Hort Science Live 2019 – latest developments in topical areas
Hort Science Live 2019 − ICL’s highly practical event showcasing the latest scientific developments in topical areas of ornamental horticulture − is being hosted by leading specialist clematis and climbing plant producer, New Leaf Plants.
The event will be held at the company’s state-of-the-art production nursery at Sedgeberrow, Worcestershire, on Wednesday, 16 October (10.00-3.00pm)
“Now in its third year, Hort Science Live 2019 centres on timely subjects and provides opportunities for growers and agronomists to interact with leading specialists in growing media, plant nutrition, propagation and plant protection,” says Adam Ferjani, ICL’s Marketing Communications Manager.
Holders of Hort Week’s 2019 Nursery Stock Grower award, New Leaf Plants’ business support director Nicole Higginson and propagation supervisor Mikel Copilau will lead a propagation techniques workshop. Given the uncertainty regarding young plant imports, these skills are particularly important at a time many growers are considering taking propagating back in-house.
With pressure for UK horticulture to meet peat-free targets, ADAS’s Chloe Whiteside and Sonia Newman will discuss the results of a five-year project looking to ease the transition and increase uptake of responsibly sourced growing media (Project CP 138). This high topical growing media workshop will also look at how HNS plants have performed in various peat-free prototype blends.
A timely nutrition workshop, led by ICL’s Andrew Wilson, will look at perfecting nutrition timing in peat-reduced and peat-free growing media to avoid nutrient deficiencies.
As growers come to terms with the loss of many tried and trusted agrochemicals, Andrew Linscott of Alltech Crop Science and Martin Donnelly of ICL will take a biostimulants workshop explaining their benefits. Improving understanding of how these biological products can be utilised practically in IPM systems can help reduce the use of chemical controls as well as assist with stress reduction.
With strict plant health controls in place to safeguard UK plant health status, APHA’s Edward Birchall and Lucy Carson-Taylor will bring growers up-to-speed regarding key issues including Xylella infected zones and the protected zone requirements of Bemisia tabaci. This plant health workshop will also highlight a number of key new pest and disease challenges facing UK horticulture.
The HSL vine weevil workshop sees ICL’s Steve Hughes and Sam Rivers discussing prevention. The duo will examine the science behind the products in the grower armoury to create an effective IPM plan, plus the practicalities of using nematodes in real life situations.
Although entry to Hort Science Live 2019 is free, registration is essential as numbers are limited. For further information, visit https://freehsl2019.eventbrite.co.uk BASIS points are available.