Conference, workshops to cultivate growers' knowledge

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Operators of greenhouses, nurseries and garden centers can learn about new production techniques and get advice on marketing at the 2012 Indiana Flower Growers Association Bedding Plant Conference and a series of free educational workshops across the state.

The statewide IFGA conference will be Feb. 23 at Crossroads Greenhouse in Indianapolis. The Educational Series for Greenhouse and Nursery Growers and Garden Centers, funded by the Indiana Department of Agriculture, will be held at various sites beginning Jan. 18.

The conference will include sessions on temperature and light management, plant growth regulators, pest management, and marketing and economics for growers. It will begin with a tour of the greenhouses. Sessions will feature speakers from Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue universities, along with owners of successful greenhouses and marketing operations.

Photos - Flowering Maple / Abutilon

Flowering Maple/Abutilon, a group on Flickr.

Flickr Photo Pool of Flowering Abutilon.

India - Haryana government motivate farmers to grow horticulture crops

AHMEDABAD: Area under horticulture crops in Haryana has reached about 6.40% of the total cropped area of the state as a result of the drive of the state government to motivate the farmers to grow horticulture crops in place of traditional ones.

A spokesman of the horticulture department said that the efforts of the state government to encourage the farmers for diversification of crops had shown encouraging results. During the year 2010-11, the area under vegetable cultivation was 3,46,400 hectares. Apart from this, farmers were also taking keen interest in replacing their traditional crops by other commercial horticulture crops like flowers and spices.

He said that during the current financial year up to October 2011, fruit production of over 14.92 lakh tonnes was achieved by bringing 1,525 hectares of additional area under fruit cultivation and total area had increased to 47,775 hectares under fruit cultivation. Over 16.96 lakh tonnes of vegetables were produced by bringing over 1.93 lakh hectares of area under vegetable cultivation.

He said that 58,230 tonnes of spices had been produced through cultivation over an area of 9,580 hectares. Medicinal plants and flowers were grown over an area of 890 hectares and 3,360 hectares, respectively during the same period, he added.

Source: The Economic Times

Photos - Ginger Flowers

Ginger Flowers, a group on Flickr.

Photos of Flowering Ginger from Flickr Photo Pool.