Ornamental Horticulture Marketing and Production Strategies

Marketing Schemes in Ornamental Horticulture

• Formal Marketing Schemes: A government body regulates the price and production supply.
• Contractual Arrangements: Cooperatives obtain the best prices for products through pooling and selling to larger groups.
• Auctions: United Flower Growers sells products pre-wholesale to floral wholesalers via Dutch auctions.
• Direct Marketing:
  • Wholesale: Direct to retailers, local farmers' markets, restaurants, contract growing, and chain stores.
  • Retail: Direct to consumers via roadside stands, "pick your own" programs, subscriptions, and e-commerce.

Current Trends in the Ornamental Market

Key market drivers include the rise of indoor houseplants, apartment living, the Millennial and Gen Z demographics, and the gift market.

Easter Lily Production: Nelly White

The Process of Vernalization

Vernalization requires bulbs to be cooled in moist media at temperatures under 18°C, though the optimal temperature is 6°C. This process lasts for 6 weeks or 1,000 hours because bulb maturity is not uniform from the field. Six weeks of treatment ensures complete cooling. Case cooling at KPU involves placing the bulbs into the cooler.

Managing Negative DIF in Easter Lilies

Negative DIF occurs when the day or morning temperature is lower than the night temperature, which reduces cell elongation. This situation can cause the plant to experience stress and produce fewer flowers or flowers of lower quality if the temperature in the plant's reproductive organs (ovaries) is lower than the surrounding air.

To manage this, monitor humidity in the late afternoon to keep it between 50% and 60%, and avoid exposing plants to extreme temperatures.

Preventing Yellow Leaves

Lower leaves turn yellow due to root rot (caused by too much moisture), late Plant Growth Regulator (PGR) application, insufficient light, or late spacing, which causes yellowing due to a lack of light during bud development. Low fertility is another factor. To prevent this, apply the growth regulator Fascination.

Traceability and ERP Systems

Source and Logistical Tracking

Traceability involves tracking source materials for costing, applied treatments (CFIA), and logistical history. Complete batch tracking from purchase and production until shipment is managed using UPC barcodes and infrared chips. Significant tracking is required for supplied base materials.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a software system that helps organizations automate and manage core business processes for optimal performance. ERP software coordinates the flow of data between business processes, providing a single source of truth and streamlining operations across the enterprise. It links financials, supply chain, operations, commerce, reporting, manufacturing, and human resources on one platform.

• Space planning and optimization
• Labor planning and management
• Scouting for diseases and carrying out crop treatments
• Material planning for seeds and dead materials
• Updating data using mobile devices

Common ERP systems include AgriWare, Sage, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (BC).