Category Archives: HortNews

Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition returns

The Grand Final for this year’s Young Horticulturist of the Year competition, which is run by the Chartered Institute of Horticulture (CIH), will be held on May 6th at the University Centre Shrewsbury.

In many ways, the CIH sees this as the competition coming home as Shrewsbury was home to Percy Thrower whose Trust provides an impressive £2500 travel bursary to the competition winner each year, alongside major sponsorship from the Shropshire Horticultural Society.

“Winning the 2016 competition has helped me immensely in securing my new job at Tregothnan, on graduating RHS Wisley in August. YHOY is an invaluable platform for young horticulturists to expand their knowledge. Taking part in the competition exposes you to other talented and knowledgeable young horticulturists as well as seasoned pros alike,” comments last year’s winner Lawrence Wright.

“Every year I look forward to the Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s Young Horticulturist of the Year Competition. It’s a fantastic opportunity for both students of horticulture and those working in the industry to display their plant knowledge and meet fellow horticulturists. I encourage all those who are eligible to participate and I wish the best of good fortune to all those taking part!” CIH President, Dr Owen Doyle CHort FCIHort.

More details, including how to enter, can be found by emailing yhoy@horticulture.org.uk.

Photo Caption: Last year’s YHOY finalists

Photo Credit: CIH

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New head for Crop Protection Association

Former BBC Environment Correspondent Sarah Mukherjee, currently Director of Environment at Water UK, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Crop Protection Association.

She will take over from Nick von Westenholz, who will be moving to the NFU as Director of EU Exit and International Trade in the New Year. Sarah will take up the role on the 13th March 2017.

Commenting on the appointment, CPA Chairman, Gary Mills-Thomas said, “I am delighted that we have been able to appoint someone with such a wealth of expertise and knowledge as the Association’s Chief Executive. As the crop protection sector continues to face significant political and regulatory pressures, which will only be magnified by the process of Brexit, Sarah’s experience working with senior civil servants, politicians and regulators will be hugely valuable.”

“Sarah has an excellent track record in communicating often very complex ideas to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, and I believe she will bring strong leadership and a fresh approach to the opportunities and challenges that our industry currently faces.

Sarah said of her appointment; “I am delighted to be taking up such a crucial post at such a pivotal time for the industry. We need to balance the needs of the environment and sustainable farming with the requirement to feed a growing population, and I very much look forward to taking on these issues next year.”

Photo Credit: CPA

The post New head for Crop Protection Association appeared first on Hort News on 23 December 2016.

Nationwide survey to understand soil pests of potato

A new nationwide survey of potato growers hopes to evaluate the wider implications of key soil pest issues, and assess whether growers are winning the battle against losses, or identify if problems are getting progressively worse.

It seeks to evaluate how growers perceive the effectiveness of current IPM measures in the field and the impacts that adopting new practices have on profitable potato production. Syngenta Potato Campaign Manager, Mark Britton, commented, “The recent AHDB-funded survey has given a good snapshot of PCN incidence, but it is crucial to now assess how growers view the control options available, and how that impacts on the complex interaction of all soil pests in practice.”

The questions have been designed to focus on the practical and financial implications for growers here and now, but would also have a valuable function in helping to shape future research and trials’ priorities to develop appropriate solutions. The survey, which should take less than ten minutes to complete, can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/JN7X8BH until the end of January. All growers and agronomist that participate will have the chance to win a copy of a practical guide to diseases, pests and disorders of the potato, and the survey results will be available to all growers.

The post Nationwide survey to understand soil pests of potato appeared first on Hort News on 23 December 2016.

Farmer confidence higher for next year

A new survey by the NFU has revealed an increase in farmer confidence in the dairy and livestock sectors over the last year, but confidence has fallen in the horticulture and poultry sectors. The NFU says there are serious concerns about labour shortages in the future and increase of the National Living Wage.

Members told the NFU, as part of its seventh annual farmer confidence survey, they anticipated positive effects on their business from the consumption levels of British produce (58%) and output prices (46%). However, farmers feel that input prices will have the most widespread negative impact for the coming year (74% negative), followed by regulation and legislation (53% negative).

Mr Raymond commented: “The NFU has made it clear that for farming to have a profitable and productive future we need reassurance on key issues resulting from Brexit; such as access to a competent and reliable workforce and the best possible access to the Single Market.

“British farming is the bedrock of the UK’s largest manufacturing sector – food and drink. The sector is worth £108 billion to the nation’s economy and employs some 3.9 million people. We urge Government, retailers and the public to back British farming so we can continue to produce high quality produce for the nation.”

The post Farmer confidence higher for next year appeared first on Hort News on 21 December 2016.

Consumers annoyed by smaller brassicas

According to press reports, shoppers across the UK are annoyed by the smaller size of cauliflower and broccoli heads and have been complaining to retailers and taking to social media about the issue.

The reduction in head size and availability has been blamed on the cold weather experienced at the end of November which stopped crop growth just as plants were maturing.

One Asda customer claimed that they had brought a cauliflower which contained just a single floret. “I was laughing to myself. How can they allow it to go on the shelves if it’s that tiny?” Joanne Sutherland from Nottinghamshire told The Sun. Lynda Nicholson from Scotland, was also deceived by what she thought was a standard cauliflower from Morrisons. She said: “It did appear to be a medium-sized cauliflower until I took all the leaves off and it was pretty small, probably about four-five centimetres in circumference.”

Photo Credit: Occado

The post Consumers annoyed by smaller brassicas appeared first on Hort News on 21 December 2016.

Isle of Man nursery installs heat pump

Greenhouses operated by Douglas Council on the Isle of Man have been installed with a new air source heat pump.

The system has been installed at Ballaughton Nurseries to replace an old oil-fired heating system. Discussing the new renewable energy project, which has been named the Most Innovative Project in the Public Sector category of the 2016 Energy Awards, Environmental services committee chairman, Councillor Ritchie McNicholl, said, “The nursery’s oil heating system was coming to the end of its economically viable life.

“Investment was going to have to be made and after careful analysis it became clear an air source heat pump would not only reduce the council’s carbon footprint, but would also lead to saving on fuel oil, estimated to be in the region of £12,000 annually from April 2017.”

Electrical power for the pump attracts a reduced tariff from Manx Utilities, saving further money.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

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James Hutton Institute aims to increase blueberry yields

New plant breeding technology is being used by the James Hutton Institute to help blueberries thrive in the Scottish climate.

Part of a comprehensive package of research funded by the Scottish Government in environment and agriculture in 2015-2016, the project aims to produce blueberry plants that are more suited to the Scottish climate, helping to provide local options of this healthy fruit which may help manage type 2 diabetes.

Blueberry production in Scotland grew 10 per cent last year as demand continued to increase. Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said, “Blueberries are an increasingly popular fruit in the UK. Traditionally blueberries are imported to Scotland but this innovative research we are funding is using new technology to develop plants that are more suitable for the Scottish soil and climate as well as helping us to fully understand the health benefits of this fruit.

“Scottish blueberry production is already on the increase and this should help boost local production of this fruit – which is better for the environment and also good news for our economy.”

Dr Julie Graham, part of the James Hutton Institute’s Cell and Molecular Sciences and leader of the blueberry breeding programme commented, “Cutting-edge plant breeding technology is enabling the James Hutton Institute to develop new blueberry cultivars. These cultivars, better suited to Scottish conditions, should enable an increase in the home-grown blueberry crop, which will be of benefit to Scottish soft fruit growers. Long-term funding from the Scottish Government has been instrumental in supporting this research.”

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

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HTA to continue ‘Plant of the Moment’ for 2017

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has announced that its successful ‘Plant of the Moment’ campaign will continue through 2017.

Launched at the start of last year, the consumer campaign was designed to run for two years from January 2016 to December 2017. Month by month this promotional plant calendar highlights planting ideas as well as plants at their best to help customers create gardens that are full of colour and interest throughout the year.

The campaign includes a calendar of themes, such as creating a winter wonderland and ‘berried’ treasure, which was designed in collaboration with consultant and journalist Adam Pasco and agreed with UK growers and retailers.

For 2017 the campaign begins with a winter wonderland theme including the top four plants for producing winter flowers: Witch Hazel (Hamamelis varieties); Oregon Grape (Mahonia varieties); Winter Flowering Viburnum (Viburnum x bodnantense) and Christmas Rose (Helleborus niger).

Photo Caption: Witch hazel is one of the highlighted plants for January

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

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New powder helps keep fruit fresh

A Californian company, Apeel Sciences, is developing a new naturally-derived post harvest coating which will keep produce fresher for longer and help reduce waste.

Edipeel is entirely invisible, tasteless and edible. When it is applied to the surface of plants, it provides a protective layer that reduces the oxidation and transpiration that cause produce to wither and become discoloured. The product itself is made from vegetable waste.

In an interview, James Rogers, CEO and founder of Apeel, explained that while the product, which has been approved by the USA’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is distributed as a powder in packets, it is applied as a dip or a spray. ““We rip [the packets]open…and then we reconstitute them in liquid form. In that liquid form, we can then dip fresh produce in that solution or spray that solution onto a surface of a piece of produce. When it dries, it leaves behind this imperceptibly thin barrier of plant material on the outside of the produce,” he said.

The company has raised $40 million to develop the technology and is also working on a pre-harvest version to reduce pesticide use.

Photo Credit: Apeel Sciences

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School children barely eating 1 of 5-a-day

A quarter of secondary school age children eat less than one portion of veg a day, according to a recent survey by the Food Foundation. The claim came in its November Veg Facts briefing which also highlighted issues such as the increasing reliance on fresh produce and the need for labour to harvest UK vegetables.

Anna Taylor, from the Food Foundation, told the Sunday Times, “We are facing a massive diet-related crisis among our young people. They are eating the same level of veg as in the 1970s. The five-a-day campaign has had no impact.

“The combination of higher food prices and pressure on UK horticulture production, in a situation where our children are already eating much too little veg, threatens to make our children’s diets even worse than they already are.”

Laura Sandys, former MP and Chair of the Food Foundation added, “Our food system makes it too hard for us to eat enough veg. 5 A Day is a great consumer awareness campaign but it has had no impact on our consumption of veg, which has gone down in recent years. Veg needs a major facelift with the best brains in advertising needed to make it a super desirable treat.”

Photo Credit: Flickrv

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