Translated publications from PCS, Belgium, covering technical topics relevant to ornamental crops

PCS Ornamental Plant Research, is the floriculture and landscape sectors’ independent knowledge centre in Flanders, Belgium.

Following an agreement between PCS and AHDB, a number of their technical publications have been translated and made available for the first time in English.

These practical guides cover a wide range of topics including:

• integrated plant management
• lighting crops
• cost price calculation and profitability
• fertiliser use in ornamental crops etc. 

Note some plant protection products mentioned in these reports may not be applicable to use in the UK.

An extensive guide examining a range of soil management aspects including:

• The importance of nitrogen and phosphorus for plants
• Soil sampling and analysis interpretation
• Adjusting soil pH and organic matter content
• Selecting nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers
• Fertiliser applications

This publication helps growers to make informed financial decisions for their own business:

• Understanding the various types of business costs
• Cost price calculation and simulations
• Putting cost price calculations to use
• Improving crop profitability

This publication provides detail about optimising lighting regimes, improving plant quality and increasing profitability:

• Understanding light quality and how plants respond to light
• Undertaking light measurements correctly
• Lighting applications
• Economics of lighting

A guide to planning crop protection strategies for businesses, covering the eight principles of IPM:

• Prevention rather than cure
• Look to know
• Treat only when necessary
• Keep chemicals as the last resort
• Control selectively
• Respect the recommended dose
• Do not give resistance a chance
• Record and learn

Knowing and recognising beneficial insects is important in the control of various pests, this guide assists in their identification and covers:

• Ladybirds
• Lacewings
• Earwigs
• Predatory midges, mites and bugs
• Parasitoids
• Hoverflies
• Beetles and spiders

This practical guide covers:

• Recognition of the various pest mite species impacting ornamental crops
• Monitoring for mites
• The various biological control options for pest mites

This document summarises and describes the key issues associated with roses:

• Mildews
• Black spot
• Grey mould
• Leaf spots
• Aphids
• Moths
• Mites
• Sawflies
• Nutrient deficiency symptoms

This series of information sheets cover several quarantine organisms that pose a threat to export/import-oriented tree nurseries, including:

• Longhorn beetles
• Wood boring beetles
• Chestnut blight
• Xylella
• Red band needle blight

A series of six information sheets summarising trials and best practice:

• Cleaning of concrete paths, floors and walls
• Cleaning of ground cover materials on container beds
• Cleaning of glasshouses (interior) and plastic walls
• Cleaning and corrosion risk of various materials
• Cleaning of contaminants on plant leaves
• Crop safety of cleaning products and disinfectants

This guide provides information on the loose fill and fixed cover materials and products which can be applied to the growing media surface to give weed control in container-grown crops. The guide covers:

• The properties of the cover materials
• The cost of the various products
• Selecting the right product to use