Growing from here to there

Transcription

1 Growing from here to there

2 Seedling Plug Principles & Techniques Will Healy Senior Technical & Research Manager Ball Horticultural Company

3 Truth #1 Every cell must have a seed that germinates & grows uniformly Truth #2 Everything else is an opinion

4 Enhanced Seed Sowing Accuracy More Plants? Pre Germ Seed Coat Pellet Detailed Defuzze d Raw Primed Refined Graded Raw

5 Death is inevitable Good Storage Practices Delay Death! Seeds are biologically active Increased temperature = faster decline Fluctuating humidity = rapid decline Fluctuating temp = Fluctuating RH

6 Seed Storage Temperature <5C (41F) Relative Humidity <20% Manage Fluctuations Sow entire packages Seed returns to inventory Time out of storage critical Stage Seed Control Seeding Sequence Germination Rate Vigor Placement in Production Buffer Management Machine Seed Operational Seed

7 Grower Difference to Lab Germ What happens in the real world?? Lab Germ (10) (20) (30) (40) (50) (60) (70) (80) (90)

8 Buffer Calculator

9 Plug Truths, Facts & Opinions Truth: No seed = No plants Fact: Enhanced seed = More usable seedlings Seeds are slowly dying and subject to rapid death Opinions Everything else..

10 This drives growers nuts

11 Germination is the process that begins with the absorption of water and ends with the elongation of the root

12 Physiological Process 1.Seed Coat absorbs water 2.Water moves into the inner membrane 3.Starch breakdown machinery activated 4.Cells multiply and elongation begins 5.Seed coat cracks 6.Radicle emerges from seed 7.Seed has germinated Koning, Ross E. "Seeds and Seed Germination". Plant Physiology Website

13 Control Factors Light Timing = critical time Water Appropriate availability = level 4 vs 5 Eliminate osmotic stress = low EC Temperature Q10 response = optimum range

14 Light & Germ Red light Source +++ HPS (red) ++ Fluorescent (red/blue) + Incandescent (red/far red) - Metal Halide (blue) - Mercury (blue) Crops Alyssum Begonia Campanula Cleome Cuphea Eustoma Hypoestes Impatiens Limonium Matthiola Pentas Petunia Verbena Koning, Ross E. "Seeds and Seed Germination". Plant Physiology Website

15 Incorrect watering kills more seedlings & plants than anything else we do!

16 Qualitative vs Quantative Water Knowledge Pyramid Climate Plant Demand Where to Water How Much to Water When to Water-How Dry? Language of Watering W1-W5

17 Water 5 - Wet Black Color Free Water Soil is Saturated Pudding or Tofu!

18 Water 4 - Medium Wet Soil is Dark Brown No Visible Water Easily Squeeze Water Soil Sticks Together

19 Water 3 - Medium Soil is Brown Hard Squeeze Water Soil Cracks apart

20 Water 2 - Medium Dry Light Brown Tan No Free Water Soil is Squeaky Crumbles Apart

21 Water 1 - Dry W4 W1 Soil Is Tan to White Soil Crumbles to Dust Soil Does Not Stick Soil Shrinks From Wall W2 W3

22 Water The Commitment to Germination Dry until sown Hydrate at sowing Production Wheel Optimize germination 3 moisture 4 K50 Replenish Decrement D E C F B # G Chamber P2-3 Gro w 2-4 A Ger m P1 # P1 K50 # #2-50 # C 6 7

23 Mechanical Process Moisture management at the seed coat Blotter absorbs or releases moisture Uniformity in the tray Dry cells = non uniform soil moisture at flat filling Soil moisture content L5 - free water = excessive settling L4 moist, not flowable L3 compactable, flowable? L2 compacting, rewetting Seed Covering Water tunnel Stage 1 area Stage 1.5 area

24 Seed Covering Maintain optimum conditions at seed coat Moisture management Tent vs blanket Vermiculite Media Light management

25 Water Tunnel Uniformly add water to start germination process Pressure & gpm per nozzle Number of nozzles N1 = glue seed N2 = moisture around seed N3+ = moisture in soil

26 Germination Chamber (Fog) Level 4+ Begonia Impatiens Pansy Primula Salvia Vinca Viola Level 3+ Ageratum Anemone Calendula Celosia Coleus Dahlia Eustoma Geranium Marigold Petunia Fog Greenhouse Level 2.5+ Callistephus Gazania Pentas Phlox Verbena Zinnia

27 Gallons water per day How Wet Are The Trays?? Coolnet Pro 0.4 gpm Coolnet Pro 0.5 gpm Mistnet 0.94 gpm Coolnet Pro 1 gpm Mistnet 1.57 gpm Vibronet 2.5 gpm Vibronet 3.2 gpm x 10x 6x 2x 1x Mist Frequency per hour (1 min on)

28 Stage 1 Moisture Sowing to radicle emergence Maintain critical moisture level Starting point Tunnel -> 48 hours Day 3 5 Change point? 40-60% germ Rate of change

29 Day 0 to Radicle Emergence Radicle emergence moisture

30 Stage 1.5 Moisture 40-99% germ Finishing off germination Balance germ vs hypocotyl stretch Wetter = germ + hypocotyl stretch Too Dry = germ + short hypocotyl

31 Water Management Moisture level management Fish grow in water, plants grow in air Where are the roots?

32 Watering Technique Vol*speed = Qty/cell

33 Where to Water Dimensional Space! Top Middle Bottom W3 W5-3 W5 W3-5

34 Watering vs Flooding Day 0-5 key period Irrigation speed Grit is critical

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36 Watering The good, bad & ugly Shallow watering piddling Wet watering swamp mgt Flooding runners

37 Germination Temperature Academic recommendation Maximum germination DAY IMPATIENS GERMINATION Class vs Batch (lot) specific data? 95 Operational recommendation PERCENT GERMINATION Maximum cotyledon unfolding in < 7 days GERMINATION TEMPERATURE (C)

38 43 38 Package - 98% Maximum, Minimum and Average Temperature During Stage 1 30 minute Temperature C Record A - 91% B - 87% H-84% J-88% 18 C-91% D-92% E-91% F-92% G-97% First 6 days after Sowing

39 Same: lots, moisture, temperature Different: soil, EC, Nutrient Charge

40 Planning for Success Templates Shipping specifications KPI s

41 Light Temperature Requirements Daily Light Integral (DLI) 10+ is the key 20+ temp effects Supplemental HPS Photosynthetic Wake them up! 600 Ftc max Photoperiod response Plant age juvenility Days for induction Temperature effect Greenhouse DLI 50%Ambient

42 Light Temperature Requirements Day-Night temp Recommendations Extreme events (sudden low/high) Negative DIF Morning only vs all night Height control ADT 72-77F Push growth 65-72F Average <65F Slow growth

43 Young Plant Fertilization High N levels = Top Growth PGR Low N levels = Top Growth Problems ppm is the new rate Oops. Optimum micro rate formulated at 200 ppm N At 50 ppm applying only ¼ recommended rate It s not just about N, Macro-Micro balance key

44 Young Plant Fertilization A couple of rules 1.Growing without testing is driving with your eyes closed 2.Feed to target ranges 3.N+P promote leaf & stem stretch A couple guidelines No N NO 3 NH 4 No P P Total crop N = yields specific size plants ( ppm totn) 2. Feed before you need to prevent excess feed 3. After 2 clear water irrigations you are feed free 4. Minor nutrients not deficient nutrients! Keep feeding minors.

45 Micro Nutrient Fe Mn Zn B Targets Solution Rate 1.0 ppm 0.5 ppm Cu 0.25 Mo ppm Tissue Nutrient Range N% 4-5 P% K% Ca% 1.0+ Mg% 0.5+ S% Fe ppm Mn ppm Fe:Mn Ratio B ppm Cu ppm Zn ppm Mo ppm 1-20

46 PGR PGR free is the way to be! Picking the PGR that works How PGRs work Cycocel Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate X Copalyl pyrophosphate GA 53 X GA 19 B-Nine Cycocel X X B-Nine A-Rest Paclo Topflor Sumagic/Concise ent-kaurene X ent-kaurenoic acid GA X 20 X GA 1 B-Nine B-Nine GA 12 -aldehyde GA 8

47 Chemical Characteristics

48 Methods of Application Strategies Controlled development Grow and hold Chemical choices Application 1 gallon per 200 square feet ( trays)

49 PGR Application Rate Active ingredient per plant is what counts 5mg/liter (5ppm) applied at 2 gal/556 trays mg/tray 5mg/liter (5ppm) applied at 2 gal/375 trays 0.1 mg/tray 5mg/liter (5ppm) applied at 2 gal/286 trays 0.13 mg/tray For additional information on rates and costing go to:

50 Questions