On June 22, Ceniflores, the Colombian Center for Floriculture Innovation, organized the First Bioinputs Forum at Universidad de la Sabana [La Sabana University] directed towards the transfer of knowledge for the flower-producing sector. Over 140 people attended this event which gathered experts, academia, and floriculture professionals interested in addressing bioinput-related subjects. The meeting was inaugurated by Anderson Páez, CEO of Ceniflores, who highlighted that “bioinputs are not a fad; they have been researched for many years in our country; what is relevant with bioinputs is that the knowledge and our conversations are now aligned in a single sustainability discourse, permeating all our working teams at all levels.” And he added: “the importance of continuing on with research, innovation, and the implementation of development trends with bioinputs in the production of flowers are fundamental for the competitiveness of the flower-producing sector worldwide.” The flower-growing sector formally employs over 200,000 workers between direct and indirect contracts, generating an average of 14 jobs per agricultural hectare.
During the event, there were several presentations by experts in bioinputs sharing their knowledge and experiences in floriculture with emphasis on the history of biological control, stressing the scientific progress and development of effective pest control biological products for a sustainable floriculture industry. The attendees were able to learn about success stories and other examples of bioinput implementation for the development of sustainability at social, environmental, and economic levels as an answer to innovation for production and export to more than 100 countries where Flowers of Colombia arrive.
Furthermore, one of the highlighted topics was plant nutrition and its use in widespread diseases and pest control. In this respect, improvement response strategies were addressed for the prevention of phytopathogens. This was a highly informative event for the Colombian flower-growing community. Events like this one promote discussions around topics that allow us to appreciate the growing value of bioinputs in the flower sector as well as the perspective that we have around their production and use. It is also worth mentioning the involvement of the academia, the productive sector, and crop protection enterprises in this event, creating a synergy that is fundamental to promoting the sector and the production of bioinputs for floriculture.
The use of bioinputs in Colombian floriculture is growing! If you missed the forum at Universidad de la Sabana, we are pleased to invite you to the next event that will take place at Universidad Católica de Oriente [Catholic University of the East] in Rionegro, Antioquia, on August 17. We want to continue exploring the latest trends in biological control, nutrition, and bioproducts for the flower-growing sector. This will be a chance to connect with industry experts and share experiences with other professionals in the flower-producing area.
For more information:
Asocolflores
www.asocolflores.org
