Blog – Page 2 – Hort Americas

VPOT: The Sustainable Solution for Growing Fresh Produce in Limited Spaces

Revolutionizing Urban Agriculture with Origeen Greener Cities, a startup based in Mexico, is being noted in the agriculture industry with its innovative and versatile system called “VPOT” that is made entirely from recycled plastics, making it a sustainable option for urban farming. It is modular, scalable, and adaptable to different spaces, allowing for easy installation on walls and structures making it possible to grow fresh produce almost anywhere – indoors, outdoors, and vertically. The modular design allows for easy maintenance and can be customized to work with different irrigation methods, making it suitable for both soil-based farming and as a hydroponic system.

Blossom End Rot

Blossom end rot can be a common problem for growers. This problem is characterized by the presence of necrotic tissue at the bottom of fruits such as tomatoes and peppers. The presence of necrotic tissue is caused by the lack of calcium in the buildup of new cells at the growing area of the fruit. Nutrient deficiency can be commonly linked directly to the nutrient solution recipe. However it is crucial to understand Calcium as a passive nutrient and how environmental conditions can trigger deficiency by affecting the ability of the plant to take up these minerals.

Hort Americas and Spanish Company Agrifast Partner to Tackle Waste and Labor Issues

DALLAS and ELCANO, Navarra, Spain—Feb. 22, 2023—In a move to address agriculture’s mounting labor problems, while also providing a more environmentally sustainable solution, commercial horticultural supplier Hort Americas announced today it’s now the exclusive distributor of Agrifast’s Tomsystem in the United States and Canada.

Ohio State, Rutgers, Cornell, University of Arizona, Koidra and Hort Americas team up to lead USDA-awarded grant

AdvanCEA research to focus on helping greenhouse growers create optimal conditions, increase yields, and reduce waste.

By Tom Trush, Hort Americas

$150 Million Available to California Growers for Energy-Saving Upgrades

Image shows the Verjure Arize Element L1000 being used in a greenhouse.

An emergency proclamation has sparked new motivation for California growers to make facility upgrades.

Hort Americas opens Canadian office

Having served Canadian growers for 15 years, Texas-based Hort Americas opens an office in Montreal to assist growers with production challenges, product solutions and educational opportunities.

Finding the balance to improve crop performance maintaining high energy efficiency levels

Annually, indoor and greenhouse growers produce significantly more lbs/ft³ of canopy compared to open field. It is a fact that we have learned how to improve crop productivity over the years and we are still expecting an exponential increase in this area. Now the most important challenge is to find the most energy efficient way to keep increasing crop productivity.

How are Hort Americas and Current committed to building a stronger controlled environment industry?

Enabling growers to see what Current has been able to accomplish at its North Carolina facility and Hort Americas delivering the grow lights when they’re needed has shown growers what can be accomplished when commitments and partnerships are made.

Controlled Environment Agriculture Complex Opens at The Ohio State University with Industry Support and Enthusiasm

DALLAS and COLUMBUS, Ohio — Oct. 11, 2022 —When The Ohio State University opened its new Controlled Environment Agriculture Complex (CEARC) on Friday, Sept. 30, it represented a culmination of efforts between the school and industry. Companies such as Nationwide Insurance, Current (formerly GE Current), Priva and General Hydroponics (to name a few) made donations of both money and product.

Hort Americas Expands to Canada

DALLAS and MONTREAL — September 28, 2022 — Commercial horticultural supplier Hort Americas announced today a new division within the company to bring quality, technically advanced and cost-effective products to commercial greenhouse growers in Canada.

Grow Light Flowchart: Picking the Best LED for Your Plants

Wondering which LED grow light you should use?

Grow lights give you the advantage of cultivating a variety of crops in any climate during any time of year. You can also benefit from faster growth and improved plant quality.

Starting seeds indoors with LED grow lights

Whether you grow indoors or in a greenhouse, proper plant development is profoundly dependent on the quantity and quality of light your crop receives. The photoperiod, light intensity, and light quality are key lighting properties in regulating plant growth and development. Yet whatever setting you grow in, using the proper grow light for seed starting presents an opportunity to begin your crop on the path to higher yields and a quality product.

Free Download: Greenhouse Management, 9 CEA Variables

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. A greenhouse system depending on the level of technology will allow you to control all 9 environmental variables to a certain level.

Horticulture Lighting and Learning Event. Discover the latest science driving the future of horticulture lighting.

GE Current changes name, strengthens scale of production, distribution with acquisition

Current is prioritizing investing in technology to continue to develop its LED horticultural light fixtures in-house.

GE Current, a Daintree company, shortens name to Current and acquires Hubbell Lighting to increase range of products and distribution capacity.

Cooling Capacity in Greenhouses

Temperature is starting to rise! It is time to take precautions and learn how to manage our growing systems in warm climates. We can learn how helpful a cooling system can be for our growing system by calculating the cooling capacity of our greenhouse.

How to avoid calcium deficiency in controlled environment food crops

By Karla Garcia, Technical Service

Free Download: Key Aspects about the Use and Management of LED Lighting in Crop Production

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.

Photoperiod and Flowering

One of the most important environmental factors affecting flowering induction is Photoperiod. Photoperiod is defined as the time plants are exposed to light in a daily cycle.

Photons and Yield

Light incidence over our crops will have a direct effect on yield. Photosynthesis is the most important process in plants to produce energy. But how can we relate photons of light to yield? Based on research we know now one mole of photosynthetic photons is required in order to produce one gram o dried biomass (yield).

Category: Blog