Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 11.10
Example interior of a modern-day greenhouse range in Canada, glazed with rigid Exo-
lite for growing cut snapdragons,
Antirrhinum majus
. (Photo credit: Neil Anderson)
house crops such as the rose, carnation, and chrysanthemum are produced in two
primary areas, due to their higher light and temperature levels: namely Central and
South America (Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, Costa Rica)
and Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Morocco). Crops such
as these are less costly to produce than cut flowers grown in greenhouses of north-
ern latitudes due to expensive heating and lighting costs (Nelson
2003
). Likewise,
plug growers at northern latitudes, such as Wagner's Greenhouses (Minneapolis,
MN, USA) may produce cool season bedding plants (pansy, viola,
Nemesia
) dur-
ing the summer months for fall/winter sales in southern regions of the USA. Many
northern latitude countries specialize in potted plant production (The Netherlands,
Denmark) where cooler climates and lower light levels provide ideal conditions for
the growth and development of
Cyclamen, Exacum, Calceolaria,
and other pot-
ted genera. China and Chile are two emerging floral production countries are now
competing on the world market for these and other potted material. The net effect of
these changes is year-round production for most commercially grown flower crops.
The flower industry is characterized by “flower power” and “convenience” (An-
derson et al.
2006a
,
b
) and numerous innovations have occurred which now aid in
the global increase in sales and popularity of floricultural crops. Until the end of the
nineteenth century, flowers were transported without refrigeration by bicycle, on
foot, by ship or horses (Nelson
2003
). The first major change was the creation of rail
and road systems which increased transportation distances that floral and cut flower
