TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks

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!

30+ Tropical & Foliage Plants in 30 Minutes with Andrew Britten

We’ve heard about plant parents (folks who care for plants the same as pets and even children) and the younger generations of gardeners (as well as plenty of others in the same houseplant tribes) flocking to garden centers, urban plant shops and even farm markets in search of the same interesting houseplants they see on Instagram and Tick Tock. Wholesale growers and retailers who’ve been riding the trend have seen significant growth in terms of both interest and sales. Thankfully the trend doesn’t seem to be fading, so if you’re not yet in the game, you haven’t missed the wave. On the other hand, the hot plant of the day does seem to change rapidly so staying aware of different genera and having a wide range of different plants available seems pretty critical.

 

Host Bill Calkins is joined in this episode by Andrew Britten, the tropicals and foliage technical and sales manager at Ball, to help us all understand the most common genera available and run through a pretty long A-Z list to help you understand how to produce them with success. Andrew has an impressive resume built as a head grower, production manager, technical advisor and sales manager for some of the largest and most cutting-edge greenhouses in North America. He’s produced and grown dozens of genera and is here to share everything from plant origins and varieties available to types of starter material and brief cultural best practices.

Types of Starter Material for Tropical & Foliage Plants

For those of you new to producing tropical and foliage plants or interested in learning more about the category, it can be a pretty steep learning curve. Maybe you have a long history in bedding plants, spring annuals and veggies or perennials and ornamentals. Well, what I’ve learned is that the tropical and foliage market is quite different. There’s certainly overlap, from a greenhouse production standpoint, but the differences are numerous.

 

You may know him from previous podcasts covering pests and diseases on tropicals, but this time Andrew Britten is here to walk us through different types of starter material from which you’ll begin your crops.

 

Andrew has a ton of experience producing tropical plants from a diverse range of starter materials and has gone through the growing pains required for successful growing to finish. He’s a true tropical plant production expert who’s been a head grower, propagation manager, sales manager and technical manager focused on tropicals for the last two decades or so. These days, he’s the technical sales manager for tropicals and foliage at Ball.

 

Here are the types of starter material discussed in this short but critical podcast:

 

• Unrooted Cuttings (URC)
• Tissue Culture (TC)
• Calloused Cuttings (CC)
• Rooted Cuttings (RC)
• Air Layer (A/L)
• Canes
• Stumps

 

Past Episodes with Andrew Britten:

Preventing & Managing Disease on Tropical Plants: https://techondemand.podbean.com/e/preventing-managing-disease-on-tropical-plants/

 

Controlling Insects on Tropical Plants: https://techondemand.podbean.com/e/controlling-insects-on-tropical-plants-with-andrew-britten/

Preventing & Managing Disease on Tropical Plants

Host Bill Calkins is joined by Andrew Britten, a greenhouse and nursery technical expert with a wide range of experience from large-scale production and propagation to technical services and even sales of foliage and tropical plants. He’s been a head grower, young plants manager and production manager at some of the largest and most well-respected operations in North America. Interestingly, Andrew was GrowerTalks’ Young Grower Award winner back in 2005.

Andrew joins the podcast again to discuss the most common diseases you might encounter when finishing tropical and foliage crops across North America. He goes one by one through more than 10 diseases, sharing causes, how to identify and finally, control strategies.

The goal with this podcast is to help you produce your best crops ever and send clean, healthy tropicals and foliage to market. If you haven’t listened to the previous podcast covering insect identification and control on tropicals, jump back in the archives and check it out.

Throughout the podcast, Andrew and Bill reference photos and slides, which you can find at: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/tech-on-demand-preventing-and-managing-disease-on-tropical-plants

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