Science – Page 2 – Hort Americas

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Free Download: The Guide for Growing Tomatoes

Greenhouse production of hydroponic tomatoes is increasing worldwide every year. The reason? All the advantages provided by these growing systems! The principal advantages of hydroponic controlled environment agriculture (CEA) include high-density maximum crop yield, year-round production, more efficient use of water and fertilizers, consistent crop quality, minimal use of land area, and suitability for mechanization, disease and pest control.

Free Download: The Guide for Growing Leafy Greens

Commercial production of leafy greens is getting more and more competitive every year. Therefore, it is important to seek the best options in order to compete in this market. Production of leafy greens inside greenhouses and plant factory systems are great options to produce high marketable products. Why? There is one specific reason why customers will choose your product… Quality!

Wageningen University publishes energy usage research

We invite you to read the following study conducted by Wageningen University, one of the most complete we have seen over the years for energy usage.

New video on interpreting your irrigation water quality

A new YouTube video (https://youtu.be/lkSiSmDwIqw) by Dr. Paul Fisher from the University of Florida IFAS Extension describes how to sample, interpret, and solve chemical issues for water used to irrigate greenhouses and nurseries. Dr. Fisher introduces the free online WaterQual tool at cleanwater3.org to interpret your water quality analysis.

Function and Management of Potassium in Hydroponics

By Karla Garcia

Potassium is recognized as a nutrient required to keep good quality in our plants and fruits. This nutrient has a huge impact on many plant processes due to its function as enzyme activator. Also, potassium has a strong role in stomata opening and closure due to its function as an osmotic regulator.

How does testing your water save you money?

Before you dive into hydroponics one of the first things you should do is have your water source analyzed by a reputable lab. The water can be municipal, from a well or other source depending on your location. A quick internet search can be done to find a testing facility near you. They will provide you instructions for sending in your samples and tell you their cost for an analysis which normally ranges between $35-$55. If you are buying property, a water test can also help you decide if the property will work for your intentions, just like a farmer might get a soil test before buying farmland. Knowing if a water treatment system is needed before you get started can end up saving your crop and a lot of trouble in the long run especially in a closed or recirculating system.

Microgreens Production

Microgreens can be a great option when selecting a product to start a small business or to expand your current market. Why? Microgreens are relatively easy to grow in comparison to other crops and cycles are very short. Therefore, you can quickly learn and improve your production technique, correct mistakes and become a good microgreens producer.

What do you need to know before purchasing a lamp for horticultural lighting?

Lamp selection when speaking about plant production in the horticulture or floriculture field is a very important decision. Lamps can be a good investment when we ask ourselves the correct questions. When working with artificial lighting we first need to analyze the requirements of our growing system and our crop.

Mastering Crop Protection: Integrated Pest Management Strategies for CEA

In horticulture there are always challenges when growing a crop. One of the most common challenges faced by growers is the risk of pest incidence on their crop. But, how can we prevent pests? How can we control an infected crop?

Continue reading Mastering Crop Protection: Integrated Pest Management Strategies for CEA

Mastering Rootzone Environment

By Karla Garcia and Deidre Hughes

Root zone environment is directly related to our crop growth, development and health. Therefore it is very important to understand what is going on underneath our plants.

Mastering Light Management: Optimizing Crop Performance

All crops have specific light requirements. By knowing minimum and optimum levels of light for our crop we can manage our environment to improve crop performance. When the ambient light exposure is below the minimum requirements we need to apply supplemental lighting in order to maintain our crop production at a healthy and consistent pace.

Category: Science