeer, the Netherlands.
Ron van der Ploeg, editor ron@floracultureinternational.com
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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Russia APPM president Irina Savateeva shared her vision for Russia’s nursery stock industry. APPM is the country’s premier nursery stock association which wants to be a top class forum that understands the unique nature of this business.
Russian nursery stock sector is breaking new ground F
ounded in 2008 by private nursery stock businesses, the Russian Nursery Stock Association (APPM) is a public organisation dedicated to unifying nursery stock professionals through education, advocacy, marketing support, international cooperation and networking. Currently, the APPM has 115 member nurseries from 33 Russian regions as well as Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. All together they cover a production area of 7962ha. APPM associate members also include 31 organisations involved in the nursery stock market that do not growtreesandshrubsthemselves. A team of dedicated industry professionals laid the foundation for what has evolved into today’s largesttradeassociationforRussia’s nursery stock sector.
Entrepreneurial voice in the industry by Ron van der Ploeg and Maria Starodubrovskaya
As the premier trade association for Russian nursery stock growers,
APPM president Irina Savateeva.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
The Modern Ornamental Plant Nursery in Romenckoe, Moscow oblast.
APPM is the only organisation representing all aspects of the Russian nursery stock. “Its purpose is to promote the advancement of the Russian nursery stock sector through the development of new markets, the exchange of information and new technologies, the establishment of quality standards and international cooperation by visiting industry peers in both Russia and abroad. As the entrepreneur’s voice in the industry, the APPM also acts as a lobbying force on behalf of its members to various levelsofthegovernment,”explained APPM president Irina Savateeva. APPM’s main goal is to reach the highest level of professionalism in termsofeducationandtransparency,
through clear relationships with the state and controlling organisations. “By doing so, APPM hopes to increase the share of Russian nurserymen in the international nursery stock market,” said Savateeva who was quick to add that the association’ssuccesshighlydependsonthe efforts of the different actors in the market. “Our motto is work for all and everyone. APPM can only be successful if and when each of its members spends at least a little of his/her personal time for the sake of the common cause.”
Green networks
APPM members grow and sell almost all types of lifestyle horticultureproductssuchasdeciduous
and evergreen trees, climbing plants, conifers, multi-stemmed trees and shrubs, topiary, weeping trees, fruit trees, hedges, bedding plants, perennials, herbs, cereals and, of course, plants of the Russian midland. When asked if the bulk of the Russian nursery stock plants is going to wholesalenurseriesoriflandscapers areincreasinglysupplied,Savateeva said, “It divides up very differently. There are nurseries that specialise in ‘green networks’ with different type of customers. As for urban greenery,somenurseriesgeneratea third of their turnover thanks to the demand from city councils, while for others sales of urban greenery is modest. Landscape designers are small wholesalers. I reckon they account for one third of the production in many nurseries. In general,themajorityofRussiantree nurseries seek to work for the final client - the private consumer.” At many Russian nurseries (except thosethatconsciouslyonlyworkfor wholesale) private clients make up halfofallcustomersandevenmore. Savateeva’s belief is that in line with the development of retail distribution networks the market share of private customers will decrease. “It will follow the pattern of the European supply chain: producer -
wholesale purchaser - distribution network,” she predicted.
Union is strength
According to Savateeva, the power of union is strength. “Acting as a group, we are much stronger. APPM membership helps to build themutuallyadvantageousbusiness unions and relations and offers the chancetoexchangeideasandwork experiences between nurseries.” She added that she prefers an open and democratic style of leadership to nurture and grow her organisation. “It is difficult to compare businessmanagementwithheading a public organisation as APPM members aren't my subordinates. They are my colleagues and business partners. We have a horizontal organisational structure. But if one tries to find parallels, I would be inclined to a democratic style of relationshipwithassociationmembers consciously taking part in activities and being personally interested in the results of collaboration.”
Bнуково (Vnukovo) nursery in the Moscow oblast.
Achmecheth Nursery, not far from the Ural’s city Yekatarinburg.
the association change its priorities and, if so, in what way? “I believe that the economic recession has forced the Russian nursery stockindustrytoworkmoreprofessionally, to grow plants of the best quality, to carefully analyse market demandwhilstbeingmoreattentive tocustomers.However,allprivately owned nursery stock businesses in Russia emerged just before and during the recession. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the planned economy the sector had almost vanished. During Soviet times, all nurseries were state-owned.Before2005therewas no business at all. The first nurseries were established in the first decade
>>>
Recession
What was the impact of the economicslowdownontheassociation and the Russian nursery stock industry? Do you think the industry has recovered from the impact of the global recession? Has it made
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Russia differentiation, and so on. How does the association support them in this effort? “For many years, the introduction of modern technologies was one of the key issues for Russian nurserymen. Therefore, all our APPM conferences, seminars, business meetings focused on the exchange of technical information and research findings. More recently, we pay increasingly more attentiontoproductmarketingand long-term relations with clients.”
Imports versus exports
Located north west of Moscow is Savvateevykh Nursery.
of the new century. The bottom line is that Russian nurserymen never experiencedaneconomicdownturn before so for them it is difficult to compare with previous periods of strongbusinessgrowth.InWestern Europe and other parts of the world, an already mature industry existed with people living by one set of rules quite happily. Then all of a sudden a very strong economic headwind strikes and their world as they were used to was blown away. Mostentrepreneurshadtogetused to new more challenging market conditions.“ Some people say that the industry
has more or less recovered from the recession. Savateeva gets that kind of feeling from the industry as well. “The years 2012 and 2013 were rather successful for many of our nurseries. The demand from citycouncilsforurbangreenerywas strong, while the private sector was rather active. Overall, growth was rather notable.”
Product marketing
As a market matures, more companies are looking at new ways to grow their business in terms of geographical expansion, marketing, specialisation or by product
Nivaki Nursery in the north western part of the Moscow oblast.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
Russia imports far more trees and shrubs than it grows. “The share of trees and plants grown on Russian soil should rise in the coming years as the market is now dominated by import goods. It is estimated that imported planting material makes up 80% of the market. This is still too much, but only three years ago no fewer than 90% of the trees, shrubs,bulbsandhouseplantssold in Russia were imported.” The Sanitary and Epidemiological Inspectorate (Sanepidemnadzor) of the Russian Federation has the reputation for being very strict on plant health rules. Rules that must be obeyed, said Savateeva. “I don’t see any real problems. The necessary permits are processed quickly. I have personally been involved in importing plant material for 10 years, and there have never been any serious problems. Over the past 10 years, only one truck was halted at customs for a week. Sometimes, I think it’s easier to get goods from abroad than to transport it from one sub quarantine region in Russia to another.
Moscow oblast-based A.M. Marchenko Water Gardens and nursery.
Located in the northern part of the Moscow oblast is Verger Nursery.
Of course, we are talking about a small group of companies that are engagedindeliveryofgoodsfrom abroadandtheysolveallproblems at customs. More precisely, this activityiscompletelymonopolised by several players in this market. The question is how the state can protectitsfinancialinterests.With these players, the nurseries have already built stable business relations. Speaking of the rigid attitudefromplanthealthauthorities, fact is that over the past 20 years, importedplantshavebroughtina hugenumberofpestsanddiseases that weren't found in our country before. Russian nurseries are very keen on receiving clean planting material from abroad: there is no reason to deliver unknown pests and dangerous diseases to our fields.”
dation of our standards, which were laid in the regulating documentsofthestateagenciesdealing with issues of city gardening.” The other area FCI wanted to touch on was export. Is that part ofSavateeva’sagenda?“Today,the answer is more likely to be ‘no’, than ‘yes’. Of course, one can say that the prime cost of the Russian planting material is not competitiveenough.Thequalityquestions have also been raised quite often. Certainly, these would be factors. However, the main reason is that theEuropeanmarketiscompletely closed for Russian producers. The import of plants from Russia to the European Union is forbidden. This is the main reason for the total absence of plant exports from Russia.”
Standardisation
Consumers worldwide keep searching for new trees, shrubs and perennials. How can the association support innovation? “Within our association there are nurseries that produce new types of fruit trees and shrubs. Traditionally, Russian demand for fruit trees is very strong and the fruit growing business has been expandingdespiteallthechanges and cataclysms. APPM provides cropsupporttogrowers,whileour conferences and seminars bring
What role does APPM play in draftingthestandardsandregulations? “APPM has developed a set of ‘Quality Standards on Planting Material’, based on the European and Canadian standards. For the last two years, we have been promoting these standards in the Russian green branch. Many Russian nurseries have added them to their business policy. Today, APPMconductsnegotiationswith stateagencies,achievingthefoun-
Innovation
growers and potential buyers together to inform about novelties. In addition, we actively try to inform government officials who are obliged to keep abreast of the development of lifestylehorticulture in Russia, about problems of plant breeders when introducing new varieties.”
Trends
Speaking about trends for the Russian nursery stock industry, Savateeva said that there is a tendency among private clients to abstain from using landscape designers and to independently build their own gardens. “So landscapersshouldoptforamore customised approach toward private customers by proving to them that they can provide the best in-depth knowledge of nursery stock products. Nurserymenontheotherhandmustfocus on delivering customer service excellence, from customised advice, tips, consultations to garden maintenanceandplantingservices at the clients’ property.”
Future plans
What do you want to accomplish in the next five years? How do youwanttoberememberedasthe president of APPM? What longtermimpactdoyouexpecttohave on the association?
“Referring to my personal goals, I attach great importance on developingnation-wideaccepted, high quality APPM standards as a basis for urban landscaping and to promote the use of greenery among the big audience. Moreover, it is my wish to transformMoscow’sInternational Festival of Gardens and People in an annual event and to expand its professional section into THE key eventfortheRussiangreensector. Ultimately, I would be satisfied if APPM’s efforts contributed to the growth of, competitive domestic nurseriesthatconstantlyimprove their quality and quantity of Russian grown nursery stock.” |||
Contact For more details please contact APPM: Tel. +7 (495) 662 49 14 ruspitomniki@mail.ru info@ruspitomniki.ru www.ruspitomniki.ru Granatnyi Pereulok 3, b. 2, Moscow, 123001, Russian Federation
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TPIE 2015 While Winter Storms Juno and Linus made mockery of the idea of spring in the northern U.S., down south in Florida the coming season was top of mind at the annual Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE), held January 21-23 in (as always) sunny and warm Ft. Lauderdale.
by Chris Beytes
Tropical Treat
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s one of the first major trade exhibitions of the year, TPIE is always a good place to gauge the mood of the industry; and coming off a strong Spring 2014 and an equally strong fall mum and poinsettia season, attendeesandexhibitorsalikewere as upbeat as we have seen in recent years. There is no reason 2015 should not be a strong year for the North American market—weather permitting, of course. Show officials report 6,162 participants from 42 states and 39 nations—a five-year high, they say. In addition, retail and interiorscape buyers were up 13% and 14% respectively. Fifty new exhibitors helped round out the show floor, which includes more and more re-
tail hardware products and international exhibitors. But plants remain key, and there are few if any shows
that offer the depth and breadth of foliage and tropical flowering plants that TPIE does. |||
Favourite New Flowering Plant Award The Favourite New Flowering Plant Award went to Silver Vase for Black Velvet, a burgundy and blue Phalaenopsis that is part of their Mystique line of “inked” varieties. Artificially coloured flowers and plants are even more of a love-it or hate-it proposition in America than in Europe, but it shows the trend is not slowing down. (Costa Farms showed several new coloured succulents in their stand, as well.) |||
Spathiphyllum ‘Platinum Mist’.
Fabulous foliage plants Stand-out introductions include Spathiphyllum ‘Platinum Mist’ by Oglesby Plants International, which features silvery foliage reminiscent of an Aglaonema; and Syngonium ‘Moon Shine’, a compact varietywithbrightwhitefoliagethereallypopswhenpairedwithdarker green plants. They also boasted the winner of TPIE’s Favourite New Foliage Plant award, Philodendron’ Lickity-Split’. It’s a selloum type with deep serrations in the foliage, as the name implies. |||
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
Silver Vase’s Black Velvet including ‘inked’ Phalaenopsis scooped the Favourite New Flowering Plant Award.
J. Berry Nursery introduced Hibiscus ‘Patio Party’.
Blooming tropicals In blooming tropicals, two new Hibiscus series are worth noting for their compact habit. The first, from J. Berry Nursery, is called ‘Patio Party’.From theirownbreedingcombinedwithFrenchbreeding,the Patio Party Hibiscus are naturally compact, and the flowers (available in a wide range of colours and both singles and doubles) last three to five days, they say. Patio Party earned a Cool Product Award at TPIE (and J. Berry’s booth claimed the Best 10 ft. by 10 ft. booth prize). The second Hibiscus introduction is ‘Dwarf Cajun’, from Sun-Fire Nurseries. Now, the Cajun series has been around for about a decade, and there are literally hundreds of colours, but these are the first naturally compact Cajuns on the market. The line starts with three colours, and they are great for pots or as patio plants. ||| Hibiscus ‘Dwarf Cajun’.
Keynote Inspires Illustrating the international nature of TPIE, Dutch trend watcher Christine Boland offered the opening morning keynote address, bringing her views on how global social trends impact all aspects of fashion and design, including horticulture. Societal trends that bode well for our industry include one she calls “calibrate,” which might be described as a resetting of our internal clocks in the face of information overload. A few examples: Delayed Gratification magazine (a “slow journalism” publication that revisits news stories after they happen to provide more in-depth analysis); an app called One-Hour Photo (which makes you wait to get the digital image you shot); a “Silence Room” at Selfridge’s department store in London (inspired by one built by the founder in 1909); and Kit-Kat’s “Free No-WiFi Zone” (which jams all signals within a 5-meter radius, allowing commuters a break from the digital world). All are examples of the desire to slow down or escape the digital world—something plants and gardening offers in large quantity. Christine added that other market categories love our products, with foliage and flower patterns and textures extremely popular in every field of design. |||
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TPIE 2015
Hanging terrariums Terrariums and miniature gardens continue to gain in popularity, with many growers seeking innovative new waystopackagethem.PenangNurseryintroducedhanging terrariums in glass globes suspended by heavy rope, giving them a nautical or industrial feel. Flori-Designs Inc. offered a similar product, except in rope-suspended jars; they also showed dish gardens planted in novelty moss containers, including purses and shoes. |||
What our monthly columnist William Armellini says about this year’s TPIE Once again I travelled to visit the Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) in Fort Lauderdale. For me this is just a short road trip up the highway, but for many it is a long journey and as well a great reason to be in Florida in January. The Dutch and the Canadians as always were well-represented, even if most of the Canadians are of Dutch origin.
by William Armellini
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any people ask me as I wonder the halls what I see new. Last year, I wrote that orchids were the item that stood out. While there were many showing orchids this year as well, I declare that this show was about colour. It is amazing to see the wide variety of colours that plants can be infused,dipped,sprayedorstemdyed into. I admit I just cannot warm up to blue orchids but, with that said, I think the use of colour will continue to grow even if the end result resembles some mutant creature. Of course mutants and variants of floralspeciesarewhathavegivenus someofourmostvaluedflowersbut wherenaturepredictstheoutcome with some help from humans. TPIE is always a well-attended show and the fact that it is held here in Florida when the rest to the floral world is downright cold surely has something to do with it. The show is unique since it is all about foliage and while it is far from the floral world that I know well, there is much common between the two.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
Logistic, packaging and product care companies are all present here so there is a lot to see and I am told that the big buyers do show up and that keeps the vendors signing up year after year. After attending this show for many years I can see that, like floral, some of the grand booths and not so
grand anymore and some of those thatusedtobeconservativearenow grand. The mood was upbeat and the aisles were busy so I think all is well in the foliages well based on this show. ||| Visit William’s website www.flowersandcents.com
Miami
by William Armellini
IPM Essen Germany IPM officially stands for ‘Internationale Pflanzenmesse’. However, after attending this show I contend that it should be called the ‘International Plant Maze’. At the risk of revealing my directional challenges, I felt like a rat in a giant maze. The show is large and spread out over 16 halls that are interconnected in not so logical ways, at least for this American. However, in true German fashion, they do, supply everyone with a large handy map of the over 24.2 acres of foot-blistering space and there are signs located throughout the halls to help navigate amongst the 1,500 exhibitors from 50 continents. With the expected 55,000 visitors one must be prepared before setting out on a mission on the show floor to seek whatever it was that brought you here. The weather was miserable, but bear in mind this was Germany in January, so I expected as much coming from Miami. But you don’t come to this event to sightsee or visit the beach; you come because, according to their public relations department, this has become the ‘most important horticulture show in the world’. Based on the amount of people in the halls and the quality of exhibitors and their booths, I cannot deny the excitement.
imagine that there are other potted flowers like cyclamen for example, that might make lovely cuts if they can achieve good vase life and a stem length of 40cm or greater. As a veteran of many shows I have gained a unique perspective on how these operate and how one must operate within them. If you are a shy person I suggest you will need to "bolden up" your character if you want to enter the borders of an exhibitors' space. The alternative might be to pin 100 euros on your clothing or wear a hat that says, "WalMart Buyer" and doors will open.
For an American wholesaler I can imagine the only reason to invest time and money into travelling here would be to see what is going on in the international markets and perhaps to bring the spouse on a trip to a foreign city. The timing of the show however, makes it impractical, if not impossible, with its proximity to Valentine's Day. As a result I did not cross paths with many I would recognise. But that is one reason I thought it was worth my time to attend and share my thoughts and images with my readers.
There are booths that were overflowing with visitors and I am not sure what they were giving away, but it appears many had to have it. Coffee, beer and tasty treats... all of the above? Then there were booths that seemed to never have more than the lonely, not so smiling, attendant on duty. One certainly hesitates to enter a booth where there are three or four men sitting at a table drinking coffee talking amongst themselves. I will admit that the booths, for the most part, were more open and welcoming than in the past.
Since I am not a buyer or seller of floral products, my perspective of what is new or important to the floral world is left to the reader to decide. I attempt to seek out new and interesting products or companies that are interested in selling to the US markets. Clearly this show is geared to the European, Russian and Eastern markets with all types of horticultural products from automated planting machines to products for your home. This show, in my opinion, is not the best place to see products for the cut flower industry as it is geared more to bedding, landscaping, breeding, and point of sale material. There are better shows for Westerners involved in floral. IPM is surely an international show and since there were country-sponsored booths, one could easily feel like they were in Italy, Poland or France, based on the language and what they were drinking.
I had the good fortune to be travelling with my dear Dutch friend Jaap Kras and, between us, we know many industry people making the dance around the halls much more personal. As the long day at the show nears closing, around four pm, one can hear the sound of cultural gatherings bubbling up from certain exhibitor's booths. If you are in good favour with any group you can expect a special beer made from plant extracts, or a taste of Turkish food, or some French wine perhaps, Italian espresso anyone?
If you are not used to strong coffee I recommend asking for tea. If you are the guest of nearly any exhibitor's booth you will likely be offered coffee and it is, simply put, strong. After a day in the hall I was awake half the night. On the "new" scale I thought that the cut kalanchoes were particularly interesting. Queen of Denmark was showing these and they claim they are able to get 40cm sizes. I can
William Armellini. Editor Flowersandcents.com williee@flowersandcents.com
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World News Netherlands Fleuroselect announces six new Gold Medals awards Fleuroselect, the international organisation for the ornamental plants industry, proudly announces six new Gold Medal awards that will be available to the wholesale as of 2015 and in retail as of 2016. The Fleuroselect Gold Medal is awarded to new varieties that have been tested by Fleuroselect’s expert and independent judges at trial grounds across Europe and proven to clearly supersede existing varieties in terms of breeding innovation and beauty.
Calamintha nepeta ‘Marvelette Blue’ –bred by Van Hemert & Co A marvellous blue bee attraction that’s what this compact Calamintha from seed will create in the garden! This first-year flowering perennial flowers within 12 weeks from a spring sowing and will bring blue to the garden all summer long. Growers will love this first year flowering perennial with its compact habit and short cultivation time. ‘Marvelette Blue’ branches very well, is shorter and more uniform in growth than the current varieties available.
Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Xanthos’ - bred by Van Hemert & Co
Xanthos means yellow in Greek and that’s what this new Cosmos bipinnatus is all about: its unique, soft, stunning yellow colour. ‘Xanthos’ is dwarf, early flowering and uniform, turning yellow into a professional product. ‘Xanthos’ is a real treat for the grower as it is more dwarf and uniform. The plants are wellbranched and also very suitable to grow as a pot plant.
Echinacea purpurea ‘Feeling Pink’ – bred by HM.Clause Feeling Blue? Not anymore at the sight of this stunning Echinacea! ‘Feeling Pink’ is more compact and floriferous than its comparisons in the trials. This new Echinacea is easy to produce thanks to the shorter cycle, allowing a higher rotation in the growing schemes. This Echinacea purpurea is compact and displays a good basal branching habit. Florists and buyers for garden centers or supermarkets will love this Echinacea purpurea because of its improved commercial appeal. Feeling Pink is earlier flowering.
Helenium autumnale ‘Western Mixture’ – bred by HM.Clause
Like the sun setting over the desert, Helenium autumnale ’Western Mixture’ will embrace any border with a yellow-red glow from summer until the very end of autumn. ‘Western Mixture’ will be highly appreciated by growers for its early flowering and better branching, allowing this variety to be grown in a wider range of pots.
Ocimum basilicum ‘Purple Ball’ – bred by NARIC Fruitculture Research Institute
A purple, ball-formed basil, now that’s something different. Ocimum basilicum ‘Purple Ball’ has highly original, small purple leaves and small, tubular purple flowers. The brand new colour and attractive form will encourage growers to include ‘Purple Ball’ in their production schemes. Retailers can promote both the ornamental and
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
culinary value of this wonderful herb and thanks to its compact structure, this Ocimum basilicum is easy to transport.
Petunia x hybrida Tidal Wave® Red Velour – bred by PanAmerican Seed
Roll out the red carpet for Tidal Wave® ‘Red Velour’! A truly unique, rich red colour that is different from all other seed
Petunias on the market. Thanks to its spreading habit, this fast grower can wind around a fence to create an attractive hedge, make gorgeous ground cover in the bed or fill a large container as a patio showpiece. ‘Red Velour’ is the new, bold and vibrant colour in the Tidal Wave® assortment. This seed-propagated Petunia is a truly strong and vigorous plant requiring low maintenance. |||
FloraCulture The business magazine for worldwide floriculture
W W W . F L O RAC U L T U R E I N T E R N A T I O N A L . C O M
TULIP SHOW
The cream of Holland’s cut tulip producers to showcase their flowers at prestigious tulip event
HYACINTH SHOW
Grande Dame of indoor bulbs to seduce visitors with its great scent and bright colours
Van Gogh-themed Keukenhof provides extraordinary palette of colours World renowned spring display runs from 20 March until 17 May
Welcome from the director
‘Van Gogh provides inspiration for the most beautiful spring park in the world’
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On 20 March 2015, Keukenhof will open its gates for the 66th time. When the gates close eight weeks later, another 800,000 guests from all over the world will have visited the Keukenhof international flower exhibition in Holland. The tulip is the distinctive icon of the Netherlands throughout the world. With millions of tulips blooming in the park and more than a hundred thousand tulips in the Willem-Alexander pavilion, Keukenhof is THE place to see tulips. 2015 is exactly 125 years since the death of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). This moment was seized by Keukenhof to honour the famous Dutch artist. '125 years of inspiration', and the artist is still inspiring many today. The Keukenhof theme for 2015 is Van Gogh. Van Gogh provides the inspiration for the flower shows, the new Selfie garden and a spectacular self portrait of Van Gogh made up of thousands of tulips. The bulbs for the flower bulb mosaic of Vincent van Gogh were planted in October. This flower bulb mosaic is the highlight of the theme year. This has an area of 250m2 and is planted with tulips of different colours. “Vincent van Gogh” blooms next to Rembrandt and Jan Steen in the Walk of Fame at Keukenhof. The works of Van Gogh also provide a wonderful inspiration for the many flower shows in the Oranje Nassau Pavilion. Keukenhof’s mission, now and in the future, is to be the international and independent showcase for the Dutch floricultural sector. During the 8 weeks, Keukenhof shows what the Dutch floricultural sector has to offer. The focus in the park is on the 7 million spring-flowering bulbs, in which 100 participating companies show their living catalogue. In the more than 20 flower shows, 500 flower growers present an enormous variety of cut flowers and pot plants. Although this remains a constant factor, the park itself is continually developing and over the last 10 months we have worked hard to create a truly special spring garden for our visitors. Morethansevenmillionfloweringbulbswereplantedlastautumntocreateanoverwhelming tapestry of colour laid out by our own Keukenhof designer. Yet again, we have taken inspirationfromthelatestgardentrends,andalsotailoredourdesignstoaccommodatethewishesof the growers, thus enabling our visitors to take new ideas home with them, which they can put into practice in their own gardens. In Keukenhof the customers are the judges. During the last few years, the formula used by Keukenhoftopromoteplantsandflowershasbeenstrengthened,employingauniquemethod forproductassessmentbythecustomers.Inrecentyears,participantshavereactedveryenthusiastically to the new method of product judging . In every flower show, visitors chose their favouriteflowerandplantusingatouchscreen.Thisprovidedaveryvaluablesourceofmarket information to the participating growers. The tale of the tulip is truly impressive. From bulbs worth their weight in gold, and a mountain dweller that feels at home in the Dutch climate, to the story of the black tulip, and famous people who gave their name to new varieties. All these stories are told in the new Juliana Pavilion. Needless to say, we are looking forward to welcoming you at Keukenhof 2015! Bart Siemerink, managing director
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
2015
Keukenhof
Keukenhof provides fantastic platform to promote flowers and plants Keukenhof opens its gates to the public on March 20th, 2015 and offers flower growers an eight week long international stage for their products until May 17th. A new flower show every week in the purpose-built Oranje Nassau and Willem-Alexander Pavilions, along with a permanent orchid and anthurium extravaganza at the Beatrix Pavilion promise to be among the top attractions at Keukenhof in Lisse. Each show features different plant groups, always of the highest quality, displayed in a unique wealth of variety and colour. Keukenhof’s theme for 2015, ‘Van Gogh’ , will be inspiring flower arrangers to produce creative masterpieces, and thanks to the interactive demonstrations visitors will be able to enjoy the floral splendour even more.
The cream of Dutch floriculture
A striking display of hyacinths and tulips (running from March 20-24 at the Willem-Alexander Pavilion and Orange Nassau Pavilion respectively) will kick off a series of 16 indoor flower shows that will present a permanent floral abundance
of unprecedented beauty. Participating horticulturalists, flower arrangers and Keukenhof’s landscape architects have once again organised an attractive and diverse exhibition calendar for 2015. The exhibition calendar has been compiled with great care, so that
nurseries are able to display only the very best quality, the cream of Dutch floriculture.
Visitor’s vote
In the Oranje Nassau Pavillion, special jury members and flower specialists assess the quality of the flowers submitted by the nurseries. It is a prestigious competition and every season the challenge is to win the highest possible accolade. This year again, visitors will also able to indicate their own preferences for flowers via touch screen monitors. Last year, Keukenhof gathered over 130.000 consumer votes. The most beautiful flowers and plants chosen by the international public were revealed on the final day of the exhibition for each product type. This provided a very valuable source of market information to the participating
growers. Last year, the concept of allowing customers to choose their favourite flower was made available in all three pavilions. This will be continued this year.
Floral demonstrations Flower arrangement demonstrations will be held daily (except on Wednesdays) by leading arrangers and international masters of floral design. Central to the demonstrations is the themeflower of the specific show, and the combinations with other flowers and decorative greenery are certain to inspire the visitor. The demonstrations are not presented on a podium, but in “mood rooms”. “This encourages interaction,” explained Annemarie Gerards of Keukenhof on another renewed aspect of the indoor shows in the Oranje Nassau Pavilion. |||
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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Enforcement FCI interviewed De Wit Bloembollen BV managing director Arjan Rood to discover the exciting world behind tulip forcing. De Wit Bloembollen is one of the largest flower bulb forcing farms in North Holland, producing over 42 million blooms per year.
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‘Focused on telling a sustainable story our customers will listen to’ L
ast weekend, while sitting in a Dutch café I was listing to some coffee table talk between ladies. The subject of their conversation was cut tulips and how cheap they are these days: 10 tulips for only €1.99. The first question that comes into my mind is how does a tulip forcer make money when hearing about these bottom prices? “It’s all about mechanisation, automation and maximum yields per m2,” explained Arjan.
Big volumes equal low cost price
by Ron van der Ploeg
The biggest costs for greenhouse operation are the labour (ranging between €18- €20/hour) and energy.“Toreducelabourcosts,wehave invested heavily in mechanisation and automation of the production processes. In our greenhouses, the plantingdensityperm2isextremely high and we grow tulips using a three layered growing system and led lighting. We employ automation to the fullest extent including flower bunching. Additionally, we use a heat pump that extracts heat from the ground and allows for
De Wit Bloembollen BV managing director Arjan Rood.
important savings on the gas bill.” Tulips are the great heralds of a new spring season. For the tulips, this new season has already been underway for a few weeks though with an initial price setting that was somewhat disappointing. “However, in the run up to Valentine’s Day and International Women’s Day overall tulip prices were up with an average price per stem ranging from €0,13 to €0,20. Thepre-determinedpricesbetween growers and retailing industry always allow the latter to sell their
tulips for €1,99 retail price. Growers can only deal with such low prices because of their huge output. Big volumes equal low cost price.” Tight cost control means the Dutch tulip giant can invest in price and quality but still make a respectable profit margin. Arjan addedthatanimportantelement inthecompany’ssuccesshasbeen the economic crisis that began in 2008. “It’s a fact that consumers arecurbingtheiroverallshopping habits in tough economic times.
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In flowers, this means that cheaper alternatives such as tulips have become increasingly popular.”
The Big Five
The total annual output of Dutch grown cut tulips is around 1,5 billion stems. More than half of these tulips are grown in the ‘Big Five’, the Stede Broec, Andijk, Wervershoof,HoogkarspelandVenhuizen areas.Takingintoconsiderationthe entire province of North Holland, it would be correct to say that total cut tulip production from this province makes up 75% market share. The total number of tulip cut flower forcers in the Netherlands decreased from 970 to 442 in 2000 buttheproductionoutputincreased by 50% due to higher levels of automationandbettergreenhouse conditions.
Finding the perfect fit
Arjan explained that at De Wit Bloembollen the cut tulip season startsatthebeginningofDecember and runs until the third week of April. The company’s cut flower harvestrangesbetween1millionat the start of the season to 3 million
stems per week in peak selling periods and includes 36 tulip varieties. The total output is 42 million tulips per year. Not every tulip is suited for forcing and sales throughout the retail channel. Bold colours, strong and upright foliage and 10cm bulbs
At De Wit’s, the planting density per m2 is extremely high. They grow tulips using a three-layered growing system and led lighting.
producing flowers of a minimum 24grams are key considerations to take into account when selecting a tulip for retail sales. “We also prefer tulips with a quick crop time,” said Arjan. He continued, “Moreover, we try to differentiate ourselves in the marketplace by growing our own bulbs so that we are 100% sure that our starting material is in perfect condition. Only really good bulbsgivereallygreatblossoms.We also take care of the packaging in sleevesorboxesincludingbarcodes and price tags and after which our own trucks deliver the tulip bouquets straight to the depots of discount chains across Europe, predominantly in Germany. We are taking great pride in having one of the shortest supply chains in cut flowers,whichguaranteespremium product quality and long shelf life.”
Many challenges to be overcome
De Wit Bloembollen BV quick facts • The company was founded in 1988 by Arjan de Rood’s The seasonal workers from Poland are hosted in a father in law, Martien de Wit. purpose-built hotel near the company. • Today, De Wit Bloembollen is owned by Arjan Rood • De Wit has 15.000m2 of greenhouses plus a packing and his brother-in-law Carlo de Wit area and cool stores covering 11.000m2. • De Wit Bloembollen employs 10 Dutch workers and • The company has 20 cooling/storage cells, 3 loading during the busy times around 60 Polish employees. docks and 4 fully automatic bunching lines.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
Speaking of short, tulips ordered before 11:00 am are delivered the same day at the customer’s depot. ”It is no secret that dealing with the German retailing industry requires Gründlichkeit, standard sizes,guaranteedshelflife,standard quality and big volumes. “There are many challenges to be overcome to meet all these criteria whether
it is managing your workforce, logisticprocessesorenvironmentally friendly production. We are really focused on telling a sustainable story our customers will listen to. Take for example the often very poor housing conditions for Polish workers in the Netherlands .Would you go working in a country where they house seasonal workers in portacabins? Well, we definitely not and this explains why we decided to build our own hotel housing 32 of our colleagues. In terms of eco-friendly production, flower forcing is carried out without any chemical crop control. Also, the use of LED lights and the recently installed systemtodisinfectandreuseour irrigatation water are prime examplesofsustainableenergyand water resources management.”
Colour mixes to serve the market efficiently
To serve the market effectively a mix of colours is required. “The colour mix changes sometimes but not dramatically. Our standard colour mix always includes seven colours in a box. In the run up to Christmas and Valentine’s Day there is of course a bigger demand for red tulips, while in the Easter sales period, yellow tulips sell more strongly,” outlined Arjan. De WitBloembollenconcentratesits bulbproductionintheFlevopolder area, halfway Lelystad and
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Keukenhof
Zeewolde, where 70ha of land is in use. ”A good start is half the work”, said Arjan. “We can exactly track the history of the bulbs and know what we have fed them in the ground, so we also know the quality we can expect of the flower.” De Wit’s business highly depends on a well-oiled logistic organisation. “We guarantee a closed cool chain. That means that after producing the bouquets the cooling is guaranteed until unloading at the clients depot.”
Keukenhof Tulip Show
The Tulip Show at Keukenhof is the very first growers’ show of the season, running from 20th to 24th March, the first five days of this year’s opening of the Gardens to the public. How important is Keukenhof for De Wit’s business? “The Keukenhof is important to everybody dealing with our product. The amount of free publicity generatedbyKeukenhofishuge. Keukenhof Gardens is one of the most photographed tourist attractions in the whole of Holland. Just think about all those pictures taken by over 1 million visitors and put on social media. There is no better showcase window for our business than Keukenhof. We don’t actively participate in Keukenhof, but we realise that it is indispensable for our profession. |||
In busy times the flower farm employs around 60 Polish workers.
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Located just around the corner from Keukenhof, W.F. Leenen is a thirdgeneration family business that is committed to delivering excellence in everything they do, from breeding to shipping. The company is probably the only one in the world that specialises in the commercial breeding and cut flower production of daffodils and can pride itself on a unique product portfolio.
Left to right Jaco and Dirk Leenen.
Deliveringexcellence in daffodils
B by Jaap N. Kras
acked by more than 61 years of grower’s experience, W.F. Leenen has not only gained a strong reputation in daffodils, but is also a household name in the breeding of Fritillaria and Sonatinis (Amaryllaecea). The bulbs are sourced from different parts of the world with the European produc-
tion concentrating itself in the Netherlands and the UK, while continents such as Australia and South America (Brazil) are also respectedbulbsuppliers.Propagating material is sold to all leading bulb growing countries. The finished product, cut flowers, is grown in the Netherlands and sold throughexclusivechannelsontothe European market. Jaco and Dirk Leenen, sons of the founding father Jaap Leenen, are involvedingeneralmanagerduties andtheplanning,coordinationand control of the production process.
Innovation is key
Narcissus 'Blues'.
Narcissus 'Modern Art'.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
Often, speakers at seminars and workshopswilldeliverthemessage that a good entrepreneur needs to calculate on the cost price plus basis. “We as W. F. Leenen company believe that the Netherlands is a country that is truly unique and innovative when it comes to ornamental horticulture and gardening,” said Jaap Leenen.
He continued, “We also think that horticulturalentrepreneursshould focus on market differentiation and business excellence instead of reducingcosts.Consumersarewilling to pay a good price for unique products, often a price that is much higher than the original cost price. Our task is to set ourselves apart from the competition by offering a different business approach, introducing new ways of producing and marketingflowersandplantsonthe market. In short, deliver excellence in everything that you are doing.”
Daffodils
W.F. Leenen’s production techniques are absolutely unique in the world in that they are the only daffodil grower that grows cut flowers using a mix of sea shell. “Tests in the past have confirmed that you can grow basically any flower on a substrateofseashells.Thissubstrate is the prime example of how to grow flowers in an environmentally friendly way as all materials
Fritillaria ‘Vivaldi’.
Fritillaria ‘Mahler’.
are re-used. There is no need to use fertilisers and after harvesting there is no waste. Sea shells are a perfectly natural product that we collect along the Dutch coastline from Hook of Holland to Zandvoort. The shells are recycled for many different purposes, from fertilizers, drainage to road building, and the bulbs go back into production to yield flowers again after two years. Producing in this unique way requires you to be innovative too. Since we have opted for non-traditional production methods, we have to develop our own machines and robot lines.”
Sustainability
W.F. Leenen’s environmental
Amaryllis ‘White Rascal’.
management system means the company uses 25% less energy. Jaap Leenen said, ”Last year, we were one of the nominees for the Dutch Business Awards for Sustainability. Highlighting and recognising the top players in the supply chain industry is the Dutch Supply Chain Innovation Awards and this year we are vying for the title Strongest Link in the Supply Chain.”
Fritillaria
Now in its 8th year, the W.F. Leenen Fritillaria breeding programme has resulted in 6 exciting new varieties in different colours. Leenen Fritillaria is suited for pot plant production as all cultivars stand out for their reliable perfor-
Fritillaria ‘Beethoven’.
Fritillaria ‘Chopin’.
mance. “The only rule of thumb for a 100% satisfaction guarantee is that you use bulbs of 14 cm diameter or bigger,” stressed Leenen. He added, “Each spring our varieties are on display at the Keukenhof where the combined showcase of sensational daffodils and Fritillaria is an absolute showstopper. Daffodils and Fritillaria really complement each other, which makes for a spectacular show.”
Future outlook
Working together with global business partners , W.F. Leenen continuestogrowandevolveasits exclusiveSonatinis,Fritillariasand Daffodils gain in popularity. Looking at the future, Jaap
Amaryllis ‘Red Rascal’.
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Leenen says that the company needs an unorthodox business approach, adding that it is equally important to offer consumers new ways to use their flowers and plants. “This is just the beginning. It is knownthatdaffodilshavespecific characteristics hidden in their genes,butlittleresearchhas been done so far. Daffodil alkaloids include lycorine, galanthamine and pretazettine and are used in the pharmaceutical industry. Our participation in outdoor exhibitions is important to stipulate the importanceofornamentalsandto stimulate research and development to find the necessary new excellent applications of flowers and plants.” |||
Amaryllis ‘Pink Rascal’.
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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The world burst into bloom The Philadelphia Flower Show, Canada Blooms, Keukenhof and the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) and flower festivals in many other countries of the world are ready to blossom. Nothing heralds the start of spring so much as flower festivals with their full floral abundance. Parks, cathedrals , mansions, castles, exhibition centres and city squares will be spruced up with a sea of flowers starting in early March to celebrate the end of a long and sometimes bitterly cold winter. On February 28, the silver screen bursted into living colour at the 2015 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, “Celebrate the Movies,” which was held from February 28 to March 8 at the Pennsylvania Convention Centre. Held in conjunction with Canada Blooms is the Toronto Flower Show. Presented in its full majesty by the Garden Club of Toronto, the Toronto Flower Show is a breath-taking display and competition among amateur floral
arrangers and garden club members. To be held at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre from March 13-22. On 20 March 2014, the world-renowned spring garden Keukenhof will open its gates in the Netherlands. Now in its 66th year, the two-month spectacular situated on a 32ha site near the town of Lisse features around seven million bulbs and attracts around 800,000 visitors each year. They come to the Keukenhof to be dazzled by seven million tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and muscari blooming in all the colours of the rainbow. In addition to the formal and natural gardens outside, planted with 7 million bulbs donated bulbs from Dutch growers, three pavilions will house thirty different flower and plant shows.
Recognised as an event of national and international significance MIFGS is listed as a hallmark, ‘must see’ event on the Australian tourism calendar and is ranked in the top five flower shows in the world. The event, which brings together the cream of the nursery, landscaping and cut flower industries and is respectively co-hosted by the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV) and Flowers Victoria (FV), and partnered by Landscaping Victoria and Australian Garden Centres Accreditation Scheme (AGCAS), is being held from Wednesday March 25 to Sunday March 29, 2015. The event is staged within the world heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building and surrounding south Carlton Gardens. ||| Visit www.melbflowershow.com.au
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Even as recently as the year 2000, no-one imagined that by 2015 the hyacinth would have become an important cut flower, with over 40 million stems per year produced in the Netherlands. There was some production on a very small scale in the 1990’s, but it only began seriously around fifteen years ago.
Cut hyacinth’s popularity continues to rise
The Hyacinth Show at Keukenhof is the very first growers’ show of the season, running from 20th to 24th March.
by John Sutton
B
y 2012 the hyacinth had reached the 21st position in the FloraHolland auctions’ cut flower league table, with a turnover for the year of €11 million. The flower’s popularity continues to rise, according to John van der Slot. He is a member of the third generation of a bulb farming family. Together with his cousin René he took over the business from his parents in 1980. He has added to its activity as bulb growers and suppliers for export, by becoming one of the Netherlands’ cut hyacinth producers. His family business now produces about a tenth of the annual total, and he estimates that demand is rising by an average of 5% per year. This fits with the FloraHolland 2012 average price per stem being €0.26, while John now expects around €0.30.
Dutch cut hyacinths go worldwide
Flowers are sorted and packed in the post-harvest room.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
Almost a third of the stems are exported to Germany, while another 20 percent go to France and Belgium. There must be good prospects of increasing sales to the
UK, which as yet has been quite slow in taking interest. Cut hyacinths from Holland go worldwide, with around 5 per cent to each of Japan and the USA. The great majority reach the consumer asoneelementofamixedbouquet, and of course their fragrance is a powerful driver in attracting purchasers. Vase life is very acceptable, at 9 – 12 days. FloraHolland conducts a monthly test of samples, and growers take a keen interest in how well their own product compares with others. The flowers are marketed in boxes containing 100 stems, in bunches of 5. About 10 per cent of the supply is of bunches of mixed colours. The season extends from about 20th November to mid-April. For flowering before Christmas, bulbs grown in Les Landes and Brittany, both situated in France, are used.
Honoured place
The hyacinth, like the tulip, has an honoured place in the story of flower bulb production in the Netherlands. The history of the
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Cut hyacinths from Holland go worldwide.
Cut hyacinth producer John van der Slot.
hyacinth in European horticulture stretches back to the sixteenth century. It was then that Hyacinthusorientaliswasintroducedfrom itsnativehabitatinsouth-westAsia, and it very rapidly became popular for the garden and as a pot plant. There were reported to be two thousandvarietiesbytheendofthe seventeenth century.
Hyacinth Valley
The area currently devoted to hyacinth bulb production in the Netherlands is 1,150 ha, and has been fairly constant in recent years. There are about a hundred growers, most of them in the area of Duin and Bollenstreek, the Dune and Bulb region, stretching along the coast of the North Sea from Katwijk to Hillegom. Soil and
24th March, the first five days of this year’s opening of the Gardens to the public. With the emergence of the hyacinth as a cut flower as well as a pot plant, the show will have two sections. Atpresent,cutflowergrowersuse varieties familiar for pot and gardenuse,someofwhichhavebeen popularfordecades.Inthefuture introductionsspecificallybredfor cut flower production are almost certaintoappear.Amongtoday’s popular varieties for cut flower production are ‘Delft Blue’ and its mutants ‘China Pink’, ‘Purple Star’ and ‘White King’. ‘Splendid Cornelia’, and ‘Anne Maria’ (including its mutants ‘Anne Lisa’, ‘Antartica’ and ‘Atlantic’) are also top sellers.
However, the history of the extensive culture of the plant as a cut flower is short, while hyacinth breeding is a very longtermprocess.Fromseedtoflower usually takesfouryears,andeven when a promising new variety is identified, the building of a commercial stock is a very slow process.Thebulbilsproducedby scoring the basal plate of mature bulbs normally take three years to reach flowering size. The market for future cut flower varieties is growing at an encouraging rate. Nevertheless, it is still a long way short of accounting for even 20 percent of that massive annual production of bulbs from Holland’s Hyacinth Valley! |||
climate combine here to give near perfectgrowingconditions.Thisis locally called Hyacinth Valley! While Dutch domestic demand for hyacinth bulbs is very large, about half of the annual production of over 300 million bulbs is exported. Principal importing countries are Germany, UK and USA, while demand is rising from China and from eastern Europe. Hyacinths as commercially grown pot plants have a very long established history. In the FloraHolland auctions’ pot plants league table for 2013 they ranked 8th in value of turnover, at €29million. Keukenhof Hyacinth Show The Hyacinth Show at Keukenhof is the very first growers’ show of the season, running from 20th to
The Bulb Growing Region's Flower Parade is one of the most famous flower pageants in the world, featuring colourful floats decorated using flowering bulbs including hyacinths.
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The genus Narcissus is surely among the most loved in the world. In temperate climates it is a floral banner of spring, with the predominant colour reminding everyone of sunshine, even when skies are grey. Among the best known of all poems in English literature is one celebrating this flower. And well over a thousand years earlier the prophet Mohammed described narcissus flowers as ‘feeding the soul’.
New varieties that are distinctly different would help to raise the profile of the flower.
Popular genus has some surprising features commercially F
by John Sutton
or such a popular genus, it has somesurprisingfeaturescommercially. Although there is anextremelylargenumberofvarieties – around 25,000 – a very small
number of them, some introduced decades ago, account for a large percentage of the overall demand. It has been almost impossible for a new variety, however attractive, to win very significant market share, unless the bulbs have the natural ability to multiply rapidly. Old favourites such as ‘Carlton’ and ‘Dutch Master’, introduced between the two World Wars, have just this feature.
UK world leader in bulb production
The annual narcissus show at Keukenhof will be from 16th to 21st April and showcase both narcissi cut flowers and pot plants.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
In the Netherlands, very much the dominant nation in the production of flower bulbs of almost all kinds, in 2013/14 the area down to production was 1464ha. This was over 200 ha less than three years previously.Thefalloccurredmainly
because of reduced production of the miniature variety Tête-à-Tête, although this variety remains the one most widely grown. The narcissus is the one startling exception to the rule that the United Kingdom is of very little importanceforflowerbulbproduction.In this genus, that country is the world leader, with over 4,000ha, about half of the world total. One company alone, Winchester Growers (now part of the UNIVEG Group) grows around 750ha. The UK’s very large domestic demand is fully met by domestic production, and there is a significant export volume to other European countries and to the USA. There is also narcissus bulb production in Israel of the less hardy Tazetta varieties that have several
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Keukenhof small, flowers per stem, usually fragrant. In the southern hemisphere, South Africa, Australia and Brazil have significant bulb production.
40 million cut narcissi sold
Considering the popularity of the narcissus as a garden flower, as a cut flower its profile is lower than might be expected. In recent years, it has not even been in the top 25 types of cut flower sold through the FloraHolland auctions. In 2013, the turnover was €6.9m, equal to less than 0.3% of the total turnover for cut flowers of all types. This figure fell in 2014, although the actual number of flowers sold – over 40 million – remains impressively large. In both wholesale and retail trade, the price per flower is usually the lowest of all flower types during the winter. In countries with climates similar to the Netherlands, longstemmed flowers forced in heated glasshouseshavethemarkettothemselves only in the earlier part of the winter. Because of low prices, there are ready sales, but the narcissus has little place in the market for gift flowers. Vase life is relatively short.
Breeding
New varieties that are distinctly different would help to raise the profile of the flower. For example, breeders worldwide are at work attempting to produce green daffodils, says Frans Veul of Fa. Veul in Anna Paulowna. There is valuable diversity in the genus, with doubleness and with intense fragrance in the Tazetta group. There are high hopes in the UK for the release in the near future of some verypromisingnewdoublevarieties. There are breeders active in the
UK, the Netherlands, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. There have been a considerable number of recent introductions, but Frans Veul says that it is difficult to predict which have a chance of becoming really popular. He does suggest that the doubles Popeye and Wave are possibilities, alreadywithgoodquantitiesavailable. Others that he thinks worth mentioning include three more doubles, ‘Double Pearl’, ‘Flambards Village’ and ‘Jersey Star’, together with ‘Chantilly’, ‘Cornish King’, ‘Jersey Lace’ and ‘Sentinel’.
In the Netherlands, very much the dominant nation in the production of flower bulbs of almost all kinds, in 2013/14 the area down to production was 1464ha.
most other pot plants. In January this year the price was higher than in January 2014. The annual narcissus show at Keukenhof will be from 16th to 21st April and showcase both narcissi cut flowers and pot plants. It has a long history, with the first ever indoor show in 1983 featuring exhibitsfromjusteightgrowers.Frans Veul looks forward to being able to see a very wide range of varieties at the show, including most of the recent introductions that he thinks maybecomemuchmoreimportant commercially in the future. These may include some fragrant Tazetta hybrids. But it will of course be the weather in March and the first half of April that will be the deciding factor in what is in peak condition for the first show day on 16th April. |||
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
Potted Narcissi
Narcissi grown as pot plants meet considerable demand. In 2012 they ranked 19th in the size of turnover for pot plants sold through the FloraHolland auctions, with a figure of €16 million. In the first half of 2014 turnover and average price increased more strongly for pot narcissi than for
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Lilium Dutch lily industry representatives, breeders and vendors will come together in the Netherlands from Tuesday June 2 to Friday June 5 for the annual Dutch Lily Days, an event designed to showcase the latest breeding breakthroughs and bring awareness to the significant economic impact of lilies.
Industry leaders set to gather for Dutch Lily Days
F
or four consecutive days the lily, being one of the flagship products of the Dutch flower bulb industry, will be put in the spotlight. No fewer than 16 lily breedingcompanieswillopentheir doors for the annual Dutch Lily Days, a breath-taking showcase of the newest varieties of lilies developed by Dutch hybridisers.
Powerful marketing instrument
Attracting thousands of industry professionals each year, the Dutch Lily Days isn’t just an ordinary lily show. It’s practically one of the most powerful marketing instruments of the Dutch lily industry, an ideal platform for the promotion of
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productsandbusinessdevelopment. Now in its fifth year, the response to the Dutch Lily Days and its industryisoverwhelminglypositive. Lily bulb and flower growing has always been an important business activity. From an economic point of view, it is the country’s biggest bulb crop. For some years the lily was struggling under fierce competition, competing for influence, market shareandconsumerattentionfrom easy selling flowers. But since the launch of the Dutch Lily Days the fight back has begun. The event has turned things around by putting the Dutch lily industry on the world map.
Two floricultural events in one visit
The combined open days make it interesting for foreign visitors to come to the Netherlands. By moving the open days to an earlier date, the organisers of this year’s Dutch Lily Days are striving for further growth in quality and number of visitors. Plus the Flower Trials are held a week later, so visitors can now attend two floricultural events in one visit. Over the past four years, the Dutch Lily Days have enjoyedstronginternationalinterest from the lily community worldwide attracting all key stakeholders from the industry. That has encouraged
the sixteen participants to keep the initiative going.
Bright colours are the new trend
Now that the event is held at the beginning of June, orientals will also be on full display as this group of lilies blooms later. Thus, growers and dealers will be offered a complete picture of all varieties for the first time this year and can decide what will be included in their plans. Developments in breeding arebeginningtoappear:abreeder's response to trends in the market does take years after all. The noticeableaccentamongtheparticipating breederscontinuestoremainonthe development of highly productive varieties. In terms of colour, it is striking that white, the traditional lily colour, is getting more competition from stronger colours, like purple and cerise.
Participants
The participants in the fifth edition of the Dutch Lily Days are: Van den Bos Flowerbulbs, De Jong Lilys, Bot Flowerbulbs, Laan Flora Facilities, Lily Company, Mak Breeding, Marklily, Onings Holland Flowerbulbs, The Originals, C. Steenvoorden BV, G.A. Verdegaal, Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan, VWS Flowerbulbs,WorldBreeding,Zabo Plant and Royal Van Zanten. |||
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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In memoriam
World News
Dalat Hasfarm general directorThomasHooft It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Thomas Hooft. Thomas, aged 67, died January 23, 2015 in Groningen, the Netherlands. The flower and young plant industry became an important part of Thomas’ career when in 1994 he founded the Vietnam-based Dalat Hasfarm as the company’s first managing director. An entrepreneur, team player and mentor, Thomas was not only passionate about horticulture but also felt a strong love for the beautiful country of Vietnam which he considered his second home. Born in the Dutch city of Zwolle in 1948, Thomas graduated from the horticultural school. He found his first job at the Dutch Moerheim nursery, but Thomas was always looking for new challenges and soon he joined Ballast Nedam, a Dutch construction company specialising in large residential projects in Saudi Arabia at that time. Here, Thomas took charge of the landscaping division. In 1989, he moved to Asia, joining Hasfarm in Indonesia as general manager of a new project growing flowers in Goalpara, Sukabumi. This laid the groundwork for his new career in Vietnam, where in 1994, he was appointed the founding General Director of Dalat Hasfarm. In 1995, Thomas started construction of the first ever wooden and plastic greenhouses in Dalat, soon switching to more durable steel frames. Under his inspiring 20-year leadership, Dalat Hasfarm evolved into a leading horticultural company in Vietnam growing flowers and other horticultural products on an area covering more than 300ha. Thomas’ special personal hobby was looking after the 500 head herd of dairy cows. Under Thomas’ management, the company continued to introduce new growing techniques and varieties in Vietnam. Thomas fell in love with Vietnam; he decided to retire in 2012 and live together with his wife, Mrs Doan Trang. From his house in Dalat, Thomas tirelessly worked to turn Dalat into the ‘Flower Capital of Vietnam’. We will miss his inspiration and warm personality. On behalf of the Board or Directors of Dalat Hasfarm Aad Gordijn and Bernhard Schenke.
United States/ Netherlands
American-Dutch Flower Bulb Research Program celebrates 50th anniversary The launch of the Flower Bulb Research Program at the Michigan State University in 1965 marked the beginning of a Dutch-American relationship connecting university research to the needs of innovative bulb companies. Fifty years on and the Flower Bulb Research Program, today under the auspices of Cornell University, is still a prime example of how to successfully blend in depth and hands on industry knowledge with horticultural science and innovative technology. To mark this momentous 50th anniversary a Past Present and Future-themed conference dedicated to the last 50 years of the Flower Bulb Research Program, reuniting colleagues old and new will be held at the coach house of Keukenhof Castle on the 23rd April. The conference will host a great line up of speakers among which is August A. (Gus) de Hertogh, one of the founders of the Program and Cornell University professor William B. Miller, who currently directs the Flower Bulb Research Program. Supported by the Dutch flower bulb export industry and its trade association Anthos, the Flower Bulb Research Program aims at identifying and studying practical problems with bulbs. It develops useful information for users of bulbs in the North American market. To commemorate the 50th anniversary milestone, Cornell University has commissioned a team of writers to prepare a comprehensive commemorative book that celebrates the history of the Program. For more details and registration secretariaat@anthos.org www.flowerbulbs.cornell.edu |||
by Jaap N. Kras
Dutch Comfort
The challenge Whether it was the oil and gas industry, the automotive industry, the electronics industry or the cosmetics industry, they all, at a certain moment discovered the benefits of the directto-consumer channel. Consumers (read end-users) have all their own needs and directly selling to them provides these industries more insight into specific customer requirements. These days, every well-respected and successful manufacturer produces consumer-ready products to sell through properly owned outlets. All this represents a new kind of challenge for producers of perishable crops, including farmers and fishermen. Also challenging is the debate regarding mass produced goods versus speciality items and their place in the distribution channel. With the internet, manufacturers and consumers are deepening their relationships. Specialty products are customer made, whether convenience and shopping goods are mass produced and hold in stock by the shop owner. The end consumer can only buy a product that is on stock available. Very crucial is the client-order-disconnecting moment when the order is handled or ‘disconnected’, either by the producer, after determining the wishes of the customer, or by the retailer who holds a stock of the products he thinks are the most popular.
In the direct-to-consumer channel it is equally important to differentiate yourself in the market with for example an exclusive brand or product line or cater for so far hidden customer needs.
Ecommerce changes the traditional retailing landscape. Ecommerce not only allows for supply chain optimisation with a reduced need for expensive buffer stock and fulfilled orders via multiple channels, it also ensures faster delivery and easy return policies, in other words excellent customer service. Everybody worldwide knows examples of these successful web stores.
In the ornamental horticulture industry the lack of market knowledge is a well-known problem. Most growers don’t have the same understanding of marketing as purchasers do. This explains the rise of growers-owned sales cooperatives where buyers only acquire products under the conditions set by the sales cooperative. Another problem is that a perishable industry supply chain is a constant race against time. Products should arrive as quickly as possible at the consumer as deterioration starts as soon as product has been harvested and the prices for the products go up. The flower industry has another Achilles heel in that the manufacturer of the saleable product often is a florist. Today, over 50% of our flowers and plants are sold by florists who specialise in hand-tied bouquet, wedding bouquets, funeral wreaths, all according to the specific needs of the consumer. There is no single product that caters to customer needs more than flowers and plants. In direct business, the biggest challenge for breeders, growers and traders is to gather enough feedback from the market. In the direct-to-consumer channel it is equally important to differentiate yourself in the market with for example an exclusive brand or product line or cater for so far hidden customer needs.
Meanwhile, it is a fact that consumer needs change faster than in the past and traditional retailers aren’t organised enough to handle these fast changing needs well. Ecommerce also allows the consumer and producer to interact directly and those entrepreneurs who understand their target group and cater to their needs quickly will be successful. Now back to the perishable products. The question is why our production and logistics processes are so fragmented? Partly, because our industry hosts a relatively big number of small production companies, unable to manage all processes needed in the direct-to-consumer channel. A rather simplistic issue is distance. A farmer needs to stay at his farm and doesn’t have the time to travel to the consumer markets. Another reason is that farmers make half-finished products that need processing into a consumer-ready product. So, the best solution in the past was cooperation, with farmers teaming up to set up a dairy processor to produce consumerready products such as milk and cheese. A lack of adequate financial resources was no real problem in those days as these farmers also set up their own bank or formed a business cooperative to purchase horticultural supplies and obtain services at a lower cost.
Jaap N. Kras jaap@floracultureinternational.com
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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Intellectual Property In a series of exclusive interviews for the FCI the Secretary General of CIOPORA Dr. Edgar Krieger elaborates on the breeders’ vision of IP protection for the future incorporated in the CIOPORA Position Papers on Minimum Distance, Scope of the Right, Exhaustion and Breeders´ Exemption. by our own correspondent
Scope of PBR: a quest for harmonisation
C
IOPORA members believe that securing the continuity of innovation is one of the best investments in a highly competitive horticultural sector. The adoption of the CIOPORA Position Papers on IP by unanimous vote at the AGM in The Hague in April 2014 demonstrated that the breeders of ornamentals and fruits need more effective protection for their varieties.
FCI: Dr. Krieger, the CIOPORA Position Paper on the Scope of the Right demonstrates that a mere grant of a plant variety title alone does not guarantee for effective Intellectual Property protection. Could you elaborate on the concept of the right’s scope?
Dr. Edgar Krieger: “The scope of the right, which is defined by the UPOV Convention and the national Plant Variety Protection laws, describes the objects which fall under the title’s protection and the acts which are reserved for the title-holder. The broader is the scope of the right, the more effective is the level of protection under the PBR title. In this respect, CIOPORA members agree that in
CIOPORA Secretary General Dr. Edgar Krieger.
the globalised market, where over the past decades the production ofvegetitavelyreproducedflowers and fruits has been to a high degree relocated into countries with no or with often insufficient Plant Variety Protection (PVP) regimes, innovative plant breeders are in strong need of a broader and harmonised scope of the right.”
How is the scope of the right defined under the current international Plant Variety Protection regime?
CIOPORA envisions the scope of the right which provides direct protection to propagating, harvested and processed material. The latter would include e.g. such products as processed fruits.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
“Article 14 of the Act 1991 of the UPOV Convention sets the framework for the scope of the breeders’ right by naming the acts in respect of propagating (Art. 14 (1)) and harvested material (Art. 14(2)) which require the authorisation of the title holder. These acts include production and reproduction, conditioning for the purpose of propagation, offering for sale, selling or other marketing, exporting,
importing and stocking for any of the purposes mentioned above.”
It seems that the makers of the Act 1991 of UPOV thought about quite a few ways for the title holders to control the material of their varieties. What exactly constitutes the problem?
“The major problem is that, apart from listing the acts in respect of plant material which require the breeders’ authorisation, the Act 1991 of UPOV does not define propagating and harvested material, therefore failing to establish a minimum requirement for the national laws in this respect. Due to thisgapthedefinitionsofpropagating (and harvested) material in the national laws of the UPOV memberstatesvarysignificantly.As a consequence, what is considered to be propagating material in one country is treated as harvested material in another, which cre-
also believe that the mere use of propagatingmaterialfortheproduction of harvested material should be included into the list of acts which need an authorisation of the title holder.” |||
“CIOPORA advocates for the direct protection of propagating, harvested and processed material: a breeder should be able to exert his right at least at one stage of the production and trade chain.”
ates confusion in the highly globalised marketplace. Several years ago, CIOPORA ran an analysis of definitions of propagating material in the national laws of 37 UPOV members. While about 40% of the laws guaranteed for a broad scope of protection with many forms of material ofvegetitavelyreproducedvarietiesbeing covered by the definition, the other 60% established only medium to very limited scope. Such limiting law wordings usually incorporate such phrases as “intended for propagation”, “meant for production” or “used for cultivation” into the definition of propagating material, while in fact the asexually reproduced plant varieties can be easily reproduced by most parts of the plant. CIOPORA members believe that a harmonised definition of propagating material should include any reproductive or vegetative material of plant from which, whether alone or in combination with other parts or products of that or another plant, another plant with the same characteristics can be produced. Such definition woulddrawaclearlinebetweenpropagating and harvested material. We advocate for its inclusion into the text of the UPOV Convention and therefore for the unification of the definitions of the national laws.”
With such definition of propagating material very little of variety material is left to consider as harvested material. What does the CIOPORA’s position state on this subject?
“In legal terms – and these are the terms CIOPORA is operating with – only material of a variety which is not capable in any way of producing another plant with thesamecharacteristicsshouldbedefined
as harvested material. Furthermore, we believe that harvested material and products directly obtained from it should be protected directly and per se. The current wording of Article 14(2) of the 1991 Act of UPOV establishes a restriction to the breeders’right.Itstatesthatonlyharvested material obtained through unauthorised use of propagating material and only in case where the breeder has not had a reasonable opportunity to exercise his right, falls under the scope of the right. This wordingleavesroomforinterpretationand dispute and, on top of that, is not in line with what the drafters of the UPOV 1991 Act intended: namely, to enable a breeder to exert his right at least at one stage of the production and trade chain. This provision is especially limiting the scope of the right in fruit, since the harvested material is the most valuable part thereof. This harms not only breeders, but also honest royalty-payinggrowersunderminingtheir competitiveness. Counterfeit designer clothes or technical equipment can serve as a vivid example of how it should work: oncediscovered,suchgoodscanbeseized at the point of entry. Why this should not apply to counterfeit fresh produce? “
CIOPORA is the International AssociationofBreedersofVegetitavely Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties.Breedersofsuchcropshold ca. 2/3 of all PVR titles in the world. Since more than 50 years CIOPORA representstheminallmattersofIntellectual Property Protection. To be continued in the April issue of FloraCulture International. The full text of the adopted CIOPORA Position Papers on IP is available under: http://www.ciopora.org/publications/ ciopora-papers-on-ip
This example certainly establishes a valid point. Dr. Krieger, so what elements, in opinion of CIOPORA, would constitute the full scope of the right providing for effective protection of the breeders’ Intellectual Property?
“CIOPORA envisions the scope of the right which provides direct protection to propagating, harvested and processed material. The latter would include e.g. such products as processed fruits. We
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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World News Canada
New Canadian Greenhouse Grower’s Directory & Buyers’Guide launch Flowers Canada Growers, the national trade association of the Canadian floral industry, is pleased to present the 2015 edition of the Canadian Greenhouse Growers’Directory & Buyers’Guide. For over 20 years, this directory has been an industry trademark being presented at events, trade shows and on a request basis. With the generous assistance provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the AgriMarketing Program and Flowers Canada Growers Inc., continuous efforts are being made to enhance and expand this well-know industry publication. This directory, as well as the online grower directory on www.flowerscanadagrowers.com highlights growers who export into the United States with a special flag logo beside their name. The directory continues to be a valuable guide for purchasers, growers and wholesalers who use it on a daily basis
Netherlands
Dutch flower grower turns traditional into trendy
to source the supplies, services and products essential to the profitability of their companies. |||
Canada
ILVOannounces25thInternational Eucarpia Symposium ILVO, Belgium’s government institute for agricultural and fisheries research, last month announced its 25th International Eucarpia Symposium - Ornamentals Section, which will take place from June 28th to 2nd in Melle, near Ghent. This year’s theme is “Crossing borders”, which illustrates ILVO’s intention to go beyond traditional ornamental plant breeding. Recent boosts in fundamental knowledge offers opportunities for ornamentals. Interaction and discussion between plant breeders and scientists create new ideas. The symposium organisers are excited that besides the lectures of leading experts also more than 120 scientific contributions from all over the world
are confirmed. Two workshops will be held in conjunction with the scientific sessions. In these workshops active participation of breeding companies will be stimulated. A post-symposium tour gives you the opportunity to discover the dynamic and innovative ornamental plant breeding industry in Belgium. ||| Registration is now open. For more details visit www.eucarpiaornamentals2015.be
Conquering Europe with “Dutch Design” is something marketers have been doing successfully for years. The fact that life style horticulture products make use of this Dutch phenomenon as pay-off, seems more surprising than it actually is. Inspired by the world of peasants and rural labour where swathes of cut grain stalks were gathered into bunches, and tied with string or a twist of straw, flower farm Visschedijk launched its Bulb Bouquet a few years ago .The flower grower turned traditional turns into trendy as the Bulb Bouquet features hand tied tulips with the bulbs still attached to the flowers. Trialled extensively over the past few years, the product is now ready for a full scale roll out. In early January, Vissedijk hired marketing company Pull Position for several launch events at flower auction FloraHolland. A number of flower exporters were presented with the new product, while product presentations took place at different cash and carry stores. In February, for example, the Bulb Bouquet was occupying pride of place at Pyramide in Naaldwijk. The Bulb Bouquet is available until this Easter. ||| For more details please visit www.bulbbouquet.com
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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Bio crop protection Exactly how the plant vitalizer HB101 produces its effect on growth and susceptibility to pest and disease damage is a subject of ongoing research. What is certainly known about it is that it is used by professional growers, farmers and hobby gardeners in over fifty countries.
Global demand for HB-101 continues to rise P
roduced by the Japanese company Flora Co Ltd. and first marketed in 1978, it is a product derived from entirely naturalsources–conifersandaspecies of plantain (Plantago asiatica). As well as meeting a huge demand in Japan, HB-101 is exported to countries including the USA, Russia, Australia, Turkey and Thailand, aswellasJapan’snearneighboursin Asia such as China and Korea.
Formulations
by John Sutton
The product is available both in granular form, for incorporation in soils or growing media, and as a liquid concentrate, for use as a conventional liquid feed or as a foliar spray. A blend of sap and other extracts from cedars, cypress, pine and Plantago asiatica, the prototype version was produced in 1959. The driving spirit was Mr. Yoshimari Kawase, a forester brought up in a family that had made its livelihood
Table 1 provides an overview of the key findings of the Myanmar Rice Research Centre which tested two rice varieties using HB-101.
Pale Thwe Treatment
Yield (T/ha)
HB-101 1000 mL/ha HB-101 100 mL / ha Control
6.48 5.48 4.13
Comparison of the yield with Control (%) + 56.90 + 32.69 –
Yadanar Toe Treatment
Yield (T/ha)
HB-101 1000 mL / ha HB-101 100 mL / ha Control
7.71 6.86 4.32
Comparison of the yield with Control (%) + 78.47 + 58.80 –
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in timber production for over four centuries. He drew on the accumulated knowledge of his family forebears in techniques of tree care longpre-datingtheuseofsynthetic agro-chemicals. The prototype of HB-101 was tested, developedandputintosuccessfuluse – initially on his own trees – for almosttwentyyears.Histestbedswere
the forests under his management, and especially the tree nurseries wherenutritionandpestcontrolwas particularly critical. Manufacture and sale began in 1978.
Broad-spectrum protection
The products’ value across a broad spectrum of plants, with trees by
World News no means the only ones, achieved increasinglywiderecognition.Today, it is extensively used by rice farmers, and for a range of fruit and vegetable crops. Table 1 provides an overview of the key findings of the Myanmar Rice Research Centre. The earlier pre-market testing and investigation is continuing. Flora Co Ltd now has its own R & D institution, staffed by seven graduates, four of whom have higher degrees. Research is being carried out in conjunction with universities both in Japan and in other countries, including the USA. Thewell-confirmedeffectsofHB-101 include improved growth, increased yields, reduced severity of pest damage, enhanced fruit sweetness and even stronger flower fragrance. The reasons for these benefits are still unclear, but the presence of saponin andpolyphenolsintheplantextracts concernedprobablyprovidepointers. For instance, one of the polyphenols contained in HB-101 is known to activate mitochondrial enzymes. Generally, there is also evidence from detailed scientific study that pinene, an essential oil present in conifer sap, has pest-repellent properties.
A runaway success
When HB -101 is used to treat soil, test results indicate beneficial results on the soil micro-organism population. Its heightened activity is highly likely in turn to provide an improved environment for root development and nutrient uptake. Applied to foliage, HB-101 is a source of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and iron, although it is primarily a vitalizer or stimulant, rather than a fertilizer. While plenty of questions remain for the research teams of Flora Co Ltd, the success rating of HB-101 as judged by the customers of the company seems beyond dispute. It has been a runaway success on the Japanese consumer market, with 5000 retail outlets stocking it. There are an estimated 80 million users worldwide! It is certainly very safe to use, and is proved to be harmless to animal life, including fish. And for organic growers, its derivation entirely from plants at once establishes its credentials for their use. |||
United States CalFlowers recaps a banner 2014 and looks ahead to a booming 2015 Fact: about 80 percent of cut flower production occurs in California, creating an economic engine with an estimated impact of billions of dollars*. In 2014, the industry's leading association for flower farmers, the California Association of Flower Growers and Shippers (CalFlowers), achieved a number of milestones to support this strong industry that affects farms big to small and the many suppliers and services that support them. "The association now known as CalFlowers has for years supported the many farmers that make California the leading U.S. producer of cut flowers," noted chief executive officer Michael LoBue, appointed in 2013. "In 2014, coming out of a tough economy that is increasingly globalised, CalFlowers actively expanded its role and mission to further develop this important industry." The group's 2014 milestones include: • Rebranding the organisation to CalFlowers to reflect an increasingly globalised floral economy and a larger role in the worldwide floral industry. • Continuing to expand its expertise and services in transportation, one of the key links to getting product to market efficiently. • Doubling its exhibit space at the World Floral Expo. In collaboration with the California Cut Flowers Commission (CCFC), CalFlowers will host a large pavilion at the March 11-13, 2015 Los Angeles-based expo.
• Sponsoring the 2014 Wholesale Florist and Florist Supplier Association (WFFSA) annual meeting, where it helped form a collaborative group to promote floral consumption, including the international Women's Day holiday March 8, 2015. • Planning for the biennial Fun n Sun event, the largest California floral industry trade show in the country, set for July 29-August 1, 2015, Monterey, Calif., which will offer educational seminars, nursery and packing facility tours, and numerous networking opportunities for CalFlowers members and others in the industry. Also in 2014, the organisation added a number of new members and formed relationships with growers and shippers outside of the U.S. to benefit its members. ||| Data and statistics on the California floriculture industry: http://ucanr.edu/sites/UCNFA/newsletters/Volume_11,_Issue_221664.pdf
March 2015 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com
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Crop protection Increasing demands from retailers for low or no chemical residues on roses means that rose growers need to build their experience and understanding of a more Holistic approach to rose production, if they are to maintain yield and quality. The search for this holy grail has begun in earnest on the Equator. Kenyan roses are leading the way in low pesticide residue flower production because of the availability of bio-pesticides that can replace up to 50% of the chemicals previously used to protect the crop.
Are holistic roses the holy grail?
I
n fact, if growers understand the needs of their plants better andprovideabio-intensivecrop protection programme, they can actuallyimproveyields,stemlength and bud size. Excessive use of chemicalpesticidescanreduceyield and quality, because of the interference these artificial chemicals may have with the natural biochemical processes in the plant. So why is a bio-intensive programme not used all over the world? It seems a no brainer. There areanumberofpossiblereasons:inexperience,bio-pesticidesunavailable,toohighcostofbio-pesticides, predatory mites too expensive, or too close a relationship with the chemical supply company by the purchasing officers. Growers need to ensure their crop protection suppliers is able to address these issues. If it is possible in Kenya, it is possible anywhere.
Good soils by Louise Labuschagne @LouiseRealIPM
In the beginning, most growers plant their new roses in the soil because plants prefer to grow in the soil. Its only after nematodes or
Excessive use of chemical pesticides can reduce yield and quality of roses.
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
It is important when making changes to a crop protection programme, to ensure that experienced advisors are employed to guide the grower through the initial stages.
crown gall have built up in the soil, that they might bite the bullet and pay for soil-less growing systems. Pity – because the soil is also much more forgiving if the irrigation system breaks down. Getting the soil ‘right’ could keep roses in the ground for longer and delay or avoid the need to invest in hydroponics. What do roots needs from the soil? Roots need enough space to grow; the soil should be aerated and have sufficient organic matter to maintain soil structure. Growers can manipulate the soil environment by altering the height ofthebedsandenoughincorporating organic matter. It is possible to enhance the beneficial microbes in the soil, by inoculating the organic matter with commercial Trichoderma asperellum,beforeitisincorporated into the soil. Trichoderma can grow saprophytically (living and feeding on dead organic matter using mycorrhizal funghi) on organic matter. The benefits of having Trichoderma in the soil are many fold:itcansolublisephosphatesand
make them available to the plant; some isolates (Real Trichoderma) can produce enough chitinase to have an impact on root knot nematodes;someisolateshavebeen shown to control crown gall. Larger roots will result from a monthly soil application of Trichoderma which can lead to greater uptake of calcium which is less mobile in the soil and needs a big root system to ‘find’ it. Improved calcium uptake can have an effect on post-harvest shelf life and quality. The soil is a good place for pests and diseases to bridge between infection cycles or during vulnerable parts of their life cycles. Thrips, leafminer and some caterpillar pests have part of their life cycle in the soil. Botrytis survives on dead leaves where it will produce more air borne spores to infect young leaves and rose buds. Apart from the crown gall and nematodes, roses can sometimes be attacked by Fusarium. So with this huge pathogenic reservoir in the soil – it’s no wonder things can get out of handandthegrowereventuallyhas
Increasing demands from retailers for low or no chemical residues on roses means that rose growers need to build their experience and understanding of a more Holistic approach to rose production.
to cough up the money to buy a hydroponic system. If growers turn their attention to the soil and make prophylactic applications of bio-pesticides to the soil and the soil surface, this can help to slow down pest and disease life cycles. Bio-pesticides should be applied by drip irrigation if the aim is to gettheTrichodermaontotheroot zone for control of nematodes, Fusarium and crown gall, which enter through the roots. Drip irrigation is also the method of application if the aim is to use Trichoderma as a bio-fertiliser. However, if the aim is to control insectpeststhatpupateinthesoil surface – the bio-pesticide is better applied by a hydraulic sprayer to get it onto the top layer of the soil where it is needed.
Don’t turn up the volume
Bio-pesticides can contribute to the control of pests and diseases in the canopy if the grower gets the volume of spray water ‘right’. Water sensitive papers will test where and how the spray water is being applied. Too much water, will lead to ‘run off’ and since bio-pesticide sprays are largely contact in action, this is very wasteful.Bio-pesticidesmuststay on the leaf to work. Rose growers might apply anything from 400 to 3,000 litres of water per hectare in a spray round. The growers achieving the best
control of thrips with biopesticides in Kenya, are using from 400 to only 800 litres of spray water per hectare. At these spray volumes, the entomopathogenicfungus(Metarhizium 69) is staying on the leaf, where the pest is. If the grower is also clever enough to time the sprays when the thrips are on top of the leaf and the outside of the flower – thrips control can be very good. The ‘happy hour’ for thrips, when they all sit on the top of the leaves to socialise, is about 2 hours after sunrise and 3 to four hours before sunset.
When more is better
Improved control of powdery mildew and Botrytis occurs if full canopy sprays are used rather than the less effective ‘top sprays’ thatseemtobecommonplacefor thrips and botrytis. Both of these serious problems are present in the entire canopy and the entire canopy should be sprayed – not just the ‘tops’. Acombinedmonthlyprogramme of Trichoderma asperellum in the cropdebrisonthesoilsurfaceand the lower branch structure – with a weekly foliar spray of Bacillus subtilis – forms the backbone of a bio-intensive Holistic Rose disease programme.
Keep it up
Bio-pesticides for both pests and diseasesmustbeappliedirrespective of scouting, or risk analysis
as a preventative programme if it is to be effective. Bio-fungicides are rarely curative, unless they are tank mixed with fungicides. Bioinsecticideswillnotprovidequick knock down unless tank mixed with a chemical insecticides. Tank mixing bio-fungicides with a chemical fungicide, not only provides synergism but also is a strong Resistance Management Programme.Mostbio-fungicides, but not all, are compatible with insecticides and fungicides. Ask supplier for details. It’s often difficult to see the first whiteflyormealybugandprevent bad hotspots from occurring. But ifaprophylacticpreventativeprogramme is implemented, fewer hotspotsdevelop.Bio-pesticides need to be affordable for this to be a realistic target.
Predatory army
There are many predatory mites now commercially available and widely used in roses. The ‘old favourite’, Phytoseiulus persimilis, is still the best predator for the control of spider mite. Application rates range from 1 million to 25,000 per hectare, depending on the stage of growth or the state of the spider mite population in the crop. Again, the growers ability to use the higher rates and get compete annihilation of spider mite, depends on the cost of the predator on the local market. Predatory mites have the
advantage of legs. ‘Have legs will travel’. They can walk to the underside of leaves where sprays often can’t reach and seek out the spider mites to eat. Other predatory mites such as Amblyseiusmontdorensisarealso proving very effective for thrips if this is present as the main pest; whilst Amblyseius swirski seems to do better when there is more than one pest present (whitefly and thrips at the same time).
Back up
Sometimesnon-compatiblefungicide sprays for downy mildew need to be applied that will kill predatory mites as well as the downymildew.Inthesesituations it is helpful to have a fungus that will kill spider mites but can even be tank mixed with the downy mildew fungicide. Metarhizium 78 is proving to be very useful for this purpose and prevents a resurgence of spider mite during downy mildew periods.
Game plan
It is important when making changes to a crop protection programme, to ensure that experiencedadvisorsareemployed to guide the grower through the initial stages. Good bio-control supplycompaniesshouldbeable to provide both training for new customers and testimonials from old satisfied customers. Make a plan. |||
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International Events March 2015 1 to 8. United States 2015 Philadelphia International Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. jliebreich@pennhort.org P (215) 988-8833 www.theflowershow.com 3-12. Taiwan Taiwan International Orchid Show (TIOS) at the Taiwan Plantation in Tainan, Taiwan. info@tios.org.tw www.tios.org.tw 4 March. Belgium Last year, Belgium’s leading trade show for the lifestyle horticulture industry was reduced to a one day event. It attracted 900 visitors and hosted 125 exhibitors. www.florall.be 6 to 8. United States Plans are underway for the Midwest's premier floral Event, the Great Lakes Floral Expo. Industry members from across the country will attend the 2015 meeting, scheduled for March 6-8, at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel/ DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan. rod@michiganfloral.org www.michiganfloral.org 11 to 13. United States World Floral Expo 2015 at the Los Angeles Convention Centre. www.hppexhibitions.com 11-15. Switzerland Giardina, the country’s leading home and garden show at the Messe Zurich convention centre. www.giardina.ch 12-14. Azerbaijan AFUEXPO. Azerbaijan flower, landscape and urban exhibition at the Baku Expo Centre. info@afuexpo.com www.afuexpo.com 13-22. Canada CanadaBlooms at Toronto’s Direct Energy Centre & Exhibition Place. www.canadablooms.com 14 to 15. United States The Northeast Floral Expo, the nation’s 4th largest florist trade show, serving the floral industry in New England, New York, New Yersey and beyond. Venue: Mystic Marriott Hotel&Spa in Croton, United States. www.northeastfloralexpo.com
14 to 15. United Kingdom RHS Garden Rosemoor Spring Flower Show. www.rhs.org.uk 14 to 22. United States Chicago Flower & Garden Show at the Navy Pier, Chicago, Illinois info@chicagoflower.com www.chicagoflower.com P (312) 241-1250 F (888) 845-4148 17 to 19. Thailand Horti Asia at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC). www.hortiasia.net 18 March. Netherlands FloraHolland Florist Event www.floraholland.com 18-19. Netherlands FloraHolland Seasonal Trade Fair www.floraholland.com 18 March. France AIPH Spring Meeting at the Marriott Paris – Ambassador Hotel in Paris. www.aiph.org 19 March. France AIPH Expo Organisers Conference, Paris, France. www.aiph.org 20-22. United States Green Bay, Wisconsin, is the site of "Fields of Green", the Wisconsin & Upper Michigan Florists Association's annual convention. The 2015 meeting will be held at the Green Bay Radisson Hotel & Convention Center, March 20-22. rod@michiganfloral.org www.wumfa.org 20 March- 17 May. The Netherlands The world famous spring garden in Lisse, Netherlands. The 2015 Keukenhof theme will be ‘Van Gogh’, one of Holland’s most famous painters. www.keukenhof.nl 25 to 27. Ethiopia Hortiflora Expo at the Millenium Hall in Addis Ababa. www.hppexhibitions.com 25 to 27. Australia Melbourne International Flower&Garden Show at the Royal Exhibition Building & Carlon Gardens. info@melbflowershow.com.au www.melbflowershow.com.au
www.FloraCultureInternational.com | March 2015
31 March to 2 April. Ukraine The organisers of Flowers & HorTech Ukraine, Nova Exhibitions and CoD Exhibitions Ltd., are pleased to inform that the 9th edition of Flowers & HorTech Ukraine will take place from 31 March – 2 April 2015 in Kiev. The exhibition will, as always, be organised under the patronage of the Flower Council of Ukraine. info@nova-exhibitions.com Contact person: Mr. Kuno Jacobs April 2015 8-12. United Kingdom 17th European Orchid Show and Conference London 2015. The show will fill the RHS Horticultural Halls in Vincent Square, London with large displays from professional growers, orchid societies and botanical gardens from around Europe. Traders from around the world will be offering their newest hybrids and unusual orchid species. www.rhs.org.uk 11 to 16. United States 2015 California Spring Trials.
23 April. Netherlands To mark the 50th anniversary of the American-Dutch Flower Bulb Research Program a ‘Past-PresentFuture’- themed conference will be held at the coach house of Keukenhof Castle. secretariaat@anthos.org www.flowerbulbs.cornell.edu 24 April - 10 May. South Korea International Horticulture Goyang Korea 2015 sales@flower.or.kr bom@flower.or.kr www.flower.or.kr 30 April-11 May. Italy FloraFirenze: Cut flower, indoor plant and nursery stock growers and showmen from Italy will be participating in the inaugural edition of FloraFirenze at in the Cascine park in Florence, the Cultural Capital of Europe. The event will take place 8.30 -18.30 from 1-11 May 2015 and is expected to be an horticultural extravaganza,apurposebuiltflower show, featuring plants, flowers and amazing garden designs. www.florafirenze.it
13 to 15. Sweden Nordic Flower Expo, MalmöMässan, Malmö, Sweden. Nordics leading trade fair for flowers and plants targeting trade visitors from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and the Baltic region. www.nordicflowerexpo.com
May 2015
15-16. Netherlands FloraHolland Spring Fair www.floraholland.com
21-23. Azerbaijan Agrihort, 9th Azerbaijan International Agriculture Exhibition in Baku. Agrihort@ceo.az www.agrihort.az
17 to 19. United Kingdom RHS Flower Show Cardiff www.rhs.org.uk 19 to 24. Italy 6th International Symposium on Production and Establishment of Micropropagated Plants. www.regflor.it/ISHS2015/ 20-24. Spain 3rd International Symposium on Organic Matter Management and compost use in horticulture Endorsed by the International Society for Horticultural Sciences (ISHS) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), the 3rd edition of this symposium is aimed atbringingtogetherscientistsfrom aroundtheworldworkingonareas of organic matter treatment and compost use in horticulture. jalburquerque@cebas.csic.es www.verticesur.es/congresos/ CFH2015/ 22 to 24. China Hortiflorexpo at Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). www.hortiflorexpo.com
7 to 10. United Kingdom Malvern Spring Festival. www.rhs.org.uk 19 to 23. United Kingdom RHS Chelsea Flower Show. www.rhs.org.uk
28 May to 1 June. Ireland Bloom 2015 is Ireland’s most important flower & garden show which will take place in the Phoenix Park in Dublin. www.bloominthepark.com 31 May- 3 June. Sweden ISHS 18th International Symposium on Horticultural Economics and Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Alnarp. www.slu.se/ ishseconomicman2015 June 2015 Exact dates to be confirmed. Portugal VIII International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops in Lleida, Spain. jordi.marsal@irta.es
Science Monthly Your source for the latest horticultural research news
Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture is a leading research institute in the international greenhouse horticulture. Experience in both greenhouse horticulture and research allows the institute to develop and implement innovations for and in partnership with the horticultural industry. Research is focused on the development of a sustainable and competitive greenhouse horticulture. This section provides the readers of FloraCulture International with a comprehensive review of the latest research and the provisional results. For further information please contact: José Frederiks, T +31 317 48 38 78 jose.frederiks@wur.nl
Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture develops research agenda for horticultural research centers in the Middle East Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture is currently involved in the establishment of horticultural research centers in the Middle East where food security and food safety are important political and social issues. The establishment of a horticultural center starts by developing a research agenda for the coming years. Based on this agenda and other conditions like budget, a design is made by Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture. The design is provided as a tender document which is send to various greenhouse builders worldwide. The involvement continues during the construction, commissioning, and the research. The main research theme for the Middle East
is water-efficient production. Possible technologies in this field like soilless culture combined with recirculation of drain water and alternative cooling methods are studied and compared with the current state of the art. Based on the scientific knowledge an economic sustainable assessment can be made which technologies provide food safety and food security. ||| Contacts: dr. ir. J.B. (Jouke) Campen.
Quality plan rose
WUR evaluates purification technology for the removal of plant protection products
Dutch roses can’t always guarantee a vase life of seven days. Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture conducted studies at eight rose nurseries during the winters 2012/2013 and 2013/2014. The aim of this study was to individuate a method to improve the shelf life of fresh cut roses during the critical winter period. Teaming up were four ‘Red Naomi!’ growers, four ‘Avalanche+’ growers, flower auction FloraHolland, Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture and Wageningen UR LEI, while the project was funded by the Topsector T & U (Ministry of EL & I). The vase life of the roses varied highly ranging between 3.5 and 17.7 days. Differences were found in vase life, bud opening, the occurrence of leaf and Botrytis problems, and the Botrytis spore pressure in the greenhouses. An explanation for these differences can be found in greenhouse climate parameters: For ‘Red Naomi!’ a decrease in vase life is explained mainly by high average humidity and little temperature fluctuations > 1°C . For ‘Avalanche+’ the differences in vase life can be explained by the length of the dark period and the RV: the longer the dark period, and the lower the RH, the better the vase life.Bud opening is in both varieties explained and negatively impacted by RV’s higher than 93%.The vase life results are representative of the average quality of Dutch roses, as they are in line with those of the FloraHolland project ‘Tested Vase Life’. This correlation will be useful for the proposed implementation in practice. ||| Contact: ir. J (Jan) Benninga
Plant protection products (PPPs) are measured in concentrations exceeding the water quality norms in surface waters of greenhouse areas. Governmental intention is to decrease these exceedings by obligation of the application of purification technology. In this report, the results of experiments with new technologies and treatment configurations are described, as well as tests with known technologies at higher PPP concentrations. Application of H2O2 (inline and batch) showed fluctuating results (20-90%, averaged over the twelve PPPs of Standardised Water) and therefore does not seem ready for use in practice. A combination of H2O2, ozone and UV (inline) showed a removal efficacy of 98%, as well as batchwise treatment with ozone and UV. Multiple treatment of water with H2O2 and LDUV showed an efficacy of 87% after three UV treatments and 98% after eight. Robustness tests with an increased concentration of PPPs showed an efficacy of 85% (factor 10) and 78% (factor 100) for inline treatment with H2O2 with low pressure UV, 82% and 65% for inline treatment of H2O2 and middle pressure UV, and 99% and 99% for short term inline treatment with ozone and activated carbon. The systems seem to be quite robust to changes in PPP-concentration. ||| Contacts: JPM (Jim) van Ruijven MSc.
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