Final Report for FNE95-094
Project Information
Note to readers, attached is the complete final report for FNE95-094.
The economics of using Florel as a chemical pinching agent are compelling. A foliar application of Florel reduces the labor of hand pinching and the associated costs by up to 80%. Two issues of my newsletter in 1994 were devoted to this topic.
A section of each Florel workshop is devoted to the topic of the economics of Florel use. An average size greenhouse range consisting of one acre has the potential to save $2000-3000 per year through use of Florel on a long list of crops in production. The largest portion of this savings is in reduced labor costs. Other portions include lower production costs related to shorter crop time due to more efficient use of photosynthates and higher quality due to increased branching. As we learn more about plant hormones and how to harness their power over plant growth and development we will continue to manipulate crops to achieve higher quality at lower cost. Learning more about ethylene (Floral) is evidence that this philosophy is sound.