Syngenta acquires Fischer
Syngenta, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, acquired the Fischer group for about $67 million. Fischer GmbH & Co., headquartered in Hillscheid, Germany, is a privately held company specializing in breeding and marketing vegetative flower crops. Fischer specializes in 3 of the 10 best-selling crops: geranium, poinsettia and New Guinea impatiens. Fischer reported sales of $86 million for fiscal year 2005-06. The company employs about 1,700 people. Syngenta's S&G Flowers breeds and markets bedding and pot plant flowers as seeds, young plants and cuttings. In 2006, Syngenta reported flower sales of $228 million. The transaction is expected to close in the 2nd quarter.
Fleuroselect names winners
Fleuroselect chose 6 varieties as 2008 Gold Medal winners. The winners are: 3 varieties from Kieft Seed Holland, delphinium 'Sydney Light Blue,' Lavandula angustifolia 'Ellagance Purple' and monarda 'Bergamo'; begonia 'Volumia Rose Bicolor' from S&G Flowers; Rudbeckia hirta 'Cappuccino' from Clause Tezier; and Salvia farinacea 'Fairy Queen' from Ernst Benary. Gold Medal winners will be on display at the Fleuroselect Public Gardens & Trial Grounds this summer.
U.S. increases demand for foreign workers
Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez told a news conference last month that businesses throughout the country have been unable to find a sufficient number of workers to fill their labor needs. The event was hosted by Texas Employers for Immigration Reform. According to Fort Worth-Star Telegram, Gutierrez said more workers are needed because America's population is growing so slowly. "We are not going to produce enough workers, so we need to resort to immigration, and we need to have a legal way to resort to that immigration," Gutierrez said. "We need comprehensive immigration reform as soon as possible."
Researchers use recycled glass to grow crops
Researchers at Univ. of Ariz. in Tucson and Wageningen Univ. in the Netherlands are conducting hydroponic greenhouse trials with tomatoes and cucumbers grown in a substrate made primarily from recycled glass bottles. Developed by EarthStone Int'l. in Tucson, the porous glass foam material can be manufactured with specific internal pore size and structure to meet water-retention and aeration requirements for production methods and climate zones.
BASF enters ornamentals market
BASF Professional Turf & Ornamentals in Research Triangle Park, N.C., is formally entering the U.S. greenhouse and nursery market. Building on its chemical products labeled for golf, lawn care and sod, BASF is offering fungicides, herbicides and insecticides to ornamental growers. Registered products include Insignia, Stature, Iprodione PRO and Cygnus fungicides. Within 2-3 years, the company expects to register 2 fungicides, 1 insecticide and 3 herbicides for ornamentals.
S.E. Greenhouse Conference expands sessions
Southeast Greenhouse Conference, June 20-23 in Greenville, S.C., is expanding its education from 2 to 3 full-day sessions. The event, in its 15th year, features hands-on workshops on Thursday and Friday and education sessions all 3 days. This year's workshops include plant propagation, landscape design and insect and mite identification. Educational tracks cover pest management, marketing, perennials, tropicals and plant growth regulators.
Worth a visit
Learn to grow Oso Easy roses, a collection of no-spray, no-fuss, worry-free plants. Only on GreenBeam.com.
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Think... Maverick™ Geraniums for proven performance on the bench and in the garden! To order, call your favorite supplier. Bred by Goldsmith.
The NEW CD2 Chemdose. Precisely apply chemicals. Eliminate waste. Even application.
Many Yoder Green Leaf Perennials™ are available vernalized, or pre-cooled, in late winter and early spring for enhanced performance.
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