Osram’s smart horticulture lighting system prototype used in NASA ground research to help provide space crews with a reliable source of fresh food WILMINGTON, Mass. & KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.–Osram, a global high-tech lighting company, today announced it is providing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with a customized version of its proprietary connected […]
Category: Blog
Are you looking for an economical, effective way to incorporate dissolved oxygen into your irrigation water?
Incorporating air or oxygen into irrigation water using nanobubbles can improve crop yields and reduce susceptibility to disease pathogens. What started out as a way of making wastewater treatment systems more efficient with oxygen enrichment has expanded to how nanobubble aeration technology can improve production of agricultural crops. Moleaer Inc. in Torrance, Calif., filed a […]
New report released on expansion of controlled environment agriculture
“Controlled Environment Agriculture: Farming for the Future?” is a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division, discussing the rapid growth in controlled environment agriculture. “The rising demand for local, high-quality food and the need for a year-round supply of it is creating market opportunities,” said Christine Lensing, senior analyst for CoBank’s KED. “Although there is […]
What’s the best way to compare lighting efficiency?
When choosing horticultural lighting, growers need to consider lighting efficiency and how the lighting will be used. There is a big difference between lighting efficiency for horticulture and lighting efficiency for consumer use. The difference is in who is receiving the light. “From a human perspective since the early 20th century there was a number […]
Hort Americas looks to be a connecter of products and knowledge for the horticulture industry
Whether growers are producing vegetables, ornamentals or other hydroponic crops, Hort Americas is working to provide its customers with the products and knowledge they need to be successful.
When Hort Americas in Bedford, Texas, started operating as a wholesale horticulture distributor in March 2009, the company had no existing customer base.
“We would sell anything we could to anyone who would buy from us,” said general manager Chris Higgins. “That is not uncommon for new companies starting out, especially those that are doing wholesale supplies.
Plant continues to function better under Transpar
Getting the crops to continuously grow well is the biggest challenge during the extreme summer heat in Ontario. Transpar makes the greenhouse climate at Howard Huy Farms, Leamington, somewhat milder. “We have to deal very cold winters and very hot summers,” says greenhouse director, Howard Huy. “The radiation in summer is very high reaching 1150 […]
What are the benefits of maintaining the optimum substrate oxygen level?
Increasing the oxygen level in the root zone can ensure healthy root growth and can impact crop yields. Low oxygen levels in the growing substrate can play havoc with the health of both vegetable and ornamental plants. Shalin Khosla, greenhouse vegetable specialist at Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Harrow, Ontario, said […]
Growing microgreens with LED grow lights in Sonora, Mexico
(Español abajo.) Urban grower Karla Garcia is proud to announce the creation of her new company, Microgreens FLN based in Sonora, Mexico. Karla is a recent graduate with honors and a master’s degree in plant science from the University of Arizona. She is proud of her company’s commitment specializing in microgreens production using an indoor […]
Green Bronx Machine making a difference in young students
These little chefs are making a big difference. Hort Americas is excited to see our GrowRacks being put to such good use. We are proud to have community partners like the Green Bronx Machine. Take action: http://glblctzn.me/2onCuPS
2017 retail sales of organic fresh produce reach nearly $5 billion
The Organic Produce Network and Nielsen report sales of organic fresh produce items approached $5 billion in 2017, an 8 percent increase from the previous year. Nearly 2 billion pounds of organic produce were sold in grocery stores last year, which is a 10 percent volume increase from 2016. At U.S. retail stores, sales of […]
Voices of Horticulture: Gene Giacomelli
Moon Farming with Gene Giacomelli by Steve Millett Dr. Gene Giacomelli has a dream to grow veggies on the moon. Gene has dedicated his research at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC) at the University of Arizona in Tucson to designing a lunar greenhouse that will enable astronauts to grow food in outer space. As […]
What are the benefits of applying greenhouse shading products?
Sudlac shading products give greenhouse growers of flowers and vegetables the ability to increase and extend production during periods of warm temperatures and high light levels. High temperatures and high light levels, especially during the summer can have negative effects on ornamental and vegetable crops produced in protected structures, including greenhouses. An economical way for […]
Over $17 million available for organic research funding
USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has released its Request for Applications (RFA) for the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). OREI grants provide crucial support to the organic industry by funding research, education, and extension projects to improve and advance organic agriculture. A total of $17.6 million is expected to be […]
What’s the future of conventional agriculture? Does it include vertical farming?
Leading Japanese indoor ag tech companies to visit the heart of U.S. agricultural research and biotechnology community to attend controlled environment networking event. If you are involved with the vertical farming or indoor agriculture industries, then you should plan on attending Ag Tech Worlds Collide. Scheduled for Feb. 21, 2018, at North Carolina State University, […]
Essential Plant Elements
The 17 Essential Plant Elements include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, chlorine, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, molybdenum, and nickel. The non-mineral essential plant elements include hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. These are either taken up as a gas or water. There are 4 elements that are beneficial to promote plant growth but […]
Voices of Horticulture: Ricardo Hernandez
Ricardo’s Journey Illumines Horticulture El viaje de Ricardo ilumina la horticultura https://hortamericas.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Voices-of-Horticulture-Ricardo-Hernandez.mp3 Ricardo Hernandez’s story is an inspirational journey of immigration, dedication, perseverance, and hard work that continues to shine light on unknown frontiers in horticulture. His story is exceptional. Ricardo was born in the small town of Valle de Allende, Chihuahua, Mexico (2010 […]
Dissolved oxygen improves plant growth, reduces crop time
Incorporating dissolved oxygen into hydroponic production systems during warmer temperatures can help improve plant growth and reduce crop time. Trying to grow hydroponic crops like leafy greens can be a real challenge during warmer times of the year. Growers have few options to lower temperatures, including cooling the greenhouse and/or water temperature. Another production technique […]
Nanobubbler generator delivers dissolved oxygen for improved plant growth
Hort Americas is excited to announce that it has been appointed the exclusive distributor of the Moleaer Inc. nanoBoost Nanobubble Generator. The generator delivers a supplementary source of dissolved oxygen that can significantly increase plant growth, improve size uniformity, reduce stress and prevent root diseases under extreme production conditions. It is ideally suited for horticultural […]
New York City Council passes urban agriculture bill
New York City Council has passed legislation that requires the Department of City Planning to develop a comprehensive urban agriculture plan that addresses land use policy and other issues to promote the expansion of urban agriculture in the city. The department would be required to deliver this plan to the mayor and the speaker of the […]
Moleaer™ Launches nanoBoost™, the Most Efficient Oxygen Delivery Mechanism for Commercial Greenhouses
Moleaer announces commercial partnership with Hort Americas LOS ANGELES Moleaer Inc., the leading manufacturer of industrial scale nanobubble generators, expands its innovative product line with the new nanoBoost Nanobubble Generator, ideally suited for applications such as hydroponics, pond management, and irrigation. Like the existing Moleaer industrial XTB Nanobubble Generator™, the compact nanoBoost is a cost-effective […]