Oct 19, 2016

2016 Plug & Cutting Conference Draws International Attendance

AmericanHort’s 2016 Plug & Cutting conference drew an international audience – Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Attendees gathered in Carlsbad, California, for the event Sept. 19-21, and ranged from mid-level to high-experience growers.

The full-scale event included a Grower Tour, Bio-Control Workshop, 32 educational sessions and a sold-out trade show. From the 300+ attendees, the big discussions settled on key topics including networking, labor demands, breeding and genetics, and patenting.

Key education areas focused on water management, pest and disease control (with a strong emphasis on biocontrols and IPM strategies), and smart production strategies for great plug quality. Twenty-two states also offered pesticide recertification credits for session attendees. The speaker lineup featured experts in the field who ranged from PhDs who focus intensely on research to growers with years of unmatched experience in the field. The education track entirely in Spanish was well attended with participants coming from Mexico and Chile for those sessions alone.

The Grower Tour showcased First Step Greenhouses, Plug Connection and EuroAmerican Propagators. Everything from lean flow efficiency to trials in grafting were seen.

The Hands-On with Biocontrols workshop was also popular, according to AmericanHort. The day-long workshop offered participants the chance to interact with biocontrols and get familiar with best practices for biocontrol management.

Plug and Cutting is a bi-annual event to be hosted again in 2018. The AmericanHort team is already seeking the perfect location and best lineup of speakers to continue the trend of this quality conference. If you have a suggestion, contact Gina Zirkle at GinaZ@americanhort.org, or call 614-487-1117.