North American Specialty Cut Flower Production and Postharvest Survey

Abstract

<jats:p>In the United States and Canada, there has been an increase in the demand for local specialty cut flowers and a corresponding increase in production. To assess the needs of the industry, we electronically surveyed 1098 cut flower producers and handlers in the United States and Canada regarding their current cut flower production and postharvest problems, and customer issues. We received a total of 210 responses, resulting in a 19% response rate. The results showed that the main production problem was insect management; crop timing was the second most important problem and disease management was the third. Crop timing encompasses a range of related issues such as determining the correct harvest stage, harvest windows that are too short, flowering all at once, or lack of control when the crop is ready to harvest. The main postharvest problems were temperature management, hydration, and flower food management. Timing and stem length were the two most mentioned species-specific production issues, with each one listed by 10% or more of the respondents for eight of the total 31 species. Regarding on-farm postharvest handling, hydration and vase life were the two most mentioned issues; they were reported for five and three species, respectively. For postharvest during storage and transport, damage and hydration were the most common issues; these were listed for three species each. The most commonly mentioned customer complaints were vase life and shattering, which were reported for six and two species, respectively. These results will allow researchers and businesses to focus on the major cut flower production and postharvest issues and on crops that are most in need of improvement in North America.</jats:p>

South and Central America Cut Flower Production and Postharvest Survey

“…The less commonly produced crops and those with less than five respondents per species were grouped together for the presentation of the production and postharvest issues (Tables 3 and 5). Of the top 10 crops-alstroemeria, aster, bird of paradise, carnation, chrysanthemum, gerbera, hydrangea, daffodil, rose, and statice-in the South and Central American survey, only hydrangea and statice were among the top 31 crops grown by U.S. and Canadian growers (Loyola et al, 2019). Rose was also among the top 31 crops in the United States and Canada, but producers in those countries mainly grow fieldgrown garden roses, while producers in South and Central America mainly grow hybrid tea roses under cover (Dole et al, 2017;Hamrick, 2003).…”

“…Forty-five percent of the respondents were the general managers of the company, 12% were the owners, 8% were sales representatives, 8% were postharvest managers, 8% were production managers, and 19% were other categories, which included floral designers, agronomists, breeders, quality control managers, and human resource representatives (Table 2). In contrast, the cut flower industry respondents for the U.S. and Canadian survey were comprised predominantly (95%) of small businesses with nine employees or less and the respondents were primarily owners (71%) (Loyola et al, 2019). Twenty-seven of the respondents were located in Colombia, 17 in Ecuador, 4 in Chile, 1 in Guatemala, and 1 in Peru.…”

“…1). In contrast, cut flower businesses produce and handle a much broader array of crops in the United States and Canada (Loyola et al, 2019). Of the 210 respondents in the Loyola et al 2019survey, only 9% reported producing 1 to 3 crops; 5% produced 4 to 6 crops; while 86% of respondents produced or handled 7 or more crops, with almost one-third growing 13 to 18 different crops.…”

“…A questionnaire was constructed in both Spanish and English and delivered using online software (Survey Monkey, San Mateo, CA), as done by Loyola et al (2019). The questionnaires were emailed to the members of Asociaci on Colombiana de Exportadores de Flores (Asocolflores) in Colombia by Asocolflores (number distributed is unknown); to 128 members of Expoflores in Ecuador; to 25 members of Agexport in Guatemala; and to 20 members of Asociaci on de Productores y Exportadores de Flores de Chile (APEF).…”

“…The authors completed surveys of the cut flower industries in the United States and Canada (Loyola et al, 2019) and noted the need to do similar surveys on the cut flower industries of South and Central America. The purpose of the current study is to assess the major production and postharvest issues that affect the cut flower industries in South and Central America.…”