
TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks
Technology Podcasts
Grow your best crop ever! Cultural and technical information for greenhouse professionals.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Technology Podcasts
Description:
Grow your best crop ever! Cultural and technical information for greenhouse professionals.
Language:
English
Website:
https://techondemand.podbean.com
Episodes
The Power of Seed ft. Josh Kirschenbaum
9/4/2025
Warning: You’re going to hear the word SEED a lot in the next half hour or so, because our guest this episode is Josh Kirschenbaum, the seed supply manager at Ball Seed Company. He’s a seed guy all the way. In previous roles, Josh was PanAmerican Seed’s business and portfolio manager for the company’s vegetable lineup and before that was product development director at Territorial Seed Company in Oregon.
Here’s what you can expect from host Bill Calkins and Josh this episode:
Their shared fascination with the new OPEX Perfect Pick machine Ball introduced earlier this year. Josh describes it as a climate-controlled vending machine for seed packets that can pull 20 orders at a time, resulting in speedy service and increased accuracy in order fulfillment. (Check out the video and article link in the resources below to see the machine in action.)
Bill challenged Josh to come up with three reasons why seed solves problems and why it’s still a preferred way to produce crops. Josh explains the economic benefits, why flexibility and efficiency are optimized when starting from seeds or plugs and finally the amazing innovation and quality of genetics available from seed.
Throughout the conversation, Bill and Josh touch on many more aspects of seed crops that have been at the core of Ball’s business for more than a century. Josh discusses the global nature of our industry, how innovative breeding drives our future, the importance of quality seed in large-scale plug production and the legacy seed has in horticulture.
Resources:
Ball Seed Company Website: https://ballseed.com/
Ball Seed Product Forms & Premier Line Seed List: https://ballseed.com/Products/Seed
OPEX Perfect Pick—From Grocery Store to Vending Machine (Article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=27411
OPEX Perfect Pick (Facebook Video): https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19SiAULR35/
Duration:00:42:15
The ABCs of Foliar Disease in Greenhouse & Nursery Crops ft. Janna from Envu
9/1/2025
This episode includes critical information for both nursery and greenhouse producers!
To discuss this episode’s topic, host Bill Calkins was joined by a fantastic guest from Envu—Dr. Janna Beckerman—who’s an experienced plant pathologist at heart and wanted to discuss three key diseases commonly encountered in greenhouse and nursery crop production. Conveniently for the podcast title, these diseases begin with the letters A, B and C—anthracnose, Botrytis and cercospora.
In this episode, the conversation starts with a brief recap of some diseases Dr. Beckerman saw a lot of in the spring, like rusts and Pythium and then the conversation moved quickly to the topic at hand—foliar diseases. Bill and Janna took the three ABCs in order talking through the main crops impacted by each one, symptoms to watch for and control methods. Although Dr. Beckerman mentioned one of Envu’s flagship fungicides, Broadform (a unique chemical class with two modes of action to control more than 50 pathogens), her rotation recommendations and application best practices were extremely in-depth and user-friendly. She also went through strategies to mitigate the risk from these three diseases using good sanitation practices and greenhouse and nursery environmental management.
Bill and Janna closed out the conversation with the importance of resistance management—a topic that cannot be overstated. Keeping our toolboxes full and giving all growers the best chance for controlling diseases (and insect/mite pests) requires diligence and intelligent approaches to chemical rotation and application.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode, because Dr. Beckerman is a true expert and offers countless tips and tricks to help you and your production team up the game season after season.
Resources:
Envu’s Ornamentals Segment Website: https://www.envu.com/segments/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the US Market: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the Canadian Market: https://www.ca.envu.com/greenhouse-and-nursery
Broadform Fungicide Product Information: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals/po/products/broadform
Duration:00:48:07
Pre-emergence Herbicide Tips & Tricks for Perennial Production
8/23/2025
Corteva’s technical guru, flower grower and greenhouse and nursery “coach” Broch Martindale is back on the podcast to share strategies for controlling weeds in perennial production using products like Gallery, Dimension and Snapshot. Bill and Broch recorded this episode live in The Gardens at Ball.
Over the course of this episode, Broch and host Bill Calkins discuss selecting the best products to control specific weeds impacting crops each season. They dive deep into weeds that can take over when temps drop and why fall applications of pre-emergence herbicides can be critical. General “best practices” are shared that will not only keep weeds at bay but also reduce costs associated with labor and product purchase.
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Gallery® specialty herbicide.
Learn more about Dimension® specialty herbicide.
Learn more about Snapshot® specialty herbicide.
Duration:00:22:45
Horticulture 2.0 (Part Two): Rethinking Our Industry with Jaime Kedrowski
8/6/2025
Host Bill Calkins asked Jaime Kedrowski (Marketing Manager at Ball Seed Company) to join him for a discussion about the short-term future of our industry. This conversation was recorded live at the 2025 Ball Seed Customer Days open house event in West Chicago, IL.
For this episode, Bill had three “big ideas” that he introduced to Jaime one at a time to find out what she had to say about them (and if she had any even bigger ideas or approaches). There are no right answers and neither Jaime or Bill own a functional crystal ball. But the goal of this discussion was to share ideas to ponder and potential directions to steer as our industry enters a new era.
Topics discussed:
Duration:00:24:10
Horticulture 2.0 (Part One): Rethinking Our Industry with Seth Reed
8/4/2025
Host Bill Calkins asked Seth Reed (Global Sustainability Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) to join him for a discussion about the short-term future of our industry. This conversation was recorded live at the 2025 Ball Seed Customer Days open house event in West Chicago, IL.
For this episode, Bill had three “big ideas” that he introduced to Seth one at a time to find out what he had to say about them (and if he had any even bigger ideas or approaches). There are no right answers and neither Seth or Bill own a functional crystal ball. But the goal of this discussion was to share ideas to ponder and potential directions to steer as our industry enters a new era.
Topics discussed:
Duration:00:30:40
Plant Growth Regulators ft. SePRO’s JC Chong
7/31/2025
In this episode of the Tech On Demand podcast, brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins sat down with SePRO’s Technical Development Manager (and PestTalks e-newsletter editor) JC Chong to discuss plant growth regulators. PGRs are critical for greenhouse professionals but really haven’t been covered much on the podcast. Now’s the time! JC and Bill start off with a conversation about what PGRs are and what they do before jumping into a few specific products, including SePRO’s Topflor and A-Rest. Topflor is a gibberellic acid biosynthesis inhibitor (Class B)—active ingredient Flurprimidol. It offers some unique benefits in production, which JC covers in an informational way. JC outlines crops that respond particularly well (and some that don’t) and what you can expect from crops treated with the product. JC also explains some of the more common rates and application methods and a handy tool from SePRO to take a lot of the guesswork out of PGR application.
JC is a researcher and has worked with the SePRO team and growers across North America to better use PGRs to achieve a variety of goals and has a lot of practical information to share. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode because when Bill and JC chat, you never know what to expect!
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION!
Subscribe to JC’s PestTalks e-newsletter
Resources:
Topflor Product Overview
A-Rest Product Overview
SePRO PGR Selection Guide
SePRO Horticultural Resources & Technical Contact
Duration:00:28:00
Audio Files: Paying For That Efficiency Upgrade
7/9/2025
PAYING FOR THAT EFFICIENCY UPGRADE
FROM THE SUMMER 2025 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DAVID KUACK
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: When it comes to lowering operating costs for controlled environment growers, energy and labor are top of mind. The cost of labor is expected to continue to increase as the availability, hiring and retention of reliable workers becomes more challenging. The cost of energy—regardless of whether it’s electricity, natural gas, fuel oil or propane—will also likely continue to increase. Growers, regardless of where they’re located, are expected to have to deal with increasing weather unpredictability. For these reasons, more growers are looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_25_05/index.aspx
Duration:00:08:44
Audio Files: Getting The Most Out Of Trials
7/7/2025
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF TRIALS
FROM THE JUNE 2025 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DYLAN SEDMAK
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Modern day variety trials—side-by-side comparisons of primarily annuals (along with some perennials, vegetables and even woodies)—take place across an array of institutions in North America. Beyond universities, companies have begun opening the doors to their own personal trial grounds. Many organize annual events centered around visiting the trials, such as the Michigan Garden Tour or Southern Garden Tour (scan QR codes for links).
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_25_07/index.aspx
Duration:00:07:48
Audio Files: Expand Your Candidate Pool
7/2/2025
EXPAND YOUR CANDIDATE POOL
FROM THE JUNE 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY TODD DOWNING
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Our industry is one of the most affected by the massive exit of so many retiring Baby Boomers who make up the green industry. Couple this with lower numbers of incoming talent and the demand for talent continues to far exceed the supply of candidates. While there are currently no magic answers, there are innovative and different ways of looking at the hiring process that will improve a company’s ability to attract and retain employees.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_07/index.aspx
Duration:00:10:25
Stop Stressing About Perennial Production! (A Panel Discussion)
6/23/2025
This episode is a bit different—because it’s a live recording from a panel moderated by host Bill Calkins at the Darwin Perennials Day event in The Gardens at Ball on June 18, 2025. The audio quality is not as good as you’re used to hearing from this podcast, because it’s pulling from microphones in a tent with lunch being served and hundreds of growers in the background chatting about the plants they saw that morning and meetings with more than 30 leading perennial suppliers in the Ball Seed network. That said, the panelists were excellent, and the content is fantastic.
The topic was error correction—common challenges in perennial production that can be easily fixed to avoid running into the same issues year after year. The panel included Chris Fifo from Darwin and PanAmerican Perennials, Drew Koschmann from Walters Gardens and Nathan Jahnke from Ball Seed Technical Services. Some of the frequent pitfalls discussed included best practices for overwintering and bulking perennials, why input selection is critical, evaluating perennial plug and liner quality, managing tough environmental conditions and new research into no-pinch production strategies. We also solicited questions from the crowd and covered about 10 of them before closing.
If you missed this year’s event, that’s OK. Darwin hosts it every year! Mark Wednesday June 17, 2026, on your calendar and come check out the Gardens at Ball with thousands of perennial plants in bloom. As it get closer to the event, you’ll find all the details at https://www.darwinperennialsday.com/.
Duration:00:36:59
Preemergence Weed Control for Greenhouses & Nurseries with Janna and Steve from Envu
6/16/2025
This episode includes critical information for both nursery and greenhouse producers! You may or may not know exactly how much time, labor and ultimately money you spend each year managing weeds in outdoor and indoor production, but chances are it’s a lot. If you don’t have protocols and strategies in place for weed control, that can lead to even bigger issues.
To discuss this topic, host Bill Calkins is joined by two guests from Envu—Dr. Janna Beckerman and Steve Larson—to talk through best management practices related to weed control and specifically the use of Marengo, a preemergence herbicide that not only controls more than 90 weeds (including broadleaf weeds, grasses and sedge) but also clocks in with residual activity for up to 8 months. It’s labeled for use inside greenhouses and can be a key player in your greenhouse sanitation lineup.
Envu’s Janna and Steve have decades of experience in our industry and bring a lot to the table when it comes to the science behind greenhouse and nursery production, as well as the real-world application of products and strategies. When it comes to weed control in production settings, Janna said it best—the greatest cost is the cost of neglect.
In this episode, the conversation starts with an overview of Envu’s history and innovative product range before quickly moving into weed control in nursery and greenhouse production. From regionality and seasonality of weeds and their impact to application strategies for preemergence herbicides and keys to safe use, there’s a lot to discuss. And with its residual staying power, wide range of weeds controlled and labeled indoor applications, Marengo (granular and liquid) is a product with benefits for just about every type of greenhouse and nursery operation.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode to hear all the tips, tricks, research and anecdotal success stories the Envu team had to share!
Resources:
Envu’s Ornamentals Segment Website: https://www.envu.com/segments/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the US Market: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the Canadian Market: https://www.ca.envu.com/greenhouse-and-nursery
Marengo Herbicide: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals/po/products/marengo
VIDEO (English)— Marengo Application/Calibration: https://youtu.be/7ZbCBCfHnb8
VIDEO (Spanish)—Marengo Application/Calibration: https://youtu.be/DhiSEXDGAPk
Envu Brochure—Nursery Weed Control: https://bynder.envu.com/m/5a01a4fcb5ddb3e7/original/Digital_TO_Nursey-Weed-Management_product-guide_NA_US_EN.pdf
Duration:00:48:19
Safely Managing Whitefly (and more) on Poinsettias with Broch Martindale
6/10/2025
Corteva’s technical guru, flower grower and greenhouse and nursery “coach” Broch Martindale is back on the podcast to share strategies for controlling and preventing some of the more common pest and disease challenges you might face in poinsettia production—like whiteflies and powdery mildew—using chemistries like XXpire, Floxcor and Eagle.
Over the course of this episode, Broch and host Bill Calkins discuss safely using chemistries in rotation and what chemistries are appropriate for poinsettias late in production (when bracts are in color), as well as specific active ingredients that have been successfully trialed and tested to tackle common but challenging greenhouse pests. Throughout the podcast, Broch offers tips and tricks he’s turned to over the years producing crops and working with growers to manage and prevent pests when producing everyone’s favorite holiday crop.
Be sure to read Broch’s article KEEPING POINSETTIAS MERRY AND BRIGHT in the May 2025 issue of GrowerTalks magazine for even more on this topic.
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION!
RESOURCES:
Floxcor fungicide offers ornamental growers fast uptake and broad-spectrum disease control, and is rainfast in just 15 minutes.
Floxcor Fungicide Ornamental Fact Sheet
Prevent and control virtually every major soil and foliar disease with the winning combination of Floxcor fungicide and Eagle 20EW specialty fungicide.
Floxcor + Eagle Fungicide Ornamental Fact Sheet
The two active ingredients in XXpire combine to control more than 39 insects, including 7 of the top 10 chewing or sap-feeding pests.
XXpire Insecticide Fact Sheet
Learn how XXpire insecticide can help poinsettia growers control damaging insects, without residue or phytotoxicity.
XXpire Insecticide for Poinsettias Fact Sheet
More information on XXpire insecticide
Duration:00:38:59
A Biological Approach to Fall IPM ft. Koppert’s Phil Gerry
6/5/2025
This Tech On Demand podcast episode is all about fall control, integrated pest management and implementing biocontrol strategies that work. Host Bill Calkins is joined by Phil Gerry, a Technical Sales Consultant for the Northeast Region covering six states for Koppert. Koppert is a global market leader specializing in biological crop protection and team members have joined the podcast before covering biological IPM for spring crops and strategies for hybrid and truly integrated strategies. Phil was lead grower for large nurseries and greenhouses in the Northeast and Northwest before joining Koppert in 2021 and brings an incredible amount of practical knowledge and creative strategies to the topic of managing key pests in garden mum and poinsettia production.
In this episode Bill and Phil discuss the spring production season before jumping into the main topic—IPM for crops produced in summer for fall and holiday sales. Phil explains the importance of understanding the compatibility of biological controls and traditional chemistries, as well as why it’s critical to define what success looks like for your greenhouse or nursery before integrating biocontrols. As he reiterated, when making a move to bio-based approaches, it’s best to start slowly—choose one crop or one pest and hone skills before moving on to a more comprehensive plan.
When it comes to biological controls for garden mums, indoor versus outdoor production must be considered and beginning applications in propagation is the best approach for various reasons Phill addressed. Key pests discussed include aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, whiteflies and spider mites. Moving on to poinsettias, of course the main pests (whiteflies and spider mites) require diligence, scouting and early preventative controls and Phil explained some of his go-to tactics. Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this discussion because these notes barely scratch the surface!
RESOURCES & PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
Koppert U.S.: https://bit.ly/4kR5r13
Koppert Consultants & Locations: https://bit.ly/455PYpp
Side Effects Guide: https://bit.ly/4kOoZmP
Isarid: https://bit.ly/4mASHxc
Spidex: https://bit.ly/4dHyf9S
Enermix: https://bit.ly/3SAoy3p
Swirski-Mite: https://bit.ly/3HEZOEI
Airobreez: https://bit.ly/3SAp815
2025 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_2025.pdf
Duration:00:38:34
Dynamic Combos for All Seasons with Syngenta’s Lauren Kilpatrick
5/15/2025
Syngenta Flowers’ Lauren Kilpatrick joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to talk combos—specifically Kwik Kombos multi-liners and the new Patio Playbook program. Lauren explains just about everything you need to know to select the combination that will work in your greenhouse and deliver results for your retail customers, as well as tips and tricks for producing them at the highest quality.
Lauren and Bill kick off the discussion with a quick chat about California Spring Trials 2025—specifically Syngenta’s “Rooted In Teamwork” theme—and some of their favorites from the trial in Gilroy, CA.
Kwik Kombos is not a new program from Syngenta but they add new mixes every year and have their rigorous trialing dialed in so you can be assured that the mixes will work in production and perform beautifully at retail. Lauren explains the benefits of this early-, mid- and late-season spring program.
Patio Playbook is new (just released at 2025 California Spring Trials) and offers inspirational recipes for ALL seasons—using a wide range of inputs from foliage varieties including coleus to heat-loving annuals, perennials, tons of Syngenta’s geraniums and even garden mums. Recipes allow growers to deliver color-blocked combos to retail throughout the year, extending seasons and helping bring shoppers in to fill their carts with high-value impulse combos. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Of course, Lauren shares plenty of tips and tricks for combo culture, as well as some of her favorite mixes in both programs. Be sure to stay tuned all the way to the end of the conversation so you don’t miss any words of horticultural wisdom!
Resources:
Syngenta Flowers Website: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/
Kwik Kombos Catalog: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/636494595/92/
Kwik Kombos Culture Guide: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/sites/g/files/kgtney846/files/media/document/2025/02/26/culture_vegetative_kwik_kombos.pdf
Patio Playbook Guide: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/208275210/
Duration:00:47:01
Audio Files: Poinsettia Production—When Negatives Can Be a Positive
5/7/2025
POINSETTIA PRODUCTION: WHEN NEGATIVES CAN BE A POSITIVE
FROM THE MAY 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JAMES DOUKAS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: A mastery, or at least a proficiency, in many growth strategies allow for a grower to select the correct “tool” from their “toolbox” no matter the situation that arises in the fall to achieve their desired goal for their poinsettia crop.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_05/index.aspx
Duration:00:06:58
Audio Files: How Much Does a Greenhouse REALLY Cost?
4/29/2025
HOW MUCH DOES A GREENHOUSE PROJECT REALLY COST?
FROM THE APRIL 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Anyone who’s completed a greenhouse project knows that a lot more goes into it than you might think. But how much, exactly, as a percentage of the total cost?
We asked three experts—Paul Golden with Prospiant, Matt Stuppy with Stuppy Greenhouses and Jeff Warschauer with Rovero North America—to help us with the math. It was a challenge because every site and every project is unique, and their usual answer is, “It depends,” but we forced them to break it down into key components and what percent of the project each might be. The figures below are minimums you’ll need for each category; in some cases (like site work), it could be much higher.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_04/index.aspx
Duration:00:09:54
Forcing Your Perennials to Wake Up ft. Chris Fifo
4/24/2025
Forcing perennials out of winter dormancy and into bloom for spring and summer sales isn’t a new concept for most growers, but growth in the perennial market has inspired a lot of folks to add perennials to their mix and there’s been plenty of research done to update protocols for breaking dormancy. Because of this, Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins wanted to have a quick discussion with perennial plant guru Chris Fifo (from Darwin Perennials) to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to waking perennials up this spring.
In this concise tech tip-style conversation Bill and Chris discuss the “traditional method” of forcing perennials and the “new-school way,” which results in better uniformity and reduced losses. Then Chris explains tactics any grower can use to force long-day perennials using an extension cord and a string of lightbulbs, as well as offering suggestions for reducing the risk of disease when perennials are being forced to wake up in early spring. The bottom line: It’s not as difficult as it sounds—warming them up and basic night interruption will work wonders on your perennial crop this spring.
WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/rsq3hRTX0l0
Resources:
GROWERTALKS WEBINAR: 3 1/2 Steps to Overwintering Perennials
MICHIGAN STATE GUIDE: Long-Day Perennials
Duration:00:14:22
All About Princettia with Suntory Flowers’ Lorentina McKoy
4/22/2025
For this installment, Lorentina McKoy, the North American sales and product rep for Suntory Flowers, joins host Bill Calkins to talk about Princettia—the unique poinsettia assortment from Suntory that looks different than traditional holiday poinsettias because it’s bred to be different. This opens up some unique uses and retail specs and also requires some production nuances. Because breeding on Princettia is quite active, a whole new range of colors and patterns has come to market in the past couple years, as well as a new sub-series with a more vigorous habit. In this episode, Lorentina offers tips and trick to produce Princettias to their full potential, some ways she’s seen them marketed and sold around the world, why the fact they’re a true “family” of genetics is important and much more.
Although this episode is focused on one crop, Lorentina and Bill actually get into many different topics—from an early-Spring outlook and consumer trends to retail garden center tips and strategies to sell premium products. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end because this episode closes with some other top picks in the Suntory range of new varieties for 2026.
RESOURCES:
12-page Princettia Brochure—with culture notes: suntoryflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Princettia-Brochure-2023-digital-1.pdf
The 2026 Suntory Flowers Catalog - Suntory Flowers
Princettia Section—direct link: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/232823221/40/
“Just for Retailers” Page: Princettia Poinsettia - Suntory Flowers
Princettia Consumer Information: New Ways to Display Princettia Poinsettias this Holiday Season - Suntory Flowers
Duration:00:41:02
Broad Mites (and Lewis Mites) with Dr. Raymond Cloyd
4/14/2025
One of the greenhouse pests growers have been dealing with more and more recently is broad mite. This specific mite pest is extremely challenging to diagnose and treat and can wreak havoc on a very wide range of crops across multiple seasons. Host Bill Calkins is joined by well-respected professor and extension specialist in horticultural entomology at Kansas State University, Dr. Raymond Cloyd, to discuss this pest—from susceptible crops and theories why broad mites are on the rise to symptoms and identification. Dr. Cloyd then shared a bit about the pest itself and strategies to minimize the risk of losing crops due to broad mites and methods for control.
Once broad mites were covered, Bill asked Dr. Cloyd about Lewis mites (based on challenges with this pest on poinsettia crops in 2024), and the episode closed with the importance of sanitation, diligent scouting and IPM protocols during spring production. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and share it with your entire production staff.
RESOURCES:
Broad Mite and Cyclamen Mite Management in Greenhouses and Nurseries: https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF2938.pdf
Dr. Raymond Cloyd Contact Information: https://entomology.k-state.edu/about/people/faculty/Cloyd-Raymond-A.html
Extension & Research Program (Publications, Articles, Reports, Etc.): https://entomology.k-state.edu/about/people/extension/Cloyd-Ext-Research/
A bit about Dr. Raymond Cloyd: Raymond has an extension (70%) and research (30%) appointment in the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS). Raymond received his MS and PhD from the Department of Entomology at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), and was employed as a professor at the University of Illinois (Urbana, IL) in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences for six years prior to his employment at Kansas State University. His research and extension program involves plant protection/pest management in greenhouses, nurseries, landscapes, turfgrass, conservatories, interiorscapes, Christmas trees, vegetables, fruits, cannabis, hemp and pollinators. Raymond is the extension specialist in horticultural entomology for the state of Kansas with a major clientele that includes homeowners, master gardeners, and professional and commercial operators. Raymond has published over 100 scientific refereed publications, over 900 trade journals, and over 60 extension publications on topics related to pest management/plant protection. In addition, he has authored or co-authored numerous books including Greenhouse Pest Management, Pests and Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials, IPM for Gardeners, Plant Protection: Managing Greenhouse Insect and Mite Pests, Compendium of Rose Diseases and Pests, Compendium of Bedding Plant Diseases and Pests, and Western Flower Thrips: Insect Pest of Greenhouse Production Systems. Raymond has also written book chapters, manuals, PICT or picture-pocket guides, and extension-related publications. Raymond is a frequent speaker at state, national, and international conferences and seminars; and has received numerous awards and honors during his over 25-year academic career. Raymond’s professional specialty areas are plant protection, biological control, plant-insect interactions, insect ecology, pesticides, integrating pesticides with biological control agents and sanitation.
Duration:00:28:46
2025 California Spring Trials Debrief ft. Chris Beytes & Jen Zurko
4/10/2025
Host Bill Calkins welcomed GrowerTalks’ editor in chief Chris Beytes and editor Jennifer Zurko to the podcast to share thoughts on the event—the plants, the trends, the fish tacos—and the overall impact spring trials has on the professional horticulture industry.
When Chris, Jen and Bill return from Spring Trials each year, folks in the industry always ask for overall thoughts, hot new varieties expected to be big sellers and what they consider to be industry breakthroughs. It was Bill’s bright idea to record a podcast answering some of these questions and of course, his partners in crime for the annual trek westward agreed to it.
Here are the questions the three tackled in this episode:
CHECK OUT BALL PUBLISHING’S INDUSTRY-LEADING COVERAGE OF THE 2025 CALIFORNIA SPRING TRIALS:
Daily Newsletters
YouTube Playlist (26 Videos)
Facebook
Instagram (@growertalksgreenprofit)
LinkedIn
Duration:00:53:56