Help prepare for coming season while earning BASIS points

If you haven’t yet logged in to our first Hort Science Online (HSO 1) event, it’s not too late - as it remains live until 15 October.       Click here to register>>>

Launched on 21 September, by the end of the first week over 200 professional growers, advisors and students had logged in to hear from industry influencers re new high-tech product innovations and practices to help prepare for the coming season - in whatever form it takes.   

HSO 1 helps you prepare for a future without Exemptor (Thiacloprid). With its imminent loss next year, growers will need to embrace an IPM approach to control vine weevil. This workstation – featuring experts from BASF and our Technical Area Sales Manager Sam Rivers – is dedicated to helping you optimise control deploying our Vine Weevil Seeka range.  

Reducing reliance on peat is another key topic.  Log on to HSO 1 to hear ICL’s Dr Eleni Siasou explain the properties of woodfibre and how to manage it.  Meanwhile our Technical Manager, Andrew Wilson, helps you get up to speed to optimise plant nutrition using free-reduced and peat-free media.

Moving on to biosecurity, Defra’s Dr Matthew Casey provides a useful update on plant passporting while Dr Mariella Marzano, of Forest Research, focusses on understanding biosecurity challenges to better manage plant health.

Showcasing new product developments, ICL’s Martin Donnelly and Sam Rivers run through the features and benefits of our recently launched Vitalnoval Nursery range. 

Coming soon – Hort Science Online 2!

Switching to a digital platform has provide the opportunity to expand Hort Science Online.  Our second event, Hort Science Online 2 (HSO 2), will go live on 19 October.  

Featuring a further six interesting and topical workstations, the line-up includes a filmed Syngenta presentation shining a light on the science behind formulating plant protection products. 

ICL’s Andrew Wilson focusses on mitigating against nutrient deficiencies, while our in-house IPM specialist Martin Donnelly - teams up with Nicholas van Cutsem of Ecospray - to explain how garlic can aid vine weevil control and introducing our new biorational Pitcher GR.  

Natalie Porter, of Porters Fuchsias, leds a workstation looking at moving businesses forward in a post-Covid age.

Returning to the important subject of biosecurity, HSO 2 features workstations devoted to Xylella and what growers need to know – and another entitled Plant Healthy by Alistair Yeomans – Acting Scheme Manager for Plant Healthy Certification Scheme - looking at biosecurity collaboration between government and industry