Blog – Hort Americas

Aquaponics

Aquaponics is a technique used to grow plants and aquatic animals in a system using the recirculation of water. In order to understand aquaponics, we need to have knowledge about aquaculture, hydroponics, and bacteria.

But how could aquaponics be a good option?

Hort Americas Brian Harris will be speaking at the 3rd Annual Controlled Environment Conference

December 9–10, 2021

The 2021 Texas A&M Controlled Environment: Urban Agriculture Conference is designed for new and prospective growers interested in specialty crop production under controlled environment and for experienced growers who want to learn more about the nuts and bolts of crop production in a controlled environment. This conference is also suitable for hobbyists and gardeners interested in hydroponic production.

Free Download: Fertilizer Management and Plant Nutrition Guide

Fertilizer management and plant nutrition are key aspects that need to be learned when working with hydroponic systems.

Leaf Area Index: Definition and importance in crop production

Leaf area index (LAI) is a key variable used in horticultural studies involving the relation between crop growth and yield. This variable can be a very useful tool when looking to evaluate the performance of your crop.

How can you make LED grow lights more affordable?

Geographic location is a major driver in who qualifies for a utility rebate and how many rebate dollars are available for specific projects. Photo courtesy of Hort Americas

Hort Americas is working with Current to ensure their customers receive the maximum utility rebates for their LED grow light purchases.

Fresh Weight vs. Dry Weight

When evaluating crop performance and yield we usually look to evaluate different traits such as Size, Shape, Brix levels, Leaf area, Titratable acids, Flavor, Texture, Fresh weight, Dry weight, and more.

Understanding Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD)

Vapor Pressure Deficit, also known as VPD is a very useful tool for growers. However it is a variable growers sometimes forget, do not know about its existence or do not understand.

AppLit: The story of how companies can come together to strengthen communities

During the very early months of the pandemic, our friends at AppHarvest came to us with a challenge. They wanted to know if Hort Americas could help them source lights that were:

Understanding Temperature in Growing Systems

In order to improve temperature control inside of a growing system, we must understand how temperature works inside of a system with plants and the variables involved in determining temperature for our crops.

There are different variables that affect temperature in plants. Some of the most important variables are radiation, metabolic heat, latent heat and sensible heat.

Growing Microgreens

Microgreens are gaining attention from small, medium and large growers. This is a product that can be used to expand a current market or start a small business with good profits.

Free Download: The Guide for Growing Strawberries

Strawberries are definitely not an easy crop and CEA technologies can always help us to provide ideal conditions to improve production window, yield per area and fruit quality. Growers are finding out the great benefits of growing strawberries using the help of CEA. This is the reason why now hydroponic greenhouse production of strawberries is growing rapidly across the world. The present guide has the objective to provide specific information about how to grow strawberries in a hydroponic system inside greenhouses.

Pre-Empt: An organic hydroponic fertilizer

Organic hydroponics is possible! We can implement organic practices for hydroponic systems by using nutrient solutions derived from organic plant and animal material or naturally mined compounds. In order to certify the organic origin for a product you must look for OMRI-listed products. The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) is a private, nonprofit organization that determines whether or not a product qualifies as organic under the USDA’s National Organic Program.

Looking to up your controlled environment light intensity?

The majority of the Arize Factor LED grow lights being manufactured at Current’s North Carolina plant are expected to be used for vertical farming. Photos courtesy of GE Current, a Daintree company

The Advantages of CEA in Strawberry Production

By Karla García

Strawberries (Fragaria × ananassaDuch.) are an important crop grown in the U.S. with a market value of more than $2.2 billion dollars, producing 1.12 million tons of strawberries in 2019. Most production of strawberries in the U.S. is done in open fields. In the U.S., year-round production is achieved by shifting production between regions across California and Florida. Recently U.S. growers are confronting challenges in open field production. In California, where more than 90% of the total strawberry production is done, annual acreage for strawberries is getting lower due to prolonged drought periods in the field; also, dry weather is increasing pests, making it challenging to manage and control diseases (Green, 2014). Another challenge of U.S. production is the emergence of strong competitors in the strawberry market, Mexico and China.

Looking for LED grow lights made in the United States?

GE Current, a Daintree company, has begun manufacturing its new line of horticultural LED grow lights in its state-of-the-art facility in Hendersonville, N.C.

GE Current new webinar – Introducing the Arize® Factor: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Generation Indoor Grow Light

Current is proud to introduce the Arize® Factor, a revolutionary grow light family engineered specifically for high-density indoor cultivators. In demanding indoor environments where density is high and crop quality is of paramount importance, growers need to know their lighting system can deliver the light their crops need.

How controlled environment agriculture can help improve crop performance

When asking: “How can a system with a controlled environment help improve crop performance?”, the answer is easy… The more you analyze data and control CEA variables inside of your system, the better your crop will perform.

Free Download: Lighting Applications in Horticulture

As LED grow lights continue to become more affordable, an increasing number of greenhouse growers and vertical farmers are considering whether the lights would benefit their production systems. Several studies and growers applications have demonstrated the development of new lighting technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can increase the capability to provide ideal light conditions to crops, making possible the improvement of crop performance and product quality.

How to calculate the light a crop is receiving in the greenhouse

Light Conversions in the Greenhouse

When working inside a growing system such as a greenhouse or a plant factory system we must have enough knowledge about light management. When we understand light we can make smart decisions to promote the best environmental conditions to promote growth, development and yield in our crops.

Moleaer’s nanobubble technology is transforming Minnesota’s agriculture industry

Improving the Quality and Yields of Leafy Greens and Herbs with Nanobubbles

Revol Greens

Revol Greens, a state-of-the-art hydroponic greenhouse located in Medford, Minnesota, is committed to growing premium quality leafy greens all year-round. Efficiency and optimization of the greenhouse environment are critical to overcome the challenges of the extreme temperature shifts between summer and winter.

Category: Blog