Horticulture in the open field or in greenhouses is challenged by the need to balance high productivity and sometimes late harvests with low nutrient losses to the environment. A correct nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisation, good agricultural management of crop residues and rational crop rotations are more necessary than ever to reduce nutrient losses and maintain soil organic matter content.
In Flanders, but also in other regions within and outside Europe, research now focuses on cultivation techniques and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisation techniques in vegetable and ornamental plant production in open air and in glass or plastic greenhouses. The conflict between crop quality demands and legislative requirements to protect groundwater and surface waters are also taken into account.
"NUTRIHORT: Nutrient management, innovative techniques and nutrient legislation in intensive horticulture for an improved water quality” is a conference commissioned by the Flemish Land Agency (VLM). The organisers are ILVO, Ghent University - Department of Soil Management, Inagro, PCS, PCG and PSKW. The conference takes place 16-18 September, 2013 at the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of Ghent University. The goal of NUTRIHORT is to gather the available expertise on sustainable and innovative techniques in the conventional and organic production of vegetables, early potatoes, flowers and ornamental trees.
The central questions of this conference are: How can the cultivation and fertilisation techniques in open field and soilless horticulture be adapted in order to meet the European water quality objectives? Which management options of crop residues reduce nutrient losses, are cost effective and have a positive effect on soil quality? What is the effect of soil quality and management on nutrient losses? How can rational irrigation or fertigation reduce nutrient losses in horticulture? Is the nitrogen and phosphorus efficiency of mineral fertilisers higher in row and band application than in broadcast application? What combination of catch crops can be sown in a crop rotation with vegetables? Which alternative crop rotations can be introduced in the intensive horticulture? The results of the benchmark study on innovative cultivation and fertilisation techniques and on fertiliser legislation applicable in horticulture from different regions in Europe will also be presented at NUTRIHORT.
The invited speakers at NUTRIHORT are:
Michael Hamell (DG Environment, European Commission), on the challenges of horticulture in the context of the European nutrient legislation;
Clive Rahn (Plant Nutrition Consulting, England), on knowledge exchange between researchers, consultants and growers;
Matthias Fink (IGZ Grossbeeren, Germany), one of the founders of KNS fertilisation advice system, on nitrogen fertilisation advice in horticulture;
Rodney Thompson (Universidad de Almería, Spain), on the wide range of plant and soil measurements to reduce nitrogen losses in horticulture;
Francesco Tei (Università di Perugia, Italy), on the potential of catch crops to reduce nitrogen fertilisation and losses in open air vegetable production;
Wim Voogt (Wageningen, the Netherlands), on sustainable nutrient management in soilless cultivation in horticultural greenhouses;
Sylvain Pellerin (INRA, France), on the increase of the phosphorus efficiency and re-use of phosphorus.
In addition to these distinguished speakers, the decisions of the NEV workshop in Italy and 27 other oral contributions from Europe, China and the United States will be presented. More than 50 posters are already registered. These posters will also be briefly presented orally during the sessions. The first version of the programme is already available on the NUTRIHORT website.
This conference is for researchers, graduate and doctoral students, agricultural and environmental agencies, extension officers, policymakers, agricultural auction markets, the food and fertiliser industries, environmental and farmers organizations, horticulturists and others who are interested in nutrient management in vegetable and ornamental plant production.
More information:
www.ilvo.vlaanderen.be/nutrihort
nutrihort@ilvo.vlaanderen.be
