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Spring Conference 2019

Tuesday 15th

January 2019

NFU Conference Centre CV8 2TZ

‘Optimising your own seedling

and cutting propagation’

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Spring Conference & AGM 14th & 15th January 2019

Monday 14th January Stratford Manor Hotel CV37 0PY

16:30 Annual General Meeting

Presentation of Accounts

Reports to the AGM

Elections

19:30 Informal dinner

Tuesday 15th January

NFU Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth CV8 2TZ

08:30 Registration

09:15 Welcome Lee Abbey – Chief Horticultural Adviser

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Technical Seminar programme

‘Optimising your own cutting

and seedling propagation.’

9:30-10:15 Will Healy

Ball Horticultural Company

West Chicago, IL 60185, USA

“Propagation in the USA today”

As senior manager of technical services, Will is responsible for develop-

ing production programs and operational efficiencies that produce con-

sistent high quality young plants (plugs and liners). Will works with Ball

companies, suppliers and customers throughout the world training their

staff in cutting edge production practices. Over the last 30 years, Will

has developed innovative approaches and scheduling programs that re-

duce shrink, improve operational efficiencies with reduced crop times.

Will’s current research emphasis focuses on reducing shrink throughout

the supply chain from seed and cutting producers all the way through to

customer’s retail operations. As growers move to performance based

trading, managing shrink has become the new ‘ticket to play’ for grow-

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ers at all levels. Since shrink must be evaluated holistically, Will has

developed tools to optimize the product assortment; strategies that

reduce buffer requirements as well as production techniques and pro-

cess improvements to increase yields and grower training to improve

uniformity and overall quality. As author of over 400 Ball Culture Advi-

sors, Will is well versed in crop production. Before coming to Ball, Will

was a faculty member at the University of Maryland and Colorado State

University where he published over 30 scientific publications on flori-

culture production. Will received his PhD from the University of Minne-

sota working with Harold Wilkins.

10:15 -11:00 Uwe Grüge University lecturer

Woody Plant and Propagation Physiology,

Institute of Horticultural Production Systems -

Leibniz Universität Hannover

“Understanding the factors affecting the survival of cuttings and rooting”

Starting out as a gardener, training in Nordkirchen, Germany and Eu-

gene, USA, Uwe has pursued an academic career studying plant physi-

ology and disease. For the last 23 years he has been group leader in

the research group on adventitious rooting and development based at

the IGZ in Erfurt.

He has worked on the physiology of development and growth of horti-

cultural, (mainly ornamental) crops these including the processes: ad-

ventitious root formation, leaf senescence and vegetative growth. The

environmental factors analysed: light, temperature, nitrogen nutrition,

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abiotic stress factors and symbiotic microorganisms. The main focus is

the role of endogenous plant hormones and primary metabolism (C, N)

and interactions of both.

Since 2018 he has been a university lecturer at the Institute of Horticul-

tural Production Systems, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Leibniz Universität

Hannover. He is currently an independent lecturer and scientific con-

sultant.

11: 00 - 11:30 COFFEE

11:30-12:00 Erik Runkle

Dr. Erik Runkle -Professor and Extension Spe-

cialist in the Department of Horticulture at

Michigan State University.

“Lighting plugs and cuttings - regimes and lamps”

Erik obtained a B.Sc. in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of

Illinois and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Horticulture at Michigan State Universi-

ty. Since he joined the faculty in 2001, he and his graduate research

team have performed numerous practical experiments in controlled en-

vironments to determine the effects of light, temperature, and other en-

vironmental factors on growth and development of floriculture crops

and high-value leafy greens, including during propagation and finishing

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phases of production.

To date, he has co-edited 6 books and authored 14 book chapters,

over 100 papers in scientific journals, and nearly 300 articles in trade

magazines.

12:00 -12:20 Neil Bragg

Soil Scientist

“Nutrition, water quality and monitoring” As retired Chairman of the HDC and member of the Defra Task force

set up in 2011 to develop the program towards 'responsibly sourced

growing media', Neil has continued as a leader in growing media devel-

opment.

As a soil scientist, Neil has been recognised for his work on the devel-

opment of peat additives and replacement materials since his work in

ADAS in the 1980's. There remain many challenges towards the goals

set by government and Neil will continue to be fully engaged.

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12:20 -12:40 Raymond van den Berg

International Sales Manager - ISO Group

“Automated cuttings handling– Time to invest? ” ISO Group is an innovative supplier of greenhouse automation for

the protected horticulture. ISO Group combines Vision, Robotics and

high-end software technology to help growers automating labour

intensive tasks in a greenhouse.

ISO Groups automates grading, planting, sampling, sticking, graft-

ing and cutting of (young) plants.

Since his short work experience with Onings Holland Flowerbulbs,

Raymond has taken his career path over the last 10 years through

software advice and development to the production of glasshouse

automation systems.

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12:40 -13:10 Will Healy

Ball Horticultural Company

“Water relations and environmental management - avoiding common problems” In his second talk, Will deals with common problems in managing irri-

gation for propagation. A key to Ball’s success in young plant produc-

tion has been the development of product standards and procedures to

insure consistent performance. Working with growers, Will has devel-

oped protocols that ensure consistent supplies for customers. These

procedures involve operational, software and plant culture studies

since the control of one single aspect will not ensure consistent supply.

Currently Will is focusing on the watering process and micronutrient

fertilization since these are major drivers of variability and improved

yields.

13:10 - 14:00 LUNCH

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Garden Day launches in the UK

On Sunday 12 May 2019, a

community benefit project

will be launching across

the UK. At the peak of the

horticultural season, Gar-

den Day will encourage

people nationwide to down

tools and spend the day

celebrating their gardens

with friends, family and

neighbours.

Anyone and everyone can

get involved – from the

family gardeners and allot-

ment aficionados to urban

houseplant enthusiasts –

by hosting celebrations at

home. The aim of the day

is simply to celebrate the

spring season along with

the mental and physical

benefits that gardens bring

us all year round.

The campaign aims to reach across the industry to growers, plant

retailers and gardeners alike, inviting everyone to pop on a flower

crown on Garden Day to show their support.

This is your opportunity to get involved today!!

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14:00 -14:20 Chris Need

Need Consulting

“Understanding your plants - micro-climate sensors and big data” Having obtained a degree in Horticulture

from Bath University Chris joined ADAS in

1988 as a consultant specialising in bedding plants. He worked for

Roundstone Nurseries initially as Technical Manager then Production

Director. He continued this management role during the period of rap-

id expansion and automation that followed the company diversifying

into propagation and hardy plants with the acquisition of New Forest

Plants and New Place Nurseries. In 2015, following the sale of Round-

stone to Newey Group, he undertook interim management and then set

up Need Consulting in 2016. Chris is now delivering technical and busi-

ness consultancy to a wide variety of nurseries and organisations. He is

currently Technical Secretary to the BPOA Technical Committee.

14:20 -14:40 Ant Surrage

Technical Development Specialist, Fargro

“Optimising biopesticides in propa-gation ”

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Ant worked on his family’s ornamentals nursery during his teens doing

basic jobs and then attended the University of Worcester studying Biol-

ogy and specialising in his final year in plant genetics and cellular regu-

lation. Ant now works as a technical development specialist for Fargro

Ltd, on the development of the range of national exclusive products

which includes an array of biopesticides, conventional chemistry and

smart sensing technology.

14:20 -14:40 Jon Swain

Senior consultant, FEC Energy

“Managing the glasshouse environ-ment for propagation ” Jon has been part of the FEC Energy team since 2005 and since then

has been working on horticultural energy projects including the use of

thermal screens, temperature integration and next generation growing.

Jon has been responsible for the GrowSave programme (AHDB Funded

KE project) for the last 4 years which aims to ensure growers have the

latest information in respect of energy and climate management mat-

ters suitable for their business.

15:00 Meeting close and tea

BPOA is grateful for the support of our sponsors

BPOA PO Box 691 CHICHESTER PO19 9NA

www.bpoaonline.co.uk www.homegrownplants.org.uk

E:bpoa@btconnect.com

This is a CPD registered event with