Cut Flower Growers Research Articles

Growth and Quality of Four Zinnia Cultivars Grown in Eastern South Dakota

Over the past two decades, interest in local specialty cut flower production in eastern South Dakota has grown, with several new flower farms being established across the region. However, there is currently no local, research-based information available to support growers in this new wave of interest. The purpose of this study was to assess the production and quality of four zinnia cultivars grown in eastern South Dakota to support local specialty cut flower growers in their operations. A randomized complete block design was used to evaluate four zinnia cultivars (Zinderella Peach, Oklahoma Ivory, Queen Red Lime, and Benary’s Giant Purple) grown in 2022 and 2023. Zinnias were started by seed in the greenhouse and transplanted into the field in early summer each season. Harvest began each year when flowers reached maturity (July), with one harvest event taking place each week until the first frost. Harvested flowers were rated as marketable or nonmarketable based on categories of stem length (≥18-inch-long, 13- to 17.99-inch-long, 8- to 12.99-inch-long, and <8-inch-long stems), as well as nonmarketable due to defects (curved stems, insect damage, and other damage). ‘Benary’s Giant Purple’ produced high numbers of marketable long stems and had the largest bloom size, whereas ‘Queen Red Lime’ and ‘Oklahoma Ivory’ produced high numbers of marketable medium-length stems and had lower amounts of insect damage. ‘Zinderella Peach’ produced the shortest and most insect-damaged stems and also produced lower numbers of curved stems compared with the other three cultivars. All four cultivars produced high numbers of marketable flowers and would be suitable choices for specialty cut flower growers in eastern South Dakota.

Adopter Categorization and Level of Adoption among Protected Cut Flower Growers

In India, Tamil Nadu occupies the first position in terms of area under flower cultivation then followed by Karnataka and West Bengal. Out of the 33 districts in Tamil Nadu, Krishnagiri district ranks first in cut flower production due to its suitability to climatic conditions. The cut flowers are by and large cultivated under protected conditions (poly greenhouse structure) to meet the quality standards as expected in the global trade arena. The present study was conducted to identify the adopter categories and their level of adoption with respect to protected cut flower cultivation technologies. An ex-post facto research design was used for the study. The first two intensive blocks (Thally & Hosur) cultivating cut flowers under protected methods were purposefully selected for the present study. From both blocks, six villages were selected, and the data were collected from 120 respondents among these twelve selected villages using a well-structured interview schedule. The collected data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, cumulative frequency, and principal component analysis (PCA). The results of the adopter categorization showed that 40.83 percent of respondents belonged to the early majority and only 5.00 percent were innovators. The results regarding the overall adoption of protected cultivation by each adopter category reported that 54.17 percent of respondents had medium-level adoption, in that 44.61 percent and 30.77 percent were early majority and late majority, respectively. The majority of respondents have a medium-level adoption of protected cultivation, leaving potential for growth among early majority and late majority adopters. Targeted strategies and incentives should address their specific needs, and encouraging more innovators to adopt can drive widespread adoption.

Overwintering Improves Ranunculus Cut Flower Production in the US Intermountain West

Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus L.) cut flower production in the US Intermountain West is limited by a narrow window of optimal temperature ranges in the spring. With the increasing number of Intermountain West cut flower growers, regional management recommendations are needed to improve ranunculus harvest timing and yield. The objectives of this research were to evaluate planting dates, winter insulation, tuberous root (TR) preparation, and cultivar selection for flower timing, yield, quality, and profitability in high tunnel and field production systems. Trials were conducted in a North Logan, UT (41.7665° N, −111.811° W, 1405 m elevation, USDA hardiness zone 5) high tunnel and field from fall 2019 to spring 2022. TRs were either pre-sprouted or directly planted into a high tunnel (left bare or covered with low tunnels) or field (left bare or covered with mulch, a low tunnel, or mulch and a low tunnel) from November to April. High tunnels advanced production by four weeks, nearly doubled total yield, and increased the proportion of quality (longer than 25 cm) stems by 50% compared to the field. Planting pre-sprouted TRs in the high tunnel in November delivered the earliest harvest (6 Apr.), highest marketable yield (286 stems per m2 ± 36 SE), and highest net returns ($54 per m2), with 39% greater marketable yield for ‘LaBelle’ than ‘Amandine.’ Insulation nearly doubled emergence and improved marketable yield by 49 stems per m2 ± 8 SE for November field plantings. Ranunculus production was optimized as a fall-planted high tunnel crop in the Intermountain West but may be fall-planted in the field with insulation, allowing growers to maximize production during more optimal, early-season temperatures.

Battery Electric Tractors: Small-Scale Organic Growers’ Preferences, Perceptions, and Concerns

Battery electric tractors (BETs) demonstrate considerable advantages over diesel-fueled tractors, including higher conversion efficiency, higher torque, less maintenance, and no tailpipe emissions. Converting to BETs also requires tradeoffs in the form of the batteries’ high cost, increased weight, limited energy capacity, finite charging cycles, and lengthy charging time. The extent to which small-scale organic vegetable, fruit and cut-flower growers are aware of these tradeoffs is unknown. Little research exists examining these growers’ perceptions, concerns, and willingness to pay for or adopt BETs. Here, we address that gap by conducting qualitative semi-structured interviews with 14 organic growers in the US Midwest, most operating in Michigan. We focus our questions on growers’ motivations, existing tractor-use patterns, and the evaluation of different configurations of a belly-mount open-station cultivating BET. Our results suggest interest in and potential for growers to transition to BETs, including an estimated willingness to pay 14 percent more for a BET compared to a diesel-fueled alternative. This premium is driven by most growers’ preferences for reduced noise, fumes, fuel, and greenhouse gases, as well as beliefs about BETs ultimately being a more sustainable long-term option than diesel-fueled tractors. Growers also identify significant concerns and uncertainty about the long-term performance, maintenance, storage, cost, safety, and weight of the tractors’ battery systems. While growers linked some environmental values and motivations to their interest in BETs, altruistic value signaling was absent, and growers focused considerably more on financial and instrumental concerns and motivations for BET adoption.

Identification of Fusarium commune, the Causal Agent of Postharvest Zinnia Meltdown Disease in Tennessee

The cut flower growers of the eastern and southern United States are threatened with postharvest meltdown of zinnia (Zinnia elegans), which reduces yield and income as well as limiting opportunities for production expansion. Disease symptoms such as bending of the stem just below the flower were visually apparent on zinnia cut flowers. The objective of this study was to identify the causal agent related to zinnia meltdown. A total of 20 symptomatic zinnia cut flower stems were collected from Tennessee. Several Fusarium-like colonies with micro and macroconidia were isolated from the base and bend area of stems on potato dextrose agar (PDA) and Fusarium-selective media. Morphological characterization, polymerase chain reaction, and sequencing of three representative isolates, FBG2020_198, FBG2020_199, and FBG2020_201, were conducted to confirm pathogen identification. The sequence identity of the isolates was >99% identical to Fusarium commune, and a combined phylogenetic tree grouped the isolates with the clade of F. commune from different host and geographical locations. To accomplish Koch’s postulates, a pathogenicity test was performed on ‘Benary’s Giant Golden Yellow’, ‘Benary’s Giant Lime’, and ‘Benary’s Giant Pink’ zinnia plants at vegetative (2 weeks after transplantation) or flower bud stage (1 month after transplantation) by drench, stem injection, and foliar spray of conidial suspension (1 × 105 conidia/mL). Similar symptoms of meltdown (floral axis bending just below the flower) were observed on inoculated zinnia cultivars 2 days after harvesting. Fusarium commune was re-isolated from the infected flower stems of all three cultivars but not from the noninoculated zinnia flower stems. Zinnia stem colonization by F. commune was statistically similar in all three tested cultivars regardless of plant growth stage and method of inoculation. This study confirms F. commune as being the causal agent of postharvest zinnia flower meltdown issue in Tennessee. In the future, possible sources of pathogen will be screened, and disease management recommendations will be developed.

Adoption pattern and marketing channels of rose cut flower growers

Adoption pattern and marketing channels of rose cut flower growers

Economic Analysis of Cut Flower (Rose and Gerbera) Production under Polyhouse in Jabalpur District of Madhya Pradesh, India

Flowers are crowning beauty of God's creation. They are inseparable part of human joy and sorrows. It is said that man is born with flowers, lives with flowers and finally dies with flowers.The main objective of the present study was to analyze the cost of production of selected cut flower i.e. rose, gerbera grown under polyhouses in Jabalpur district. From the selected blocks a list of polyhouse cut flower growers were collected with the help of officials of the Joint Director of Horticulture, Jabalpur There are eight cut flowers polyhouse established in the district during last year. The primary data required for the study were collected by personal interview of the respondents. The information on cost and return in production of cut flower were collected personally by the use of well structured interview schedule. The data were collected through selected farmers. This paper examined the cost and return and benefit cost ratio of cut flower cultivation under protected condition. The study revealed that total cost in gerbera and rose production grown on an average 1200 m2 were Rs 909206 and Rs. 882517, respectively. The annual gerbera and rose production on sample polyhouse 409288 nos and 342000 nos flowers respectively which is 108 and 76% higher than the break- even level, Net profit was to the extent of Rs 529868 and Rs 345288 and benefit- cost ratio was 1:85 and 1:61 respectively. Thus, existing production technology yield sufficient profit to the cut flowers growers. huge investment requirement, shortage of trained manpower, price fluctuation, lack of scientific knowledge & training, attack by pest & disease, lack of extension work came out as major financial and technical problems (Wani NI, 2017). There is a need to establish a research and development wing in order to develop better methods of cultivation and optimum use of recommended inputs in floriculture.

Prospects of Women Cut Flower Enterprise for Sustainability Approach: A Case Study

Floriculture in Nagaland has taken a big leap in the state's economy helping the growers, who for the love of flowers can now meet their daily expenditures and other needs through this venture. The demand of fresh cut flowers has brought a huge impact in the Floriculture sector providing income as well as employment especially among the home makers and unemployed youths. The present study being undertaken during the agricultural year 2014–2015 in Dimapur and Kohima districts of Nagaland for the assessment of production and marketing of cut flowers as the study comprises of 75 numbers of sample respondents by following a multi-stage stratified simple random sampling method based on the flower growers. The sample population was categorized under alstroemeria, lilium, anthurium, gerbera and orchid group of growers. The average family size were 5.56, out of which 100.00 per cent were literate, as the worker constitutes 46.66 per cent of total population, the overall total cost of cut flower growers were 46, 600.00/-per acre, as the gross income were 2, 32, 520.00/-per acre, the net return were 1, 82, 782.00/-per acre and overall benefit-cost ratio were 4.97: 1. There were three (3) marketing channels are identified for the marketing of cut flowers in both the districts, as the Producer's share in consumer's rupees were found highest on channel-I, regarding impact has enhanced by 1, 20, 131.80/-per acre to their annual income, while 23, 101.52/-was increase in their annual expenditure on food items as well as on their annual savings, also an attempt has been made to study the constraints faced by the cut flower growers during the production viz; requirement of more care was foremost followed by lack of timely availability of planting materials, while the marketing constraints include the lack of knowledge on post harvest techniques as the foremost followed by lack of storage facilities and it was least on lack of transportation facilities etc;

Production and Marketing Constraints of Hi-Tech Cut Flower Growers in Tamil Nadu

Production and Marketing Constraints of Hi-Tech Cut Flower Growers in Tamil Nadu

Performance of Natural Antagonists and Commercial Microbiocides towards <i>in Vitro</i> Suppression of Flower Bed Soil-Borne <i>Fusarium oxysporum</i>

Fusarium oxysporum is the causal agent for wilt diseases of many major ornamental and horticultural crops. In this study, we plated a local cut flower grower’s soil, with a persistent history of Fusarium wilt of scented stock, Matthiola incana but not the lettuce rotational crop. This yielded culture plates with characteristic pink to carmine red fungi, together with a mixed bacterial population, a percentage of which was visibly antagonistic to the Fusarium. Using molecular analyses via Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays, we identified that Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium equiseti and Fusarium venenatum were prevalent in the soil. The co-habiting bacterial colonies that exhibited strong antagonistic activity (zone of clearance) towards the soil fungi corresponded to Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Paenibacillus polymyxa species. Our results arising from an in vitro study involving Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion agar assays, coupled with bio-imaging software techniques demonstrated that the three native soil bacteria were effective inhibitors of all Fusarium species tested, while Bacillus subtilis exhibited the highest antagonism towards the Fusarium oxysporum. Bioassay tests of micro-biocides Prestop (Gliocadium catenulatum), Serenade Max (Bacillus subtilis QST713) and commercial seaweed extract, AlgiVyt suppressed in vitro growth of Fusarium oxysporum infecting the scented stock flower to a greater extent, whilst fresh aqueous extracts of garlic (Allium sativum) and meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) flowers were ineffective towards soil pathogen suppression. This scoping study offers cut flower growers additional options of tapping into populations of antagonistic bacteria found in soil persistently infected with the opportunistic soil phytopathogen Fusarium oxysporum, affecting cut flower crops, such as M. incana.

Evaluation of Transportation Practices in the California Cut Flower Industry

In the past two decades, California’s share of the national cut flower market has decreased from 64 percent to 20 percent. California growers’ largest competitors are South American growers; Colombia controls 75 percent of the US market. South American growers have several competitive advantages, including the favorable trucking rates they enjoy by consolidating all shipments in Miami, Florida, prior to US distribution. This paper evaluates the California cut flower industry’s current transportation practices and investigates the feasibility and cost of establishing a shipping consolidation center in Oxnard, California. Applying a simple inventory management policy, we estimate a 35 percent system-wide transportation cost decrease of $20 million per year if all California cut flower growers participate in the consolidation center. The California Cut Flower Commission incorporated our findings into an application for federal funds from the US Department of Transportation to construct a new flower transportation and logistics center in California. The state’s flower growers are also searching for alternative ways to cooperatively fund a consolidation center.

Market Structure, Conduct and Performance of Cut-Flower Growers in Selected Cities in Mindanao, Philippines

The study sought to evaluate the market structure, conduct and performance of the cut-flower growers in Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City and Davao City. Complete enumeration method was employed in selecting the respondents derived from Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro and Davao City. Structured interview schedule was used in the collection of data. The market structure and conduct was analyzed descriptively except for the degree of grower’s concentration where concentration ratio was used. Market performance was assessed quantitatively with the use of profit margin while t-statistics was used to analyze the difference of the profit margin received between the large-scale and small-scale growers by type of cut-flowers. Results of the study revealed that there were twenty-seven cut-flower growers in Bukidnon, nine in Cagayan de Oro City and nineteen in Davao City. Transportation cost and fertilizer cost constitute the largest cost incurred by the growers. Profit margin per dozen was highest for small-scale growers in Davao City followed by the large-scale growers in Bukidnon. The size of profit per dozen received by large-scale and small-scale growers of anthurium was significantly affected by the average selling price, number of years in the business and land area at 5% level of probability. Large-scale and small-scale growers of chrysanthemum were significantly affected by the average selling price only, while orchid large-scale and small-scale growers were significantly affected by average selling price per dozen and number of years in the business and rose small-scale growers were affected by the average selling price per dozen and land area devoted to rose cutflower production.  Keywords - Market structure, business administration, market conduct, parket performance, descriptive design, Mindanao, Philippines. Â

Bleeding Heart: A Review for Growers

A favorite garden flower for centuries, bleeding heart or old-fashioned bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) is also used as a potted plant and in floral arrangements. Most general gardening guides include information on growing conditions but provide few specifics regarding plant growth and development that are important to those interested in commercial cultivation and use in the floral industry. Although uncommon in the U.S. floral industry, the plant is adaptable for use as a flowering potted plant and as cut floral stems with potential for year-around availability. This report provides detailed cultural information for this audience with an overview of the history of the species and its unique characteristics. Despite the popularity of the spectacular flower and plant form, until 1997 it was only available in the common pink and white form or a pure white form and exhibited little phenotypic variability. Three new cultivars, Goldheart, Valentine, and Hordival, are now available with distinctive foliage and flower colors. These new cultivars are poised to create much interest among gardeners and cut flower growers. The history, culture, propagation, forced flowering, use as a cut flower, pest management, and pharmacological potential are presented.

Interactive effects of frost and effluent irrigation on <i>Grevillea</i> species

Israel is facing severe water restrictions, which led its cut-flower growers to seek alternative water sources for irrigation. These sources include recycled water, treated effluent, and saline water, which all contain relatively high levels of soluble salts. Cut flowers are traditionally considered sensitive to poor quality water, but recent research indicated that they may be more salt-tolerant then was originally considered. Grevillea is used as a cut flower in Israeli agriculture. The response of Grevillea cultivars to irrigation with treated effluent is not known and was evaluated in a field study. Four commercial varieties of Grevillea were studied: ‘Misty Red’, ‘Calundra Gem’, ‘Misty Red’ x ‘Calundra Gem’ (‘Calgem’), and ‘Spiderman’ x ‘Calundra Gem’. The plants were planted in soil or on perlite cushions. The experiment included three water quality treatments: fresh water, secondary treated effluent, and tertiary treated effluent. The quality of the secondary-treated effluent was high and quite sim...

The effects of different irrigation levels on flowering and flower quality of carnation (Dianthus caryophllus L.) irrigated by drip irrigation

Water usage is a vital issue for all agricultural crops as well as for ornamental crops. To obtain high quality flowers, it is essential to supply water when it is required. A problem which is common with cut flower growers are determining when to irrigate and the amount of water to apply. The effect of two irrigation intervals (I 1 : 10 mm pan evaporation and I 2 : 20 mm pan evaporation) and four pan coefficients (Pc 1 = 0.60 Epan, Pc 2 = 0.90 Epan, Pc 3 = 1.20 Epan and Pc 4 = 1.50 Epan) based on the amount of evaporation measured by a Class A Pan (CAP) on flower yield and flower quality of carnation ( Dianthus caryophyllus L. cv. “Judith”) plant grown in a plastic greenhouse and irrigated by a drip irrigation system under Mediterranean conditions was investigated. Irrigation intervals varied from 1 to 6 days in I 1 and 4 to 12 days in I 2 treatments. Both irrigation intervals (I) and pan coefficient (Pc) significantly influenced carnation yield. Maximum yields were obtained from the I 1 Pc 3 treatment as 6.7 and 6.8 flowers per plant and minimum yields from the I 2 Pc 1 treatment as 5.6 flowers per plant in the first and second year of the experiment, respectively. Similarly, irrigation intervals and pan coefficient had significant different effects on quality parameters such as flower stem length, flower stem diameter, stem weight, flower diameter, and vase life. Better flower quality was obtained from the treatments of higher frequency irrigations with high pan coefficients compared to lower frequency irrigations with lower pan coefficients. In conclusion, I 1 Pc 3 irrigation regime is recommended for growing cut flower carnation in order to obtain higher yield with improved quality. Key words : Carnation, irrigation, Class A Pan, pan coefficient.

Vase Life of New Cut Flower Cultivars

Each year a wide variety of new cultivars and species are evaluated in the National Cut Flower Trial Programs administered by North Carolina State University and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Stems of promising and productive cultivars from the National Trial Program were pretreated with either a commercial hydrating solution or deionized (DI) water and placed in either a commercial holding solution or DI water. Over 8 years, the vase life of 121 cultivars representing 47 cut flower genera was determined. Although there was cultivar variation within each genus, patterns of postharvest responses have emerged. The largest category, with 53 cultivars, was one in which a holding preservative increased vase life of the following genera and species: acidanthera (Gladiolus murielae), basil (Ocimum basilicum), bee balm (Monarda hybrid), black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hybrids), campanula (Campanula species), celosia (Celosia argentea), common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), coral bells (Heuchera hybrids), feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), ladybells (Adenophora hybrid), lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum), lobelia (Lobelia hybrids), obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum), pincushion flower (Scabiosa atropurpurea), pinkflower (Indigofera amblyantha), seven-sons flower (Heptacodium miconioides), shasta daisy (Leucanthemum superbum), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), sweet william (Dianthus hybrids), trachelium (Trachelium caeruleum), and zinnia (Zinnia elegans). Hydrating preservatives increased the vase life of four basils, coral bells, and sunflower cultivars. The combined use of hydrator and holding preservatives increased the vase life of three black-eyed susan, seven-sons flower, and sunflower cultivars. Holding preservatives reduced the vase life of 14 cultivars of the following genera and species: ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum), false queen anne's lace (Ammi species), knotweed (Persicaria hybrid), lisianthus, pineapple lily (Eucomis comosa), sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), yarrow (Achillea millifolium), and zinnia. Hydrating preservatives reduced the vase life of 18 cultivars of the following genera and species: feverfew, lisianthus, ornamental pepper, pineapple lily, seven-sons flower, shasta daisy, sneezeweed, sweet william, sunflower, trachelium, yarrow, and zinnia. The combined use of hydrating and holding preservatives reduced the vase life of 12 cultivars in the following genera and species: false queen anne's lace, feverfew, pincushion flower, sneezeweed, sunflower, trachelium, yarrow, and zinnia. Data for the remaining 50 cultivars were not significant among the treatments; these genera and species included beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), black-eyed susan, blue mist (Caryopteris clandonensis), calendula (Calendula officinalis), campanula, cleome (Cleome hasserliana), common ninebark, dahlia (Dahlia hybrids), delphinium (Delphinium hybrids), flowering peach (Prunus persica forma versicolor), heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides), hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum), himalayan honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa), hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), larkspur (Consolida hybrids), lily of the nile (Agapanthus hybrid), lisianthus, lobelia, ornamental pepper, pineapple lily, scented geranium (Pelargonium hybrid), sunflower, sweet william, and zinnia.

Vase Life of New Cut Flower Cultivars

Each year a wide variety of new cultivars and species are evaluated in the National Cut Flower Trial Programs administered by North Carolina State University and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Stems of promising and productive cultivars from the National Trial Program were pretreated with either a commercial hydrating solution or deionized (DI) water and placed in either a commercial holding solution or DI water. Over 8 years, the vase life of 121 cultivars representing 47 cut flower genera was determined. Although there was cultivar variation within each genus, patterns of postharvest responses have emerged. The largest category, with 53 cultivars, was one in which a holding preservative increased vase life of the following genera and species: acidanthera (Gladiolus murielae), basil (Ocimum basilicum), bee balm (Monarda hybrid), black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hybrids), campanula (Campanula species), celosia (Celosia argentea), common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), coral bells (Heuchera hybrids), feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), ladybells (Adenophora hybrid), lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum), lobelia (Lobelia hybrids), obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana), ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum), pincushion flower (Scabiosa atropurpurea), pinkflower (Indigofera amblyantha), seven-sons flower (Heptacodium miconioides), shasta daisy (Leucanthemum superbum), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus), sweet william (Dianthus hybrids), trachelium (Trachelium caeruleum), and zinnia (Zinnia elegans). Hydrating preservatives increased the vase life of four basils, coral bells, and sunflower cultivars. The combined use of hydrator and holding preservatives increased the vase life of three black-eyed susan, seven-sons flower, and sunflower cultivars. Holding preservatives reduced the vase life of 14 cultivars of the following genera and species: ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum), false queen anne's lace (Ammi species), knotweed (Persicaria hybrid), lisianthus, pineapple lily (Eucomis comosa), sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), yarrow (Achillea millifolium), and zinnia. Hydrating preservatives reduced the vase life of 18 cultivars of the following genera and species: feverfew, lisianthus, ornamental pepper, pineapple lily, seven-sons flower, shasta daisy, sneezeweed, sweet william, sunflower, trachelium, yarrow, and zinnia. The combined use of hydrating and holding preservatives reduced the vase life of 12 cultivars in the following genera and species: false queen anne's lace, feverfew, pincushion flower, sneezeweed, sunflower, trachelium, yarrow, and zinnia. Data for the remaining 50 cultivars were not significant among the treatments; these genera and species included beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), black-eyed susan, blue mist (Caryopteris clandonensis), calendula (Calendula officinalis), campanula, cleome (Cleome hasserliana), common ninebark, dahlia (Dahlia hybrids), delphinium (Delphinium hybrids), flowering peach (Prunus persica forma versicolor), heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides), hemp agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum), himalayan honeysuckle (Leycesteria formosa), hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), larkspur (Consolida hybrids), lily of the nile (Agapanthus hybrid), lisianthus, lobelia, ornamental pepper, pineapple lily, scented geranium (Pelargonium hybrid), sunflower, sweet william, and zinnia.

ADOPTION OF METHYL BROMIDE ALTERNATIVES AND A PROFILE OF TURKISH CUT FLOWER SECTOR

Surveys were carried out in 2003 and 2007 to determine the adoption levels of Methyl Bromide (MB) alternatives in cut flower sector under “Turkish Methyl Bromide Phase out Project”. In this study, a profile of cut flower sector was also analyzed. Samples of 124 growers in 2003 and 430 growers in 2007 were selected from Antalya, Isparta and Izmir provinces where almost all of the protected cut flowers are grown in Turkey. A simple random sampling method was used to determine sample sizes and growers were interviewed personally. Results indicated that 82.3% of the cut flower growers questioned was using MB to disinfect soil in 2003; however, this number was sharply reduced to 0.4% in 2007. Use of MB was replaced by solarization with alternative chemicals (89.3%) such as; metham sodium, dazomed and 1,3-dichloropropene. Grower awareness on MB alternatives and deleterious effects of MB on environment and human healthy was significantly increased during project implementation. Among the soil borne problems in protected areas, soilborne diseases was the most prevalent. This was followed by nematodes, weeds and other problems. Acceptance of MB alternatives by growers was very satisfactory with a 79% of support at end of the project. Size of protected-houses for cut flower production was very small, 82% of which was less than half hectare in 2007. Most of these houses were plastic (95.8%) and contained only side ventilation. Carnation was a predominant crop with a 63.6% of production area. Crop profile was mainly affected by crop prices and market demands. Education level of growers was about 7.3 years and 76.5% of growers were in between 31 and 50 years old. In this sector, 90.5% of growers had more than 5 years experience. In conclusion; MB use was phased out at the end of 2007 and alternatives were successfully adopted in cut flower sector in Turkey.

Horticultural Crop Production in High Tunnels in the United States: A Snapshot

High tunnels are becoming an increasingly important production tool for vegetable, small fruit, and cut flower growers in many parts of the United States. They provide a protected environment relative to the open field, allowing for earlier or later production of many crops, and they typically improve yield and quality as well as disease and pest management. Producers, ranging from small-scale market gardens to larger scale farms, are using high tunnels of various forms to produce for early markets, schedule production through extended seasons, grow specialty crops that require some environmental modification, and capture premium prices. The rapid ongoing adoption of high tunnels has resulted in numerous grower innovations and increased university research and extension programming to serve grower needs. An informal survey of extension specialists was conducted in 2007 to estimate numbers (area) of high tunnels and crops being grown in them by state, and to identify current research and extension efforts. Results of this survey provide an indication of the increasing importance of these structures for horticultural crop production across the country.

Floral Crop Production in High Tunnels

High tunnels are well suited for use in the production of floral crops, especially cut flowers. Through the increases in temperature afforded at both ends of the growing season, high tunnels allow earlier and later harvests than are possible in the field. During summer, rain protection and a relatively calm environment provides an ideal growing environment to cut flower crops. In U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hardiness Zones 3 through 5, the higher temperatures of a high tunnel permit culture of warm-season crops like celosia (Celosia argentea) during summer. Cut flower production allows intensive production on a small land area and provides a high level of income. For these reasons, high tunnels have become a standard part of cut flower growers' farms. Most commonly, they are single-bay structures with roll-up sides, but use of multi-bay complexes is becoming more popular for larger-scale growers. In USDA Hardiness Zones of 7 and higher, high tunnels are shaded in summer to lower interior temperatures and enhance production of shade-tolerant species. Overall, techniques of moderating temperature extremes with shading and ventilation, or use of low tunnels inside to increase minimum temperatures are important options for cut flower production. In the presentation, comparisons will be made in growth and earliness of production and yield for several cut flower species grown in the field and an adjacent high tunnel.