One application of mycorrhizae on most plants will allow these beneficial soil fungi to form a lifelong, symbiotic relationship between the mycorrhizae and the plant, says Blair Busenbark, sales and marketing manager at Mycorrhizal Applications.

“Mycorrhizae works to expand the root mass, and by expanding the root mass, the plant is better able to uptake water and nutrients,” he says. “Ultimately, it allows the plant to be less stressed.”

Expanding the root mass does not mean increasing the roots and making the plant root bound, Busenbark says, the expansion of the root mass comes with the expansion of the mycorrhizal hyphae into the soil. These mycorrhizal filaments can then take up water and nutrients from the rhizosphere that are otherwise inaccessible to roots and root hairs.

IMPROVED WATER UPTAKE

Water is stored in mycorrhizae’s myce¬lium, which leaves a reserve that prevents plants from wilting for 36 to 48 hours longer than they would be able to without mycorrhizae, Busenbark says. These water savings can help greenhouse and nursery growers save money.

“Just think about all the labor that you can save if you're not having to water consistently on hot days because you have that reserve in the plant,” he says.

MORE EFFICIENT FERTILIZATION

Simultaneously, mycelium can help plants better absorb and store nutrients for use when the plant needs them, Busenbark says.

“An example of this in min¬eral soil that often has high levels of phosphorus, but that is not available to the plant,” he says. “Mycorrhizae can transform that phosphorus that's not available and make it readily available to the plant.”

Similarly, mycorrhizae can also transform nitrogen from its ammoniacal form to the nitrate form that plants can use. This allows growers to use less fertilizer, Busenbark says.

MYCORRHIZAE AS AN INSURANCE POLICY

Stronger root systems crafted by mycorrhizae help plants avoid stress, Busenbark says.

“What happens when the plant goes into wilt?” he asks. “It puts forth stress, and when it puts out stress, the plant becomes vulnerable. Instead of focusing on flowering or fruiting, the plant has to focus on survival. That's less likely to hap¬pen if the plant has the mycorrhizae as a backup.”

Mycorrhizae is like an insurance policy, he says. Plants are likely to experience stress when they leave the greenhouse; stress can also happen in the greenhouse if somebody forgets to water or the temperature rises or drops to undesirable levels. The mycorrhizae help ensure plant health through tough times.

“The key part is that most people — unless they have a particular [problem] that's right in front of them, they don't know they have the problem, whereas mycorrhizae can help solve a lot of potential problems, like the fertilizer going through the pot that you're just wasting money on,” Busenbark says. “That's something that nobody consciously thinks about, but it's there.”

Proper nutrition and irrigation in greenhouse crops are key. But many factors can create mishaps and complicate growers’ ability to provide accurate water and fertilizer feeds to annuals and perennials.

That’s why Argus Controls developed its Multi-Feed RM (rack mount) injector — part of its complete fertigation management system — to offer pressurized in-line injection and manages dilute tank hydroponic nutrient solutions.

Depending on your requirements, a multi-feed system can provide anything from a single-tank formulation to many separate fertilizer recipes and feed strengths on the same irrigation system.

Growers can configure feed recipes from stock concentrates that are connected to the injector. In a single irrigation system, the Multi-Feed RM can support as many as 64 recipes.

Since the injection software controls each metering valve separately, many styles of injection can be accomplished including single-tank, A/B style dosing, and full single element dosing (where separate tanks are used for each fertilizer salt).

While the Multi-Feed RM can inject acids, bases and fertilizer recipes, it can also provide chemigation treatments to irrigation lines or inject nematodes and other organic materials, says Argus Controls Senior Technician Jeff Neff.

Argus Titan controllers, which manage irrigation systems, can operate the Multi-Feed RM.

The injector tracks EC and pH targets for each recipe for quality assurance, alarm monitoring and correcting automatic feed strengths.

With Argus 'Feed Forward' intelligence, precision dosing is achieved at all design flow rates without the striping inaccuracies, settling times and feedback loop oscillations that can plague other injection strategies.

The fertigation management system that supports Multi-Feed RM

The Multi-Feed RM is just one aspect of a total fertigation management system for growers, which can be custom-configured to meet their needs. Growers can control the RM alongside other irrigation equipment such as zone valves, watering booms and flood benches and floors.

Both frequency and volume for watering are adjustable with the Multi-Feed RM and larger fertigation management system. Watering frequency is based on feedback from multiple components, including moisture sensors, manual watering and feeding, and evapotranspiration and light watering models.

Argus Controls offers time- and volume-based options to ensure accuracy of watering volume. The system can provide pulsed application to reduce nutrient runoff and automatically adjust to match the drain rate.

Right now, the Bayer Green Solutions team is encountering a lot of mealybugs issues in U.S. greenhouses, says Technical Specialist Aaron Palmateer, Ph.D.

“That seems to be the reoccurring issue everywhere I go. Growers often get plant material coming offshore from these tropical areas where pest pressure is high and mealybugs are everywhere,” he says. “They are just notorious hitchhikers and, just by the waxy outer-coating they have, it’s hard to find chemistry that can get to the right places and be effective enough to kill them.” Palmateer adds that in places like Florida — where he is based — there can also be native mealybug populations for growers to contend with.

Recently, Palmateer was visiting a hibiscus grower dealing with mealybugs and working with that grower to find a solution. As an example of how challenging the problem can be, he says the mealybugs were getting the bud of the hibiscus. In other instances, they are hiding in the leaves of the plant or any small, tight area they can find. As a result, Palmateer says growers have developed unorthodox solutions. Some, he said, have taken to developing bottom sprayers for their insecticides.

“If they have a rampant infestation or an isolated population, growers will send somebody in with a backpack sprayer, but put a nozzle that actually is facing upwards so it can be put under the canopy and get contact on the bottom side of the leaves,” he says.

Palmateer says Bayer has two solutions for combating mealybugs with insecticides made with systemic chemistry that are not neonicotinoids. One product growers can use is Altus, which, according to Bayer testing, is proven to work better as a foliar spray as opposed to a drench against mealybugs. The product he recommends to use as a drench against mealybugs is Kontos, according to Bayer testing. The key to finding the right product, Palmateer says, is understanding what the breadth of the problem is and what application method is best for the plants. He says, though, that it starts with identifying the problem and turning to the most proven solutions available. Bayer can help growers do that with on-site visits and a strong insecticide portfolio. The company has a cost estimate calculator available on its website so growers can estimate how much applying a certain chemical would cost for a specific space.

“When you’ve got a pest that is notorious for getting into the hard-to-reach places, systemic chemistry is going to be the cat’s meow so to speak,” Palmateer says.

When growing hemp, creating as little stress as possible for roots results in higher nutrient uptake and better performance. Blackmore Company, a horticulture industry supplier based in Belleville, Michigan, has the solution to give hemp producers that vital root-enhancing edge.

The Ellepot AirTray Technology enables growers to air prune which produces more feeder roots that help the plant to establish faster after transplant with zero girdling roots. This provides a higher quality plant with higher yields.

Blackmore provides solutions for the ornamental and horticulture industries, and harnessing Ellepots for hemp manufacture is fast becoming a company focus.

“Hemp is becoming a big part of our supply,” Jensen says. “We want to prove the same efficiency with Ellepots as we’ve seen for Greenhouse production.”

Made from certified organic paper for field production. Ellepots placed in Blackmore’s patented AirTrays provide extra air circulation to a plant’s root system. Properly oxygenated roots mean faster development, better yield per plant and faster transplanting and handling.

“You need maximum air flow, which can be achieved through our AirTray Technology,” Jensen says. “From sowing to transplant, it’s five to six days in some cases.” Ellepots create a healthy base free of girdling roots that restrict movement of water and nutrients to the rest of the plant. In poor weather where crops may stay in benches longer, Blackmore’s AirTrays further prevent root girdling and promote feeder roots for better nutrient uptake.

While Blackmore's precise Ellepot mix is a company secret, Jensen says the basic paper mix for hemp production is peat moss, coconut fiber, perlite and beneficials. “We have a PhD in plant nutrition on staff who knows the right Ellepot mix,” he says.

Growers that would like to develop their own mix or nutrition program should contact Blackmore/Ellepot USA. Blackmore team members are also able to suggest various membranes, papers and trays. “We want to make sure customers have something that works well their greenhouse,” Jensen says. “Ellepots also give them something easy to work with when they’re transplanting their crops.”

Blackmore provides prefilled Ellepot trays shipped palletized and Ellepot machines for all size growers interested in growing using AirTray Technology.

Ellepot’s success led to the patented Hemp Pots, a complimentary product Blackmore introduced last summer during AmericanHort’s Cultivate industry event. Designed as containers for hemp and cannabis mother stock. The hemp pots boast similar benefits as the AirTray Technology when it comes to natural root development.

“Our Hemp Pots have two layers with a layer of air in between, so that’s going to lower the temperature in a hot climate,” Jensen says. “Any issues you have due to heat will decrease.”