Four-inch (10.2-cm) potted fl ow er ing Campanula carpatica Jacq. 'Blue Clipsʼ (campanula) tradit... more Four-inch (10.2-cm) potted fl ow er ing Campanula carpatica Jacq. 'Blue Clipsʼ (campanula) traditional herbaceous pe ren ni als, were sold in fl oral departments of three retail supermarket chain stores from 5 May through 20 May and 16 June through 1 July 2000. The intent was to determine whether repositioning cam pan u la as a "new" indoor fl owering potted plant would add to total fl oral department sales or detract from sales of more tra di tion al fl owering potted plants. Unit sales for all 4-and 4.5-inch (10.2-and 11.3cm) fl owering potted plants stocked in three su per mar ket fl oral departments were re cord ed week ly and compared with unit sales from three stores where campanula were not sold (control). Unit sales for campanula were sim i lar to those of traditional indoor fl owering potted plants frequently stocked in fl oral de part ments. Statistical analysis showed that mean unit sales of traditional potted fl owering plants for stores that did and did not stock campanula were similar. Therefore, adding campanula to the fl ow er ing potted plant mix did not detract from or jeopardize sales of similar indoor fl ow er ing potted plants.
Germanium has been reported as a mineral element affecting plant cell metabolism. Many trials to ... more Germanium has been reported as a mineral element affecting plant cell metabolism. Many trials to supply germanium to fruit have been carried out since tests have confi rmed germanium's role as a medical substance. Supplying germanium to orchards by soil and foliar application was not effective because of loss from rainfall. Also, tree injection with germanium solution required the insertion of a tube to the tree xylem at each injection site. In order to increase germanium absorption by fruit, this study carried out the postharvest dipping of fruit into germanium solution. 'Niitaka' pear ( Pyrus pyrifolia ) fruit was treated with two types of germanium, GeO (inorganic type) and Ge-132 (organic type), in a concentration of 50 mg•L -1 just after harvest in early Oct. 2004. Flesh browning after peeling the fruit was delayed by germanium treatment, and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activities were lowered. Postharvest potentials were maintained at high levels for fruit fi rmness, physiological disorders, and decayed fruit during cold storage at 0 to 1 °C for 2 months. Antioxidant and some phenolic compounds were higher than those of control fruit.
Journal of environmental horticulture, Jun 1, 1998
To direct, fund, promote and communicate horticultural research, which increases the quality and ... more To direct, fund, promote and communicate horticultural research, which increases the quality and value of ornamental plants, improves the productivity and profitability of the nursery and landscape industry, and protects and enhances the environment. The use of any trade name in this article does not imply an endorsement of the equipment, product or process named, nor any criticism of any similar products that are not mentioned.
Abstracts for Oral Sessions, Colloquia, and Workshops are grouped by sessions, which are arranged... more Abstracts for Oral Sessions, Colloquia, and Workshops are grouped by sessions, which are arranged more or less in numerical sequence by session number. To determine when a paper is to be presented, check the session number in the Program Schedule or the Conference at a Glance charts. The author presenting the paper is indicated by an asterisk.
WetEarth, a processed recycled newspaper product, was used in combination with pine bark, sand, a... more WetEarth, a processed recycled newspaper product, was used in combination with pine bark, sand, and vermiculite as a growing medium for rose of Sharon and forsythia. Rose of Sharon was taller and had more leaves; more leaf area per plant; and greater leaf, stem, and root dry weights in all media containing recycled paper compared to plants grown in a medium consisting of 3 pine bark : 1 peat moss : 1 sand (by volume) (control). Forsythia grown in the control media were taller than those grown in any medium containing recycled newspaper. There was no difference in number of leaves per plant or leaf area of forsythia, regardless of growing medium. Physical and chemical properties of each medium also were investigated. All media containing recycled newspaper had a higher pH, porosity, and air space than the control medium.
WetEarth, a processed recycled newspaper product, was used in combination with pine bark, sand, a... more WetEarth, a processed recycled newspaper product, was used in combination with pine bark, sand, and vermiculite as a growing medium for rose of Sharon and forsythia. Rose of Sharon was taller and had more leaves; more leaf area per plant; and greater leaf, stem, and root dry weights in all media containing recycled paper compared to plants grown in a medium consisting of 3 pine bark : 1 peat moss : 1 sand (by volume) (control). Forsythia grown in the control media were taller than those grown in any medium containing recycled newspaper. There was no difference in number of leaves per plant or leaf area of forsythia, regardless of growing medium. Physical and chemical properties of each medium also were investigated. All media containing recycled newspaper had a higher pH, porosity, and air space than the control medium.
Two lance-leaf caladium cultivars are to be released from the ornamental breeding program at the ... more Two lance-leaf caladium cultivars are to be released from the ornamental breeding program at the University of Florida. 'Red Ruffles', whose pedigree is Red Frill x ('Red Frill' x 'Candidum Jr.'), has elongated medium red leaves with ruffled green margins. Plants are upright with strong petioles, have leaf blades 25 cm long and 14 cm wide, and attain a height of 61 cm when grown in full sun in the field. Plants have more leaves and are more cold tolerant than 'Red Frill', the major red lance-leaf cultivar of commerce. Tuber yields of 'Red Ruffles' are similar to 'Red Frill' but less than 'Rosalie', with production indices of 95.0, 97.8, and 121.0, respectively. Foliage of 'Red Ruffles' is more upright and less likely to elongate under reduced light than the other cultivars. 'Irish Lace', an F 2 selection from a cross of "Candidum Jr.' x "Red Frill', has elongated dark green leaves with heavily ruffled margins, which are etched with a thin red border. Leaf blades are 26 cm long and 8 cm wide and have heavy substance. Plant height is 65 cm in the field. Tuber yields of 'Irish Lace' are greater than 'White Wing', a major green/ white cultivar. Use of a green caladium would be as a border or a mixture with red or white lance-leaf cultivars. provenances. The North Carolina provenance required 90 days stratification to maximize germination (66%) in contrast to the Alabama provenance, which only needed 30 days (80%). Seeds of both provenances did not exhibit an obligate light requirement. However, photoperiods ≥1/2 h increased germination greatly over seeds in darkness (29% vs. 62%).
Leaf impressions were made from two short-lived (4 and 5 d) inbreds, a longlived (11 d) inbred, a... more Leaf impressions were made from two short-lived (4 and 5 d) inbreds, a longlived (11 d) inbred, and their hybrids (8 and 9 d) of Antirrhinum majus L. using Super Glue and glass microscope slides. Leaves were taken from mid stem, pressed on glass slides (under side down), spread with a small amount of Super Glue, set for 3 to 4 s. Then, the leaf was peeled off leaving a permanent impression in the glue. Slides were placed under a microscope equipped with a video imaging system and computer images were taken to facilitate counting of stomatal complexes. Number of stomata ranged from 10,400 to 21,300 per cm 2 of leaf. A LI-COR LI-3100 area meter (LI-COR, Inc. Lincoln, Neb.) was used to measure total leaf area of 40-cm cut flower stems of each accession. Stomata per flowering stem ranged from 1,074,000 to 2,282,000, with the long-lived inbred having the fewest stomata, the hybrids intermediate with 11% to 21% more, and the shortlived inbreds having 40% to 113% more stomata per stem. It appears long postharvest life of A. majus is associated with flowering stems with fewer stomata per cut stem.
Two surveys (one of 101 florists and one of 122 businesses) determined that florists spend little... more Two surveys (one of 101 florists and one of 122 businesses) determined that florists spend little time or money recruiting commercial accounts. Poor communication among businesses and florists was a problem. Of the responding businesses, 91% were never contacted by their florists for any reason, and the methods florists did use for recruiting commercial accounts were incompatible with the means that businesses used to choose florists. Because 79% of businesses made some type of pur-October (30%), November (24%), and December (25%) were the top months for business gift orders. Flowers and plants were not listed among popular business gifts in the 1993 Incentive survey. Incentive's 1992 FACT survey listed flowers and plants as a major business gift purchase, comprising 2% of business gift sales for the year. Brewer also found that many business gifts were purchased directly from a merchandiser (59%), incentive representatives (36%), advertising specialty counselors (36%), and retail stores (25%). An average of 103 business gifts were given by businesses, and an average of seven business gifts were received by each business in 1992. Our objectives were to investigate 1) florists' marketing efforts toward commercial accounts and 2) commercial uses of floral products and services.
Little information has been published on the business and marketing practices of landscape firms,... more Little information has been published on the business and marketing practices of landscape firms, an important sector of the green industry. We sought to profile the product mix, advertising, marketing, and other business practices of United States landscape firms and compare them by business type (landscape only, landscape/retail, and landscape/retail/grower) as well as by firm size. We sent the 2014 Trade Flows and Marketing survey to a wide selection of green industry businesses across the country and for the first time included landscape businesses. Herbaceous perennials, shade trees, deciduous shrubs, and flowering bedding plants together accounted for half of all landscape sales; 3/4 of all products were sold in containers. However, landscape only firms sold a higher percentage of deciduous shrubs compared with landscape/retail/grower firms. Landscape businesses diversified their sales methods as they diversified their businesses to include production and retail functions. Landscape businesses spent, on average, 5.6% of sales on advertising, yet large landscape companies spent two to three times the percentage of sales on advertising compared with small-and medium-sized firms. Advertising as a percent of sales was three to four times higher for landscape/retail/ grower compared with landscape only or landscape/retail firms; most respondents used Internet advertising as their primary method of advertising. The top three factors influencing price establishment in landscape businesses were plant grade, market demand, and uniqueness of plants, whereas inflation was ranked as the least important of the nine factors provided. A higher percentage of small and mediumsized firms perceived last year's prices as more important in price establishment compared with large firms. A high percentage of large landscape companies said the ability to hire competent hourly employees was an important factor in business growth and management, but this was true only for about half of the small and medium-sized landscape companies.
Journal of environmental horticulture, Mar 1, 1997
This Journal of Environmental Horticulture article is reproduced with the consent of the Horticul... more This Journal of Environmental Horticulture article is reproduced with the consent of the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI -www.hriresearch.org), which was established in 1962 as the research and development affiliate of the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA -). To direct, fund, promote and communicate horticultural research, which increases the quality and value of ornamental plants, improves the productivity and profitability of the nursery and landscape industry, and protects and enhances the environment. The use of any trade name in this article does not imply an endorsement of the equipment, product or process named, nor any criticism of any similar products that are not mentioned.
Journal of environmental horticulture, Jun 1, 2008
To direct, fund, promote and communicate horticultural research, which increases the quality and ... more To direct, fund, promote and communicate horticultural research, which increases the quality and value of ornamental plants, improves the productivity and profitability of the nursery and landscape industry, and protects and enhances the environment. The use of any trade name in this article does not imply an endorsement of the equipment, product or process named, nor any criticism of any similar products that are not mentioned.
A profile of consumer groups who purchased floral products from supermarkets was studied with a 1... more A profile of consumer groups who purchased floral products from supermarkets was studied with a 106-item questionnaire developed to determine the domain of issues affecting supermarket floral purchases. Thirty-four factors were identified in factor analysis and formed the basis for cluster analysis. Cluster analysis was performed on survey responses to create five homogeneous consumer segments. Demographic data and floral-purchase factors were used to profile market segments and distinguishing elements. Fourteen factors contributed most to the differences between segments, including factors of product assortment, number of purchases, degree of personal use, and package importance. Clusters can be used by supermarket and florist management as potential target markets. Improved data analysis has helped marketing researchers include many variables in their models. Before computerization, most consumer research was conducted using only easily measured demographic variables such as age, income, or education. Psychographic characteristics, such as attitudes and preferences, are now incorporated into marketing research and analyzed along with demographic characteristics, producing more accurate consumer profiles. Not all people have similar product needs and wants, nor demand the same products and services. Market segmentation enables management to capitalize on the differential demand for specific products and services. Managers who can identify consumer segments can more efficiently allocate resources by targeting products and services designed to meet the needs of those consumers. De-
Retail sales of container gardens have increased dramatically in recent years, rising 8% from 200... more Retail sales of container gardens have increased dramatically in recent years, rising 8% from 2004 to 2005, to $1.3 billion. The objective of this study was to determine consumer preferences for three attributes of container gardens; color harmony, price, and amount of care information provided with the purchase. A hierarchical set of levels for each attribute was used in a 3 • 3 • 3 factorial conjoint analysis. A Web-based survey was conducted on 18 Oct. 2006 with 985 respondents. Survey participants were asked to complete a series of questions on a 7-point Likert scale. Survey participants also answered questions about past experiences with and future purchase intentions of container gardens as well as demographics. The three attributes accounted for 99.8% of the variance in container garden preference. Relative importance decreased from price (71%) to amount of care information (23%) to color harmony (6%). Survey participants preferred a container garden with a price point of $24.99, extensive care information, and complementary color harmony. A large portion (76%) of participants in this study indicated that they would be more likely to purchase a container garden if extensive care information was included with the purchase and 85% of participants said they would be willing to visit an Internet Web site that would provide more information on how to care for and maintain a container garden. Results of this study show that there is a potential to increase the value of a container garden through providing educational material with the purchase.
Market segmentation is an, efficient method of defining consumer groups to develop new markets. T... more Market segmentation is an, efficient method of defining consumer groups to develop new markets. The purpose of this research was to determine the viability of market segmentation strategies based on volume and location of purchase. A sample of 401 Pennsylvania floral consumers was divided into groups based on the number and the primary location of floral purchases. Two discriminant analyses were conducted to determine differences between market segments. Heavy floral consumers exhibited a higher level of floral knowledge, purchased more floral products for themselves and from nonflorist retailers, and had higher incomes than light or medium floral users. Florist customers purchased fresh flowers more frequently, bought more floral gifts, and spent a higher amount per purchase than supermarket customers. Segmentation based on volume of purchase and primary retail location are both viable alternatives for market development strategies for floral consumers. Marketing theory states that it is easier to have a current consumer make an additional purchase than to obtain a new consumer. Volume segmentation is the process of dividing a consumer market on the basis of purchase frequency and has been used successfully in various markets . Thus, increasing the number of purchases per consumer is an efficient marketing strategy. Compared with other floral consumer markets, supermarket customers have been surveyed and profiled more often
Fresh and processed tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) consumption has increased 40% in the United ... more Fresh and processed tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) consumption has increased 40% in the United States over the last two decades. Through better breeding, fresh tomatoes now are marketed in different forms, sizes, colors, and fl avors. However, little published information exists concerning consumer demand, preference, and demographic characteristics related to fresh tomato consumption. Taking advantage of a high percentage of Internet use in the U.S., two web-based surveys were released to approximately 6000 e-mail addresses reaching people in every region of the U.S. The surveys contained a total of 61 questions, including 50 digital images of fi ve types of tomatoes (cherry, grape, cluster, plum, and regular slicing) with combinations of three additional factors (price, lycopene content, and production style) and demographic information. Among 389 respondents, 76% preferred and purchased slicing tomatoes in the 4 weeks prior to the survey. These were followed by grape/mini-pear (42%), plum (36%), cluster (27%), cherry (25%), and yellow slicing tomatoes (4.4%). Overall, production method (organic vs. conventional) had low relative importance in comparison to price and tomato type. However, younger participants (<age 38 years) placed more importance on production method. Participants between ages 39 and 57 years were the most price-sensitive, and female were less sensitive than males. Younger participants (<age 38 years) were less price-sensitive and placed more importance on the other attributes (production method, lycopene content, and tomato type).
Online advertising is becoming a mainstay business practice to reach firms' customer bases. Yet, ... more Online advertising is becoming a mainstay business practice to reach firms' customer bases. Yet, the adoption and use of online advertising in the green industry are topics that have not been adequately researched. Using a national survey of green industry firms conducted in 2019, this research uses a double-hurdle model to investigate factors that impact firms' adoption of, and amount spent on, online advertising. Our results show that one-third of the companies invested in online advertising. Of those investing in online advertising, the average percentage of online advertising as a share of all advertising expenditures was 46%. Small businesses were less likely to invest in online advertising compared with larger businesses; however, once they invested in online advertising, the percentage of investment was 25% higher among small firms when compared with their larger counterparts. Increasing years in operation as well as trade show participation was related to a 3% decrease in likelihood to use online advertising. Business owners who perceived hiring competent employees as a barrier to business growth invested 19% less of their advertising budget in online channels, which may indicate a lack of human resources to advertise online. We also compared the industry results with data from a 2014 survey and found the amount invested in online advertising increased %3% to 5% between studies. The percentage in wholesale sales influenced the amount spent on online advertising in 2014 but not in 2019. Being a small firm in 2014 increased the amount spent on online advertising, but the effect was 14% lower in 2019. In 2014, firms located in the Pacific, Southcentral, and Southeast U.S. regions invested more in online advertising compared with other regions, but in 2019, the only geographic difference was that firms in the Great Plains spent less on online advertising. Despite their lower adoption rates, the increased expenditures on online advertising implies that smaller firms that implement online advertising receive value through that channel and are willing to allocate more resources to leverage its reach. Firms contemplating adopting and investing in online advertising should consider their resource availability and marketing goals related to reaching different customer groups through online advertising.
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