CHANGES IN FLORICULTURAL CROPS IN EUROPE

As formerly held "symposia on the development of new floricultural crops" have learned, only a few crops are really new.
Most new crops are already known but they are brought again into the picture and are produced on a larger scale than they were.
To know what crops are in fashion, we must follow the international market very carefully.
Trends must be recognised very early! In the Netherlands there are about 7000 different floricultural products offered yearly (4500 cutflowers, 2000 pot and 500 bedding plants). Based on the data of the Dutch floricultural industry during last years changes in the assortment have been given.
Besides the growing interest for crops, there are also developments within existing crops which keep them attractive to the consumer.
Within roses for example we see a growing interest for spray roses.

For new crops it is not enough to be attractive, they also have to keep the attention longer.
Therefore some requirements must be met.
They must be supplied for a longer time during the year.
A broad variation in germplasm should be available to raise other forms and colours.

Buyers must receive a good impression by a high ornamental value (long life for cutflowers and a good keeping ability for potplants). It is important to test this ornamental value before a product is introduced.
For some crops a system has been developed in Holland to test a crop for certain characteristics to decide if a new variety is an improvement or not.
The same can be done with new crops.

II International Symposium on the Development of New Floricultural Crops

C. Vonk Noordegraaf

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1993.337.5