"Compare systems and take blow molding seriously"

Hydroponic cultivation is taking off. It is a development that started not so long ago. Christ Monden from De Kruidenaer grows on water. His tip for other growers: "Compare systems and take blow molding very seriously. Then the benefits will automatically become clear." Advantages which Bas Dirven,…

Sri Lanka: Fibredust factory awarded SA8000 certification

Fibredust announces that company owned factory, SP Matpol in Sri Lanka, has received SA8000 certification. SA8000 measures social performance in eight areas important to social accountability in workplaces, anchored by a management system element that drives continuous improvement in all areas of the…

Can California cherries be protected against rain events?

In the past week, California cherry trees have been hammered with rain. It’s a disaster for cherry growers as it causes the cherries to split. Although it is unusual for California to receive so much rain this time of year, it is a global development as cherry growers in Italy, Greece and Chile have been…

Fluence goes Europe

Fluence by Osram LED horticultural lighting has been launched in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), supported by an experienced team of technical advisers to help growers produce the best crops possible to meet market demands in the region. The move follows Osram’s acquisition last year of Fluence Bioengineering. “The…

Tomato grower launches sale of crate plunger for the prevention of ToBRFV

As a grower, what do you do when you devise and develop an innovative solution for an everyday problem in the greenhouse? Then you could keep it to yourself, but you could also share it with your peers. Geert De Breuck decided to do the latter with the crate plunger that he initially developed for…

US: Profile Products hires national sales manager for horticulture

Profile Products has announced the hiring of Ken Fisher as a national sales manager. Fisher will focus on growing sales, building awareness, securing key accounts and strengthening customer relationships in the horticulture market. “Ken is a proven performer in the areas of process engineering, product…

Vertical farming techniques used to grow insects

Antoine Hubert never expected to become a chief executive. Certainly not back in the days when he was bass guitarist in the experimental heavy metal band Stale Fish, which mixed traditional French accordion music with tortured guitar riffs. When Hubert chose agronomy over music as a career, setting up a…

Plastic-free packaging for mini cucumbers

Wijnen Square Crops has new packaging for their brand of mini cucumbers, which are called BoostyBites. The packaging has been designed in such a way that no plastic is used when the product is in stores. Sales manager Jarno Houben proudly hands over the first plastic-free packaging to fresh produce…

Expansion plans for year-round raspberry grower

While the North American raspberry season heads northwards, one company is continuing its year-round production in Mexico. Meridian Fine Foods is a grower, packer and shipper of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, as well as offering avocados and mangos. The company produces…

Greece: Hydroponic workshops launched in Corfu

Hydro Fresh Produce announces the launch of Hydroponic Workshops in sunny Corfu, Greece. The workshops will take place at their hydroponic farm in central Corfu, Greece. The farm is located just 5 km from Corfu International Airport and 7km from the historic UNESCO city centre. Accommodation is available…

UK’s first SmartHort Centres to address labour challenges

To help growers address the challenges around labour and its rising cost, AHDB Horticulture has announced that two businesses will become the UK’s first Strategic SmartHort Centres. Lincolnshire based propagators, Volmary Ltd, and Herefordshire fruit growers, Haygrove Ltd, have now been confirmed as…

UK: Lightening energy costs for vertical farms

A year ago, Octopus Energy launched Agile Octopus. The half-hourly tariff has demonstrated significant impact, with consumers shifting their consumption away from peak times - reducing the strain on the grid, lowering carbon emissions and saving customers money. In the same year, Octopus Energy for…

South Korea and smart farming

Lim Ju-wan is the representative of a floriculture cooperative of nine farms based in Goyang, north of South Korea’s capital Seoul, that raises roses at smart greenhouses covering a combined 44,000 square meters of land. Lim normally starts the day by taking out his smartphone to check his greenhouse instead of going outside to…

University of Maine System BOT approves official naming of UMPI greenhouse

The greenhouse under construction at the University of Maine at Presque Isle received its official name on May 20 when the University of Maine System Board of Trustees gave its approval for the state-of-the-art, four-season facility to formally be called the Zillman Family Greenhouse. The decision was…

US: Campus greenhouse able to grow almost any crop in Oregon

The East Greenhouse at Oregon State University built in 1928, tucked between Withycombe Hall and Cordley Hall, is made up of 19 separate greenhouse rooms and holds space for teaching, as well a variety of ongoing research projects. The Greenhouse is used by College of Agricultural Sciences and the…

AU: Farmers call for urgent water security to protect next year's summer vegetable season

Eastern Victorian farmers are calling for urgent water security, to protect them in the upcoming season. Food and Fibre Gippsland board member, and Chief Executive of Bulmer Farms in Lindenow, Andrew Bulmer says the region's water supply, the Mitchell River, is heritage listed, and does not contain a dam…

"Double cropping tunnel-grown raspberries can increase overall yields"

Eric Hanson, Brent Crain and Josh Moses of Michigan State University recently published in HortScience “Cropping on primocanes and floricanes increases yields of organic raspberries in high tunnels”. Results from this study indicate that fruiting both primocanes and floricanes (double cropping) can…

Can California cherries be protected against rain events?

In the past week, California cherry trees have been hammered with rain. It’s a disaster for cherry growers as it causes the cherries to split. Although it is unusual for California to receive so much rain this time of year, it is a global development as cherry growers in Italy, Greece and Chile have been…

Experimental cultivation of organic pink tomatoes in Murcia

Organic pink tomato is becoming popular in the Region of Murcia and its cultivation area has expanded experimentally. The company Ecotomate, based in Mazarrón, is cultivating…

Fluence goes Europe

Fluence by Osram LED horticultural lighting has been launched in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), supported by an experienced team of technical advisers to help growers produce the best crops possible to meet market demands in the region. The move follows Osram’s acquisition last year of Fluence Bioengineering. “The…

Australian farming groups looking forward to Coalition delivering on horticulture promises

After congratulating the Liberal-National parties on their re-election, peak Australian horticulture body Growcom reminded the government that primary producers would have high expectations of a returned Coalition Government and its commitments to horticulture. While the final make-up of the parliament…

Expansion plans for year-round raspberry grower

While the North American raspberry season heads northwards, one company is continuing its year-round production in Mexico. Meridian Fine Foods is a grower, packer and shipper of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, as well as offering avocados and mangos. The company produces…

Agaris Myco expands production of phase 3 mushroom substrate

Agaris's Myco division has successfully begun with the production of phase 3 mushroom substrate. This is being done on this Belgian company's production site in Uman, Ukraine. Building new tunnels is an important next step in Agaris's development strategy. Mushroom cultivation is growing rapidly in…

California Giant expands fresh blueberry program

California Giant said it has been building their year-round berry program over the past several years in response to customer demand for promotable volume of all four berry types. This year the company is very pleased to report they have met a milestone with fresh blueberries. Due to increased customer…

US: Profile Products hires national sales manager for horticulture

Profile Products has announced the hiring of Ken Fisher as a national sales manager. Fisher will focus on growing sales, building awareness, securing key accounts and strengthening customer relationships in the horticulture market. “Ken is a proven performer in the areas of process engineering, product…

Is the French hypermarché on its last legs?

The sprawling French supermarkets, with their huge selections of fresh fruit and veg and well-stocked wine aisles, have been delighting visitors and locals alike for decades - but are their days numbered? This month French supermarket giant Carrefour announced a major restructuring of its business,…

Israel: Kosher veggies growing in the sand

Stuart Tucker, a retired high school biology teacher, grew up in Cleveland. Anita Tucker, although born in London, grew up in Brooklyn. Together they made aliyah (Hebrew for “immigrating to Israel”) to Beersheva in 1969. Looking for a new challenge, they moved in 1979 to the area now in Gaza, which…

Zero-residue strawberries now available on the market

Zero-residue strawberries from Fellini Patrizio are now available. The company is known on a national and international level for its vegetable production. "These strawberries are a unique product certified by CCPB. They meet all requirements to be declared zero-residue," explain Emile Fellini and…

UK: CPA responds to Green Party pesticide pledge

The Green Party have issued a press release ahead of the European elections, pledging to campaign for a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2050. The press release contains a…

U.S. production of fresh vegetables decreased in 2018

Consumer demand for fresh vegetables in the US remains high, but domestic fresh vegetable production fell 10 percent from 2017 to 2018, marking the largest year-to-year decline of the last 20 years (1999–2018). Furthermore, for the same 20-year period, 2018 domestic fresh vegetable production reached its…

Michigan asparagus season has begun

When late season blizzards dropped six inches of snow on asparagus fields, many anxious consumers wondered if that would lead to delays in the highly anticipated Michigan asparagus season. While snows last month and cooler than usual temperatures did delay this year’s crop, Michigan asparagus season is…

Investment opportunities in South African agriculture

Although agriculture contributes a relatively small share (2.5%) to the total gross domestic product (GDP) in South Africa (SA), it is important in providing employment and earning foreign exchange. When taking into account the whole agricultural value chain, the sector is estimated to contribute about…

UK’s first SmartHort Centres to address labour challenges

To help growers address the challenges around labour and its rising cost, AHDB Horticulture has announced that two businesses will become the UK’s first Strategic SmartHort Centres. Lincolnshire based propagators, Volmary Ltd, and Herefordshire fruit growers, Haygrove Ltd, have now been confirmed as…

UK: £30m grant fund announced

In the autumn last year, the UK Government announced they would commit a further £30 million to the next round of the popular small grants scheme for agriculture. The small grants programme is an…

Watching tomato plants with a GoPro

A few months ago, the Research & Development team at Beekenkamp Plants started working with a GoPro camera. The main reason why they work with a GoPro is to gain more insight into the development and response of the plant over the days. In the video below you can see a tomato plant just after the…

UK: Lightening energy costs for vertical farms

A year ago, Octopus Energy launched Agile Octopus. The half-hourly tariff has demonstrated significant impact, with consumers shifting their consumption away from peak times - reducing the strain on the grid, lowering carbon emissions and saving customers money. In the same year, Octopus Energy for…

"Precision fertilization is improving"

Precise fertilization that meets the needs of the crop requires two things: you have to know the optimal fertilization of the crop, and you require a continuous insight in the actual fertilization condition. In both fields important steps are being taken at the moment. The project Ion-specific…

"Australia easing its GMO regulation puts the EU’s restrictive approach on the spot"

On July 25th of 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that organisms obtained by modern forms of mutagenesis are GMO. Hence, any organism obtained by means of a New Breeding Technique (NBT) that applies muta­genesis are automatically classified as a Genetically Modi­fied Organism…

Tomato grower launches sale of crate plunger for the prevention of ToBRFV

As a grower, what do you do when you devise and develop an innovative solution for an everyday problem in the greenhouse? Then you could keep it to yourself, but you could also share it with your peers. Geert De Breuck decided to do the latter with the crate plunger that he initially developed for…

New double-ended lamps for plant growth

Ushio America introduces new 600W DE HPS and DE MH lamps to its Hilux Gro professional-grade horticulture series. Specifically designed and rated for use in open fixtures, these 600W DE lamps are optimized to run on 600W electronic ballasts. Growers can maximize potential in smaller spaces or increase…

Plastic-free packaging for mini cucumbers

Wijnen Square Crops has new packaging for their brand of mini cucumbers, which are called BoostyBites. The packaging has been designed in such a way that no plastic is used when the product is in stores. Sales manager Jarno Houben proudly hands over the first plastic-free packaging to fresh produce…

Swedish meal boxes will no longer feature flown-in products

Starting in August 2019, meal box supplier Middagsfrid, part of Axfood, will no longer use products that were supplied via air freight. “Our customers increasingly attach great importance to sustainability and the environment. That’s why our recipes are made based on fresh products that were preferably…

New sustainable bag closure introduced

Kwik Lok Corporation announced it has introduced Eco-Lok, a bag closure made with sustainable materials, the first step in the company’s drive to reduce its environmental…

"Bulk is seen as uninspiring, of mediocre quality and cheap"

Competition in horticulture is fierce. Whereas before lowering your cost price was key, the focus has shifted to adding value in the last couple of years. "Finding a niche", is something growers were urged to do often, as well as staying away from bulk. The team from the Dutch growers organisation,…

Sri Lanka: Fibredust factory awarded SA8000 certification

Fibredust announces that company owned factory, SP Matpol in Sri Lanka, has received SA8000 certification. SA8000 measures social performance in eight areas important to social accountability in workplaces, anchored by a management system element that drives continuous improvement in all areas of the…

U.S. organic sales broke through $50 billion mark in 2018

The U.S. organic market in 2018 broke through the $50 billion mark for the first time, with sales hitting a record $52.5 billion, up 6.3 percent from the previous year, according to the 2019 Organic Industry Survey released Friday by the Organic Trade Association. New records were made in both the…

NC State - College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

EPA: Del Monte Fresh Produce fined for ammonia release in California

Del Monte Fresh Produce in Sanger has reached a settlement for ammonia release and emergency response violations, the Environmental Protection Agency says. The EPA says Del…

Monsanto ordered to pay $2 billion in Roundup case

An Alameda jury in the case of Pilliod et al. v. Monsanto Company returned a verdict of $2.055 billion in favor of a husband and wife with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, ordering…

UAE: AgraME launches AgraTech to showcase tech innovations in Agribusiness

AgraME has recently introduced ‘AgraTech’ – A platform for the display of technological advancements to the regional market and to promote knowledge sharing between global and local industry leaders. With a variety of innovative products and services now available, including cloud solutions, farm…

Greece: Hydroponic workshops launched in Corfu

Hydro Fresh Produce announces the launch of Hydroponic Workshops in sunny Corfu, Greece. The workshops will take place at their hydroponic farm in central Corfu, Greece. The farm is located just 5 km from Corfu International Airport and 7km from the historic UNESCO city centre. Accommodation is available…

Groceries delivered when you're away thanks to mini-fridge

The French startup, Foodconect, has just designed the first connected outdoor fridge which allows for shopping to be delivered while you’re away. This mini-fridge exists in…

"Compare systems and take blow molding seriously"

Hydroponic cultivation is taking off. It is a development that started not so long ago. Christ Monden from De Kruidenaer grows on water. His tip for other growers: "Compare systems and take blow molding very seriously. Then the benefits will automatically become clear." Advantages which Bas Dirven,…

Vertical farming techniques used to grow insects

Antoine Hubert never expected to become a chief executive. Certainly not back in the days when he was bass guitarist in the experimental heavy metal band Stale Fish, which mixed traditional French accordion music with tortured guitar riffs. When Hubert chose agronomy over music as a career, setting up a…

Automated mushroom farms are the neon-colored future of urban farming

If you find yourself sitting at the bar in The Standard’s East Village location, it’s inevitable that your eyes will be drawn to the bright blue boxes installed high above the shelves of liquor bottles. Giving off an aquarium-like glow, these tanks are home not to exotic fish but to some of the most…

HortiDaily starts MMJDaily.com

Normally we’re happy to publish all the news from the horticultural industry. Today we’ve got news for you. Our newest publication MMJDaily.com will be launched today! This publication is all about…

First rule of gardening