TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks

Audio Files: When Using Your Land Doesn’t Go As Planned

WHEN USING YOUR LAND DOESN’T GO AS PLANNED

FROM THE OCTOBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY MATT STURZEN

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT: Unless they’re actively involved in local government or kept up to date on land use issues, many individuals and businesses are unaware of their rights or restrictions as it relates to real property. This is especially true for those in the agricultural and nursery industries, since operations can go years without undergoing significant land use changes. However, land use issues can quickly arise and become complicated as time passes by. This is because land use plans are ever-changing, especially as urban and suburban development increases.

Audio Files: Visa Program Primer

VISA PROGRAM PRIMER

FROM THE DECEMBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY SHAWN PACKER

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT: Many employers turn to the temporary foreign guestworker visa programs like the H-2A and H-2B visa—so much so that we’re seeing record numbers of applications. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) certified 317,619 H-2A temporary agricultural visas and 181,451 H-2B temporary non-agricultural visas. That’s up from a DOL certified 200,049 H-2A visas and 133,985 H-2B visas in 2017.

  

Here are five things you should consider before embarking on this journey of hiring workers under these programs.

 

Audio Files: The Splitting of Impatiens

THE SPLITTING OF IMPATIENS

FROM THE JANUARY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY LOWELL HALVORSON

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

EXCERPT: When analyzing impatiens sales these days, we can see that the category has split into two distinct segments, each with its own sweet spot and market focus. Wholesale price lists show this breakout regularly. They often follow “Impatiens” with “Impatiens, Hybrid” or perhaps “Impatiens, SunPatiens.” This division reflects the new normal and, looking under the hood, we can also see each segment is shifting under different breeder and buyer pressures.

Audio Files: Trends in Biocontrols

TRENDS IN BIOCONTROLS

 

FROM THE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

 

WRITTEN BY JULIE MARTENS FORNEY

 

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT: With biocontrols, it’s not an either/or approach when it comes to using chemicals, but a both/and. A combination of biology and chemistry delivers great success. For instance, “you can use biologicals up front to keep pest issues in check all through a crop if the weather is just right,” Dr. Michael Brownbridge explained. “That lets you save chemistry until the last few weeks of production so you can clean things up prior to shipping.”

 

The flip side is true, too. “If you have high pest and disease pressures, you can use chemistry first like a battering ram to knock down the problems and follow up with biologicals to mop up and provide protection to the plant,” he continued.

 

When it comes to diseases, he pointed out “there’s an increasing body of scientific evidence that if you use a combination of biology and chemistry you get better disease control.”

Audio Files: Tech in the Greenhouse

TECH IN THE GREENHOUSE

FROM THE APRIL 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE

WRITTEN BY JENNIFER ZURKO

NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS

 

EXCERPT: Most of the new tech we’re seeing boils down to one reason: lack of resources. There aren’t enough servers to bring your food or enough cashiers at the grocery store, so those industries have had to figure out how to alleviate the problem while still providing those services to their customers.

In the growing biz, it’s no different. We’re experiencing a lack of resources, too—and have been for years—so it’s expected that some of the technology that we’re seeing in other industries to address labor shortages have made their way into the greenhouse.

But if you step back, you realize that the focus hasn’t just been on the lack of hands—growers are also looking for new ways to continuously improve on quality in a shorter and shorter amount of time.

Water Movement: The Importance of Vapor Pressure Deficit (Part 3)

How to effectively manage VPD.

This is the third and final episode in a series of podcasts looking into an important greenhouse production topic, vapor pressure deficit or VPD. Host Bill Calkins talks to guest Dr. Will Healy in an attempt to make some fairly complex information understandable and usable in this conversation about VPD, relative humidity and water loss. They are following up on a print article ran in the January issue of GrowerTalks magazine that walked readers through some definitions related to VPD, as well as why it is an important measurement to use and how it can specifically benefit young plant production. This podcast (and the others in the series) goes quite a bit deeper into the topic.

 

Dr. Healy has more than three decades of experience working with greenhouses of all shapes and sizes and around the world to implement the best strategies for their unique situations. Will retired recently from Ball Horticultural Company but continues to think about ways to improve horticultural production.

 

In this podcast, Dr. Healy continues the discussion of total moisture control my walking you through misting strategies from Stage 1 through 3 of rooting, including optimum VPD set points and values from hydration of URCs through root development. He shares exactly why you and your team need to establish rooting groups, identifying the specific needs of each crop and grouping them accordingly, because we all know each crop needs a specific environment for maximum performance. Will spends time on VPD frequency and mist duration, based on real-world greenhouse applications before closing the miniseries with thoughts on controllers (from simple to sophisticated) and the data collected by sensors that’s both critical and nice to have.

 

If you haven’t listened to PARTS 1 & 2 in this series, jump back in the archives and check it out because it sets the stage well for this cast.

 

RESOURCES:

• Learning Curves & Data Curves, GrowerTalks January 2023 by Bill Calkins (article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26085
• Plant Empowerment (book): https://www.plantempowerment.com/in-practice/the-book/
• Tech On Demand—Training Your Team to Water Properly (video): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY

Water Movement: The Importance of Vapor Pressure Deficit (Part 2)

WHEN is Vapor Pressure Deficit critical in greenhouse production?

This is the second in a series of podcasts looking into an important greenhouse production topic, vapor pressure deficit or VPD. Host Bill Calkins talks to guest Dr. Will Healy in an attempt to make some fairly complex information understandable and usable in this conversation about VPD, relative humidity and water loss. They are following up on a print article ran in the January issue of GrowerTalks magazine that walked readers through some definitions related to VPD, as well as why it is an important measurement to use and how it can specifically benefit young plant production. This podcast (and the others in the series) goes quite a bit deeper into the topic.

 

Dr. Healy has more than three decades of experience working with greenhouses of all shapes and sizes and around the world to implement the best strategies for their unique situations. Will retired recently from Ball Horticultural Company but continues to think about ways to improve horticultural production.

 

In the second episode of the series, Will and Bill discuss when VPD is most critical in greenhouse production. Using VPD to schedule irrigation is a much more scientific approach versus “watering every Tuesday and Thursday” because it takes into account how much water has been lost by plants. Will shares details about VPD accumulation and why this matters, as well as when in production VPD management can help reduce the risk of pests and diseases.

 

If you haven’t listened to PART 1 in this series, jump back in the archives and check it out because it sets the stage well for this cast.

 

RESOURCES:

Learning Curves & Data Curves, GrowerTalks January 2023 by Bill Calkins (article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26085

Plant Empowerment (book): https://www.plantempowerment.com/in-practice/the-book/

Tech On Demand—Training Your Team to Water Properly (video): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY

 

Water Movement: The Importance of Vapor Pressure Deficit (Part 1)

This is the first in a series of podcasts looking into an important greenhouse production topic, vapor pressure deficit or VPD. Host Bill Calkins talks to guest Dr. Will Healy in an attempt to make some fairly complex information understandable and usable in this conversation about VPD, relative humidity and water loss. They are following up on a print article ran in the January issue of GrowerTalks magazine that walked readers through some definitions related to VPD, as well as why it is an important measurement to use and how it can specifically benefit young plant production. This episode (and the others in the series) goes quite a bit deeper into the topic.

 

Dr. Healy has more than three decades of experience working with greenhouses of all shapes and sizes and around the world to implement the best strategies for their unique situations. Will retired recently from Ball Horticultural Company but continues to think about ways to improve horticultural production.

 

In the first podcast of the series, Will and Bill focus on clarifying the importance of VPD and Relative Humidity (RH), as well as explaining the process of Evapotranspiration. The episode sets the stage for upcoming presentations covering when VPD is most critical and ways to manage this integral piece of your greenhouse environment puzzle.

 

RESOURCES:

 

VIEW THIS PRESENTATION AS A VIDEO WITH SLIDES: https://youtu.be/MGb8RjLV3U0

Learning Curves & Data Curves, GrowerTalks January 2023 by Bill Calkins (article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26085

Plant Empowerment (book): https://www.plantempowerment.com/in-practice/the-book/

Tech On Demand—Training Your Team to Water Properly (video): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY

Happy 75th Birthday PanAmerican Seed with Anne Leventry (Part 2)

In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by PanAmerican Seed president Anne Leventry, celebrating the company’s 75^th anniversary. With so much history, ground-breaking products and innovative breeding, this conversation is divided into two parts. Be sure to check out part 1, as well, to get the full story!

 

Companies that survive and thrive for decades are nimble enough to maneuver trends and fads but consistent and focused enough to chart a thoughtful and successful course amidst constant change. This is certainly the case with PanAm, who’s celebrating an impressive anniversary and making innovative moves to grow for decades to come.

 

In this episode, the conversation turns to plants—breeding goals, Anne’s favorite varieties, underused and underappreciated products and floriculture’s future. It’s a mix of entertaining plant talk and an insight into PanAmerican’s strategic vision.

 

Because Anne has been on PanAmerican Seed’s global leadership team for many years, her personal stories and behind-the-scenes insights offer a unique look into PanAm and floriculture’s evolution from a macro perspective.

 

You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and if you haven’t listened to part 1, it would be best to jump back in the archives and check it out before starting this one, because the information builds throughout. In the first part, Bill and Anne discuss the evolution of PanAmerican Seed, company growth, breakthroughs and industry challenges not yet solved.

 

Resources:

 

• PanAmerican Seed: https://www.panamseed.com
• Wave Petunias: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us
• Beacon Impatiens: https://www.beaconimpatiens.com/
• Dragon Wing Begonias: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009202294005863
•  Gryphon Begonia: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009205186024979
• Cool Wave Pansies: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us/Flowers/PlantInformation?phid=046706339012223
• Solarscape Hybrid Impatiens: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=119909505049271
• Seed technology & enhancements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QyuBqI3i2o 
• First-Year-Flowering Tool: http://www.firstyearfloweringtool.com

 

BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE!

 

Happy 75th Birthday PanAmerican Seed with Anne Leventry (Part 1)

In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by PanAmerican Seed president Anne Leventry, celebrating the company’s 75^th anniversary. With so much history, ground-breaking products and innovative breeding, this conversation is divided into two parts. Be sure to check out part 2, as well, to get the full story!

 

Companies that survive and thrive for decades are nimble enough to maneuver trends and fads but consistent and focused enough to chart a thoughtful and successful course amidst constant change. This is certainly the case with PanAm, who’s celebrating an impressive anniversary and making innovative moves to grow for decades to come.

 

In this episode, the topics at hand include industry history, corporate leadership, overcoming horticultural obstacles and the importance of reliability. These dynamics are critical when applied to the horticultural industry, and topics that impact all greenhouse professionals.

 

Because Anne has been on PanAmerican Seed’s global leadership team for many years, her personal stories and behind-the-scenes insights offer a unique look into PanAm and floriculture’s evolution from a macro perspective.

 

You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and the next, because the information builds throughout! In part 2, Bill and Anne turn to plants—PanAm’s breeding goals, game-changing plants, “sleeper crops” and the future of floriculture.

 

Resources:

 

• PanAmerican Seed: https://www.panamseed.com
• Wave Petunias: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us
• Beacon Impatiens: https://www.beaconimpatiens.com/
• Dragon Wing Begonias: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009202294005863
• Gryphon Begonia: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009205186024979
• Cool Wave Pansies: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us/Flowers/PlantInformation?phid=046706339012223
• Solarscape Hybrid Impatiens: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=119909505049271
• Seed technology & enhancements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QyuBqI3i2o 
• First-Year-Flowering Tool: http://www.firstyearfloweringtool.com

 

BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE!