Knowing the pH and Electrical Conductivity or EC of your irrigation and drainage water can help you to grow better and more consistent crops. Testing procedures aren't difficult and can be done at minimal cost. This video shows a process for carrying out a practical on-site pH and electrical
An efficient irrigation system operating to industry best practice provides an opportunity to obtain real operational and economic benefits.
An efficient irrigation system is designed to deliver the appropriate volume of water evenly, to meet all plant needs and in the time available.The irrigation system should apply water evenly across the cropping area, apply the correct volume of water often enough to meet plant demands and apply
The ability of a growing media to take up water effectively once it has dried out is critical to the growth of plants and the ability of the media to become wet again. This is known as wettability. Testing for wettability isn't difficult and can be done at minimal cost with some basic equipment
Knowing the pH and Electrical Conductivity or EC of your growing media can help you to grow better and more consistent crops. Testing procedures aren't difficult and can be done at minimal cost. This video shows a process for carrying out a practical on-site pH and electrical conductivity
Knowing the amount of water held within a growing media, referred to as Water Holding Capacity (WHC) of your growing media can help you manage irrigation scheduling more effectively and ensure plants have adequate moisture.
Plant roots require air as well as water to remain healthy. The amount of air held within a growing media is referred to as Air filled porosity or AFP . Testing procedures for AFP aren't difficult and can be done at minimal cost with simple equipment built from readily available materials and a little bit of time. This video shows a process for carrying out a practical on-site air filled porosity test on growing media.
Weeds or pest plants can have serious economic, environmental, and social impacts. Weeds reduce crop growth, compete for nutrients water and light, harbour insect pests and pathogens, damage the aesthetics of the plant, reduce the ability to apply crop amendments, and can be one of the most significant input costs to production.
To achieve maximum efficiency within a potting operation, and to minimise production bottlenecks, the ‘work-flow’ process from potting to plant placement must be efficient. The following video highlights the areas that could be considered when making improvements to the overall productivity of the plant setting out operation.
The potting operation is a major component of most production nursery operations. Increasing the overall efficiency of the potting process, can free up resources for use in other parts of the business, and improve plant quality. The following video describes the different potting methods used in the nursery industry.
Improving water use efficiency in a production nursery begins with having a clear understanding of the infrastructure and practices currently in place. Irrigation, Drainage and Energy Management Plans, or IDEMP's, describe the infrastructure and management practices in operation at a business, and outlines opportunities, suggestions and designs for on-farm improvements, to ensure the business remains profitable and sustainable into the future.
Coir, coir fibre pith or coconut fibre is a one hundred percent natural, sustainable and renewable product. Coir is a ‘peat like’ byproduct produced from the processing of coconut husks, and is composed of the fibrous material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. Coir is lightweight, retains moisture and is an affordable growing media substrate or component for adding to growing media blends, producing stronger, healthier and more fibrous root systems.
Constructing growing beds to the standard recognised and encouraged under the nursery industry best management practice program, NIASA, provides significant benefits in the production of quality containerised nursery stock.
Constructing growing benches to the standard recognised and encouraged under the nursery industry best management practice program, NIASA, provides a range of significant benefits to assist in the production of quality containerised nursery stock.
pH and Electrical Conductivity meters are extremely useful pieces of equipment used to measure and monitor basic chemical characteristics of water and growing media. Regular and correct calibration of this equipment is necessary to ensure the results are as accurate as possible. The following video describes the basic procedures for calibrating pH and EC meters.
The selection of an appropriate sprinkler is a crucial part of having an irrigation system that operates to Nursery Industry Best Management Practice. The following video explains considerations that need to be taken into account when selecting an appropriate sprinkler for an overhead irrigation system.