Virtual Fall Workshop 2020
Thursday, October 29
Strategies for Efficient Use of Water in Horticulture
This workshop will provide a variety of useful topics for improving your use of water in nursery and greenhouse operations. With the increased probability and frequency of drought, getting the most out of your water supply is absolutely vital. The opening presentation will set the stage by looking at how climate change will affect what you grow and the changes that will need to be made to maintain our industry's health.
Program Nursery Track in Green, Greenhouse Track in Blue
Speaker Bios
8:30 - 8:40 Welcome and Opening Remarks
8:40 – 9:10 Opening Session: Climate Change and the Future of Water for Horticulture
Brad Udall, Senior Water and Climate Research Scientist, CSU Colorado Water Center
Session Overview: The Earth has warmed significantly since the 1970s. The primary cause of this warming is the enormous daily release of greenhouse gasses from human activities. This warming is already impacting water supplies in the American West through higher evaporation rates. We have the policy tools and technologies (at reasonable costs) that we need to solve this problem, but solutions will need actions on an unprecedented scale. So far, we have collectively decided to ignore what is an enormous threat to all aspects of human and natural systems. What we grow and what we plant will be an important part of adapting to, and perhaps preventing some of, these future changes.
9:20 – 9:50 Efficient Irrigation Practices for Nurseries - Ron Arpin, Little Valley Wholesale Nursery
Session Overview: Why proper pipe size matters, valve options, system controls, installation and maintenance.
Water Wisdom - How To Teach Your Team Good Watering Habits - Dr. Will Healy, Ball Horticulture
Session Overview: Watering is a core skill that we need to train our teams to do every day. Irrigating the wrong amount at the wrong time places stress on the plants which can trigger insect and disease issues. Good training will promote better root and shoot growth. When the entire growing team irrigates correctly, plant uniformity improves and shrink decreases.
10:00 – 10:30 The Ins and Outs of Irrigation: Scheduling Irrigation to Reduce Input Volume and Irrigation Return Flow Out - Dr. Tom Fernandez, Michigan State University
Session Overview: Benefits of scheduling irrigation based on plant demand; how to schedule irrigation based on plant demand; how water and agrichemicals move in container production nurseries; how proper irrigation scheduling minimizes potential off-site movement of water and agrichemicals
Best Practices for Managing Greenhouse Water Quality - Al Gerace, CGG, Welby Gardens
Session Overview: Learning by mistakes, cation exchange capacity, chemical properties of quality water and target parameters, pH, changing the pH of city water, methods of disinfection and more!
10:40 – 11:10 New Irrigation Technologies in Nursery Operations - Jim Mueller, CPS Distributors
Session Overview: Cloud based and smart irrigation controllers; magnetic technology and irrigation; filtration systems for nurseries; fertilizer injection system improvements
Advantages of Automated Irrigation Systems - Jeffrey Neff, Argus Controls
Session Overview: Benefits of automated irrigation systems, how does it pay for itself and ROI, fertigation applications, how it conserves water, how to get started and more
11:20 - 11:30 Closing Remarks
Cost: CNGA Member $45; Non-member Price: $75
Registration: Register online here.