ICL at Four Oaks 2023

Rethinking growing strategies takes centre stage on our Four Oaks Trade Show stand and is the topic for the ICL seminar at next month’s event.    

“As the industry shifts towards peat-free sustainable growing media, it is essential for growers to re-evaluate their growing strategies,’” says Andrew Wilson, ICL’s technical manager.   

ICL, Technical Manager for Professional Horticulture

“Reducing and eliminating peat necessitates a comprehensive reassessment of nutrition and irrigation programmes. ICL’s Four Oaks seminar this year will explore alternative substrate materials to optimise plant growth and health, as well as precision irrigation techniques and tailored nutrient formulations – designed to complement changing media compositions.” 

Meanwhile the ICL stand (B30-32) will showcase its innovative technologies; the wetting agent H2Gro to improve water management; the new controlled release fertilisers – Osmocote 5 and Osmocote N; the new slow release fertiliser Osmoform to optimise nutritional performance while minimising leaching in peat free growing media mixes; and Vitalnova Triboost the new high performance microbial inoculant, that promotes a healthy microbiome in sustainable growing media mixes, helping optimise plant quality while minimising losses.    

“With a coffee bar on the stand, we’re encouraging growers to drop by and talk to our highly skilled technical team,” says ICL marketing communications manager Adam Ferjani. “As well as discussing tailored peat-reduced and peat-free mixes, our experienced team can advise growers on how to adapt and tailor management practices to these substrates. From adjustments to optimise potting machines performance, right through to changes in watering regimes and nutrition programmes that need to be tailored to specific crops.” 

Other highlights of the ICL stand include Mainspring, the new broad-spectrum insecticide with a unique mode of action that can help manage resistance in crops as part of an IPM programme; Lalguard M52 GR, the highly efficacious new Metarhizium-based bioinsecticide delivering quick control of Black Vine Weevil grubs in growing media; and the full range of tried and tested Vitalnova biostimulant products to boost plant health.   

Seminar   

The ICL ‘Time to rethink your growing strategy’ seminar will be held at 11am on Tuesday, September 5, in the Educate, Collaborate & Innovate zone in House T.  All attendees will qualify for BASIS and NRoSO points and receive a £5 lunch voucher to spend on-site.