Gedera, Israel
January 21, 2009
Source: Seasons & Tastes
newsletter #12, Zeraim Gedera
by Woody Speir, Sales and Product Development Coordinator
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Producers
will no longer face the situation of having too many or
too few plants at planting time. The producer simply
orders the number of plants to be delivered on a date he
specifies. He can be assured that this exact quantity of
healthy, viable plants will be available at that time. |
Zeraim Gedera is
excited to announce its new watermelon plant program called
PlantSense.
Last year, a pilot program was
launched in Georgia, USA that proved to be a success among
watermelon producers. This year, the program will be expanded to
cover Florida as well as Georgia.
What is PlantSense?
PlantSense is a program that delivers plants instead of seeds to
the producer. As producers face numerous unknowns related to
their production, more and more are deciding to utilize plant
programs in order to reduce their risk exposure and to simplify
planting decisions.
For example, let’s say a grower produces 100 acres of
watermelons and he would like to have a final field population
of 2000 plants per acre. This producer would typically place an
order with his dealer for 200,000 seed, plus an amount to cover
germination variability, most commonly around 10%. In most
cases, more plants than needed will be available; however,
adverse weather conditions, low germination, or other factors
could result in a population less than 200,000, leaving the
producer in a situation of needing extra plants.
This is the primary reason why PlantSense is attractive to
producers. Producers will no longer face the situation of having
too many or too few plants at planting time. The producer simply
orders the number of plants to be delivered on a date he
specifies. He can be assured that this exact quantity of
healthy, viable plants will be available at that time.
With PlantSense, the producer can choose from Zeraim Gedera’s
leading commercial varieties such as Sugar Heart or Super Crisp
32 and have them bundled with a pollinator for a larger
discount.
Who will grow the plants?
Transplant producers were selected in Georgia and Florida to be
dedicated PlantSense producers. The dedicated
producers in Georgia are Lewis Taylor Greenhouses, managed by
Neil Kicklighter, and Valdosta Plant Company, managed by Tom
Daughtrey; and in Florida, Barnett and Partin Plants, managed by
Jack Partin. These producers have a long track record of
producing high quality transplants year after year.
To remain competitive in today’s business environment, producers
need choices that will enable them to limit risk and capitalize
on the expertise of others. PlantSense offers this choice and
will be a valuable tool for watermelon producers during the
coming season. |
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