Water webinar series continues

The Ellison Chair in International Floriculture announces the second of a 3-part webinar series that focuses on water quality, conservation, and management continues this month on September 15, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. CDT. Dr. Peter Ling of Ohio State University will be our next featured speaker and he will address the topic: Knowing Exactly When to Apply Irrigation Water.

Proper irrigation management is a key to successful plant growth and pest management in controlled environments. Further, limited water resources and public concerns of environmental sustainability are making greenhouse water usage efficiency a priority for commercial greenhouse production. Peter will discuss three aspects of automated irrigation management to achieve high efficiency water usage: when to water, how much to water, and how to deliver water. Starting with an overview of commercial sensors for irrigation management, Peter will also introduce emerging non-contact sensing technologies to determine when plants need water by monitoring plants directly. Using this sensing technology, along with evapotranspiration models to determine irrigation quantity and proper delivery of water, his research team has achieved about 50% water savings in growing plants, using water as a biological growth regulator to improve plant quality.

CLICK HERE -- or go to http://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/webinar.htm to register for the SECOND webinar of the series.

HOLD THE DATE for the third webinar of the series! Registration will be open soon. October 20, 2009 - 11:00 a.m. CDT. Dr. Don Wilkerson of Texas A&M University will our third featured speaker discussing the topic: Water Management that Makes Cents!

CLICK HERE -- or go to http://ellisonchair.tamu.edu/webinar.htm to view the RECORDING of the first webinar, which is now available online. Dr. Paul Fisher of the University of Florida covered: What's in Your Water? Water Quality and Treatment for Pathogens and Algae