September 2024 - 14

TRENDS
breeding. On a recent visit to a large Dutch grower in the
Netherlands, the question was posed: What is the best thing
we could breed? His answer was disease-resistant plants,
because soon, chemicals are going away. "
Gretel Adams, co-owner and operations orchestrator
of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm in Columbus, Ohio, noted
having an IPM program has allowed many greenhouses
to discover new insects to use for creating a program to
combat issues; the trick is to catch it early before it is
an infestation.
" For energy efficiency, we found that passive ventilation
Steve and Gretel Adams, owners
of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm in
Ohio, enjoy the blooming lisianthus
house. Photo courtesy of Sunny
Meadows Flower Farm.
worked better for us (ridge vent and open sides) as opposed
to ventilation fans at the end of the houses with louvers on
the other end, " Adams said. " We also apply shade cloth to
the greenhouses in the summer months to help decrease the
temperature inside. "
Knuth has seen more growers interested in getting involved
in sustainable measures and believes that will become more
important in the future for domestic growers.
NEW VARIETIES
Breeders are handling a demand for new flower varieties
with longer vase life, improved disease resistance and
We have been
working with seed
breeders to try to get
them to keep the
more unpredictable
varieties.
- Gretel Adams
enhanced aesthetic qualities.
" Breeders are addressing these issues on two fronts:
biotechnology and good, old-fashioned thoughtful selection, "
Pavlich said. " I learned recently of a company using CRISPR
technology to take care of the powdery mildew issue on roses,
but there are so many other genera that this would benefit also.
Through thoughtful selection, some roses have been bred with
resistance to powdery mildew. Although this sounds ideal, we
still have to face new disease strains and pesticide-resistant
insects that could overcome the good work breeders are doing. "
A majority of growers in the U.S. are desiring more of the
blush colors or unique in-between colors on the color palette
to create a bridge between the more vibrant colors or create
softer color schemes. Still, the flower industry is a global
market, and the Dutch flower market likes brilliant colors.
" We have been working with seed breeders to try to get them
Photo courtesy of
Sunny Meadows
Flower Farm.
to keep the more unpredictable varieties or the flowers that are
not bold purple, red and yellow, but it is a work in progress, "
Adams said. " Now with more domestic seed companies here
in the states, there has been some isolation of those colors as
far as seed/plant availability. We're hoping the other parts of
the world will continue to develop colors that our designers are
interested in so we can also help to expand the possibilities in
the floral design world. "
Biotechnology is increasingly making its way into every
aspect of floriculture. In fact, colors that one could only
dream of have been achieved in this genus, and there's a lot
of traditional breeding going on, focusing on singular colors
and unique color patterns.
14
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September 2024

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