Pelletized Soy-based Bioplastic Fertilizers for Container-crop Production

Crop Production Calibrachoa Response to Chemical and Organic Fertilizers

nterest in organic fertilizers is growing in the greenhouse industry, but experience and trials are not keeping up. There is little information available on how well the new types of fertilizers provide nutrition for plants compared to traditional water-soluble chemical fertilizers. The most widely available “organic” fertilizers for application like traditional water-soluble fertilizers are fi...

Bioplastic and Biopolymer Production

Microalgae as bioreactors for bioplastic production

BACKGROUND Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polyester with thermoplastic properties that is naturally occurring and produced by such bacteria as Ralstonia eutropha H16 and Bacillus megaterium. In contrast to currently utilized plastics and most synthetic polymers, PHB is biodegradable, and its production is not dependent on fossil resources making this bioplastic interesting for various indust...

Automated Container-Handling System for Container Production Nurseries

Production of nursery crops in the US is accomplished in containerand field-growing conditions, with propagation and seedling-rearing carried out in greenhouses. Container-grown crops represent 60% of the US market and represent a highly labor-intensive and thus costly segment of ornamental crop production. The USDA, NASA and the ANLA have collaborated to develop an automated in-field container...

Water Use and Treatment in Container-Grown Specialty Crop Production: A Review

While governments and individuals strive to maintain the availability of high-quality water resources, many factors can "change the landscape" of water availability and quality, including drought, climate change, saltwater intrusion, aquifer depletion, population increases, and policy changes. Specialty crop producers, including nursery and greenhouse container operations, rely heavily on avail...