One of the events being run for the industry is the berry seminar to be held at the Teagasc centre in Ashtown on 18 April. A number of excellent speakers have been lined up including the following: Johan Alterman from the Italian soft fruit propagation nurseries, Salvi Vivai, Mazzoni and CIV will give us a technical briefing on their strawberry cultivars with the emphasis on best production practices. Keeping with the plant theme, Kees Van Giessen from Holland’s largest soft fruit propagator (Van den Elzen Plants) will talk about their propagation business, new strawberry cultivars with an emphasis on the production of ‘Malling Centenary’. Combined with this will be a technical update on the soft fruit research programme in Teagasc by Eamonn Kehoe, followed by an update on spotted wing Drosophila (SWD). Lorcan Bourke from Bord Bia will give the latest marketing insights into the berry sector in Ireland. ✽
UPCOMING EVENTS: 18 APRIL – Soft fruit and berry seminar, Ashtown, Dublin 15 17 MAY – Kildalton College horticulture open day 21 MAY – Bedding growers meeting, at Ashtown Dublin 15 21 JUNE – Summer nursery stock meeting (venue tbc) 10-12 JULY – Flanders study tour – innovations in nutrition, weed control and irrigation. |