Seed Plug Production Start-Up Project 2005, Roger Kehoe

The purpose of this project was to initiate a seed plug production program, from scratch, producing over 10 million seedlings per year. In Encinitas California at the Ecke Ranch this required equipment selection and staff training along with facility modifications to optimize quality and meet high industry standards.

As Project Manager:

• Led an interdepartmental team of growers, facility managers, inventory control managers, pathologists, traffic experts, vendors, customer service staff, sales representatives, information technology professionals, and production labor managers.
• Benchmarked top plug operations throughout North America and Western Europe.
• Created a production plan to fulfill the sales plan.
• Established budgets for all aspects of production, including seed purchases, equipment, labor, facility, irrigation, packing, and shipping.
• Developed a seed germination chamber and established protocols for seed handling from arrival through planting and storage.
• Modified benches and watering systems to optimize plug growth.
• Identified water quality problems and implemented a reverse osmosis water purification program.
• Working with an outside plug consultant, created a continuous improvement culture that built a state of the art high quality plug product.
• Created a packing and shipping program for delivery throughout the U.S. by working with the logistics team and customers to focus on freshness and timeliness.
• Built an innovative bar coding inventory management system for efficient and accurate product counting and tracking.

Primula seedlings with bar code application

Excellent root growth and overall plant health and quality

The core team: Roger Kehoe, Ecke Ranch Senior Key Accounts Manager, leader; Dr. Dave Koranski, ETA inc.; Rebecca Siemonsma, Ecke Ranch Technical Services Manager; Abdel Hassan, Ecke  Ranch General Manager; Dempsey Sawyer, Ecke Ranch Engineer.

 

Small seedlings like these impatiens plants are almost ready for transplanting into packs or pots for finishing. Much of the transplanting is done with machines, so precise size and uniformity are required for this automation. These trays cannot have any missing plants in any of the cells.

Cold Grow Research for Poinsettia 2006-2008

This project established, through field trials, a new method for growing poinsettias which reduced heating costs by 21% while maintaining or improving other key measurements of quality. Also, cultivars were tested and a list was created of compatible varieties.

As Project Manager:

• Distilled complex R&D data into practical, viable horticultural production protocols.
• Established 21% fuel savings in heating costs with no detriment to quality.
• Selected project trial sites at commercial horticulture facilities based on in depth knowledge of climate, facility, and staff capabilities.
• Created communication solutions that kept project members informed in a timely manner.
• Applied critical knowledge of all climates in the United States and Canada to create proper cultural techniques.
• Performed live PowerPoint presentations to growers and horticulturists at various prestigious industry events:
  • Ohio Florist Association  Annual Conference in Columbus, OH, 2007
  • Toronto Greenhouse Conference in Canada, 2008
  • Southeast Greenhouse Conference in Greenville, SC, 2008
  • Ohio Florists Association Outreach Program in Encinitas CA, 2007
• Published a co-authored technical paper (Finishing Poinsettias Cooler) on the subject with Dr. James Faust, Clemson University, Greenhouse Grower Magazine June, 2008.
• Applied this information in Ecke website (www.ecke.com) documents and webinars.

The goal of this project was to establish feasibility of growing poinsettias cooler than standard protocols call for. If successful, input costs would be reduced through a reduction in heat requirements, plant growth regulator applications would be reduced with less need under cooler temperatures, and a more sustainable system that reduced the carbon footprint could be achieved. Standard production techniques were used until October 1, when the night temperature was set at 60F for the balance of development through color and cyathia pollen initiation. After that, the plants were placed on a cold hold protocol until shipping.

The Ecke production site in Encinitas, CA was used as one site. Four others were selected based on climate differences: Smith Gardens in Bellingham, WA; Post Gardens in Rockwood, MI; Kube Pak in Allentown, NJ; and Van Wingerden International in Mills River, NC. Environmental data loggers were used to record light and temperature over the entire production period. Data was analyzed based on these devices and plant measurements were made along with detailed plant photographs. Fertility, irrigation, and standard plant production protocols were recorded.

Complex Data Analysis and Presentation:

 

                        Height Tracking Over Time

  

                                    Analyzing Crop Timing

 

                   Monitoring Height Management Strategies

 

                   Light and Temperature Data Analysis

The team: Roger Kehoe, Ecke Ranch Senior Key Accounts Manager; Dr. Ruth Kobayashi, Ecke Ranch Poinsettia Breeder; Rebecca Siemonsma, Ecke Ranch Technical Services Manager; Dr. James Faust, Clemson University; Dr. Catherine Ku, Ecke Ranch Research Manager