Press Release – The Departments of Homeland Security and Labor plan to officially release a rule tomorrow that kicks off an application process for an additional 30,000 H-2B visas for fiscal 2019. These visas will be limited to returning workers who received H-2B visas in one or more of the previous three fiscal years (2016, 2017 or 2018). Beginning tomorrow, May 8, employers with a valid Department of Labor temporary labor certification for a start date of April 1 can apply directly to the Department of Homeland Security – US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) without re-advertising or going back…
Author: urbanagnews
Environmental Uniformity and Climate Control in Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting” by Dr. Murat Kacira (University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center). Indoor Ag Science Café in April was full of data on climate uniformity, crop productivity as well as energy use in indoor farming, presented by Dr. Murat Kacira. Murat is a professor and the Director of Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona. The first part was about the importance of designing air distribution system. Good air circulation is important for achieving temperature uniformity within the production system as well as minimizing plant environmental disorder such as…
University of Florida Greenhouse Training Online course: Greenhouse 101 Train yourself, or your staff, to make better crop management decisions by learning the underlying horticultural science of plant growth. Greenhouses 101 is the introduction to the Greenhouse Training Online courses offered by the University of Florida IFAS Extension (UF). It is designed for people with no formal training in horticulture that work in the greenhouse or nursery industry. The course is offered in English and Spanish. The course runs from May 27 to June 21, 2019 and includes a personalized certificate of completion. The cost is $US199 per participant, with…
Keynotes Presentations From Puri; Irving Fain, Bowery, and Brad McNamara, Freight Farms Headline Full Roster of 40+ Sessions LAS VEGAS (April 29, 2019) – Indoor Ag-Con, the premier event covering the technology of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic techniques, expands its educational line-up with a new keynote session from Viraj Puri, CEO and Co-Founder of Gotham Greens. Puri joins other keynote presenters, Irving Fain, CEO |Co-Founder, Bowery, and Brad McNamara, CEO|Co-Founder, Freight Farms to headline the educational conference program for the 7th annual edition, May 22-24, 2019, at Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas, NV. Featuring…
AVF brings indoor farming forum to Europe’s largest conference on sustainable cities After successful annual conferences in Beijing, Amsterdam and Washington, D.C., the AVF is excited to host the 2019 edition at Oslo’s Urban Future Global Conference on May 22-23. The AVF and Urban Future look forward to welcoming entrepreneurs, companies, technologists, growers, city planners, research institutions, governmental bodies and enthusiasts from all over the globe to Oslo, the 2019 European Green Capital. Adding to Urban Future’s already extensive audience, the AVF will host a gathering of over 200 experts to discuss developments and propose solutions for the future of…
Press Release – Los Angeles, Calif. / ‘s Gravenzande, Netherlands – Moleaer Inc., the leading manufacturer of industrial-scale nanobubble generators, and Royal Brinkman, a globally renowned supplier, installer, and consultant to the professional horticultural industry with over 130 years of experience, announce a commercial relationship to promote Moleaer’s nanobubble products and solutions to greenhouses across the globe. Under terms of the agreement, Royal Brinkman will have the right to promote and distribute Moleaer’s nanobubble products and solutions to the international Horticulture market. “Since launching our first nanobubble product designed for greenhouses in 2018, Moleaer has rapidly grown in the North…
One of the many challenges of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and kale (Brassica oleracea) greenhouse growers is the management of edema (oedema). Often described as intumescence or enations, edema is an abiotic-induced complication that develops at different levels of intensitydepending on the cultivar and, in some cases, between individual plants. Symptoms Edema is often described as a blister or callus-like formation that forms predominately on the bottom of leaves (Figure 1). This swelling is the result of the epidermal layer on the leaf expanding due to cellular elongation, which eventually burst as cells reach their limits of expansion. The resulting…
Originally published on the e-Gro Blog Thu, Mar 21, 2019, created by Kellie Walters and Roberto Lopez If you are growing crops hydroponically in deep-flow or raft systems, one of the last things you want to see is an unusually low or empty tank. It is not uncommon for nutrient solution levels to be reduced by evaporation and transpiration, but when levels decrease rapidly, there may be a larger issue. A common issue in nutrient film technique (NFT) or with drip systems is a leak from the tube delivering the nutrient solution. Another possibility is a crack in a tank…
Published by e-Gro Not all nutritional problems are caused by supplying too much or too little of a certain nutrient. “Tip-burn” of inner leaves is a common problem in hydroponic lettuce, where the margins of the young emerging leaves develop necrosis and burn as shown in Figure 1. The necrosis is from a calcium deficiency, but the actual problem is more the result of poor environmental conditions and water uptake. The lettuce in Figure 1 received an adequate supply of all plant essential nutrients in the hydroponic nutrient solution. This e-GRO Edibles Alert article covers the cause of inner leaf…
Connecting Technology & Business to Create Healthier Urban Food Systems The Indoor AgTech Innovation Summit will focus on building and investing in more sustainable, profitable and healthy food systems and the role that vertical and indoor agriculture can have in serving the cities of tomorrow. The Summit will share best practise from around the world and uncover breakthroughs in energy efficiency, AI, automation, lighting, environmental control and yield improvements are set to transform these systems in the future. Bringing together a unique mix of operators, food producers, technology developers, plant scientists, food buyers, retailers, financiers, utility operators and city planners,…
First-of-its-Kind Consortium Develops Crops Intended for Indoor Agriculture Press Release – WASHINGTON – The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) is launching the Precision Indoor Plants (PIP) Consortium, a public-private partnership that transcends the bounds of traditional agriculture to develop flavorful, nutritious crops specially intended for indoor agriculture. Sustainably feeding a growing global population requires researchers to examine innovative food production approaches. One approach gaining traction is controlled environment agriculture (CEA), also known as indoor agriculture. Worldwide, interest in indoor agriculture is booming. Yet, CEA research largely focuses on design elements for the indoor systems, such as vertical productions facilities and lighting,…
Zero-carbon renewable energy gas sounds like the fuel of the future. But, Clean Energy Fuels recently announced that it’ll be available in about six years. We’re joined by Ashley White, Director & Head of Corporate Sustainability for Clean Energy Fuels Hydroponic vegetable production, vertical farming, urban agriculture continues to be an area of focus as we work to figure out how to feed the world while using less energy and resources. Hort Americas works brings technically advanced, cost effective products to the greenhouse growers across North America and also has its finger on the pulse of the indoor growing news.…
Press Release, Atlanta, GA: Urban Agriculture’s global, national and local thought-leaders will convene in Atlanta on April 14th, and 15th, to tour of best-in-class operations, showcase new innovations, and present on a variety of business and community building methods that ensure a food resilient city. The conference is organized by Agritecture and AgTech X for it’s 3rd year, and is expecting 350 attendees representing a wide range of disciplines including urban planners, architects, entrepreneurs, investors, technologists, business owners, and farmers for this unique knowledge-sharing opportunity. “In short order, The AgLanta Conference has established itself as the vanguard convening of community…
Keynote From Bowery’s Irving Fain Kicks Off Comprehensive Schedule Press Release LAS VEGAS – Indoor Ag-Con, the premier event covering the technology of growing crops in indoor systems, using hydroponic, aeroponic and aquaponic techniques, has announced the full conference schedule for the 7th annual edition, May 22-24, 2019, at Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas, NV. Featuring 50+ sessions, panel discussions and keynotes, the comprehensive line-up spans five tracks: Grow Equipment, Crop Selection, Customers & The Supply Chain, Business, Policy & Societal Impact. The full conference schedule is available at https://indoor.ag/lasvegas/las-vegas-2019-schedule-sessions/ “We built our conference sessions around the show’s theme, ‘Growing…