All plants need sunlight to grow and flourish, but the right amount can vary depending on the plant.

Traditionally, growers have relied on their eyes to determine the correct level. With Spectrum’s new Light-Scout DLI 100, growers can accurately monitor the daily light integral (DLI) over a 24-hour period.

The Light-Scout is quick and easy to use. With the push of a button it runs for up to 24 hours at a time and displays measurements every 10 seconds in light intensity (μmol m-2 or foot-candles) and DLI. The Light-Scout comes in a pack of three and can be positioned throughout your greenhouse, golf course or crops so you can compare the difference in light levels and the effect it is having on plant growth and quality. The Light-Scout is battery operated and water-resistant.

For further information contact:
John Morris Scientific Pty Ltd,
PO Box 447, Willoughby, NSW 2068 Australia
Freecall: 1800 251 799
Fax: (02) 9417-8855
Email: info@johnmorris.com.au
Website: www.johnmorris.com.au

Dunlop Foams launched a new hydroponic foam medium named ‘Up&Grow’ at the recent Hydroponic Farmers Federation conference held at Cranbourne, Victoria. Much interest was shown by growers and suppliers of hydroponic systems alike. Two Up&Grow foam grades have been developed by Dunlop Foams and were presented at the conference. The two grades provide for both lower and higher water absorption options.

Up&Grow is made from hydrophilic polyurethane foam developed specifically for the hydroponic industry. It is made in Australia and can be supplied in various shapes or sizes, hence can be tailor-made to suit individual needs. Up&Grow is manufactured to tight tolerances, which provides a highly consistent product.

The foam medium is a clean and green medium. It is a lightweight, highly absorbent material (absorbs up to 30 times its own weight) that has no itchy fibres or dust, and maintains its structure and shape. Due to its high internal surface area, it provides good air-filled porosity combined with excellent drainage. In addition, the foam is inert and sterile and has no effect on the pH or EC of nutrient solutions. Tests have also shown that Up&Grow has no leaching and is suitable for food contact.

One of Up&Grow’s biggest features is its environmental performance. After sterilisation, it can be re-used many times without degradation and can be recycled at the end of its life.

Trials have been undertaken by a number of growers with crops such as lettuce, tomatoes and a variety of herbs. Dunlop Foams is also undertaking further research with Chisholm Institute of TAFE at Cranbourne, Victoria, to provide growers with comparisons of Up&Grow with other media to aid in the smooth introduction of the new medium in established hydroponic systems.

For further details contact:
Dunlop Foams
Ph: 1300 55 22 00
Email: info@dunlopfoams.com.au
Website: www.dunlopfoams.com.au

Tomato is a worldwide crop and people are eating more and more tomatoes. Why? Because companies such as Moraitis are delivering tomatoes with taste! Two great examples of this have been the partnership of Moraitis Tomatoes and Syngenta to deliver to market the Kumato® and later on the mini or Grape Kumato®. With an exceptional eating profile driving sales for both of these products, Moraitis has doubled production every year since they were introduced and this coming season will be no different.

To keep up with the ever-growing demand the regular Kumato has doubled in hectares of production since its introduction almost 4 years ago and demand continues to outstrip supply. The Grape Kumato, the smaller ‘snack’ version, has doubled production this season and production will double again this coming summer planting season.

“Expectations are that Kumato consumption and consumer awareness will continue to drive the need for more production area going forward. Kumato is now a worldwide brand and Moraitis have been very proud to be an innovator in the Southern Hemisphere,” says Matthew McInerney, National Category Manager-Hydroponics for Moraitis.

“Growth of both of these products has been phenomenal and proves that the consumer clearly is looking for a taste experience and Kumato delivers a truly authentic flavour that is both ‘unique and intense’,” he said

For more information on Kumato go to www.kumato.com

The Nursery & Garden Industry Queensland (NGIQ) have introduced a plant disease diagnostic product developed by United Kingdom (UK) based company, Forsite Diagnostics, which is portable, cost effective, accurate, rapid and reliable.

The Pocket Diagnostic™ test kits are used by growers, technicians and pathologists across the UK, Europe and Asia in both fields and laboratories. Taking symptomatic plant material (leaf, stem, roots or bark) or by baiting soil, growing media or water, the sample is placed in a buffer bottle, shaken and two to three drops placed on the diagnostic cassette. The result, positive or negative, is given within 10 minutes.

The Pocket Diagnostic™ test kit is a Lateral Flow Device (LFD), also referred to as immunochromatographic strip tests, that applies a genus or species specific antisera/antibody used for detecting a range of plant pathogens (each test is relevant to one organism either by genus or species and is one time use only). The test kit is robust and simple to use and gives a result in approximately 3 – 10 minutes at a cost of between $10 and $20 per test (approximately 10-20% of the cost for current laboratory based testing).

Pocket Diagnostic™ test kits have the capacity to serve the Australian horticultural industry on a range of levels including: grower’s In-field, monitoring of imported green life (e.g. seedlings), monitoring of ‘at risk’ stock during the growing cycle, general crop monitoring at farm level, dispatch monitoring of stock leaving the production nursery, risk management of water and growing media, and dispute resolution.

Pocket Diagnostic™ test kits available for detecting the following pathogens:
Phytophthora (Genus)
Pythium (Genus)
Potato virus (Five strains)
Rhizoctonia (Genus)
Botrytis (Genus)
Ralstonia solanacearum
Cucumber mosaic virus
Impatiens necrotic spot virus
Plum pox virus
Tomato mosaic virus
Tomato spotted wilt virus
Xanthomonas hortorum
Erwinia amylovora
Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus
Orchid virus screen

For further information and factsheets, contact:
John McDonald
Email: nido@ngiq.asn.au
Website: www.pocketdiagnostickits.com.au

The final series of free grower workshops for greenhouse and hydroponic vegetable growers have been set down for 14 and 15 September 2010 at Tahmoor, Riverstone and Kemps Creek, NSW.

These national workshops aim to provide growers with the skills to convert their current open systems (free drainage) to fully closed (recycled). The skills gained would deliver to greenhouse growers a saving of around $12,000 annually for a typical 4,000m2 system (i.e. $3,000 water and $12,000 fertiliser).

This project has received continuing excellent reviews from the completed workshops in Victoria, Tasmania, Coffs Harbour, Western Australia and Queensland. Most participants were surprised at the amount of extra greenhouse technical growing information supplied at these workshops, more than what they were expecting, and all felt that they would be able to implement this advice very easily into their own systems.

The free grower workshops consist of the following elements:
1. Hydroponic nutrient feed recipes for all identified vegetable crops
2. Recipes to cover the changing physiological stages for each crop
3. Root-zone nutrition targets for each vegetable crop
4. Adaption recipes to balance and control root-zone nutrition
5. Interpretation of laboratory drain analysis results
6. How to convert from open to closed systems by capture of drain water and reuse
7. Plant nutrition and nutrient management
8. Drain and freshwater sterilisation options and assessment (investment and annual running costs)
9. Demonstration of recycling equipment (blend valves and controllers)
10. Workbook and CD ROM containing automatic greenhouse nutrition software program.

This project has the capacity to save the protected cropping industry around $25 million annually and divert approx 5 gigalitres of water potentially impacting on the natural environment.

There is still an opportunity to attend the workshops in NSW. For further information contact Ross Wade (Horticulture Centre, GOTafe, Shepparton) on , or email rwade@gotafe.vic.edu.au

The Canadian Greenhouse Conference (CGC) will be held in Hall 5 of the International Centre, 6900 Airport Rd, Mississauga (Toronto), Ontario, Canada, from 6-7 October 2010.

The annual CGC began in 1979 with the purpose of organising a speaker program for greenhouse growers on the latest in practical crop production and marketing information. Speakers are brought from all over the world to talk about the latest in research and technology. Also growers take part in the program sharing their own experiences. The event also gives growers and greenhouse suppliers a forum to network through the tradeshow.

Since 1979 CGC has grown to 200 exhibitors and attracts over 2500 attendees. A typical conference consists of:
• 2 days of speaker sessions for greenhouse flower and vegetable growers
• 80,000 sq. ft. trade show with over 150 exhibitors
• ‘New Varieties’ and ‘New Products’ displays showing the latest introductions to the Canadian marketplace
• Two separate pre-conference bus tours: one tour to greenhouse flower operations, the other to greenhouse vegetable operations.

This year, the keynote speaker is Greg Whittstock (Aquascapes Inc.) who will talk on ‘Re-energising your Business’. Another keynote speech is ‘Taxing Carbon: How it’s impacting the North American Greenhouse Industry’. The conference program also includes a strong focus on IPM and research updates.

For further information contact:
Bob and Donna Cobbledick,
324 Lake Street, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada L3M 1Z4
Ph: Fax: +1 (905) 945-8643
Email: info@canadiangreenhouseconference.com
Website: www.canadiangreenhouseconference.com

BiOWiSH™, a breakthrough enzyme technology, has boosted hydroponic lettuce weights by up to 30% at harvest time, according to results of a recent trial. The new technology was adopted during multiple full growing cycles at the Glenorie Hydroponics lettuce farm in New South Wales. The results showed BiOWiSH™ treated lettuce were 17% to 30% heavier at harvest time for red and green butter lettuce varieties, respectively.

BiOWiSH™ is a natural soil ameliorant and water treatment that provides an optimum environment for plant development and growth. Through the action of a proprietary group of enzymes and co-factors, BiOWiSH™ enhances the availability of nutrients, producing healthier, more vibrant and stronger plants.

Joe D’anastasi, owner of Glenorie Hydroponics, said the technology will revolutionise the industry by helping farmers to harvest more regularly.

“I have been in the hydroponics business for 23 years and I haven’t seen anything like it before.”

“We introduced the technology in one of our worst performing greenhouses, to really test it out, but within weeks it became one of our best in terms of plant performance and health.

Not only were the lettuces heavier, they were also thicker and more consistent,” he said.

According to BiOWiSH Technologies Sales and Marketing Manager, Cameron Burgess, the technology also prevents problematic sludge build-up and algae accumulation in irrigation channels by accelerating the breakdown of organic wastes into its final inert compounds.

Mr Burgess added that the potential impacts of the technology on a global scale are huge.

“Food production needs to triple in the next 50 years to feed a rapidly growing global population. It is exciting to think what our technology can do to help address looming food shortages worldwide,” he said.

BiOWiSH Technologies owns exclusive rights to BiOWiSH™. The company has adapted the technology for the hydroponics market by developing a powder product called BiOWiSH™-Crop, which is added to irrigation tanks as part of a hydroponics farm’s nutrient system.

BiOWiSH™-Crop is distributed locally by Accent Hydroponics. To download the complete Glenorie Hydroponics case study, go to the company website.

For further information contact:
Lorenzo Gella,
BiOWiSH Technologies
Email: lorenzog@biowishtechnologies.com
Website: www.biowishtechnologies.com