Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
development of correct irrigationand nutrient scheduling to maximise production
and manage growth stages. It also involves ensuring the plant achieves the level of
performance expected in terms of vase life or yield and maintaining the right form
and colour. These requirements are particularly critical where trade and transport
is involved. An area often difficult to get right is to ensure that the new plant is
actively protected, ensuring that the investment is properly rewarded and provides
value to ensure continuation of further plant development.
Keywords
Biomes
·
Production schedules
·
Marketing
·
Novelty
·
Diversity
·
New
cultivars
·
Bedding plants
·
Cut flowers
·
Plant introduction
·
Intellectual property
Introduction
Demand for nursery plants as container, amenity and cultivated crops has encour-
aged an increase in world trade in floriculture estimated to be worth between
US$ 11 and US$ 60 billion in 2003 (van Uffelen et al.
2005
). World floricul-
ture trade in 2009 and 2010 was worth over US$ 24 billion (APIH/Union Fleurs
2011
), with over half occurring in the Netherlands, USA and China followed by
Japan, Germany and Italy (Fig.
12.1
). Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and In-
dia are becoming increasingly important export suppliers of floricultural crops
(Hadiwigeno
1995
).
As cities and towns become more crowded with high density living there is an
increasing consciousness to utilise the free space of parks and buildings to improve
their aesthetic value. This space can be inside or on top of buildings (such as roof
gardens) or in the green open space found in cities and towns. Ornamental plant use
can vary from potted plants in the home, to amenity plants along verges in parks
and public recreation areas, plants in conservatories, on the roofs of buildings, for-
malised vertical garden walls on buildings, to field-grown flowers that provide cut
flowers and foliage for use in displays in conventions and hotel foyers and vases in
homes and hospitals.
Introducing the right new plant is complex, given the diverse range of plant spe-
cies available and the wide range of selection characters that can be utilised. These
include greenery plants with different coloured foliage, compact plants with natural
dwarf characters as potted or border plants, e.g. box (
Buxus
sp. and other hedging
plants), to plants with large showy flowers e.g. the red hibiscus (
Hibiscus rosa-sinen-
sis
) and the hybrid tea rose (
Rosaceae
). Plants can also be grown
en masse
produc-
ing a magnificent display such as everlasting flowers (
Asteraceae—Helichrysum,
A. lawrencella
and
A. rhodanthea
). Other opportunities are planting out contrasting
beds using a range of kangaroo paws (
Anigozanthos
spp.) with stems varying in
height from 0.5 to 1 m in height i.e. 'Bush Ranger' to stems to 2.5 m high of either
red or yellow kangaroo paws. There is also available the striking black kangaroo
paw (
Macropidia fuliginosa
). Other plants suitable for hanging baskets and flo-
ral walls, include climbing plants such as ivy (
Hedera helix
) or tall architectural
