Growing from here to there

Growing from here to there

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

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

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

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

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

Grower Difference to Lab Germ What happens in the real world?? Lab Germ 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 40 30 20 10 0 (10) (20) (30) (40) (50) (60) (70) (80) (90)

Buffer Calculator

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..

This drives growers nuts

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

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. 1994. http://koning.easternct.edu/plants_human/seedgerm.html

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

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. 1994. http://koning.easternct.edu/plants_human/seedgerm.html

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 2-4 2-4 2-4 B #2-100 4-5 G Chamber 1 2-4 4 P2-3 Gro w 2-4 A Ger m P1 #2-50 11 4 P1 K50 #2-50 10 2 #2-50 #2-50 2-4 2-4 2-4 3-4 2-4 3-4 9 3 3-4 2-4 2-4 8 4 5C 6 7

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

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

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

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

Gallons water per day How Wet Are The Trays?? 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 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 40 20 0 12x 10x 6x 2x 1x Mist Frequency per hour (1 min on)

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

Day 0 to Radicle Emergence Radicle emergence moisture

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

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

Watering Technique Vol*speed = Qty/cell 3 5-3 5 3-5

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

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

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

Germination Temperature Academic recommendation Maximum germination 100 8 DAY IMPATIENS GERMINATION Class vs Batch (lot) specific data? 95 Operational recommendation PERCENT GERMINATION Maximum cotyledon unfolding in < 7 days 90 85 80 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 GERMINATION TEMPERATURE (C)

43 38 Package - 98% Maximum, Minimum and Average Temperature During Stage 1 30 minute Temperature C Record 33 28 23 A - 91% B - 87% H-84% J-88% 18 C-91% D-92% E-91% F-92% G-97% 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 First 6 days after Sowing

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

Planning for Success Templates Shipping specifications KPI s

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

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

Young Plant Fertilization High N levels = Top Growth PGR Low N levels = Top Growth Problems 50-75 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

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 + +++ ++++ 1.Total crop N = yields specific size plants (500-900 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.

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% 0.4-0.6 K% 3.75+ Ca% 1.0+ Mg% 0.5+ S% 0.3-0.5 Fe ppm 75-150 Mn ppm 75-150 Fe:Mn Ratio 1.0-1.5 B ppm 50-100 Cu ppm 10-25 Zn ppm 50-100 Mo ppm 1-20

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

Chemical Characteristics

Methods of Application Strategies Controlled development Grow and hold Chemical choices Application 1 gallon per 200 square feet (130-135 trays)

PGR Application Rate Active ingredient per plant is what counts 5mg/liter (5ppm) applied at 2 gal/556 trays 0.0694 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: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/floriculture/software/pgr.html

Questions