The challenge of peat replacement in substrates used in Horticulture is not new – 30 years have almost come and gone. Drivers from NGO’s have always been there and the threatening considerations surrounding ‘zero’ emissions has bought increased focus onto the subject.

GMA members and professional growers have all been working towards the use of multi-component mixes and with considerable success. Since 2011 and the targets set in the environment white paper relating to peat use in England, the work has specifically been around looking at the environmental impact of all materials used in non-peat growing media and ensuring that performance matches the claims made.

In this presentation we will review the history and the development of substrates, the external drivers in the market place and the clear developments which have been made by the industry.

Neil has been involved in soil science related to Horticulture for over 35 years. He worked for Bulrush Horticulture as their Product Development Director examining numerous materials for their use as components of Growing media and has published papers on the subject in Acta Horticulturae, plus many articles in the press and at conferences such as those run by the AHDB.

Whilst retired from day to day Bulrush Horticulture activities, Neil is looking after several outstanding research projects and has since Feb 2019 taken over as the Chair of the Growing Media Association (GMA) a specialist group within the Horticultural Trade Association.

The APS Group, are the largest supplier of British tomatoes to the UK’s major supermarkets, with 70 hectares of glasshouses, on six nurseries, spread across the UK. The group’s success has been driven by numerous investments in innovation.

These investments have covered many areas from innovative disease control, with reduced pesticide use, to energy efficient control systems that utilise advanced computer control, and improve crop health. The APS Group have invested constantly in sustainable production techniques which makes good business sense. These projects include utilising the carbon emitted from power generation, and producing packaging for tomatoes from the cellulose recovered from waste tomato leaves.  

These innovations have been driven working with a variety of research institutions, and the funding bodies that they rely on, including the British Tomato Association, Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB), DEFRA, and Hort Link.

Phil Pearson is the Group Development Director for the APS Group. As a Fellow of the Institute of Horticulture and the Chairman of the Technical Committee of the British Tomato Growers’ Association he has been involved with the implementation of many new technologies in the UK Tomato industry. He also works with DEFRA, and other Government department to raise awareness of the opportunities for the protected sector.

phil@apsgroup.uk.com | www.apsgroup.uk.com

The urban forest (all the trees in and around the urban areas) are a vital aspect of the fabric of our towns and cities, and as a component of green infrastructure. In order to communicate the importance of the urban forest, the benefits provided by urban trees must be measured.

These benefits (also known as ecosystem services) are separated into 3 groups, namely provisioning, regulatory, and cultural services. Provisioning services concern the goods that trees can provide to the population, through food, fuel or wood. Regulatory services are services that the urban forest contributes to regulating the environment, and cultural services are the material and non-material benefits to human well-being provided by urban trees.

Some of the common methods of measuring and valuing the services provided by the urban forest will be introduced. Citizen science is frequently used in the measuring and valuation of the urban forest, and the benefits of this will be discussed, alongside some examples of how it has been used to gain information about the urban forest.

Annabel Buckland is a member of the Urban Forest Research Group (UFoRG) at Forest Research which delivers scientific knowledge on the UKs urban forests. After graduating in Geography from the University of Exeter, Annabel worked with Treeconomics valuing urban forest ecosystem services before moving to UFoRG to pursue her research interests. Annabel’s research focusses on urban canopy cover assessment techniques, as well as quantifying, mapping and valuing the role of UK urban forests to society.

annabel.buckland@ForestResearch.gov.uk

The LSA Charitable Trust have bought together a selection of leading horticultural companies to help shape a Fellowship Scheme which will help cultivate and mature prospective industry leaders, safeguarding our industry’s future.

The Fellowship has been launched to develop the next leaders of the commercial horticulture industry. The Fellowship Scheme aims to assist developing professionals in the industry to become more engaged with its strategic leadership.

Throughout the scheme the fellows will increase their understanding of the role played by trade bodies and their associated committees in the development of industry strategies and communications with government.
In addition, it will help to increase their knowledge of current research and increase their ability to evaluate the possible impact this will have on the industry. There will be communications between those on the scheme and a wide range of contacts in other businesses, trade bodies and research organisations.
The scheme is being supported by the NFU, British Growers Association, National Farmers Union, the Horticultural Trades Association, the Chartered Institute of Horticulture and Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB).

The LSA CT will provide a bursary of up to £3,000 over two years to help cover expenses incurred in participating in trade group meetings and technical tours. An overview of these activities that would be available are listed here[link to associated page]. The program will accept a maximum of 6 Fellows each year into a program of activity that will last two years.