Back from university | Nick Clegg’s windfall | Ties at school | Daniel Thomas | Monty Don | Weather forecastGaby Hinsliff talks about students boomeranging as a negative (Think it’s time for gen Z to ‘grow up’? You’re even more out of touch than the British state, 18 September). Our daughter...

Plants are incredibly diverse, and so are botanists! In its mission to spread fascinating stories about the plant world, Botany One also introduces you to the scientists behind these great stories.Today, we have Dr Sreetama Bhadra, the head of the Plant Evolutionary Ecology group at the...

The Kent-based company, which previously supplied vertically-grown leafy salads, is exploring strawberry propagation amid challenging trade conditions Read more at FruitNet

Inside a long, dimly-lit building, Tyler Faaborg slipped into a "fruiting room" cordoned off by what looked like plastic curtains. Fog rolled over shelves of sprouting mushrooms. A bulbous fungi called lion's mane still had another week before harvest, he explained. "You can see they're sort of,...

Edible Garden has been awarded fresh-cut herb business through an additional Walmart distribution center serving the Upper Midwest. The award builds upon the Company's recently announced expansion with Walmart in the Mid-Atlantic region and extends Edible Garden's growing retail presence into the Upper…

For years, much of the conversation around vertical farming has focused on what can be grown indoors. Ryan Douglas, Founder of Ryan Douglas Cultivation, argues that proving a crop can be grown indoors is very different from proving that it should. "Maybe the next phase of vertical farming should focus…

UK Urban AgriTech (UKUAT) will host a webinar titled "CEA & Energy: Growing Greener Infrastructure" on September 30, bringing together speakers from Intelligent Growth Solutions, the University of Sheffield, the University of Glasgow, Farm Urban and Urban Chain. The session extends work UKUAT has been…

From the early 1920s to the mid-1950s, South-Central Colorado was such a crucial source of produce that Buena Vista enjoyed a two-decade run as the "Head Lettuce Capital of the World." That "green gold rush" ended when innovations in refrigeration and shipping technology gave California an unbeatable…

Malaysian Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said, in a statement on Sunday, that the government wants returning OFWs to view agriculture not only as a business opportunity, but also as a way to contribute to the country's food supply. The call was also made when the DA, through its…

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is expanding rapidly as a climate-resilient approach for year-round lettuce production near consumption centers. However, despite its supply chain advantages and high productivity, the economic viability and scalability of CEA-grown lettuce remain constrained by…

Urbanization, climate change, and food supply chain instability necessitate the integration of local agricultural production facilities into residential buildings. Russian science lacks architectural and planning models for integrating vertical farms into housing that account for local regulations and…

What looks at first glance like a simple storage container soon will be anything but, Iola High School Principal Scott Carson said Monday. Carson told Iola City Council members the high school is converting the repurposed shipping container into a state-of-the-art hydroponic farm. The 320-square-foot…

Gotham Greens has announced a series of strategic investments to accelerate the company’s next phase of national growth. Following the appointment of Craig Stevenson as CEO earlier this year, the company has now named Natalie Barber Halpern as chief commercial officer (CCO) and is expanding its...

Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center, CEA Summit East brings together growers, educators, researchers, extension professionals and government representatives.

PhenoKey and Certhon said ClimaRack seed research platform makes it possible to investigate several independently controllable climate conditions within a single set-up, helping translate insights more quickly into decisions across research, breeding and quality control.

The first edition of GreenTech North America kicks off today in Philadelphia. Targeting the North American market, the event combines a trade show floor with a conference program to address the challenges growers face in todays horticultural industry. And surprise, surprise: following many requests, we…

South Africa: Pick n Pay names Spencer Sonn CEO-designateSouth African retailer Pick n Pay named Woolworths executive Spencer Sonn as ​chief executive officer-designate from February 1, 2027, setting in motion a planned leadership transition from CEO Sean Summers, who returned to spearhead the group's…

Commercial horticultural supplier Hort Americas announced today it has added grafted and non-grafted young plants to its 2027 Early Order Program (EOP) through its partnership with Rooted-in-Tech, a precision indoor propagation company. Growers can submit requests through Oct. 31 for Q1 2027 delivery.…

Sormac will exhibit at Fruit Attraction 2026, presenting its solutions for cutting, slicing, and drying fresh produce. Visitors to stand 10A22 in Pavilion 10 can attend live demonstrations and discuss solutions ranging from stand-alone machines to fully automated processing lines. At Fruit Attraction,…

The rise of multi-channel LED fixtures gives growers more and more options for fine-tuning the light spectrum to the crop, growth stage or desired cultivation strategy. Where a single-channel fixture can only be controlled on intensity, growers with multiple channels can continuously adjust the ratio…

Most of us grow up believing one simple rule about plants: they want as much direct sun as they can get, and shade is something to apologize for. Move the tomato pot to the brightest ledge in the house. Resent the tree that blocks the vegetable bed by mid-afternoon. It is such an unquestioned piece of…

Water treatment is becoming an increasingly important component of commercial greenhouse production, particularly as growers work with variable water sources and increasingly precise hydroponic and fertigation systems. Ikusasa Water in South Africa provides water-treatment solutions ranging from…

As weather volatility increases across growing regions, retractable roof systems are finding applications beyond traditional greenhouse production, including in orchards, vineyards and other high-value outdoor crops. Cravo Equipment is expanding its focus in these areas while also developing a...

Eindhoven-based Netvion has appointed Adi Rao as Consulting Director of Business Development for North America. Rao will represent Netvion at the first GreenTech North America in Philadelphia on 23 and 24 September and work with lighting manufacturers and growers across the United States and Canada. Rao…

According to forecasts on September 1st 2026, French strawberry production is expected to reach 73,400 tons this year, a figure very close to that of 2025. However, this stability masks a particularly uneven growing season, with high production up to April, followed by a period from May onwards in which…

Foodiverse concluded the 2025 fiscal year with a record turnover of 384 million euros, up 19.8% year over year. Throughout the year, it expanded its manufacturing capacity by adding two new factories in Germany and introduced 130 new products, bringing its catalog to more than 1,600 items. The...

Azerbaijan's tomato exports reached US$13.6 million in January 2026, down from US$14.7 million in the same month of 2025. Economist Eyyub Kərimli attributed the decline partly to seasonal factors. He also noted that Russia has traditionally been the main destination for Azerbaijani tomato exports. "At…

Tomato prices in Belgium are declining as volumes recover following an extremely hot summer. According to figures from the Verbond van Belgische Tuinbouwcoöperaties (Association of Belgian Horticultural Cooperatives) auctions, the volume of truss tomatoes supplied in week 38 was higher than in the same…

Last week, the final Tomélons of the season were delivered. Tomeco's mini watermelon, which it markets in collaboration with Coöperatie Hoogstraten, has become increasingly established in the Belgian retail sector in recent years. The Flemish grower is pleased with how the past season has gone. "We're…

Vietnam's rapidly developing horticulture and floriculture industries are creating new opportunities for international suppliers of greenhouse technology, cultivation systems, plant material, substrates, irrigation, automation, packaging and post-harvest solutions. The country's fruit and vegetable…

Ludvig Svensson North America has appointed Keaton Collier as Commercial Manager. Keaton brings more than 20 years of experience in the construction and commercial greenhouse industries, including over a decade focused on greenhouse design, sales, business development, and project development....

The summer vegetable growing season in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy, yielded mixed results for the Zito & Co. agricultural cooperative. Peppers, eggplants, and San Marzano tomatoes faced high production costs, agronomic issues primarily related to high temperatures, and insufficient market prices, which did…

Globe Plant, a vegetable plant propagation company in Vierpolders on Voorne-Putten, South Holland, the Netherlands, is celebrating its 65th anniversary. The company was founded by Albert and Francien Grootscholten, and their entrepreneurship, perseverance, and love of horticulture laid the...

Zimbabwe's blueberry sector expects exports to reach around 12,000 tons in 2026 as growers gain access to the Chinese market. The crop is expected to come from around 850 hectares, compared with 9,500 tons harvested from 650 hectares last year, according to the Horticultural Development Council (HDC).…

A delegation of Uzbek farmers and entrepreneurs, led by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, visited Egyptian agricultural company Belco during an official trip to Egypt to study its fruit and vegetable production model, including cultivation, sorting, packaging, and export...

Peru has ratified the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Indonesia through Supreme Decree N.° 041-2026-RE. The agreement will move towards entry into force once Indonesia completes its ratification process, according to Peru's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur). The…

Kazakhstan is working to develop a more integrated cold chain for fresh produce as part of efforts to improve the storage and transportation of temperature-sensitive goods. Around 20% of Kazakhstan's exports and 30% of imports require a cold chain or other temperature-controlled conditions. Fruit and…

China is building its germplasm collection at the National Frigid Zone Crop and Soybean Germplasm Resources Mid-term Bank in Harbin. Cool. Driscoll’s helped build China’s blueberry industry, then discovered that knowledge, infrastructure and genetics have a habit of escaping. Not so cool....

Ridder has integrated Quantified's wireless greenhouse sensors into its Hortimax climate computers, giving growers a unified view of crop data. The post Ridder Links Quantified’s Wireless Sensors to Its Climate Computers appeared first on iGrow News.

Northern Sun Energy has begun construction on two Swansea, Massachusetts community solar projects totaling 11.5 MW of solar and 10 MWh of DC-coupled battery storage for GeoFire Solar. The post Northern Sun Begins Construction on Swansea Solar-Plus-Storage Projects appeared first on iGrow News.

Impossible Foods is making its long-awaited debut in UK supermarkets in collaboration with Tesco this week. They will not, for the moment, feature its signature heme protein, which still awaits regulatory approval in the UK and the EU. The firm, which launched in the UK foodservice market in...

This fall, get yourself a fire pit and extend outdoor season. Below, our recommendations for some particularly stylish round wood-burning fire pits that create as much coziness as a bowl of hot soup. (Not recommended for use on wood decks or surfaces—or anyplace where wildfires are a concern)....

A closer look at the foliage-first planting that surrounds Claire’s patio and gazebo

Four projects have been selected for funding through the 2026 round of the GBIF's annual Capacity Enhancement Support Programme (CESP) call. This programme addresses specific capacity needs identified through the GBIF Participant network at both regional and global levels. The four projects are...

The artist’s Slow Forest rewilding project is cultivating a land revolution

To have healthy, beautiful roses, you need to grow varieties suited to your growing zone. And if you live where the ground freezes during the coldest months of the year, you may have to provide winter protection to get those beauties safely through to spring. Learn how to winterize your roses in...

Louisa Burwood-Taylor had an unusually clear gauge of how the market felt about indoor farming: what her readers clicked on. When she started running AgFunderNews in 2015, any story about indoor agriculture was the most-read piece of the week. Around 2018 that interest dipped, as it became clear...

When Stephen Pankhurst first read the research, the verdict looked final: growing rice in a vertical farm would take around 50 times the energy of growing lettuce. Most people would stop there and conclude that indoor farming will always be about leafy greens. Pankhurst, a mechanical engineer,...

Trevor Williams started his podcast to explain farming to consumers. What surprised him was who actually listened: by his estimate about 60% of his audience are farmers and ranchers, tuning in to hear how other operations solve the same problems they face. That discovery changed the show, and it...

Most vertical farms try to shrink their electricity bill. Zale Tabakman thinks that is the wrong question entirely. The number he watches is yield per kilowatt: how much more product the same power, the same building and the same staff can produce. At $5 a pound, he points out, it takes a lot of...

In two years, the wholesale price of lettuce in the UAE fell from about $3 a pound to around $1.20. Farms that had budgeted to break even at $2 were suddenly nowhere near it. Alexander Kappes saw it coming, which is why the farms his company runs in the Gulf grow tomatoes, peppers and chilies...

Once a vertical farm has solved lighting, power, automation and irrigation, David Farquhar says there is one problem left on the table that most operators would admit is the hardest: air. Thousands of living, breathing plants packed into a metal structure produce heat, humidity and a shifting...

Sonia Lo once did the unglamorous arithmetic. Size the addressable market for vertical farming in North America, work out how many farms of commercial scale it would take to serve it, and count how many exist. Her answer was roughly 1,100 scale farms needed, against fewer than 50 built. The...

A shopper choosing between two tomatoes will not care whether one came from a vertical farm and the other from a field. If retail carbon labels spread the way Daphne Preuss expects, they will see a number, and indoor agriculture on average does not win that comparison yet. Her company exists to...

News of Halter’s $220 million Series E earlier this year—a round that valued the New Zealand livestock technology company at roughly $2 billion—sent an all-too-familiar ripple through the agtech world. Investors voiced excitement, practitioners advised caution, and everyone debated whether...

Once you have gone through the effort of collecting a global database, you can start playing with it. And one of the most fun things to play with, I’d say, is general ecological theories – the kind that you would think hold everywhere, but that usually play out differently depending on where and...

Back in 2022 I wrote about a project in which I’d been involved with colleagues at the Natural History Museum, Imperial College London and several regional museums. We were using preserved bumblebees to ask a deceptively simple question: what can insects collected decades ago tell us about the...

Use rejuvenation cuts to give certain plants a different look, or even a new lease on life

Energy is the number that sinks most controlled environment agriculture business cases. Jonathan Murray’s 40-foot container farm in Ottawa averages about ten kilowatt hours a day, runs off a 60-amp panel, and came through a polar vortex at minus 40 without losing a crop. His landlord includes...

The two Las Vegas vertical farms that failed before Alaric Overbey arrived had both aimed at the Strip, and neither could get a head of lettuce under $16. A few miles away sat the community he had come to work in, where the problem was not premium lettuce but any fresh produce at all. That […]...

CEA represents a transformative approach to domestic food production. By enabling year-round cultivation of fresh produce while offering greater control over growing conditions, reducing vulnerability to external environmental factors, and enhancing food security, Canada is reducing reliance on...

In Langton, Ontario, strawberry propagator EZ Grow Farms and Dutch horticultural consultancy Delphy have completed the first cycle of a collaboration that began in February 2026. The objective behind it is the one EZ Grow president Dusty Zamecnik has set for his business as a whole: advancing knowledge…

China has now cultivated more than 20 varieties spanning 14 plant species in orbit -- a milestone that lays the groundwork for large-scale crop production aboard the space station, according to the Astronaut Center of China. The breakthrough was highlighted at an aerospace medical engineering conference…

On a 60-square-meter project east of Homs, Hassan al-Daher is testing hydroponics as a way to grow lettuce, cucumbers and strawberries on limited land and with far less water than conventional farming. His experiment reflects growing interest in soil-free agriculture in Syria, where recurring drought,…

National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) and the Agricultural Engineers Association (AEA) on Sunday launched a four-day specialized training course, themed: "Hydroponics and Integrated Fish Farming: From Basic Principles to Entrepreneurship Opportunities." The course is attended by 40 recently…

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln launched on Sept. 15 a new initiative aimed at helping producers make better use of digital agriculture technologies — from developing new decision-support tools to improving existing technologies and training the next generation of innovators. The Nebraska Digital Ag…

Vertical farming in sunlit greenhouses can reduce energy consumption compared to plant factories, but introduces the challenge of heterogeneous light distribution within vertically stacked cultivation systems. To address this, rotating shelves have been proposed. This study aimed to quantify how…

Every year, Alaskans buy roughly 2.3 million pounds of button mushrooms. They actually eat about 1.6 million pounds. The rest goes brown, slimy, and straight into the trash, casualties of a supply chain that makes a slow journey north before it ever reaches a grocery store. Alaska's short...

Seeking to learn more about how to grow better strawberries under cover? The Strawberry School Online, presented by Ohio State University, offers all the keys to learn soilless production of strawberry under greenhouse and indoor controlled environment. Contents include strawberry physiology, cultivar…

When health officials announced that the nationwide cyclospora outbreak had arrived in Missouri this summer, Tova Feinberg started getting calls. "A lot of my friends and my current clients reached out," she said. "They were like, 'We need the lettuce now because it's coming from this trusted source…

Indoor vertical farms (VFs), in which mostly leafy greens are grown under electric lighting, received major interest in recent years. VFs' capacities to achieve close-to potential yields and to drastically reduce environmental impacts are topics of current discourse, but comparable supporting data is…

When Dutch tomato growers switched from high-pressure sodium lighting to LED, they gained production and cut energy costs. What some didn't anticipate was a quality problem that followed them into every dark winter: green blotches on the fruit that never turn red, regardless of how long the tomato stays…

October Live Webinar | Designing for Four Seasons of Interest in the Garden Join Us Live: October 2, 2026, 9:00 a.m. EDT A truly great garden doesn't take the winter…

Berry operations in Morocco are using varietal selection to distribute supply across different market windows, while the sector is also examining post-harvest handling, cold chain management, and traceability. These topics were addressed during the XLIII International Soft Fruit Seminar Morocco 2026 and…

The Drewry Intra-Asia Container Index (IACI) increased 6% this week to US$1,402 per 40-foot container, reaching a record high for the fourth consecutive week. Geopolitical developments, typhoon-related disruption, and capacity constraints continued to affect intra-Asia shipping. Spot rates from China to…

Paras Pack is heading to Madrid for its first Fruit Attraction with blueberry buckets and tubes among its main talking points, after seeing interest in these formats from growers and packaging distributors in several export markets. For the packaging manufacturer, the development started with…

India has approved imports of fresh pomegranates and chilli peppers from Uzbekistan, with the decision published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the Gazette of India on August 31. The products can enter the Indian market under the country's phytosanitary risk management…

Morocco's blueberry sector is ever-growing but entering a more demanding phase. Planted area keeps expanding; the 2025/26 season rewarded growers despite weather disruption, while new competing origins are testing the Moroccan market position. Industry stakeholders took stock of these dynamics at the…

At NAMPO Cape 2026, Koppert South Africa highlighted the importance of locally adapted biological crop protection programmes for commercial horticulture, particularly greenhouse vegetable production. The company works across several production regions, including the Western Cape and Northern Cape,…

Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG and Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG intend to join forces and embark on a shared path into the future. The two companies have already enjoyed close and trusting cooperation for more than 30 years under the "Agrorisk" brand. Almost 180 years ago, horticulturalists founded…

Spain: Grupo MAS expands in Málaga with Cash Fresh Ayala openingGrocery retailer Grupo MAS has initiated its next phase of regional growth in Andalusia with the opening of Cash Fresh Ayala in Málaga. The opening forms part of a broader transformation strategy to convert 20 former Maskom stores into…

Farmers are under growing pressure to produce more food from the same land, while using resources more efficiently and reducing agriculture's environmental footprint. Syngenta today announces Exort™ technology, what they say is a major scientific breakthrough that helps plants make better use of their…

During the first half of September, the Polyfly team travelled to South Africa to continue developing one of the company's strategic international markets. The trip combined commercial, technical and field work, with visits to different agricultural areas of the Western Cape, including the Garden Route…

With the continuing decline in fast-acting crop protection products authorised for use in fruit crops, Niab's pest and pathogen ecology team at East Malling has channelled its energies into harnessing naturally occurring organisms from the surrounding environment and developing novel approaches to…

Paul McInnis, LLC will offer at public foreclosure auction a recently constructed, commercial-scale hydroponic greenhouse campus at 183 East Milan Road, Berlin, New Hampshire. The on-site auction will be held Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. The offering is directed to established…

Signify has announced that Thanet Earth, the UK's largest glasshouse complex, will install a new Philips horticulture LED lighting system across approximately 26 hectares in the fourth quarter of 2026. Thanet Earth already grows tomatoes under Philips LED lighting all year round. The new installation…

A new research project by Gavita International and HAS Green Academy was recently launched. HAS Green Academy is a Dutch university of applied sciences and knowledge institution specializing in agriculture, food, horticulture and the living environment. The research focuses on the effects of different…

At Bryte's GreenBalance location in 's-Gravenzande, the Netherlands, leaks in the cultivation gutters had been worsening over the years, requiring increasingly frequent repairs. That prompted the company to take a thorough look at its greenhouse growing systems. Renovation, however, did not...

Naki Groothandel, the company owned by the German Güneser family, has invested in several greenhouse horticulture businesses in the Venlo area. The total cultivation area amounts to approximately 210,000 m², spread across several greenhouses. The greenhouses are strategically located on the...

Intercargo Scandinavia, formerly Angvik Auto, has long specialized in transporting fresh produce from its base in Maasdijk, in the Westland region of the Netherlands, to Norway. Starting November 1, the company is adding a groupage service to Denmark. "Our main focus has been on integrating Angvik Auto…

In Brussels, Sentek will engage with companies, experts and European policymakers on the strategies, investments and technologies needed to turn water resilience objectives into concrete actions for a more sustainable and competitive agricultural sector. On 28 and 29 September 2026, Sentek will...

Hoddys Fruit Co has expanded into berry growing at its Hope orchard in New Zealand, establishing seven hectares of strawberries and raspberries alongside its apple crop. The business, part of the RD8 Fresh Produce Group, is developing the berry area for sister company The Fresh Berry Company. It marks…

New Zealand farmers and growers are being advised to prepare for a potentially dry summer as likely El Niño conditions increase the risk of drought in northern and eastern parts of the country. Research from Westpac's Economics team indicates that, based on previous severe drought events, similar…

South Korea's grower price index rose 0.2% month-on-month in August 2026, reversing a 0.4% decline in July, according to provisional figures from the Bank of Korea. The index reached 129.64, based on 2020=100, and was 7.9% higher year-on-year. Agricultural, forestry and fishery product prices increased…

Azerbaijan exported 540,919 tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables worth $637.1 million in January–August 2026, according to data from the State Customs Committee. Export volume was 0.3% higher than in the same period of 2025, while the value of shipments increased by 13.6%. Fresh fruits and vegetables…

Greek fresh produce exporter Yaka has expanded its blueberry activities in recent years following an extensive period of research and development. The company started trials with different varieties and cultivation systems before establishing a commercial operation in Komotini, Greece, in 2024....

Australian agricultural groups have raised concerns over proposed changes to the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa program, including caps and a ballot system for second- and third-year visas, as growers prepare for upcoming harvests. NSW Farmers said the Federal Government's decision to prioritise…

Oxbo has introduced AutoHarvest, a machine-learning system that automatically adjusts settings on its berry harvesters based on field conditions. The technology is available on the company's 2027 blueberry harvesters. AutoHarvest uses integrated cameras and algorithms to monitor the crop as the machine…

Russia has extended its ban on imports of certain agricultural and food products from a number of Western countries through December 31, 2028. The restrictions include fruit and vegetables. The measure was originally introduced in August 2014 in response to sanctions imposed on Russia. The import…

Over the past two decades, Poland has transformed from a major berry-producing country into one of Europe's centres of modern berry production. High tunnels, fertigation, gutter and container cultivation, precision irrigation, crop monitoring, and controlled growing environments are increasingly part of…

A delegation of Uzbek farmers and entrepreneurs has visited Egypt to study agricultural practices used in arid and desert regions, including water-saving irrigation and fresh produce handling. The delegation, led by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, visited DALTEX, one of Egypt's major…

Lilac Agriculture has raised an oversubscribed $2.3 million seed round to shine a light on the black box of rhizobial inoculants with next-gen products that can help growers improve yields in a wide variety of soils. The round—led by Innova and supported by 701 Fund, Ag Ventures Alliance,...

Friday, September 4 – Build me a Wall Before I go any further, I should talk about the Murabilia home base city of Lucca. Lucca downtown nightlife This Tuscan town, located about one hour from the coast, is known as the walled city. Lucca’s wall project, which is over four miles in length and...

Celebrating 25 years of GBIF, a new article published in Biodiversity Data Journal offers a historical overview from GBIF's inception to its current status as an essential biodiversity data network and platform. Led by GBIF Executive Secretary, Joe Miller, and written up by Caitlin Mandeville...

The “nutrient collapse” story has been doing the rounds for years, and we’ve been picking at it on the blog for almost as long. Back in 2009, Jeremy looked at evidence that older crop varieties could contain more minerals, protein and other nutrients than newer ones, and discussed various...

Advanced Battery Concepts will supply a 1.15 MW GreenSeal lead battery to a Michigan land conservancy's solar site after DOE final funding approval. The post Advanced Battery Concepts to Supply Solar-Paired Storage for Michigan Land Conservancy appeared first on iGrow News.

The theory is your plants will perk up if you reflect some extra light their way over the long winter monthsMost houseplants are hungry for sunlight, which is in short supply during a UK winter. Plants on a shelf or coffee table often get insufficient light, so they stretch, lean and thin out....

An explosion of dramatic dahlias makes it nearly impossible to miss the house and garden of mixed media artist and teacher Bibby Gignilliat—particularly because it’s in the middle of a quiet street in Mill Valley, California. In 2013, Bibby purchased the property and began working on the garden...

I could have sworn I had at least Nibbled Our World in Data’s Is organic farming better for the environment than conventional farming? But it doesn’t look like it. Fortunately, Jeremy gets to grips with it in his latest newsletter. Along with that autumnal favourite the apple, and lots of other...

A rebuilt gazebo and expanded patio turn an overlooked passageway into a place to gather, dine, and relax

Micha Davidova, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, discusses their article: Direct and indirect effects of elevated CO2, warming and drought on plant-consumer interactions of Plantago lanceolata Setting the scene Interactions between plants and their consumers, such as...

Gabriel Zarafonitis built his first vertical farming company on the premise that he should make everything himself: own lights, own controllers, full robotics. It failed and closed. What he built second is the opposite in almost every respect, and the reason is a conclusion about who pays when a...

Before a controlled environment agriculture company collapses, it usually tells you. Not in a press release, but in the spacing of its funding rounds and in the LinkedIn feeds of its staff. Sepehr Achard watches both, because reporting on the industry every day means he sees the pattern before...

A container farm can be fully funded, delivered by crane and planted with a first crop, and still be shut down inside a month. Not because the lettuce fails, but because the local zoning code has no line for urban farming, which makes the box a temporary structure with a 30-day clock on it. On...

A greenhouse’s internal temperature has to be kept warm enough to keep the plants within alive. In our guide to heating up greenhouses, we’ll cover several different types of heating, along with the basics of keeping a greenhouse warm enough and factors to consider when choosing one or more...

Nick Bateman of GrowPura on clean room growing without a chlorine wash, moving plants to the light, and why the company stopped being a farm. The post Nick Bateman of GrowPura on Clean Room Growing and Cutting Light Fixtures by Two Thirds appeared first on iGrow News.

AmericanHort Supports Science-Based TSCA Risk Management AmericanHort joined the American Alliance for Innovation and other industry organizations in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt a transparent, consistent and science-based approach when developing future chemical...

Director of Global Grower Operations and Research Vijay Rapaka, Ph.D. notes these strategic changes further demonstrate the firm's commitment to provide the global floriculture, CEA, nursery and AgBiotech markets with industry-best products, services and support.

Daniel Plant of Plant Dynamics on energy costs, why grower dashboards can't answer their own questions, and why CEA's market is underserved. The post Daniel Plant of Plant Dynamics on Energy, Unit Economics and the Data Growers Cannot Use appeared first on iGrow News.

UK startup Biographica and Dutch genome editing specialist Hudson River Biotechnology are partnering to take crop trait development from target discovery through to edited commercial varieties. The collaboration combines Biographica’s computational platform for identifying high-value gene...

The date is now set for the 2027 CEA Leafy Greens Network Event (CEALGNE), held on Wednesday, March 3, 2027, both online and in-person at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Research Complex (CEARC) at The Ohio State University. From both the Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Center...

Pelemix will participate in Fruit Attraction 2026, taking place from 6 to 8 October at IFEMA Madrid, where it will present its offering for professional agriculture The company will showcase its portfolio of 100% coco coir substrates for professional crops, with solutions adapted to the needs of…

The fifth annual Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East closed out two days of connection and collaboration Sept. 15-16, 2026 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, Virginia. Co-hosted by Indoor Ag-Con and the CEA Innovation Center, the Summit brought…

Inside a hospital compound in Tumauini, Isabela, lettuce grows under solar-powered hydroponics and mushrooms fruit in a climate-controlled house — a shift that shows how health care facilities are becoming new frontlines for food security. Saint Matthias Medical Center of Isabela Inc. has...

Pakistan is working with South Korea to increase the local production of disease-free and certified potato seed, in an effort to reduce reliance on imports and improve agricultural productivity. Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain said cooperation...

Speaking to a Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reporter in Malaysia, Professor Dato Dr Ahmad Ibrahim – an expert on technology, digital transformation, and agricultural value chains at UCSI University – argued that the question now is no longer whether to modernize, but how quickly and inclusively a...

From a cellar in Lisbon's Intendente neighborhood to 26 containers totaling 2.000 m² , with a current production of 48 tons and a potential of 150 tons: this is the trajectory of the project that, for seven years, has united Delta Cafés and Nãm in the use of coffee grounds for mushroom production, a…

A growing consumer push to buy Canadian and boycott US products is reshaping supermarket shelves in Canada, forcing grocers to improve country-of-origin labeling and secure new sources of supply. In Ontario, the ​president of independent grocer Vince's Market, Giancarlo Trimarchi, turned to Facebook to…

Venture capital investor Arlene Dickinson is raising a new growth-equity fund that will back Canadian agriculture and food companies expanding in Southeast Asia. Farm Credit Canada is the fund's lead investor, with a $150-million commitment. Dickinson, who will serve as general partner, is in...

Students grabbing lunch in Panther Dining Hall (PDH) may be eating produce grown only a few feet away. Two microfarms in the lobby of the Panther Dining Hall, right next to the entrance, are constantly growing greens used for meals in the dining hall and for catering events hosted by Campus Dining. You…

Vertical farming was hailed more than ten years ago as a promising new form of horticulture. Plants would no longer grow only in greenhouses, but also in high halls, layer upon layer, and entirely under artificial light. Major investors worldwide poured millions into companies that set to work with this…

Vivent Biosignals has announced a partnership with Arvesta, a leading full-service partner for farmers and growers. As exclusive distributor for Belgium and distribution partner for France and the Netherlands, Arvesta will bring Vivent's Al-driven plant monitoring to professional growers in greenhouse…

U.S. retail fresh vegetable prices were 6.3% higher in July 2026 than a year earlier, according to the USDA's Economic Research Service. Tomato prices increased 12.8%, while lettuce prices rose 7.5%. Federal economists expect vegetable prices to continue rising through the remainder of 2026. Farm labor…

Fresh berry prices in Spain increased by 35.7% between August 2025 and August 2026, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The category includes strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and currants. Fresh citrus prices,…

Qatar has introduced higher import tariffs on selected seasonal vegetables under Decree No. 45 of 2026. The measure adjusts import costs during periods when locally grown vegetables are available. Article 2 of the decree introduces a temporary 15% tariff on selected imported vegetables during specified…

An abundance of fall favorites was featured in flyers this week. Pumpkins, hard squash, apples, pears, and apple cider greeted shoppers first, along with seasonal potted mums. Cantaloupes, peaches, grapes, and berries were still popular as summer lingered in warmer parts of the country. Rosh...

Last month, the Cucurbit Master Summit 2026 took place in Hermosillo, Sonora. The event brought together specialists and industry leaders to share knowledge, experiences and solutions to the main challenges facing cucurbit production. Throughout the day, Syngenta experts and sector representatives…

Since its establishment in 2007, South African-based Greenhouse Technologies (GHTech) has developed from its first warehouse at City Deep's Multi-Flora Market into a national supplier with five warehouses across South Africa. The company serves commercial horticulture and agriculture with greenhouse…

Pelemix will participate in Fruit Attraction 2026, taking place from 6 to 8 October at IFEMA Madrid, where it will present its offering for professional agriculture The company will showcase its portfolio of 100% coco coir substrates for professional crops, with solutions adapted to the needs of…

UK-based Fuse Diagnostics has raised £1 million to accelerate commercialisation of its Flip molecular testing platform and expand manufacturing at its Cambridge headquarters. The funding, led by The FSE Group with participation from existing and new angel investors including Cambridge Capital...

"We may now be at the lowest point ever for vertical farming. The survivors will be the fittest, but many businesses are reviewing every aspect of their strategy. Ironically, with so many challenges, from climate change and supply chain disruption to food safety and obesity, the case for...

Amazon Great Indian Festival starts October 8Amazon India reported: "Customers can explore a wide selection across groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen foods, beverages, household essentials, personal care, fashion and beauty, small appliances, home and kitchen and more".Source:…

As part of an industry-wide harmonization effort coordinated through Euroseeds and aligned with the International Seed Federation (ISF), Enza Zaden has announced that terminology used to communicate resistance to Lettuce Mosaic Virus (LMV) in lettuce has been updated. As a result of this harmonization,…

A university research greenhouse needs multiple, isolated climate zones, not the single shared environment that works for a teaching or production greenhouse. That difference drives nearly every other design decision, from HVACD systems to glazing to how the facility supports outside...

Climate-driven increases in extreme rainfall events are exacerbating waterlogging stress, leading to significant yield losses and highlighting the need for a better understanding of plants' adaptive responses. Accurately predicting yield responses to waterlogging is therefore critical for effective crop…

New research shows that applying microbial consortia at key phenological stages can significantly improve specialty pepper performance under organic management systems, offering a promising strategy to boost crop productivity and resilience. The study evaluated how combinations of beneficial…

Oasis Grower Solutions has announced key additions to its team of Sales, Customer Service, and Product/Technical Support professionals. As noted by Director of Global Grower Operations and Research Vijay Rapaka, Ph.D., these strategic changes further demonstrate the division's commitment to provide the…

In the first half of 2026, Almería exported a record 293.24 million kilograms of cucumbers, accounting for 73.76% of Spanish cucumber exports, according to a Hortoinfo report based on Estacom data from the Icex-Tax Agency. From January to June 2026, Spain exported a record 397.58 million kilograms of…

Every summer, tomato fields in southeastern Turkey become drying areas for thousands of fresh tomatoes destined for food markets in Europe and other parts of the world. In the Karacadağ area of Diyarbakır province, farmers and seasonal workers process the crop using a traditional sun-drying...

Cualin Quality is entering a new phase of growth after closing what the company considers a strong 2025–2026 season. Despite a challenging environment across the sector, the company maintained its upward trajectory by focusing on premium vine cherry tomatoes and long-term commercial relationships. "The…

Dutch sensor developer Sendot, based in Houten, the Netherlands, has developed an automatic plate handler for its Seed Scanner. The Sendot Sample Station is designed to get more out of the technology and to prevent the scanner from sitting idle. The Seed Scanner makes it possible to track the...

Plant Flow Solutions a contract research organization (CRO) specializing in biostimulant research and complex agronomic trials. Their team integrates physiological measurements, controlled-environment simulations, and data-driven insights to accelerate scientific development for their clients. What does…

How can ag retailers and manufacturers give growers more confidence in new products and practices? In this Tech Talk at Tech Hub LIVE 2026, Optimal Ag Solutions CEO Billy Rose explains how independent field testing, AI-powered yield analysis and financial guarantees can help growers evaluate products,…

MeeFog has acquired MicroCool. "We're excited to welcome MicroCool to the MeeFog family. By bringing our teams, expertise, and technologies together, we're creating an even stronger platform to deliver efficient fogging and cooling solutions to customers around the world", the MeeFog team...

The Fri-El production centre in Ostellato (Ferrara) is always coming up with something new, including a steady and consistent supply of tomatoes and a geothermal plant due to be installed to keep temperatures low even during the summer months. From a market perspective, Davide D'Ignoto, Sales Director…

The bioproduction of molecules is of particular interest to sectors as diverse as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and industry. However, it was only a few years ago that product development and scale-up projects emerged that allowed this scientific knowledge to be translated into real commercial…

The 2025/26 berry season in Andalusia was defined by difficult weather conditions throughout much of the production cycle, particularly between October and mid-February, when a succession of storms cut the first raspberry harvest and also affected strawberry production, while causing damage to…

Horticulture faces major challenges in crop protection, hygiene, and innovation. In the Netherlands, growers are also confronting stricter regulation and lengthy approval procedures. Jos Veugen of Veugen Technology says growers are willing to invest in cleaner, safer working methods, but warns that…

Police officers inspected the quality of sweet lavender melons to be harvested at the Sustainable Food Yard of North Maluku Regional Police in Sofifi, Wednesday (16/9/2026). The North Maluku Regional Police, in collaboration with Bhayangkari, utilized a limited land area of approximately 200...

Spirulina is a biomass derived from cyanobacteria, best known as a food or nutritional supplement for its content of proteins, amino acids, pigments, and other bioactive compounds, but it also has agricultural applications. "Spirulina, commercially known as such and belonging to the genus Limnospira,…

The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission has amended the EAEU's Unified Quarantine Phytosanitary Requirements and the list of regulated products subject to quarantine phytosanitary control at the customs border and within the customs territory of the EAEU. One of the changes removes the…

Caelux has signed a five-year deal to supply GREW Solar with perovskite technology for up to 4 GW of hybrid-tandem solar modules in India. The post Caelux and GREW Solar Sign 4 GW Perovskite-Tandem Module Partnership appeared first on iGrow News.

Alveo and AgriNerds pair daily migratory-bird risk scores with under-an-hour on-farm H5N1 testing. Two executives explain the bet — and its limits. The post Bird Flu Travels 8km on the Wind. This Partnership Wants Farmers Testing Before It Lands. appeared first on iGrow News.

Did you just sneeze? You did? Bless you. Late summer and fall allergies kick in when wind-pollinated plants shed their fine powder. While ragweed is well known as a main cause of seasonal allergies in North America, some identification issues persist. Especially this one: What is yellow and...

Dark skies and wet foliage deepen the color in Rachel’s late-summer garden

Much of today’s available agricultural data tells farmers only what is happening on their fields; which crops are growing, whether plants are healthy, where pests are beginning to appear. While that answer has value, it only deals with the most surface-level information. Deeper insights, around...

Rick Langille of Harvest Today on vertigation, why greens lose half their nutrients in 72 hours, and $4,000 walls built for community-scale farms. The post Rick Langille of Harvest Today on Vertigation and Why Store-Bought Greens Lose Their Nutrients appeared first on iGrow News.

Andrew Phelps of Phelps Farm on rebuilding after a derecho, EQIP grants covering his Harnois high tunnels, and selling every crop direct in Iowa. The post Andrew Phelps on Rebuilding Phelps Farm After a Derecho and Growing Year-Round in Iowa appeared first on iGrow News.

A three-decade-long analysis shows rising threatened species and responsibility gaps in global supply chains. Data says that we must make responsibility for biodiversity traceable from production to final demand. Development of an evidence-based integrated germplasm prioritization framework for...

When life gives you leaves, why not make compost? Autumn’s falling leaves are perfect for making a well-balanced compost bin. Often treated as “waste,” dead leaves are a valuable natural resource that you can turn into black gold for your garden. To learn how to create compost and mulch with...

The recent BFG Supply bankruptcy filing is a reminder to evaluate your supply chain, know your operating costs, and arm yourself with data. The post Gut Check: Is Your Operation Ready for the Next Disruption? appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

Last week, I talked about my adventures foraging for pawpaws. This week, I'd like to introduce another traditionally foraged species but one that I'm not planning to eat anytime soon, even though I know where plenty of it is: the highly toxic pokeweed.Beautiful but ToxicPokeweed, also known as...

Looks like all those factsheets came through…

Exclusive: Five gardening teams shortlisted for Royal Horticultural Society’s new Railway Stations in Bloom awardEvery year since 1964, towns across the UK have bloomed with hanging baskets and brightly coloured flowerbeds planted by residents.They wield their trowels in aid of the Royal...

The 2026 ʻUlu Hoʻolauleʻa and Global Breadfruit Summit is taking place in South Kona, Hawaiʻi, from 19-24 September 2026. The week-long celebration will bring together breadfruit farmers, farmer organisations, scientists, educators, chefs, cultural practitioners, entrepreneurs, policymakers and...

Can you feel it? With the equinox on September 22, the expansiveness of summer tilts into hunkering season. In California and on the Cape, in the Bronx and in Maine, R/G editors are prepping our own houses (and apartments) for cooler, slower days. You too? We asked a longtime favorite,...

Both farmers and home gardeners are likely to find cover cropping a valuable practice. Sowing dense, fast-growing plants to cover fallow soil helps to control weed growth and inhibit erosion. The decaying plants improve soil structure and replenish nutrients. Read on and learn if it is...

The “Silver Tsunami” of Baby Boomers preparing to exit their businesses can only be rewarding if you’re prepared, but few businesses are. The post What the American Dream Warning Means for the Green Industry appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

Hitachi Energy will invest $528 million in a new Mississippi transformer factory, its largest single US investment to date, creating hundreds of jobs. The post Hitachi Energy to Build $528 Million Transformer Factory in Mississippi appeared first on iGrow News.

Electrified Thermal Solutions will deploy an initial 20 MWh Joule Hive thermal battery as part of Holcim's industrial electrification roadmap. The post Electrified Thermal Solutions to Deploy Joule Hive Thermal Battery for Holcim appeared first on iGrow News.

Hephae Energy's Pandora210 drilling-electronics system operated at 210°C in the field, enabling what the company calls the world's hottest next-generation geothermal well. The post Hephae Technology Enables World’s Hottest Next-Gen Geothermal Well appeared first on iGrow News.

Find regional plant picks from an expert to bring color and variety to your garden

Find regional plant picks to bring color and variety to your garden

India's Solar Industries has offered R21.8bn for Omnia, whose fertiliser arm is a major supplier of crop nutrients across southern Africa. The post Solar Industries Bids R21.8 Billion for South Africa’s Omnia appeared first on iGrow News.

On deck this weekend? An LA exhibit, a great new spot to lay your head on the Cape, and much more in between. Read on: Above: Fall has us craving fresh-looking interiors. Case in point: this week’s The Architect at Home: Saba Ghorbanlinejad’s Compact Paris Apartment. Photography by Mary Gaudin...

A balance of eaters, cookers and juicers, including one for cider — plus pears, figs and an apricot — went into the ground this summer. Can he match Chadwick or Cézanne?

Find regional plant picks from an expert to bring color and variety to your garden

Find plant picks from a regional expert to add color and variety to your garden

When your herb garden produces more than you can use fresh, freezing is a great way to preserve their flavor, fragrance, and nutrition. It’s fast, easy, and there’s no specialized equipment needed. Plus, it’s a smart way to reduce food waste. Learn about five of the best ways to freeze herbs in...

Discover which plants to buy for your Midwest garden, including choices that will bring color and variety to your landscape

In this episode, Greenhouse Grower Editor Brian Sparks highlights recent horticulture headlines you may have missed. The post Grower to Grower Podcast: Cover Stories, Trials Travels, and More appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

Readers respond to the news that Monty Don is leaving the BBC television programme With Monty Don leaving Gardeners’ World, perhaps it’s time the BBC admitted that most British gardens resemble mild domestic crises rather than Longmeadow’s pastoral calm. Real gardens are small, scruffy and...

Chase Edwards joins as Pacific Northwest Sales Manager; Rob Stutesman promoted to U.S. Ag Sales Manager.

In 2019, I received an invitation to speak at the 2020 Murabilia Plant Festival in Lucca, Italy. As we got closer to the festival date in September of that year, it became obvious to festival organizers that the severity of the COVID epidemic in Italy would not allow the festival to be held for...

DANVILLE, VIRGINIA (September 18, 2026 , 2026) — The fifth annual Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Summit East closed out two days of connection and collaboration Sept. 15-16, 2026 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) in Danville, Virginia. Co-hosted by Indoor...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared that the 2026 multi-state Cyclospora outbreak, linked to shredded iceberg lettuce, has ended. “This outbreak had a devastating impact on thousands of consumers and on confidence in fresh produce and salads in particular,” said Tom...

Edible Garden AG has promoted David Ross to Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Mr. Ross was appointed Vice President of Sales and Marketing in June 2023 after previously serving as the Company's Director of Sales and Marketing. During his tenure, he has played a key role in growing Edible…

Emirates is reshaping how airline food is grown and served through Dubai's Bustanica, the world's largest vertical farm. CNN sees how one of the world's biggest airlines tackles food security and sustainability at massive scale. Read more at CNN

The court-appointed trustee is currently exploring options for a restart of Infinite Acres and Infinite Acres Holding, both based in the Netherlands. Parties in the sector were informed of this on a Thursday. No official explanation has yet been given for the reason behind the bankruptcy. Based on…

The modular facility, created at Nottingham Trent University's Brackenhurst Campus, houses a fully-controlled growth environment bringing together the latest technologies and innovation in smart farming and plant science. It also features a biochemical analysis suite to understand crop variations at…

Tower Garden and Whole Foods Market Foundation have partnered to support schools throughout the United States that are committed to sparking kids' curiosity about where their food comes from. The Whole Foods Market Foundation announced earlier this month that 750 garden grants will be awarded to schools…

Commercial greenhouse specialists Bridge Greenhouses have announced they will once again join their Dutch partner, Certhon, on its exhibition stand at the British Tomato Conference on 24th September. Bridge Greenhouses and Certhon will also exhibit at the Cucumber & Pepper Conference on 15th October,…

Species from the genus Balanophora are anything but the typical plants we are used to. They do not photosynthesise, they parasitise the roots of other plants, and they can be easily mistaken for fungi. And their unusual biology does not stop at their appearance: they also interact with animals...

The partnership will allow Hort Americas to add new grafted and non-grafted young plants to its Early Order Program. The post Hort Americas Partners with Rooted-in-Tech for Its 2027 Early Order Program appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

Jason Scheibel brings more than 20 years of irrigation industry experience, including 15 years with Netafim, while Brian Shade has more than 50 years of agricultural and precision irrigation experience.

This week on AgTech Digest: Corteva, BASF, IDEXX. In one week, two of the largest names in crop inputs decided they are worth more in pieces. The post BASF hired four banks to float an ag unit with $11.1 billion in annual sales appeared first on iGrow News.

This week on iGrow Digest: Vylor, NextEra Energy, Mazama Energy. A 100-year-old crop giant is cutting itself in half — and the new seed company says wheat alone is a $1 billion business waiting to happen. The post Corteva’s seed business becomes Vylor on October 1, chasing $1 billion in wheat by...

Eight Apogee sensors, covering PAR, ePAR, far-red, solar radiation and plant temperature measurements, are now fully wireless through the new Aranet Apogee Transmitter.

Canada is investing C$5 million in Kinghaven Farms, the greenhouse producing Haven Greens lettuce, to support the adoption and customization of automation and climate control technologies at the company's newly built controlled environment agriculture (CEA) greenhouse in Ontario. The greenhouse can…

At NAMPO Cape 2026, Two Oceans Projects and Services and G&D Hydroponics demonstrated a range of hydroponic production systems, reflecting several years of practical experimentation in water management and protected crop production. Dr Ian Goldie, Managing Director of Two Oceans Projects and...

UK: M&S opens brand-new Sydenham store at Bell Green Retail ParkM&S reported: "Throughout the store, customers can shop from M&S' Remarksable Value and Bigger Pack Better Value products, delivering trusted value and exceptional quality for families, as well as fresh and delicious produce from...

Gotham Greens has also entered into a partnership with C.A. Fortune to expand its national sales operations and distribution across major retail accounts. Under the agreement, C.A. Fortune will handle headquarter sales nationally, with support from its in-store team and its marketing, insights and…

On September 11, 2026, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, wrapped up a successful outreach to Calgary and communities across southern Alberta. To begin his outreach, Minister MacDonald announced an investment of nearly $900,000 for SmartGRO Bioengineering Inc. under…

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance (CEA Alliance) welcomes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's declaration that the 2026 multistate Cyclospora outbreak associated with shredded iceberg lettuce has ended, bringing an important close to this outbreak. "This outbreak had a…

On Wednesday, September 16, the National Radish Members' Committee of Glastuinbouw Nederland visited Koppert Machines. The committee was briefed on automation trends. Paul Koppert and Pieter Zwinkels guided the members through the findings from the 2026 growing season, market developments for radishes,…

Tomato harvesting in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, showed higher yields in July and August after disease pressure affected crops earlier in the 2026 winter season. Transplanting during the first part of the winter crop, between January and April, was affected by bacterial diseases, particularly…

The 2026 British Cucumber & Pepper Conference is just four weeks away, taking place on October 15th at Delta Hotels Waltham Abbey. This year's program is described as varied, practical, and full of good discussion, covering topics ranging from the energy rollercoaster of 2026 to the latest advances in…

On 22 September 2026, during Seed Meets Technology, PhenoKey and Certhon will introduce ClimaRack: a modular research platform for climate-focused seed research. The system makes it possible to investigate several independently controllable climate conditions in parallel within a single compact set-up.…

The 2026 Turkish vine tomato season is getting underway with a positive outlook for availability, according to Beyazit Afiyon, commercial director of Turkish fresh produce trader PIK Global. The company is combining its own production with supplies from contracted growers to build regular programmes for…

ASAJA Almería recommends that growers carefully monitor their crops for pests and viral diseases. They should also document any damage carefully, especially if they may need to uproot the crop because of the severity of the infestation. Pests such as red spider mites, thrips, T. parvispinus, aphids, and…

U.S. fresh produce markets showed mixed price trends this week. Peruvian blueberry prices increased, while California strawberry prices fell. Asparagus trading remained active, avocado prices were mostly steady, and cucumber markets recorded declines in several regions. AsparagusPeruvian asparagus…

Highlands Potplants, based in the Westland region of the Netherlands, is expanding its operations in Honselersdijk. The company has acquired a new 4-hectare nursery on Pouwelslaan, along with an adjacent 2.5-hectare plot. The site, currently used for tomato production, will be converted for the…

"Are we also going to get paid more for the young plants we grow?" A Canadian plant propagator ended the International Propagation Seminar on Wednesday with that question, suggesting it may be time to look at a new business model. It also provided a fitting topic for discussion over the closing dinner.…

Flier Systems and Machinnova Group are joining forces on a new grafting automation machine: the SGA-CutClip, the first machine in Flier's new SGA range, Smart Grafting Automation. Machinnova builds the machine, Flier brings it to the international market. The SGA-CutClip automates the cutting and…

The 43rd Blueberries Consulting International Seminar took place on September 16, 2026, in Tangier, drawing strong participation from Moroccan and international players across the blueberry ecosystem. The morning opened with welcome remarks from Jorge Esquivel (Blueberries Consulting), Youssef Bensajjy…

In the south of the Netherlands, you will find Europe's largest soft fruit plant propagator: Van den Elzen Plants. Across thirteen locations in Brabant and Limburg, the company propagates raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry plants. The focus is shifting increasingly toward data-driven cultivation.…

Iraq has agreed to ban tomato imports through all border crossings until October 20, 2026, according to a farmers' representative, following protests by growers over declining local tomato prices. "We are now in Baghdad. We have reached an agreement with the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture to ban the…

At this year's Fruit Attraction, the mini pepper line Tribelli Seedless and the cucumber line easyQs, both developed by Enza Zaden, will be presented at stand 10B09A. The exhibit will illustrate the company's breeding work and collaboration with growers in developing produce aimed at consumer demand for…

Researchers at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur have found that the synchronisation of water and nutrient supply, together with soil-moisture conservation, can affect strawberry yields in the north-western Himalayan region. The three-year field study was published in Nature's…

Intersemillas has launched a new Research and Development Center in El Ejido, in the Tierras de Almería region, in the La Cumbre area, the heart of the Poniente Almeriense and one of Spain's leading greenhouse vegetable production hubs. The new facility will allow the company to develop and...

"We have been through some difficult months, and the coming months will not be easy either," reports Sebastiano Fortunato, president of the Pachino PGI Tomato Protection Consortium (Italy, Sicily), following a summer marked by above-average temperatures. President Sebastiano Fortunato "The weather has…

One of the things I love about working on the milkweed and dogbane family (Apocynaceae) is that it has an apparently inexhaustible capacity to produce strange and wonderful interactions with animals. Just when you think that the family’s pollination biology has yielded most of its surprises,...

Forget about mums and asters—these lesser-known gems will truly help your late-season garden sparkle

Whether tall or short, wafty or heavy, these versatile, texture-giving plants can be magicalAfter four long months of warmth, the garden decided it was autumn prematurely. Yellow leaves piled up against the kerbstones. Everything might be dry and crispy, but for those who believe that planting...

Jupiter Power closed $1.4 billion across four transactions to fund ten utility-scale battery storage projects totaling 1,500 MW / 3,600 MWh in Texas and Michigan. The post Jupiter Power Secures $1.4 Billion to Finance Ten Battery Storage Projects appeared first on iGrow News.

Vortex Companies has acquired sliplining and rehabilitation contractor CLH & Son, expanding its trenchless water and sewer infrastructure work in the Northeast. The post Vortex Companies Acquires CLH & Son to Expand Northeast Water Infrastructure Work appeared first on iGrow News.

JUWI Inc. has brought its 145 MW Axial Basin Solar Project into commercial operation in western Colorado, supplying wholesale power to Tri-State. The post JUWI Completes 145 MW Axial Basin Solar Project in Colorado appeared first on iGrow News.

Branch Energy has raised a $33 million Series B led by Piva Capital and Clean Energy Ventures to expand its Arc battery systems into new markets. The post Branch Energy Raises $33 Million Series B to Scale Battery Systems for Data Centers appeared first on iGrow News.

Generate Capital closed a $117M community solar term debt facility with MUFG, its first community solar financing with the bank. The post Generate Capital Closes $117 Million Community Solar Financing With MUFG appeared first on iGrow News.

Dutch firm Odd.Bot has upgraded its Maverick weeding robot with a redesigned app, GPS, geofencing and more battery capacity as it expands across Europe. The post Odd.Bot Upgrades Its Maverick Autonomous Weeding Robot appeared first on iGrow News.

Farmers National Company has acquired CommonGround, a digital marketplace for farmland leasing, to add transparency and market data to land deals. The post Farmers National Company Acquires Farmland Marketplace CommonGround appeared first on iGrow News.

Rick Vanzura, then CEO of Freight Farms, on container farm economics, 15x network growth and co-opetition, recorded in 2024 before its closure. The post Rick Vanzura on Leading Freight Farms Through Vertical Farming’s Hype Cycle appeared first on iGrow News.

For a bold display from February till May, choose wisely among the plethora of narcissi, hyacinths, tulips and crocuses

NOVVA Group has signed a binding framework agreement to secure a 3.17 GW renewable energy portfolio from ABO Energy to power AI data center infrastructure. The post NOVVA Group Secures 3.17 GW Renewable Portfolio From ABO Energy for AI Data Centers appeared first on iGrow News.

Currently dreaming of adding a sweet Bonni outbuilding to my garden (even though there are two insurmountable obstacles in my way: I don’t have the space, and the company is based across the Atlantic in Oxfordshire, UK). Bonni’s prefab outbuildings are both good-looking and planet-friendly....

Gareth Casey and his partner are saving a 900-year-old property in the Loire

BioTherm Solutions' Jim Rearden says choosing heating equipment comes down to whether you're buying for your business or investing in it. The post Executive Perspective: Why Investing in Energy Efficiency Can Pay Off in the Long Term appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

In the 1820s, when European farmers were pouring manure onto exhausted soils and getting very little yield back, the accepted explanation was that plants needed more humus, the decayed organic matter in the ground, which they fed on. So the remedy for a tired field was more manure. However, when...

AgFunderNews rounds up the most important fundings, mergers, acquisitions, closures, and industry buzz in agtech and foodtech. Funding news 🇪🇸 Cofides takes a stake in Elian with an injection of 40 million Democrata 🇨🇱 Loads secures $15m credit facility from Addem Capital Latam List 🇬🇧 MicroLub...

By shrinking its footprint, Tagawa Greenhouses reduced overhead, concentrated investments, and refocused the business on young plants. The post How Tagawa Greenhouses Consolidated to Improve Profitability appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

Seventeen years after we first blogged about the sad fate of the Iraqi national genebank at Abu Ghraib, it has re-opened. That made me happy. Screenshot It goes with one in Sulaymaniyah that was opened a few weeks back. Until now, Iraq’s only conservation facility was the National Gene/Seed Bank...

New greenhouse strawberry trials suggest growers may get more from supplemental lighting by focusing on when and how they provide it. Results from separate studies at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in British Columbia and Biophi in Ontario were presented during the Sept. 1 Greenhouse...

Hi GPODers! Today we're taking a trip across the Atlantic to share photos from another garden we visited on our recent Fine Gardening tour of the Netherlands. This is the…

UK startup PhytoFoundry is emerging from stealth with plans to produce high-value bioactives via plant cell culture. Incorporated in June 2026, PhytoFoundry is initially targeting premium cosmetics with a strategy that founder Samuel Casasola Zamora, PhD, says is shaped by lessons learned at his...

Learn how experience, teamwork, and consistent quality helps Bevo Farms support growers across Canada and the U.S. The post Building a Reliable North American Orchid Supply Program appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

Differences among the five US regions for willingness-to-pay (WTP) coefficient values of bunch grapes and muscadine grapes. Raleigh, NC– A recent study has examined U.S. consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay for different attributes of fresh-market grapes, providing insights for growers,...

Echeveria ‘Perle von Nurnberg’ is a hybrid cultivar with a robust, pearlescent gray-green rosette and bell-like coral flowers on gracefully arching stems. It’s suited to cultivation in Zones 9 to 12 and also makes a striking houseplant. Learn how to grow and care for this charming succulent in...

Across all the BES journals, we’ve seen a marked rise in submissions over the last year, highlighting the strong reputation and reach of our journals and published articles. However, this growth also brings increased pressure to maintain a rigorous and fair peer review system, as editors face...

Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the world’s most important legume crops. Its high protein and oil content makes it a valuable staple in both human diets and animal feed. As the demand for sustainable sources of protein grows, its popularity in our diets is ever increasing. Yet much of the...

Robigo Bio has closed a Series A financing round to accelerate the commercial launch of its crop biological products, which the company claims can match or outperform synthetic chemistries instead of merely complementing them. Importantly, these products will be simple for growers to integrate...

Nature's Miracle Holding has entered a Sales Agreement with a private buyer who purchases 100% interest of Visiontech Group, Inc, a grow light division under Nature's Miracle. NMHI will focus on AI-related business going forward. For more information:Nature's...

Growcer is developing a controlled-environment agriculture unit, called Airaq, designed for the operating conditions of Canada's High Arctic. The Canadian Space Agency awarded the company a contract worth up to $745,000 in July to explore which elements of that design could eventually inform food…

Green Clover, a hydroponic farm in Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi region, currently produces up to 40 kg of fresh basil per week. If the farm secures a large buyer, it is ready to increase production to 200 kg per week, according to founder Anton Korolchuk. The farm currently has 10 growing racks. Another…

Dwight Koehn was struggling to make a living on his ranch. It was 2017 and beef prices had dipped. The future was bleak. "We had five children under the roof and trying to feed everybody," Koehn said. "It was just really hard." That was when Koehn said he took a leap of faith. He bought a hydroponic…

Under the able guidance of Dr Makhan Singh Bhullar , Director of Extension Education, the Skill Development Centre of Punjab Agricultural University organised the second batch of a five-day training course on "Mushroom Cultivation" for farmers and farm women of Punjab. The program was held in…

Grown conventionally, cotton comes with several challenges. It consumes huge volumes of water, needs heavy doses of nutrients, gets sprayed against pests, and takes up arable land that could be used to grow food. "Hydroponic growing, which raises the crop in water instead of soil, has the potential to…

The days when camera-equipped glasses were bulky and impractical are fading. For a few hundred euros, consumers can now buy smart glasses designed for social media content. But what could this technology offer the horticulture sector? Researchers in the Netherlands are revisiting the question, having…

The Netherlands-based propagation media supplier Van der Knaap and Canadian family-owned company Premier Tech are marking one year since announcing a strategic partnership. The two companies say the collaboration has deepened over the past year, and they will appear together at a trade show for...

Hugh Lowe Farms has signed a contract for two additional VitalFluid systems, further expanding the collaboration between the two companies. What started as a small-scale trial two years ago has developed into a successful long-term partnership. Hugh Lowe Farms was among the first growers to...

Foliar fertilization can be a valuable component of a greenhouse nutrition program, particularly when root-zone uptake is restricted or when certain nutrients need to be delivered directly to plant tissues. However, effective foliar nutrition requires more than selecting a fertilizer and applying it to…

It is with great sadness that the IFPA acknowledges the passing of Professor David Hughes. Known affectionately throughout the trade as "Dr. Food," David was known as a charismatic speaker at corporate events, conferences, and after-dinner engagements, where he explored global food industry...

Belgium: How Delhaize wants to encourage Belgians to choose fruits and vegetables more oftenDelhaize is revamping its produce section and updating its product lineup to help consumers make healthier choices. Only 7% of Belgians eat the recommended amount of vegetables, and only 10% consume enough…

Grade 9 learners at Soshanguve Engineering School of Specialisation will gain hands-on agricultural experience through two new horticultural tunnels and a borehole, made possible through support from the Shoprite Foundation, and officially opened on 15 September 2026. The Soshanguve expansion...

Speaking to HortWeek editor Matt Appleby for the HortWeek Podcast (out Friday 18 September), the South Norfolk MP, who is an EFRA Parliamentary committee member, said he has a "very nuanced view" on the UK transition away from peat-free. On a potential ban on peat, he says "working at pace with other…

As of October 31, Giovanni Angiolini will step down from his role as Regional Director Middle East & Africa at Dutch Greenhouse Delta. Until then, he remains fully committed to DGD and its international activities. With a busy period still ahead, Giovanni will continue to represent the Dutch...

Affinor Growers has appointed Dr. Bo-Sen Wu and Dr. Hyder Khoja as advisors to the Company. Dr. Wu brings more than 15 years of experience in plant photobiology, horticultural lighting, LED system design, greenhouse and vertical farming systems, and agritech commercialization. He holds a PhD in…

Tathmeer Agri Tech has launched MENA's first Integrated Agri-Tech Innovation Centre in partnership with Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SPARK) in Sharjah. Set to be established on a dedicated land plot within SPARK, the Tathmeer Integrated Agri-Tech Innovation Centre will create a…

Tomatoes are entering harvest season inside smart greenhouses at the Horgos Modern Agricultural Science and Technology Industrial Park in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The greenhouses sit in the Ili River Valley, at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. The park is a flagship project…

Voltiris and Genson invite guests to the official opening, on 8th October, of Voltiris' first industrial-scale installation in the Netherlands. During the summer, Voltiris installed approximately 2,000 modules above the strawberries at Genson Someren. The system provides cooling for the crops while…

Nominations are now open for the second annual Women in Agricultural Innovation Award (WiAI), as FIRA USA broadens its recognition of female leaders across agriculture's innovation landscape. Applications are due Oct. 5, with the winner honored at FIRA USA 2026. What began in 2025 as the Women in…

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada (FVGC) have hired Matthew Perry as Manager, Policy and Communications, effective Sept. 14. In this role, Perry will develop policy in close collaboration with members and oversee communications to support a competitive domestic fruit and vegetable sector. Perry…

Jonna Parker, vice president of fresh foods at consumer behavior and market intelligence firm Circana, will open CEAg World Conference & ExpoSM with a keynote on the consumer trends reshaping the produce market, organizers announced today. Parker's session, "Follow the Consumer: Finding Opportunity in a…

The recent heat wave has had a noticeable impact on the supply situation for fruit vegetables. "Especially with tomatoes and bell peppers, we faced shortages and corresponding price increases at the procurement level. Prices for vine tomatoes have at times risen to as high as 20 EUR per crate,...

German consumers remain protective of fresh fruit and vegetables despite pressure on household budgets, according to a 2026 International Fresh Produce Association survey of 752 consumers. While 31% reported purchasing fewer items overall due to budget constraints and another 31% said they had stopped…

EU support has helped fruit and vegetable producer organisations lower costs, increase turnover, and strengthen their bargaining position, but membership continues to decline, according to a European Court of Auditors (ECA) report. In 2024, the EU had 1 488 recognised fruit and vegetable producer…

On September 9, Paskal Canada celebrated the official opening of its new production facility in Windsor, Canada. "The facility will enhance manufacturing efficiency, increase operational capacity, strengthen supply chain responsiveness, and provide an even higher level of service and support to...

Simon Dornauf's family has been growing berries at Hillwood in Tasmania since 2010, and in 16-odd seasons the operation has changed almost beyond recognition. "We're basically a family-owned, commercial-scale berry farm operation," Dornauf says. "We farm all four berry categories for Driscoll's, which…

The Izmir Provincial Directorate of Regional Development plans to drill 6 geothermal exploration wells in Dikili and Bergama in Izmir, Türkiye. The Izmir Governorship's Investment Monitoring and Coordination Directorate (YIKOB) of Türkiye is planning new drilling operations to meet the heating needs of…

Greenhouse climate control has become increasingly precise in the Netherlands, and this is reflected in how screen installations are used: screens now open and close far more frequently than they did a few years ago. This puts additional strain on pull wires, increasing the risk of breakage. To detect…

Spearhead Bio has closed an oversubscribed $1.62 million seed round to advance a genome engineering platform designed to address one of CRISPR’s key challenges: precisely inserting or replacing large pieces of DNA at targeted locations in crop genomes. The round comes a couple of years after...

One century plant that had long frustrated us was the exquisite Agave parryi ssp. truncata. This southern form of the species is hugely popular in California and Arizona, where temperatures are milder, but it never would overwinter for us here in Zone 7b/8a. In 2010 we planted a form from...

The bill passed 12-11, and moves on to a vote on the Senate floor.

Autumn’s here, from branch to root, With constant rain and falling fruit Winter cold and thinking slow Our warming hearth is TV’s glow Spring takes comfort in the land’s exhale It’s breathing again between the hail Summer’s cheery azure skies Are scanned by farmers’ doubtful eyes Then Autumn’s...

Johnson Controls has launched industrial heat pumps that deliver output up to 122C and triple the efficiency of electric boilers, aiding electrification. The post Johnson Controls Launches Industrial Heat Pumps for High-Temperature Electrification appeared first on iGrow News.

Xpansiv has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Formbay, Australia's AI-enabled renewable energy certificate and compliance technology platform. The post Xpansiv to Acquire Formbay, Australian Renewable Energy Certificate Platform appeared first on iGrow News.

Next Hydrogen has secured a non-repayable contribution of up to $2 million from Natural Resources Canada to scale up commercial electrolyzer manufacturing. The post Next Hydrogen Secures Up to $2 Million in NRCan Funding for Electrolyzer Scale-Up appeared first on iGrow News.

At WEFTEC 2026, Grundfos unveiled a combined water treatment offering that brings Newterra, MECO and Water Works under one umbrella. The post Grundfos Debuts Combined Water Treatment Offer at WEFTEC 2026 appeared first on iGrow News.

Terradot and Google launched what they call the world's largest enhanced rock weathering project, spanning 200,000-plus hectares of rice farmland in southern Brazil and pairing carbon removal with methane cuts. The post Terradot and Google Launch World’s Largest Enhanced Rock Weathering Project...

Australia's Sicona Battery Technologies acquired New Orleans-based Advano in its first acquisition, consolidating silicon anode IP and targeting a 'Super Pilot' battery-materials facility. The post Sicona Acquires Advano, Targets New Orleans ‘Super Pilot’ Battery Plant appeared first on iGrow News.

STEYR and TU Wien launch HYTRAC, pairing a hydrogen tractor with on-farm production and refueling to test low-carbon farming. The post STEYR Launches HYTRAC Hydrogen Tractor Research Project with TU Wien appeared first on iGrow News.

EcoPhage received U.S. EPA approval for GoldenEco, a phage-based biopesticide targeting Xanthomonas and Pseudomonas bacterial diseases in tomatoes and peppers. The post EcoPhage Wins EPA Approval for GoldenEco Phage-Based Biopesticide appeared first on iGrow News.

Kanin Energy closed up to $100 million in equity financing led by S2G Investments and Canada Growth Fund to scale industrial waste-heat-to-power projects across North America. The post Kanin Energy Closes $100 Million to Scale Industrial Waste-Heat-to-Power appeared first on iGrow News.

Though he’s a landscape designer known for designing gardens to complement large houses, Australia-based William Dangar often gets to work with only a little land. Time and again, he says, “the structure takes up all the space and the landscaping becomes mere icing around the edges.” When Dangar...

There’s a paper out that’s worth getting to grips with if you are interested in genebanks having an impact, even though it never actually mentions genebanks. David Pannell’s Reflections on Adoption of New Agricultural Practices distils more than 70 years and 5,000 studies of why farmers take up,...

Sustainable Performance: Building Health, Energy, and Injury Prevention into Green Industry Leadership Presented with The Winchester Institute Sustainability in the green industry is often viewed through environmental practices and operational efficiency, but truly sustainable businesses also...

For Immediate Release Contact: Laura Zaks National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition press@sustainableagriculture.net Comment: After Tense Markup, Farm Bill’s True Test Awaits on the Senate Floor Washington, DC, Wednesday, September 16, 2026 – The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition...