Fci September 2014

w w w. f l o r a c u lt u r e . e u

Pot plants Cleaning up caladiums and cultivating patents AUSTRALIA

Protea cluster roots: a curiosity in context

RUSSIA

Russia may ban flower imports in second package of sanctions

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Table of Contents

September 2014 Volume 24 Number 9

Cleaning up caladiums and cultivating patents

08

An idea, which has remained dormant for over 20 years, but could be a key element in revolutionising the Florida caladium industry, appears on the threshold of becoming a reality.

by Harry Hollander

IP protection for plant innovations - where it all began Awareness towards Intellectual Property for plants, in contrast to many other consumer products, still presents a major challenge on all levels of supply chain as well as within the general public.

by Andrea Mansuino

12

2014 IFEX Japan

IFEX is the perfect gateway to Asia.

This year’s show will be bigger and more exciting than ever.

by Ron van der Ploeg

16

Expanding the emphasis

Over a hundred delegates attended the 45th annual convention of Fleuroselect, held in July in England. They came from thirteen European countries, and from Asia and the USA. The largest contingent – just over forty – came from the Netherlands. by our own correspondent

18

Protea cluster roots: a curiosity in context

Carboxylate-releasing cluster roots of Proteaceae play a key role in acquiring phosphorus (P) from ancient nutrient-impoverished soils in Australia. However, cluster roots are also found in Proteaceae on young, P-rich soils in Chile where they allow P acquisition from soils that strongly sorb P.

by Hans Lambers, Mabel Delgado and Michael W. Shane

21st Hortitec sees increased interest from breeders

Hortitec, Brazil’s largest horticultural trade show, was held in Holambra (São Paulo state) from May 28-30. This year’s edition welcomed 410 exhibitors and about 26,000 visitors, that attended not only to keep in touch with new technology and varieties displayed at the fair, but also to take part in several courses, training sessions and lectures that took place at the same time.

25

by Mauricio Mathias

Russia may ban imports of flowers in second sanctions package

Departments

The Russian government has decided not to impose a ban on the imports of flowers from the EU, however such a decision may be taken in case of further deterioration of the situation between the sides.

26

by Eugene Gerden

‘Urbinati offers real savings to growers’

Urbinati Srl is a state-of-the-art company for technological innovation in the horticultural industry. Since 1980, the Italian firm has been introducing innovative solutions for simplifying and improving working conditions in horticultural firms.

30

by Aldo Colombo

20

FCI’s international partnerships World News International Events Advertising Index

4 15 24 33

Columns From the editor Dutch Comfort Miami Buon Giorno Certifiable in California

07 11 17 23 27

September 2014 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com

5

FloraCulture The business magazine for worldwide floriculture

w w w . f l o r a c u l t u r e in t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m

Guide to IFTF exhibition in Vijfhuizen In the run up to the IFTF exhibition in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands, (5th -7th November), the leading international B2B magazine, FloraCulture International (www.floracultureinternational.com) is pleased to announce the Guide to IFTF. For more information contact the FCI TEAM Jaap N. Kras, jaap@floracultureinternational.com +31 (0) 653 241 121 Hedd Alwyn Hughes, hedd@floracultureinternational.com +31 (0) 622 165 220 Angie Duffree, angie@floracultureinternational.com +31 (0)297 769 095

w w w . f l o r a c u l t u r e in t e r n a t i o n a l . c o m

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In my opinion In my opinion In my opinion In my opinion In my opinion With compliments From editor With the compliments

FloraCulture International (ISSN1051-9076) is published monthly.Worldwide distribution. © 2009 FloraCulture International magazine. All rights reserved. No portion of editorial may FloraCulture is published monthly.Worldwide distribution. be reproducedInternational in any form (ISSN1051-9076) without written permission of the publisher. Publisher is not liable © 2009 FloraCulture International magazine.

All rights reserved.

No portion of editorial may for advertisements using illegally obtained images.

Send address changes to FloraCulture FloraCulture International (ISSN1051-9076) is published monthly.Worldwide distribution. be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

Publisher is not liable International magazine, P.O.Box 82, 1850 ABAllHeiloo, theNetherlands. © 2009 FloraCulture International magazine. rights No portion of editorial may by Ron vanQuality, for advertisements using illegally obtained images.

Sendreserved. address changes to FloraCulture FloraCulture International (ISSN1051-9076) is published monthly.Worldwide distribution. der Ploeginnovation, sustainability and logistics are words that be in anyInternational form without written permission of the publisher.

Publisher is not may liable © reproducedmagazine, often appear in our editorial.

Th is isand a compliment you, the International P.O.Box 82, 1850 AB theNetherlands.

2009 FloraCulture magazine.

AllHeiloo, rights reserved.

No portion of editorial FloraCulture International (ISSN1051-9076) is published monthly.Worldwide distribution.

Quality, innovation, sustainability logistics aretowords that for advertisements using illegally obtained images.

Sendof address changes Publisher to FloraCulture © be reproduced in any form without written permission theofpublisher. is not liable fl oriculture industry; the interviewees and contributors remain 2009 FloraCulture International magazine.

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Sustainability also goes hand indirector hand Italy, Southern France: Labuschagnecontrol focuses on sustainable programs to assist in optimum Scandinavia: Bjarke (post@lottebjarke.dk) South America: Marta Pizano de Marquez (marta@floracultureinternational.com) Armellini Businesswoman of the Year award. global village.

A special thanks must go to Maria Starodubrovskaya Paul William LB Text & Idé, Søndervej 10, 8350 Hundslund, Denmark T(45) 21 48 75 30 ofthe Priva, whoseSustainability accomplishments havehand been rewarded withdirector the from Scandinavia: (lotte@fl oracultureinternational.com) T (57)&15 30Lotte 20 36Bjarke F (57) 12 36Hundslund, 25 54 hortitec@unete.com with the vision and hard work of Meiny Prins, managing Arturo Croci (arturo@fl oracultureinternational.com) Sustainability crosses over into logistics under the subject of control above ground. also goes in hand LB Text Idé, Søndervej 10, 8350 Denmark Horti Tecnia Ltda., Calle 85 No20-25 Of. 202B, Bogotá, Colombia Black Armellini Moscow (who took an internship at FCI) and to my dear Russian South America: Marta Pizano de Marquez (marta@fl oracultureinternational.com) Businesswoman of the Year award.

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Black Horti Tecnia Ltda., Calle 85 No20-25 Of.T(45) 202B,21 Bogotá, Colombia South America: Marta Pizano deDenmark Marquez (marta@fl oracultureinternational.com) USA, Canada, Central America: Businesswoman of the Year award.

LB Text & Idé, Søndervej 10, 8350 Hundslund, 48 75 30 resulting from using this tool.

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T (81) 33 32 75 756 F (81) 33 32 27 933 are another institution that have a long history in EMS Inc., 2-22-8 Matsubara, Setagaya-ku,Tokyo 156-0043, Japan Anabel Evans, Editor California Pack Trials, which, like the auctions, Yoshikawa Policar T (27) 22 4857058 F (27) 22 4857415 FloraCulture International (ISSN1051-9076) is published monthly.

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8

Pot plants An idea, which has remained dormant for over 20 years, but could be a key element in revolutionising the Florida caladium industry, appears on the threshold of becoming a reality.

Through the use of tissue culture technology, Dr. Robert Hartman, a grower-researcher, is betting that a caladiumcertification programme will set new standards and breathe new life into the 1,000 to 1,200acre industry.

Cleaning up caladiums and cultivating patents H

artman, President of Classic Caladiums, LLC (a division of Abbott-IPCO, Inc.) began delving into caladium tissue culture in the early 1980s as a means of "cleaning up viruses" found in most of today's commercially grown caladiums.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the plant industry since graduating from the University of Florida in 1974 with a plant pathology doctorate, Hartman's credentials are impressive. He has authored over 28 publications in the areas of pathology, tissue culture, nematology, horticulture, proprietary rights, and plant breeding.

Caladium capital of the world

Caladiums are native to the South American Amazon River Basin.

Most varieties, which are from 40 to 100 years old, are infected with a number of pathogens that eventually weaken the plants.

Highlands County, FL, (the city of Lake Placid, in particular) is known as the "Caladium Capital of the World," accounting for an estimated 98% of global caladium bulb production. The industry is comprised of an estimated 10 to 15 growers, most of which are secondand third-generation growers of the colourful plants.

by Harry Hollander*

According to Hartman, historically little effort has been made to clean up the dozens of pathogens and viruses that infect caladium bulbs.

Not surprisingly, productions and quality have been declining for years. Hartman is confident that this trend can be reversed through a certification programme which employs sophisticated tissue culture techniques. The result should lead to improved quality and expanded marketing opportunities.

Tissue culture

Hartman believes that tissue culture is an integral part of the solution to the age-old virus and other systemic pathogen problems. If successful, it would offer tremendous benefits to the industry. "Basically, the tissue culture process resets the aging clock of a plant," Hartman explains. "Tissue-cultured plants are physiologically younger or more juvenile than the donor plant from which they were derived. Though genetically identical, they are youngsters compared to their aged parents."

In laymen's terms, Hartman poses the question: "Would you rather have a plant with a 100-year history of production and exposure to pathogens, or a four-year-old plant with limited exposure to diseases?"

He thinks the answer is a "nobrainer."

Certification programmes

Bob Hartman.

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

Through laboratory detection processes, caladium bulbs with a limited number of viruses are selected. Then, through the tissue culture process, bulbs are eventually

Disease-free certified stock has been planted on raised beds of white sand, covered with plastic sheeting and irrigated with drip lines, much like strawberries and tomatoes.

"cleaned up" to the point that they no longer carry the disparaging pathological traits of the parent plant. Once that stage is reached, certification is within reach, and it's time to begin field production.

Certification programmes have been successful in the production of chrysanthemums, carnations, and potatoes. As Hartman moves into uncharted waters, he admits that the caladium bulbs sold from the certification programme cannot be certified as 100% pathogen free since there are four years of stock-building field exposure. But since they start out as free of disease

as possible, and are only increased over a four-year period in isolation from commercial stock, the performance of the resulting bulbs will be extremely rewarding for the industry, predicts Hartman.

Certification programmes in horticulture date back more than 50 years, notes Hartman, but he stresses that a four-step process is necessary to dilute the expense of the programme to desired levels.

The process starts with disease-free tissue culture stock that is increased in isolated fields over a four-year period through two build-up steps and a final production phase.

Caladiums are used as landscape accents.

Unlike traditional practices, all production material is sold, and the end result is bulbs that have much lower disease incidence with significantly increased vigour.

Dr. Brent Harbaugh, a former floriculture professor at the University of Florida's Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Bradenton, echoes Hartman's views. He notes that "many cultivars have accumulated fungal and viral disease organisms over many years, and indexing is certainly a good disease management tool, as seen in many other crops such as potatoes or geraniums."

Promising results

Classic Caladiums, LLC, one of the top caladium bulb producers in the world, initiated its certification programme. Hartman says preliminary results in bulb quality and size have been extremely promising.

Principal marketing outlets for caladium bulbs are large pot plant growers who supply major retail consumer outlets. In recent years, however, more bulbs have been utilised for annual landscapes, with some of the larger bulbs being seen as very attractive.

Hartman has bucked tradition in yet another production step: His disease-free certified stock has been planted on raised beds of white

>>>

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

9

10

Pot plants

Summer Pink

Pink Splash

sand, covered with plastic sheeting and irrigated with drip lines, much like strawberries and tomatoes.

His growing sites are isolated miles away from the long-time hot bed of caladium production along the muck-rich shores of Lake Istokpoga.

Hartman says the stages necessary to develop certified caladium bulbs are inherently more expensive than normal commercial crops, but those costs are nullified to some degree due to increased yields and improved field performance.

Nevertheless, costs are expected to be about 10% higher per unit than traditional bulbs.

Classic Caladiums initiated its certification programme 12 years ago and is now in full production of offering all varieties certified.

Patenting new varieties

In addition Bob Hartman has been breeding new varieties in a test greenhouse at the company's main office in Avon Park, FL before moving to the trial fields to check if they produce sufficient yields before adding them to full time production. At this time he has been issued 20 patents for commercial new varieties and has applied for 12 more.

Hartman said that for patents there

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

Starburst

is a filing date, a granting date and an issuance date that there are fees associated with those steps. He explained it is a lengthy process, and it can take years to develop a variety of a caladium. Thousands of seedlings are planted and are evaluated. Hartman said only three to five varieties will be introduced a year to be patented.

"A variety to be successful needs to have all the links of the chain," he added. "It has got to work for production, which are yield things and disease resistant things. It has to work for the pot producers our primary customer.� He added, "It has to be beautiful. If it is not beautiful it doesn't matter if it has all the other characteristics.�

The attorney fees and issuance costs run about $3,000, per variety, he said. "That doesn't include any problems during the process. They review the patents and can kick them out if you didn't adequately describe something. You have to be prepared to defend your patent and that can be scary.�

Once he applies, Hartman said it takes about 18 months before the patent is issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

J. Raymond Kessler, extension

floriculture specialist at Auburn University, said it makes sense for the new varieties of plants to be patented. Kessler said breeding programmes at many universities have been discontinued because of the amount of time involved.

Caladium: a showy plant with large, colourful leaves.

Dutch Comfort

by Jaap N. Kras

The introduction of the Euro in 2002 fundamentally changed how I view Price Elasticity of Demand and the Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand. In economics, these measures are respectively used to show the responsiveness, or elasticity of the quantity demanded of a good or service to a change in its price and the responsiveness of the demand for a good to a change in the price of another good. Narrowing the topic down to cut flowers and flowering plants, if rose prices are low, consumers will be willing to buy a larger quantity of flowers, if prices are raised, rose sales will tend to decline. Meanwhile, if spray carnations are expensive, consumer will buy cheap tulips or chrysanthemums.

Increasingly often it seems that even the smallest change in supply and demand can cause prices to fluctuate, not only from day to day, but sometimes from hour to hour. The earlier in the morning a grower auctions his flowers, the better the price he will receive!

One of the reasons of ‘yo-yo pricing’ is that clock prices no longer reflect the real market situation. If only 40% of the total cut flower supply is sold via the clocks, how is the price set for the remaining 60% of flowers that are sold directly to the trade? Probably, prices from the previous year are used, prices for the same period and for the same product, with the present day auction price regarded as benchmark. Two very unreliable sources in my opinion.

Candyland

"There is a need for the breeder to recoup his money," Kessler said.

Commercial names

Hartman believes some of the names commercial caladiums such as Irene Dank, Fannie Munson and John Peed don't appeal to people. "They don't resonate well with people," he said. "They ask 'where' when you say John Peed."

"The names are important; they are incredibly important," Hartman said.

"We've been trying to come up with names that get people's attention." He noted the main consumer of caladiums is a woman 30 to 50 years old. "Guys are picking the names out, generally, but we always get women to say "what do you think of the name?' " Every time a name is picked, Hartman said he has to search the patent office date bank to see if the name is trademarked and 90 percent of the time they are.

"The hurdle for trademark is that you can't create confusion in the market place," he said. "If I pick a name, which we did recently - Jamboree. There is a big horticulture company that has trademarked the name Jamboree for horticultural plants, and we just backed off."

For more details visit www.classiccaladiumsllc.com |||

Another reason is the consumer. The consumer doesn’t care whether a flower is one cent cheaper or more expensive. It’s very hard to find a consumer who can tell the exact price per stem. Women are the primary buyers for flowers and plants and they tend to buy according to their need, which are often associated with a specific moment (gift, wedding, funeral). They also carefully consider the impression the flowers will make on the receiver. And when decorating their own home, women tend to look for the right balance between price and quality. When the budget is tight, they want to spend only a few euros on a supermarket bouquet. If more money is available, women opt for a flowering houseplant. If two options present themselves, for example, a €15 rose bouquet with a 5-day vase life, or a potted Phalaenopsis or Anthurium that can be enjoyed for 3 months or even longer, their preference is easy to predict.

A third reason for the fluctuation of prices is that retailers, supermarket s and florists try to sell their flowers year round for more or less the same price. But the reality is that prices in summer, when production is higher and cheaper, are significantly lower than in winter. And market prices between retailer and producer, auction and wholesaler and wholesaler and secondary wholesaler vary even more.

The shorter the distance to the producer, the bigger the difference in price.

There are periods that prices don’t cover production costs at farmer’s level, while consumers continue to pay a relatively high price. Apparently, consumers are more than willing to pay a high enough price for a cut flower, while the competition in the vertical supply chain provokes bottom prices for farmers. Imagine that a consumer pays €2 for 10 tulips = €0.20c. per tulip or €1.90 for 5 chrysanthemums = €0.38c. per stem. We, industry- insiders perfectly know that the wholesaler may earn perhaps 9 or 11 cents for the tulip and 16 cents for a chrysanthemum stem. With production costs for tulips and chrysanthemum being around 12 cents and 19 cents respectively, growers face important losses.

In a market where consumers still pay 20 cents and 38 cents, producers are forced to look for direct sales. And that is exactly what growers around the world do: they are increasingly operating in close vicinity to consumer markets.

Harry Hollander is CEO of Abbott_IPCO, Inc.

Jaap N. Kras jaap@floracultureinternational.com

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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12

Intellectual property Plant Breeder's Rights (PBR) are used to protect new plant varieties that are distinct, uniform and stable. The rights are a form of intellectual property (IP), like patents and trademarks, and are administered under the Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994. Awareness towards Intellectual Property for plants, in contrast to many other consumer products, still presents a major challenge on all levels of supply chain as well as within the general public.

by Andrea Mansuino, President of CIOPORA*

Securing the future for innovation in horticulture

I

don’t think that many people realise to which extent their lives nowadays are influenced by horticulture. While the flower shops with their abundant offerings embellish the countless street corners and squares, while the rapidly developing urban gardening keeps raising the demand for space-saving and robust plants, while fresh fruits are increasingly becoming essential for both health-conscious and gourmet diets, the daily practices of an average consumer are inevitably affected by the availability and quality of horticultural products.

However, even less prominent is the fact that the ornamental and fruit varieties, along with many other consumer products, are the results of elaborate and time-consuming innovative process – the bounties of specialised labour and intellectual activity – ergo the objects of protection under the specific Intellectual Property (IP) regime.

UPOV

The cornerstone of a worldwide system for Plant Variety Protection (PVP) was laid in 1961 when the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) was established by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants in Paris. Apart from the foundation of UPOV, the Convention 1961 contained a set of norms for regulation of the sui generis IP system, Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR), whose potential holders yet in the same year organised themselves in CIOPORA – the International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and – later – Fruit Varieties. Today, more than half a century later and after three revisions of the UPOV Convention, CIOPORA remains the only international association representing the interests of horticultural breeders solely in regard of their IP rights.

Challenges and success stories

Without any doubt, effective IP protection, be it by means of PBR, patent or trademark, is the one of essential preconditions of the continuous economic development.

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

There is much more to the PVR than the basic requirements of distinctness, uniformity, stability and novelty of a variety, for which a Plant Breeders’ Right can be granted.

The increasingly versatile market and high density of competing products, the major production and supply chain shifts due to the globalisation processes, the growing demand for innovative, disease and climate resistant, resource-saving plant varieties, and the increasing cost of the high-tech innovation are constantly challenging the existing PVP system.

For breeders and other players of the business all these processes result in a growing need for clarification of such key issues of the UPOV system as Minimum Distance between the varieties, Essentially Derived Variety (EDV), scope of right, breeders’ exemption, etc. CIOPORA focuses its activities on clarification of these matters.

The latest development is the adoption of four CIOPORA Position Papers on IP by the Annual General Meeting of its members in The Hague in March 2014 – the result of an elaborate democratic discussion within the association, the first phase of which took over 18 month to conclude and which will continue till the CIOPORA’s AGM in Tel-Aviv in March 2015.

The main purpose of the Position Papers on IP is to embody the vision of breeders’ community for the IP protection for the future.

CIOPORA is undertaking steps towards bringing this vision into reality by engaging with UPOV, Community Plant Variety Office and national governments.

While regulation and rules may look fine on paper, enforcement remains the major challenge of the industry. The lack of specialised courts and PVP expertise among judges often complicate the matters. Nevertheless, there are many success stories to be reported in the area of enforcement, including ornamentals, fruits and other crops.

For instance, the latest issue of CIOPORA Chronicle which appeared in June 2014 contains a report by Mr. Nicola Novaro, an IP lawyer from Italy, about the successful

Ciopora’s president, Andrea Mansuino.

actions against the illegal propagators of tomato and lettuce in Italy (CIOPORA Chronicle 2014, Novaro, N., 42-44). According to the Italian laws several options are available to PBR holders in their fight against piracy: in addition to the civil action, criminal charges can be brought against the PBR infringers (ibid.) Successful enforcement actions are also reported from other parts of the world, e.g. from Brazil, where the illegal propagation of the rose variety Nirpeter registered under the trademark Versília™ was detected in 2006. Although the court in first instance had condemned the grower to pay damages (EUR 6.700) for the unauthorised use of trademark only, the appeal in the second instance was successful – not only the damages for the unauthorised use of trademark were raised to EUR 13.500, but also the unauthorised use of the plant variety Nirpeter was admitted which resulted in the additional damage payment of EUR 5.688 (CIOPORA Newsletter 2/3 – 2014).

Looking back at the Nirpeter case

it is worth emphasising that not only PBR, but also trademarks and patents present strong instruments for IP rights enforcement in plants.

The key element is the availability of a balanced IP portfolio and its smart management.

Even if the road to protection and enforcement of IP rights in plants seems long and rocky now - in the end the benefiters of the successful enforcement actions include not only the plaintiffs (e.g. breeders), but also many honest propagators, growers, whose competitiveness is put into jeopardy by the pirates. Currently, CIOPORA is concentrating its attention on possibility of joint enforcement actions in Russia and Mexico.

the sector of horticulture are small to medium enterprises with abundance of knowledge, but often lacking the recourses to enforce their rights or even track the illegal propagation of their varieties. These SMEs are major innovation hubs and employment generators, who can only survive by being fairly reimbursed for their innovative product development. Another preconception which is often on the tongues and minds is that the breeders’ royalties are sky-high. To address this issue CIOPORA calculated that the portion of royalties in incomes of apple growers varies from 0.33% at low level to 1,5% at high level production per year. In contrast to this relatively small numbers, the development of one successful commercial apple variety might take up to 20 years.

The balance is clear – as plant breeding activities are highly beneficial for the society, the protection of its products by PBR, trademarks and patents is of highest importance for all the players of the value chain. In order to raise awareness for IP rights in plants CIOPORA organises seminars and conferences as well as sends representatives to various external educational events, such as e.g. CPVO annual enforcement seminars.

IP & economic development – two sides of one coin

Without any doubt, effective IP protection, be it by means of PBR, patent or trademark, is the one of essential preconditions of the continuous economic development. As a general statement, we can say that there can be no progress without innovation and fair play within the value chain. IP and economic development appear to be two sides of one coin.

This article was first published in the WFO Farmletter June 2014. |||

Science & prejudice

Awareness towards Intellectual Property for plants, in contrast to many other consumer products, still presents a major challenge on all levels of supply chain as well as within the general public. For instance, a prejudice exists that IP rights only serve large companies. On the contrary – many breeding companies in

* CIOPORA is the International Association of Breeders of Vegetatively Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Varieties. Breeders of such crops hold ca. 2/3 of all PVR titles in the world.

Since more than 50 years CIOPORA represents them in all matters of Intellectual Property Protection.

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

13

World News United States Kennicott and Nordlie merge operations Kennicott Brothers Company and Nordlie Inc., headquartered in Warren, MI, announced a mutual agreement to merge their companies on July 31, 2014.

Kennicott Brothers Company will acquire the assets and liabilities of Nordlie Inc. As the merger is completed, eligible Nordlie employees will become members of the Kennicott ESOP, which will own 100% of the combined companies.

The Netherlands Flower beards are here

Founded in 1928 by Fred Nordlie, Nordlie Inc. has been operated

by James O. Nordlie after his return from military service in World War II and graduation from the University of Michigan.

Said Nordlie upon his induction into the Michigan Floral Association Hall of Fame in 2011, “A great part of the credit [for our success and longevity] goes to our loyal, hard-working, and dedicated employees.”

Love it or hate it, but flower beards are here. Here’s some clever flower marketing from Mirakuleus and orchid grower Sion.

According to Mirakuleus, a Dutch marketing consulting company which specialises in the floral supply chain and fresh produce business, boldly coloured flowers entwined with facial hair are this year’s blossoming fashion statement. The brand builder from De Lier spotted the opportunity for some clever orchid marketing when the story of floral beard styling hit the headlines of social media. Subsequently, Mirakuleus and one of its major clients, orchid grower Sion teamed up to host a flower-bearded men photo shoot. Besides their flowery beards, the six hipsters share something else too as they all work in Holland’s ornamental horticulture and gardening industry. |||

The merger expands the number of wholesale distribution facilities under the Kennicott umbrella to a total of 18 locations.

In October 2012, the company joined forces with Chicago-based Vans Floral Products to extend its operations into MI, MN, IN and GA in addition to its strong presence in greater Chicago, Milwaukee and northern Indiana. Nordlie Inc. operates seven locations in three states: Flint, Warren and Grandville, MI; Dayton, Cleveland and Newton Falls, OH; and Tampa, FL. According to Kennicott President Gustavo Gilchrist, “We are pleased to join forces with the Nordlie organization and continue the tradition of excellent service and quality to their customer base. Going forward, the plan is to conduct business as usual at all Nordlie locations under the same name and operate under present management.”

Kennicott’s CEO Harrison “Red” Kennicott (pictured) noted that “Jim Nordlie, his business ethics and his professionalism have been a role model for me since my early years. We look forward to working with his great team of employee owners to serve retailers and grow together in our dynamic flower industry.”

Tom Addison and Tom Figueroa, Trustees of the Nordlie ESOP, added the following statement: “During our tenure with the company, Jim Nordlie always gave his employees the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. He promoted many of his managers from within the organization, and encouraged us to participate in educational opportunities within the industry. The move to 100% ESOP and the merger with Kennicott is endorsed by Jim and gives all employees a chance to plan for their future and participate in the continued success of his company.” |||

Colombia

Proflora 2015 announces new dates and venue During the opening ceremony of Proflora 2013, Asocolflores announced its intention to hold Proflora 2015 in the city of Medellin. However, the city is unfortunately currently unable to furnish the minimum required technical and economic conditions required of a specialised fresh-cut flower trade show the magnitude of Proflora. Therefore, Proflora 2015 has once again set its sights on the city of Bogota and the Corferias Convention Center for October 28th to 30th, 2015.

It bears repeating that Colombia’s best trade-show venue is still Corferias – a national institution that can indeed guarantee yet another success in 2015 and deliver the superior excellence that has distinguished Proflora throughout the years. |||

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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Japan IFEX is the perfect gateway to Asia.

This year’s show will be bigger and more exciting than ever.

IFEX 2014: bigger, better and more exciting N

ow in its 11th year, IFEX, will be held in conjunction with the International Garden Expo Tokyo (GARDEX), the International Hardware & Tools Expo Tokyo (TOOL JAPAN) and AGRIWORLD, which is the combination of the agriculture technology exhibition (AGRITECH JAPAN) and the next generation agriculture expo (AGRI NEXT).

The four shows together will be expanded to a fifth exhibit hall.

Record number of visitors

by Ron van der Ploeg

The show will be held at Tokyo’s Makuhari Messe from October 15-17 and is expected to gather a record-breaking number of 600 exhibitors.

When asked about the special features of this year’s show, Junichi Niibori, show director of event organiser Reed Exhibitions Japan said, “IFEX 2014 will offer attendees great opportunities to see the latest trends and products in the Japanese marketplace with plenty of exciting side-events taking place.

At the Flower & Plant Growers’ Fair, over 200 Japanese flower and plant growers will display their produce, including varieties which

Hana-Ike Battle flower arranging contest.

won the coveted Floriade Awards in 2012. At the New Plant Area, more than 50 new plant varieties from across Japan will steal the show with exhibitors including the winners of the ‘Japan Flower of the Year’ contest. Backed by one of the country’s leading trade magazines, a ‘Preserved Flower Arranging Contest’ will be held during the show for the first time. Here, the top 200 works selected by the jury will occupy pride of place.”

Building on last year’s success, IFEX 2014 will once again host the Fresh Flower Arranging Show. The line-up of flower arrangers hasn’t been unveiled yet, but will include world-renowned performers. The “Hana-Ike Battle” is expected to come back. Here, contestants show off their sense of style and techniques in 5 minutes, and the one who receive the most applause the audience is selected as the winner.

The cream of Japan’s flower industry Last year, Ms. Lilly Liu (second from right), chairman of the Taiwan Floriculture Exporters Association was among the many dignitaries to attend IFEX’ opening ceremony.

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

IFEX, contrary to other horticultural trade shows, draws together the cream of Japan’s and Asia’s flower industry and other relevant stakeholders in this sector. Niibori:

“Asian countries such as Taiwan, Indonesia and Sri Lanka have their national pavilions, playing host to top flower growers. Japan will occupy pride of place with its exhibit of over 200 small to medium-sized flower growing companies and their specialty flowers which the country is so famous for. There is no other place like IFEX where visitors can enjoy meeting and doing business with so many Asian and Japanese flower growers. Moreover, IFEX and its parallel events are the perfect example of synergy.

Aimed specifically for the gardening industry, GARDEX hosts 260 exhibitors. Its visitors are keen to source new products, trade and keep pace with industry trends.

Additionally, AGRI WORLD gathers 600 exhibitors and ranks among Japan’s largest agricultural/ horticultural technology exhibition, gathering predominantly growers and farmers. All in all, these three combined trade shows provide a comprehensive overview of what is on offer in ornamental horticulture and gardening. Together they will host 1,600 exhibitors, while 30,000 visitors are expected to attend.”

by William Armellini

IFEX attracts a strong flow of international visitors and exhibitors.

Opening

The show will open its doors on October 15th with over 50 important flower wholesalers attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The President of Japan’s largest supermarket – Aeon Retail- whose sales reaches over JPY 6 trillion (approx. 60 billion USD) will join the ceremony again this year. The President of Japan’s second largest supermarket will also attend. Other ribbon-cutting dignitaries are expected to include presidents from Japan’s top flower shops, DIY stores, auctions, the mayor of Chiba City and ambassadors of participating countries.

Vitalise and energise

When asked about IFEX’ next step, its goals and challenges, Niibori said, “Japan’s flower market is facing difficult times.

We would like to vitalise and energise the industry. In order to achieve this goal, we think we need to make an exhibition where more exhibitors and visitors gather.”

Commenting on the current state of the country’s flower industry, Niibori concluded. “In terms of overall market size, the industry is seeing a downward trend, while the garden industry is going steady. Some trade associations are currently trying to stimulate Japan’s floral consumption by promoting various events such as Valentine’s Day which is still not very common in Japan. IFEX is delighted to take part in and promote these project, for example, by setting up special Valentine-themed booths and events.” |||

Miami

Connected or confused?

When I began writing this article, I imagined my precise words explaining the benefits of working with your suppliers or customers on data exchange. This is where tech savvy floral companies can format their invoicing data in a way that their customers can receive and process the details without having to input it manually. This is a huge time saver and reduces the risk of input errors so that the bunch of lilies you sold for $2.35 does not get invoiced at $.235. With today's technology, making this data exchange happen is not science fiction but a reality worth exploring.

Having worked closely with a few companies to make this happen, I have seen the big benefit from getting the required data into and out of their computer and sharing it with their larger trading partners - saving time and money.

My idea was to explain in great detail how this works and how simple it can be. However, the more I tried, the more I wrote myself into a corner until I came to the conclusion that it is not simple. Not only is it not simple to explain, but it is not so simple to implement either. Now, before we give up on this idea, there is more to learn. Basically this is a project that only makes sense for like-minded companies with a need to exchange large volumes of data that have the hardware, software and the will to make it happen. Regrettably, this would seem to exclude the bulk of the companies engaged in floral trading and make this article seem quite anticlimactic.

The good news is that some third party companies have begun to make this data flow process much easier and affordable. Offshore growers need to get their shipping and invoicing data into a digital format in order for their shipments to comply with export and import paperwork requirements. As a result, they have been forced to figure out the best way to accomplish this. The best solution lies with a select few cargo agents that have programs allowing growers and shippers to create their data right in the cargo agent's database. This process, by default, creates a common format so that the data from many growers and shippers is now in a common format that can more easily be shared with others. Basically, they have laid down the tracks so that most of the technical, expensive and hard computer integration work is already done for you. The companies using this method can now share their data with government agencies, freight forwarders, trucking companies and finally their customers. This makes very accurate and timely information available to those who need it and results in faster clearances, more accurate payments, and many other benefits.

In conclusion, my advice would be to check first with your own computer people to see what options you have and then with your trading and logistics partners to see what data exchange options, if any, exist with them. If the answer is "none" or "what the heck are you talking about", then you should begin by contacting me and I will be pleased to recommend a few companies that do offer this level of customer service.

Remember to wear your sunscreen Miami is HOT!

William Armellini. Editor Flowersandcents.com Williee@williee.com IFEX’ mission is to vitalise and energise the industry.

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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Fleuroselect convention Over a hundred delegates attended the 45th annual convention of Fleuroselect, held in July in England.

They came from thirteen European countries, and from Asia and the USA. The largest contingent – just over forty – came from the Netherlands.

Expanding the emphasis

F

ormed in 1970, this international organization for the ornamental plants industry now has over seventy companies in membership. Their interests range across breeding and the production and distribution of seeds and young plants. Although the emphasis is on varieties for bedding and container culture, members are also concerned with herbaceous perennials, pot plants for the home and cut flowers.

International ambience

by our own correspondent

Although the Fleuroselect office has always been in the Netherlands, the convention is located in a different country each year. In 2012 it was in Italy, last year it was in Denmark, and in 2015 it will be held in France. On each occasion one of the member companies acts as host, and this year it was Floranova, the only British company entirely dedicated to breeding a wide spectrum of seed-raised ornamental plants. Its varieties are well known across four continents. They include for exam-

The Breeders & Young Plant Producers Conference will take place on 2-3 December in the Relexa Airport Hotel DüsseldorfRatingen. Visited by an international audience of breeders and young plant producers, this Conference is an excellent opportunity to meet colleagues, exchange views and create new business opportunities. Further information and registrations on www.fleuroselect.com

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

Convention delegates visiting Floranova's trials.

ple the Horizon and Prism series of petunias, and the salvia series Sizzler. Floranova breeding work is carried out in California and India, as well as on its premises in eastern England.

The convention’s three day programme included the annual general meeting, and the gala awards dinner. Four visits were made, one of them a morning spent at Floranova’s summer trials, near Norwich in eastern England.

These featured more than 300 varieties and breeding lines, and included the company’s introductions for 2015. In the forefront of these is Bossa Nova, the first seedraised series of Begonia boliviensis hybrids.

Convention delegates also saw current and new varieties in

Floranova’s Vegetalis brand, edibles such as tomato, sweet and chilli peppers, aubergines and herbs. The common feature of these is suitability for home garden production in containers – tubs, troughs, window boxes and hanging baskets.

The second technical visit was to the John Innes Centre at the University of East Anglia. The Centre is internationally recognized for its work in biosciences, and has a staff of over eight hundred. Its library includes a major collection of historic books on botany and horticulture, and a visit to this was included in the programme for convention delegates.

Breeding breakthroughs For the first thirty years of its existence Fleuroselect was mainly con-

FleuroStar award 2015

FleuroStar 2015 winner canna Cannova® Bronze Scarlet F1.

cerned with varieties raised from seed. It became widely known in the horticultural trade for its trials system for new varieties and for its awards, especially the Fleuroselect Gold Medal for varieties that were truly innovative – breeding breakthroughs – and that demonstrated excellent performance.

In the 21st century Fleuroselect has also become increasingly involved in promoting the interests of breeders and young plant producers of varieties that are vegetatively propagated. The organization actively polices the application of Plant Breeders’ Rights legislation, to deter illegal propagation.

In addition to its annual convention other international conferences are organized by Fleuroselect. In midSeptember the fifth Home Garden Conference will take place, and in December a conference will be held for breeders and young plant producers. Both will be in Germany.

At this year’s gala dinner Herman Hamer, chief executive officer of Florensis was named as successor to Nils Klemm of Selecta Klemm, as president of the board of Fleuroselect. He will take office as of 15th January 2015 for a 3 year period.

The president and the board of Fleuroselect are supported by a

secretariat of three. Sally van der Horst is secretary general, and is assisted by Dianne Akkerhuis and marketing specialist Ann Jennen.

The 46th Convention will be held at Nantes in France from 21st to 23rd July, 2015, and will be hosted by Graines Voltz. |||

Cannova® Bronze Scarlet F1, a new seed-raised canna variety bred by Takii Europe, was named the winner of the 2015 FleuroStar Award at the gala dinner of this year’s Fleuroselect convention. This annual award was introduced in 2010, and is given for the new variety voted as the best from a short list. The thirty-strong judging panel is asked to choose for the variety’s Wow! Factor - the impact made on retail customers, leading them to make an impulse purchase.

Specimen plants of each are displayed together on the organization’s stands at the Flower Trials held each year in June in the Netherlands and Germany. This year they were at nine locations, and each member of the judging panel, all experts within the ornamental plants sector, was asked to judge and report on the candidate varieties at a number of locations.

This year’s winner, claimed to be the earliestflowering canna variety on the market, produces spikes of deep scarlet flowers, foiled by bronze leaves. The flowering period extends throughout the summer. Bred in the Netherlands, its performance in trials has proved that it can flourish in north European conditions as well as in countries with warmer climates.

The Fleuroselect headquarters team, with secretary general Sally van der Horst centre, Ann Jennen left and Dianne Akkerhuis right.

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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Australia Carboxylate-releasing cluster roots of Proteaceae play a key role in acquiring phosphorus (P) from ancient nutrientimpoverished soils in Australia. However, cluster roots are also found in Proteaceae on young, P-rich soils in Chile where they allow P acquisition from soils that strongly sorb P. Can we learn valuable lessons for crop selection, breeding, and engineering from a flora that has evolved to function in soils with an extremely low availability of P (Lambers et al., 2006, 2008b, 2010).

by Hans Lambers1, Mabel Delgado2 and Michael W. Shane1

Protea cluster roots: a curiosity in context

S

outh-western Australia was part of Gondwanaland, and some of the most ancient parts of the earth’s crust can be found here. The rocks are up to 3.6 billion years old, with some of the sediments being as old as 4.3 billion years. This explains why the soils are amongst the most heavily leached and nutrient-impoverished in the world. Other parts of the south-western Australian landscape originated up to 2-million years ago from calcareous marine deposits.

Chile was also part of Gondwanaland, but soils there are continually rejuvenated due to volcanic activity

and earthquakes, and hence soils are considerably more fertile. Phosphorus is an essential element for all living organisms. However, it is also one of the least available nutrients in many soils in both south-western Australia and Chile, at least for plants that are not adapted to these soils.

Hotspot of biodiversity

South-western Australia is one of the world’s 25 hotspots of biodiversity. The Proteaceae (e.g., Banksia, Grevillea, Hakea) represent the top most species-rich plant family in Australia, and have a very long

geological association with the continent, beginning approximately 65 million years ago. South-western Australia is home to about 600 Proteaceae species, more than in any other region in the world. In Chile, there are only six native Proteaceae.

The Proteaceae offer a unique opportunity to contrast plant adaptations to ancient nutrientimpoverished soils with adaptations to young fertile volcanic soils. We have used that opportunity, to learn more about traits that would be desirable for crop plants grown in south-western Australian or Chilean soils.

Cluster roots of Australian (A, B) and Chilean (C, D) Proteaceae. A) ‘Simple, cluster roots of Hakea prostrata contrast with the B) ‘compound’ cluster roots of Banksia repens. C) ‘Claviform’ cluster roots of Gevuina avellana are composed of rootlets that mature to develop D) uniquely-shaped flattened tips. The function of these specialised tips is unknown. Bars = 15 mm in A, 10 mm in B, 15 mm in C, 1 mm in D.

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

Carboxylates

Effects of carboxylates (=organic anions) on inorganic phosphorus (Pi) and organic phosphorus (Po) mobilisation in soil. Carboxylates are released via an anion channel. Carboxylates mobilise both inorganic and organic phosphorus, which both strongly bind to soil particles. Phosphatases are enzymes that release phosphorus from organic phosphorus-containing molecules, once these have been mobilised by carboxylates.

Cluster roots

A relatively large proportion of the species from the nutrient-poor soils in south-western Australia, including almost all Proteaceae, cannot produce a symbiotic association with a mycorrhizal fungus.

That appears paradoxical, because mycorrhizas are widely considered an adaptation to phosphorusimpoverished soils. Moreover, it is widely accepted that all ancestors of the Proteaceae were once mycorrhizal. Therefore, during the course of millions of years of evolution, most of the species belonging to the Proteaceae must have lost their ability to be colonised by symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi. Instead, many species belonging to these plant families in Australia produce cluster (or proteoid) roots (Fig. 1A, B). Cluster roots also occur in several other species belonging to different families that are common in Australia, e.g., Viminaria juncea (native broom) and Allocasuarina and Casuarina species (she-oak).

Some lupins, which are used as crop plants in Australia and Chile, also produce cluster roots. Interestingly, a unique ‘claviform’ type of cluster root is produced only by Gevuina avellana, a Chilean Proteaceae (Fig. 1C, D).

Model summarising the available information on Embothrium coccineum and Hakea prostrata grown in nutrient solution, showing divergent investment in and carboxylate exudation of cluster roots of a Proteaceae species from Chile versus that of a species in south-western Australia.

The functioning of the cluster roots of Proteaceae has been a major component of our recent investigations in the School of Plant Biology at the University of Western Australia. Once it was believed that their adaptive significance was to enhance the roots’ absorptive surface area, and hence allowed the roots to ‘scavenge’ for nutrients. However, the individual rootlets and root hairs of the root cluster would all be competing with each other for the same phosphorus molecules in the soil, and hence not make this a very effective scavenging structure.

Instead it is more likely that the large root surface area serves as a platform from which exudates are released and concentrated close to the root surface.

We discovered that cluster roots of Australian and Chilean Proteaceae release vast amounts of carboxylates (organic anions), especially citrate, during just a few of days in their very short existence. Cluster roots of the south-western Australia Hakea prostrata live for about three weeks only; those of the southern South American Embothrium coccineum live a bit longer

and also release carboxylates for a slightly longer period. Citrate effectively mobilises phosphorus and micronutrients that are ‘locked up’ in the soil, pushing these vital nutrients into the soil solution for the roots to take up.

Therefore, cluster roots chemically ‘mine’ soils (Fig. 2). This is a costly process, because of the large quantities of carboxylates that have to be produced and released. However, the root clusters are very successful where roots that lack this ability to ‘mine’ the soil, including mycorrhizal roots, would fail.

Crop plants

The Chilean example shows that cluster roots are not only important for plants occurring on severely phosphorusimpoverished soils in Australia.

In Chile, young soils contain considerably more total phosphorus, but due to the acidity of the soil and large amounts of iron and aluminium, much of this phosphorus is essentially ‘locked up’ and not available for plants. The cluster roots can ‘unlock’ this phosphorus.

The species we studied (E.

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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Australia

Hakea prostrata grown in soil collected from its natural habitat. Phosphorus was added to pots providing treatments at a range of phosphorus supplies. A). The plant in the centre of the image (green and yellow tape on the pot) was grown at the highest phosphorus supply, and shows an overall lighter-green foliage compared with the dark-green healthy leaves of plants in pots next to it. B). Symptoms of leaf phosphorus toxicity include necrotic lesions, light and dark spots and the formation of white crystals on the leaf surface.

coccineum) does not produce a lot of cluster root biomass, compared with H. prostrata, but its cluster roots release more carboxylates (Fig. 3).

This makes sense, as there is more to be gained from the soil in which this species occurs naturally.

Ideally, crop plants would have similar adaptations of efficient nutrient acquisition, to perform well on the soils in south-western Australia and Chile, and this has also been the subject of our investigations. White lupin (Lupinus albus) has traits that are very similar to those of Proteaceae, and, consequently, these crop plants do better on phosphorus-impoverished soils in south-western Australia, when compared with wheat. Likewise, they are a significant crop in Chile, where they can be grown without adding any phosphorus as fertiliser.

Phosphorus fertilisation

Many Proteaceae, including Banksia and Hakea species, but not E. coccineum, are readily killed by phosphorus fertilisation; they are highly sensitive to slightly enhanced soil phosphorus levels (Fig. 4). They tend to accumulate phosphorus in their leaves, to concentrations that would be severely toxic to any plant (typically ≼ 1% of the dry mass).

However, other plants rarely achieve such high concentrations in their leaves, even when heavily fertilised

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

with phosphorus. That is because most plants reduce their phosphorusuptake capacity when supplied with high phosphorus concentrations in the soil or nutrient solution. They close the doors through which phosphorus enters the roots when a big crowd of phosphorus molecules is waiting to move in. We discovered that the extreme sensitivity of H. prostrata and other Proteaceae is due to a very low capacity to reduce their phosphorus-uptake systems when elevated phosphorus levels are present in the soil. Some time, during the course of millions of years of evolution on severely phosphorus-impoverished soils, for many Proteaceae this trait disappeared.

Respecting millions of years of evolution

To conserve a precious biodiverse flora in a phosphorus-impoverished biodiversity hotspot in south-western Australia, we have to respect these millions of years of evolution, and ensure that phosphorus-sensitive plants are not exposed to elevated soil phosphorus levels. This has been known for a long time by gardening enthusiasts (especially of the beautiful flowers of, e.g., South African Protea and Australian Banksia).

Having discovered the physiological cause of the phosphorus sensitivity of some Proteaceae, we made a wider

survey of related species. Interestingly, some plants that are closely related to hakeas, e.g., Grevillea crithmifolia, also belonging to the Proteaceae, do not suffer from phosphorus toxicity, even when exposed to phosphorus levels that are much higher than those that kill some Hakea or Banksia species. This grevillea closes its doors through which phosphorus moves in when supplied with a lot of phosphorus. We have also discovered that these traits apply to various species of South African Proteaceae.

Relatively P-insensitive Proteaceae species are typically associated with soils that contain more plan-available phosphorus, e.g., those derived from more nutrient-rich parent material.

The sheer diversity of traits adopted by various Proteaceae from Australia, South America and South Africa offers enormous potential for breeders who are keen to develop new cultivars in the Proteaceae. It should not be too difficult to cross phosphorus insensitivity into new cultivars, which could then be grown without the risk of phosphorus poisoning in our gardens.

For further information on many aspects on the Proteaceae and other families in south-western Australia, the reader is referred to a new book: Lambers, H. (ed.) 2014. Plant Life on the Sandplains in Southwest Australia, a Global Biodiversity Hotspot.

UWA Publishing, Crawley. |||

World News

by Arturo Croci

Buongiorno!

FlorAnce

Looking back at the history of Italian floriculture, there are a couple of memorable events such as Euroflora, Flormart, Miflor, Marsala’s Open Days and Orticolario that created a huge boost for the industry.

Ecuador

Agriflor expects to set record attendance With less than four weeks away, the floral industry is gearing up for Agriflor 2014 next October 1-4 at the Cemexpo Convention Center in Quito, Ecuador.

Exhibitor sales remain strong while pre registrations are looking very promising as excitement builds for Agriflor in October 2014. With a 20% increase in pre registrations to date, the expectancy of a considerable higher number of international flower buyers visiting this year's edition of Agriflor is very likely, compared to former editions.

With one month still to go and a 12.000m² (135.000 sq.ft.) sized exhibit hall practically full with mainly Ecuadorian flower growers, it is a must for flower buyers to be present at the show in the first week of October. Especially to source the world’s biggest and best roses, but also for many other types of cut flowers, Agriflor is the platform where buyers and growers meet every two years.

A three day lasting first class trade fair, flower quality competitions, farm tours, open houses, business meetings, social get-together and even cultural and touristic trips, are all part of what is happening in what has become known as "the Week of Agriflor".

The show case of Ecuador's cut flower industry to the international flower buyers community attracting many hundreds of international buyers.

It is therefore advised by the organisers to plan your visit shortly, if you haven't done so already, since air fares and hotels costs will increase nearer the date of the show. Many hotels offer special exhibition room rates and participating hotels can be found on the website www.agriflor.com For more details visit www.hpp.nl or contact Jasper van Dijk via email jasper@hpp.nl |||

The crisis has changed and continues to change the face of the ornamental horticulture and gardening industry. I for one believe that the real problem lies in the superficiality of our consumer society where the distinction between high culture and mass culture is weakening due to the mass media.

Chicco Pastorino who together with the Arch. Giorgio Ricchetti, conceived and designed the new flora event Florance puts it this way: "There is a need for renewing all activities in the field of arts and design. Surprisingly new ideas do come up, but without a serious plan to support the business community; they risk being forgotten as quick as they came. When planning the FLORANCE event, we decided to reinvent everything. This brought us back to ‘Terra Madre’ with refined foods, wines and flowers from the earth.”

Announcing the new ‘renaissance’ will be a highly specialised course at the University of San Marino, organised in collaboration with the official promotional organisation for Italian floriculture, the Associazione Piante e Fiori d’Italia and the florist group I Fioristi Italiani. The goal is to revive the Italian taste and style, not only in our own flowery field of expertise, but also by setting up unique flower shows, theatre plays and life style events. " A testament to this goal is Florance, the great Italian and international gardening event, privately organised with the support of the cream of Italian horticultural companies. Scheduled from May 1st- 11th 2015, the event will be held at Florence’s 90 ha Parco delle Cascine of Florence.

At a launch event on May 15th in Florence, Giorgio Ricchetti, underlined the importance of Florence, being the cradle of Italian Renaissance gardening and the host city of what is dubbed ‘the most important European event dedicated to plants and flowers’.

At Florance 2015, to be held in conjunction with the 2015 World Expo in Milan, flower and plants will occupy pride of place. Surrounded by greenery and easily accessible at the crossroad between Northern Italy and the Mezzogiorno, Florence is the ideal venue for such a large scale event.

The Florance event, combined with Florence's rolling countryside, dotted with historic villas, cypress trees and estates with gardens of unrivalled beauty will provide synergy and an attraction that will be unique in the world. The organisers promise that the Florance show will transform Florence into a lush green oasis, crowning it the World Capital of Gardening.

Backed by both the city council and the Tuscany region, Florance 2015 will be a must-see event for all amateur and professional gardeners, nature lovers and countryside aficionados.

Perfectly in line with the ideas of the Green City movement, the show will raise awareness among visitors, local authorities and governments on the importance of the environment and nature.

Reflecting on the past of Italian horticultural events, only Euroflora and, more recently Orticolario have been attracting the attention of both national and international media. Florance’s fate now lies in its own hands. If the show succeeds in having the support of the entire horticultural business, if it adequately promotes the industry as a whole, then great success can be assured.

Arturo Croci is the founder of Italy's leading horticultural business magazine Flortecnica and a walking encyclopedia of Italian horticulture. arturo@floracultureinternational.com

September 2014 September | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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International Events

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September 2014

October 2014

3 to 6. Uruguay XIII Horticultural Congress and Fruit Conference at Mondevideo’s Centro de Convenciones de la Intendencia de Montevideo. www.hortifruticultura.com

1 to 3. Spain Iberflora, United in Green.

T +34 963 861 389 iberflora@feriavalencia.com www.feriavalencia.com/ iberflora

8 to 11. China AIPH Annual Congress in Qingdao, China. www.aiph.org

1 to 3. The Netherlands The 23rd edition of the Dutch amenity plant show in Zundert. www.grootgroenplus.nl

10 to 12. Italy Flormart at the PadovaFiere exhibition centre. www.flormart.it

1 to 4. Ecuador Florecuador/Agriflor 2014 www.hpp.nl

14 to 16. United Kingdom Garden Leisure Exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham T +44 (0) 207 728 4627. gleemarketing@i2ieventsgroup.com www.gleebirmingham.com 16 to 19. Russia Garden Tool. The specialised trade fair in Russia for producers and suppliers of tools, techniques and equipment for ground-maintenance of gardens and parks. www.gardentool.ru 17 September. China International Grower of the Year Awards, Qingdao, China 17 to 19. Russia FlowersExpo at the Crocus Expo in Moscow.

T +7 495 221 1251 cell phone (8) 915 185 7903 mail@flowers-expo.ru www.flowers-expo.ru 19 to 21. Hungary Hosted by the Flora Hungaria Wholesale Flower Market in the city of Szigetszentmiklós, near Budapest, the 7.000m2 Hortus Hungaricus is Hungary’s most important annual horticultural trade exhibition. info@hortushungaris.hu www.hortushungaricus.hu 19 to 21. China Modern Agri 2014 at the Shanghai World Expo. modernagri@hnzmedia.com www.modernagri.cn 23 to 26. Argentina Horticultural Congress Argentina in Mendoza. www.asaho.org.ar 24 to 26. Germany German Peat Society (DGMT), Utilisation of Peatlands for Tourism and Environmental Education in Bad Wurzach, Germany. www.dgmtev.de

3 to 5. Italy The 6th edition of Italy’s top home and garden show Orticolario at Villa Erba in Cernobbio. www.orticolario.it 3 to 5. Kenya FoodAgro Kenya at Nairobi’s KICC. www.expogr.com

5 to 7. The Netherlands FloraHolland Trade Fair Aalsmeer. www.floraholland.com/tradefair 9 to 11. UAE IPM Dubai at the Dubai World Trade Center. ipm@messe-essen.de www.ipm-dubai.com 18 to 20. Cuba II Horticultural Congress Cuba at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in La Habana. congreso@liliana.co.cu 27 to 29. China IPGEXPO 2014, international pot plant and gardening trade exhibition in Guangzhou. www.ipgexpo.com 27 to 30. Turkey Flower Show Turkey 2014 www.flowershow.com.tr December 2014

6 to10. Colombia V Horticultural Congress Colombia in Medellín, Colombia congresohorticultu-ra2014@soccolhort.com

9 to 11. United States Great Lakes, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo and Michigan Greenhouse Growers Expo. www.glexpo.com

15 to 17. Japan IFEX, 11th international flower expo at Tokyo’s Makuhari Messe.

T + 81 3 3349 8519 ifex-eng@reedexpo.co.jp www.ifex.jp/en

19-14. KISAN, India’s largest agricultural trade show in Pune. team@kisan.com www.kisan.in

17 to 19. United States PMA Fresh Summit. Convention and Expo. www.freshsummit.com 23 to 25. Italy SUN, Italy’s leading trade show when it comes to outdoor power equipment, products for lawns, landscapes, gardens, outdoor leisure, hardscapes and light contruction, will be held at the RiminiFiera convention centre in Rimini, Northern Italy. www.sungiosun.it

2015 January 2015 14-16. United States MANTS (Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show) at the Baltimore Convention Center. www.mants.com 16-25. Germany Grüne Woche, international green week Berlin. The world’s biggest fair for food, agriculture and horticulture. www.gruenewoche.de

17 to 19. France Salon du Végétal at the Parc des Expositions in Angers, France. salon@bhr-vegetal.com www.salon-du-vegetal.com 25 to 27. Italy Myplant&Garden, inaugural edition of Milan’s brand new horticultural trade show at the Fiere Milano Rho fair ground. www.myplantgarden.com 26-28. Poland Gardenia, nursery stock trade show at Poznan’s International Fair. www.gardenia.mtp.pl March 2015 Colombia International symposium on Medicinal Plants and Natural Products, Bogotá, Colombia http://phytoessence.org/ ISMPN2015 April 2015 22 to 24. China Hortiflorexpo at Shanghai’s New International Expo Centre (SNIEC). www.hortiflorexpo.com June 2015 17 to 21. The Netherlands ROOOZ, celebrating the rose’s past present and future. Miniature rose festival in the Historical Garden Aalsmeer.

August 2015 20 to 25. Australia 17th conference of the International Protea Association (IPA) in Perth, Australia. www.ipa-protea.org September 2015

30 October to 2 November.

United States 2014 Independent Plant Breeders Conference at the Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids, MI. For further details please visit www.hrt.msu.edu/IPBC-2014

21-23. United States Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition (TPIE) at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, USA. www.tpie.org

September 30th to October 2nd Colombia In 2015, Proflora, Colombia’s leading flower trade show will be held in Medellin. www.proflora.org.co

November 2014

27 to 30. Germany IPM Essen at the Messe Essen. info@ipm-essen.de www.ipm-essen.de

2016

February 2015 4 to 6. Germany Fruit Logistica Berlin, the world’s leading trade fair for the fresh fruit and vegetable business. www.fruitlogistica.de

26 to 29. Germany IPM Essen at the Messe Essen. info@ipm-essen.de www.ipm-essen.de

5 to 7. The Netherlands International Floriculture and Horticulture Trade Fair at the Haarlemmermeer Expo in Vijfhuizen, the Netherlands.

(IFTF-IHTF) www.hpp.nl

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

January 2016

Brazil Hortitec, Brazil’s largest horticultural trade show, was held in Holambra (São Paulo state) from May 2830. This year’s edition welcomed 410 exhibitors and about 26,000 visitors, that attended not only to keep in touch with new technology and varieties displayed at the fair, but also to take part in several courses, training sessions and lectures that took place at the same time.

21 Hortitec sees increased interest from breeders H st

ortitec, Exposiçao Técnica de Horticultura, Cultivo Protegido e Culturas Intensivas, is an annual horticultural trade show that focuses on protected cultivation crops, both ornamentals and vegetables grown in greenhouses. Since its inaugural edition, the organisers’ intention was to bank on the synergy existing between those two sectors.

No clashing with the World Cup

by Mauricio Mathias

This year it was decided to bring forward the show by two weeks to avoid clashing with the World Cup. It may have been a good decision to avoid extra busy airports and hotels during the event, since judging from the number of visitors speaking in foreign languages, the

trend of increasing participation by international companies seem to continue.

Even though several suppliers of fertilizers, substrates and other growing materials in general have been present in the Brazilian flower market for a long time, a number of newcomers have also been attracted. The flourishing Brazilian economy has had an increased allure since the 2008 financial crisis, combined with bigger local flower consumption.

Breeders

In addition to the good phase of the economy, another main attraction to worldwide plant breeders has been the direct breeder-grower agreements that increasingly become the norm. Such contracts,

created to avoid multiplication of protected plant material purchased for cultivation, have in practice solved the loophole in Brazilian laws that still make ‘multiplication for self-use only’ possible. According to Hortitec’s general director, Renato Optiz, this greater interest from breeders that are new to Brazil was one of this year’s highlights, with more exhibitors and a wider range of plant varieties on offer. Some of the participating breeders were Ball, Lex +, Moerheim Rozen, Olij, Schreurs, Schoneveld Breeding and others.

Opening Rosen Tantau showcase

Among such breeders, Rosen Tantau took the opportunity to open its 1-ha showroom in the town of Andradas to the public. It is situated in a 10-ha farm in the mountainous region a few hours’ drive to the north of Holambra. It is the second demonstration farm that the breeder opens in this traditional rose-growing region, among other ornamentals, where local growers can see how new varieties bred in Germany perform under Brazilian climate, soil and general conditions.

Throughout the year, the Flora Brasiliae Andradas farm supplies roses to the Veiling Holambra. |||

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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Market analysis The Russian government has decided not to impose a ban on the imports of flowers from the EU, however such a decision may be taken in case of further deterioration of the situation between the sides.

Russia may ban imports of flowers in second sanctions package S

o far, EU flowers have not been included in the list of agricultural products, which imports from the EU to Russia were banned in accordance with the recent ukase of Russian President Vladimir Putin. This means that the Russian flowers market will not sharply decline this year, however, as expected by some analysts. According to forecasts of analysts of the Russian Union of Florists (RUF), the decline may be in the range of 15%-17%, compared to 2013.

Devaluation of the ruble

by Eugene Gerden

According to Sergei Menbaev, an official RUF spokesperson, among the main reasons for the decline of imports are the devaluation of the ruble and the reduction of purchasing power of local customers. This resulted in an increased demand for local flowers.

Still, the decline of imports will

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

not lead to its replacement by domestic production, due to lack of development of the Russian flower industry. In addition, the cost of production of Russian flowers is usually higher than their imported counterparts.

Domestic versus international

According to Oksana Kokoreva, head of sales department of "7 colors" company, Russia’s leading distributor of cut flowers, Russian flowers account for only 5% in the total sales structure of the company.

According Kokoreva, despite the fact that Russian flowers are not treated with chemicals, they quickly fade, as manufacturers do not comply with modern technologies of growing and transportation.

In addition, domestic producers can supply flowers only in small batches (about 3000 pieces at a time), compared to the 100,000 units of the major importers.

In addition, many Russian customers prefer roses with 90-100cm stems, which are not produced within the country. An extra benefit of imported flowers is their longer shelf life, which is estimated at 10-12 days, compared to 7-9 days of local flowers.

According to data of Global Reach Consulting (GRC), a national research firm in the field of flower business, the share of domestic production in the market currently remains small, however since 2000s has significantly increased.

In 2007, imports accounted for 90% of the market, while in 2011 this figure was 82%. The biggest share of the market accounted for cut roses, while earlier on carnations.

Values and volumes

According to RUF predictions, sales of flowers in Russia this year are expected to reach RUB 40 billion (EUR1 billion) in value terms.

Certifiable in California

by John Ingwersen

At the same time, in terms of volume the market may decline to 400 million units, compared to 500 million tonnes in 2013. Of these volume, two thirds of the market will account for roses.

Still, despite a steady growth of Russia’s flower production areas, which has been observed in recent years, its rates are significantly lower the rates of growth of the EU flower market. In general, over the last 10 years about 50 hectares of flower greenhouses have been built in Russia, compared to the 6,000ha with greenhouses in the Netherlands. At present, domestic production can meet only 10% of local demand in flowers.

Investment projects

At the same time, there is a possibility that the current market situation may significantly improve over the next years, in the case of implementation of a number of investment projects, which has recently been announced by some local producers.

Among these projects are the launch of a greenhouse complex in the Kaluga region

by Rose Garden company, one of Russia’s largest flower producers. In addition, new greenhouse complexes may soon be established in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Moscow region by Yuzhny and Ulyanlovsk companies respectively.

No catastrophic effects

There is also a possibility that further development of the industry will take place with government support. As part of these plans, the government may provide funds for the increase of production areas of Russian flowers up to 4,000-5,000 hectares.

At the same time, Russia moves to tighten state control over the market, especially in the run up to major holidays, when prices soar and easily double or triple on Valentine’s Day or International Women’s Day. In the meantime, according to analysts of RUF, much will depend on the further geopolitical situation in Europe and Russia’s possible decision to ban imports of flowers from the EU, as part of the country’s second package of sanctions against Western countries. According to an official spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, the ban will not have ‘any catastrophic effects on the Russian flower market and will not result in any shortage, as the country may easily compensate the EU imports by the imports from Ecuador and other Latin American countries’. |||

Musings As I sit down to write this column I find my mind wandering down a number of paths. It’s August, 2014. One hundred years ago the Great War was just beginning to reap its grim harvest. It was a dangerous world then, and no less so now, sad to say. I can only harbor a vain hope that by commemorating that event we are warning ourselves that history can and does repeat itself. Can someone please keep Mr. Putin in the loop?????

Small bad things tend to develop into large bad things…

Another track is leading down a parched trail in the American West, where too little rain has fallen, for too long. What has always been a concern is now on the verge of becoming an overarching reality, i.e., too many people, animals, and crops, and not enough water to go around. If we don’t have a wet winter global politics will be the least of my worries heading into next year’s growing season. Whether you want to blame it on global warming or not will also be irrelevant to me at that point. Having to stay in business with 30-50% less water, on the other hand, will be highly relevant. Pray, do the rain dance, seed the clouds, whatever, just please, please, please let it rain…

Apart from those minor details, goodness gracious, it’s been one helluva year so far. The days of dreaming about a recovery are over, and not by a little. No more dreaming allowed, it’s here. Even in the good ol’ days I never saw plants sell like they did this year. When you start selling out of complete product lines you know things are going disgustingly well, and I’m talking multiple lines. The funny part is that one would think this makes life easier…and in some ways it does. It’s nice to be able to write checks without rubber coatings.

On the other hand, it introduces new problem sets, e.g., when you’re pulling, sorting, and loading orders 2-3 days a week full-time, you tend to get behind on other priorities, like fertilising, transplanting, weed control, and bug control, not mention admin, just the minor details of course. Part-time staff can address some of the problem, but certainly not all. So here we are in August kicking off tasks that should have been completed more than 2 month ago. I spoke to one large grower around 10 days ago, and he basically came right out and said, we’re two –three months behind, and there’s nothing we can do about, except deal with it, we’re not going to be able catch up. So much for a relaxing fall…

Hmmm, now my mind is no longer wandering, it’s completely lost…time to wrap things up. I’ll do that with a quote from a refrigerator magnet I picked up in Hong Kong a couple years back, to whit…”I’m not a complete idiot, parts of me are missing…” Chuckles and laughs til the next time…

John Ingwersen graduated with a degree in marketing from Georgetown University in 1990, and founded Jungle Jack’s, Inc. in 1995. sales@junglejacksthailand.com

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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United States Formerly known as the OFA Short Course, Cultivate’14 was a success, with high attendance and much to see and learn.

Story & photos by the Growertalks staff

America’s Cultivate trade F

or those of you who missed Cultivate in Columbus, Ohio, you were one of the few.

AmericanHort, the association that run the event, announced that this year’s show had the most attendees in more than a decade, with over 10,000 people from 20-plus countries walking the trade show aisles, attending sessions and taking over

Carlos Bogran of chemical distributor OHP was one of several speakers on the topic of neonics pesticides and their impact upon pollinators—a hot and controversial topic in the U.S. right now.

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

the local restaurants and bars.

But if you could not make it, do not fret. Four faithful scribes from sister publications GrowerTalks and Green Profit divided and conquered to find all the stories from the conference sessions and trade show floor.

Retailing

Retail garden centre is a niche that AmericanHort would like to grow. For the first time this year, they offered a separate hall called Retail Terrace, with 50,000 sq. ft. of retail-focused vendors. The space offered display options to vendors who wished to set their retail offerings apart, as well as for those retail-focused vendors who haven’t appeared at the show before. The main challenge for AmericanHort will be getting attendees away from the massive main show floor to visit the retail offerings upstairs.

P. Allen Smith, a garden writer, television personality and all-around gardening ambassador, delivered the Sunday morning keynote address to kick off the show, and he was charming and entertaining while providing a bit of a “kick in the pants” to the industry.

“It has been 10 years and a lot has changed in our industry,” P. Allen

remarked about his last time speaking at the event. “At the end of the day, it is all about customers and creating pull-through at retail.”

He cited a growing interest in activities that promote bliss and a sense of tranquility. “And we do that better than anybody,” he pointed out. “There are so many things going on in our culture out there that we do in our industry.”

Hot Topic Sessions

The hottest of the hot educational topics was the chemical class neonicotinoids and their impact upon bees. There were at least seven sessions on neonics, as they are called.

Recent legislation in the state of Minnesota, plus big box retailer Home Depot’s decision to require its growers to label plants that are treated with neonics have many growers extremely concerned. As Rick Fletcher, technical services manager for Nufarm, said, “Our industry is not used to defending itself,” and that is making everyone nervous.

The first thing people asked was: Is there a replacement? The answer is yes … and no. Carlos Bográn of OHP—who was the first company to introduce a neonicotinoid in the 1990s (imidacloprid)—said that

show attracts record attendance

A new hall at Cultivate’14 was called the Retail Terrace; it hopes to attract more retail product companies and more retailers to the event. Everyone complimented the sleek look of the hall, but criticized its distance (several hundred meters) from the main exhibit hall.

they do have other types of pesticides, but there is no one true replacement for neonics because most are not broad-spectrum, like neonics are. It would force growers to use an assortment of chemicals that require more applications.

During his session on regulatory issues, AmericanHort’s Joe Bischoff announced that they are partnering with the Horticultural Research Institute, the Society of American Florists and the American Floral Endowment to develop the Bee and Pollinator Stewardship Initiative and raise funds to conduct the research needed so

The Ball Publishing stand was jumping all three days of the trade show, thanks to the 10,000-plus attendees from more than 20 countries who attended the event.

that our industry has the knowledge to find a solution to this issue. You can learn more about the stewardship program on www.americanhort.org Although some growers, retailers and breeders have announced that they are decreasing or eliminating their use of neonics, many feel that it would be a detriment to our industry if we are forced to eliminate them from our toolbox.

“An all-out ban is not going to help with pollinator health,” said Carlos. “If we let emotions dictate what we do, we will be in trouble.”

Immigration reform is another hot topic.

Craig Regelbrugge, who’s in charge of industry advocacy for AmericanHort, said, “I’m optimistic that this country will solve this problem. It is just a question of when.” He says nothing is likely to happen until after the elections in November, so in the meantime, AmericanHort’s strategies are to continue to press for legislative action and defend the existing H-2A and H-2B guest worker programs.

If you want to attend Cutivate’15, mark your calendars for 11-14 July, 2015. |||

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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Automation Urbinati Srl is a state-of-theart company for technological innovation in the horticultural industry. Since 1980, the Italian firm has been introducing innovative solutions for simplifying and improving working conditions in horticultural firms.

NURSERY TECHNOLOGY

by Aldo Colombo

‘Urbinati offers real savings to growers’ T

he strength of this familyrun company mainly derives from Nino Urbinati, the company’s founder and leader of the technical department, who is constantly looking for practical innovative solutions that can further company growth.

Together with Nino, Romina Urbinati and all employees, make the company strong and balanced in every department. This counts for the administrative and commercial levels down to the production floor, which is further sub-divided into autonomous and independent departments so as to guarantee the maximum production capacity in all the different manufacturing periods. FloraCulture International sat down with Urbinati’s export manager Alessandro Mazzacano and asked him the following questions.

Which are the main products in your product range?

“There are different production departments for sowing machines, irrigation appliances, wireless

Modelling aesthetically pleasing design from Italy is Romina Urbinati.

transplanting machines, filling and potting machines, conveyor belts, new prototypes and a carpentry department. This is the real strength of the firm, being a comprehensive company with its manufacturing process in house. The process starts at the design phase and the sketches from the technical office, which is managed by skilled engineers.

The designs are then passed on to production, through welding, assembly and final testing.

formations asked for are studied and created by Urbinati, leading to new, innovative solutions for its clients. For instance, the demand of mixed sowing and specific requests by the world's main supermarket chains, forces growers to produce in a different way right from the start: Urbinati makes this possible through a new custom made managing software of its machines.

In the same way, an increase in

Urbinati is always at the forefront of technology, what are your main innovations for different categories of machines?

Urbinati seeding machine.

www.FloraCulture.eu | September 2014

“Novelties can be found throughout the range, from new solutions for seeding to new programmes for automatic watering in greenhouses, to pot filling and transplanting equipment. Everything that the market requires and all the trans-

Urbinati machines are versatile and user-friendly.

Cutting-edge irrigation technology.

How do you see the future of horticulture and what are your plans to stay ahead of market challenges?

“The future in horticulture will be full of novelties, as the market requires products that are increasingly competitive: the challenge for growers will be in the control of operating costs. This is where Urbinati will offer new solutions and will be able to offer real ‘savings’ to the growers.” |||

Pictured left is Urbinati's export manager, Mr Alessandro Mazzacano.

the capacity to transplant is now necessary for nurseries to stay competitive on the market. Also, the need to reduce the cost of labour for managing the irrigation of plants on the nurseries, has led the company to find solutions for the control and operation of automated systems for almost every situation, replacing what was the traditional management required in the greenhouse.”

What are the main export markets? Are there differences in demand from one country to another? Do you operate directly or with local partners?

“Urbinati strongly believes in the internationalisation, therefore the company is present on all markets where agriculture requires techni-

cal support for the development and support of the sector in each country. The primary sector is and will long remain essential for the healthy sustenance of the planet, especially in the present times with the increasingly frenetic pace that is required.”

Aerial view of Urbinati’s headquarters in San Mauro Pascoli in Italy’s Forli Cesena province.

In trade exhibitions, you often share your booth with the Belgian company Demtec: how is your partnership working?

“The relationship with Demtec is on a technical and trading base: we represent their brand in Italy for everything related to sale and post-sale. The same thing happens in Belgium for our machines: they are resellers of our brand and there is also a collaboration for machines that are developed together.

September 2014 | www.FloraCulture.eu

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Advertising Index Company Page website

Company Page website

CYF Trade Shows....................................................... 28-29 ...........www.flowershow.com.tr/en Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm..................................... 2 ....................................www.danziger.co.il Deliflor................................................................................ 35 ...................................www.deliflor.nl/en Erich Baumeister GmbH............................................14 ......................www.erichbaueister.com Fleuroselect.................................................................. 18-19 .......................www.fleuroselect.com Florasearch Inc............................................................... 33 ........................... www.florasearch.com Floricultura B.V............................................................... 14 ............................www.floricultura.com Flowers & Cents............................................................. 14 ..................www.flowersandcents.org Hamilton Design........................................................... 33 ............ www.hamilton-design.co.uk

Jungle Jack’s...................................................................... 6 .......... www.junglejacksthailand.com Lex+..................................................................................... 34 .................................................. www.lex.nl M. van Veen ................................................................... 33 ...................... www.mvanveenbv.com Market Services............................................................. 14 ....................... www.intracen.org/mns Messe Essen (IPM Worldwide)................................. 3 ......................www.messe-essen.de/en Selecta Cut Flowers..................................................... 36 ............ www.selectacutflowers.com Takii ....................................................................................... 6 ............................................www.takii.co.jp Thierry Richez................................................................. 33 Vitroplus............................................................................ 35 ......................................www.vitroplus.nl

September 2014 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com

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