11/30/2016
5 Tips to Make the Most of Sampling Opportunities
Jeanne Svob
Each year, growers everywhere face the same dilemma: How do you freshen your assortment while maintaining the “bread and butter” items that go out the door with every order? Adding and discarding colors is pretty easy; adding something completely new, or changing varieties or series in large-volume classes can be more daunting. With so many new introductions every year, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by the choices and the learning curve associated with adding new items to your production.
Trialing can be a terrific tool in situations like this, helping you determine which varieties are the best fits for your business. Does the item enhance your assortment? Does it offer production advantages? Practicing production via trialing can also help ensure a successful new-product launch.
Effective trialing, however, isn’t easy. The best time to trial is during your regular production period for the crop in question, which can make it easy to lose track of a trial. We often hear, “It must’ve been okay because it looks like we sold it.” That’s great, but how much did we really learn? Consider these tips to maximize your trialing efforts:
1. Honesty is the best policy. Be honest with yourself about how many trials you can effectively manage. For many growers, it may be three to five key varieties. In the deluge of new introductions each year, you’ll often spot a few that “speak to you.” Trust your instincts and focus on those first. Whether it was the breeder’s promotion, an expert’s review, a photograph, a trial you viewed or something else, if the variety piqued your interest it’s likely to connect with your customers, too.
2. Do your homework. Find out all you can about a variety up front. Consult the breeder’s literature (both print and online). Consider trade magazine articles. Ask your broker representative for more details. Is there a product form available that might make production easier for you? Does the item contribute to production efficiencies with earlier flowering, better branching or reduced needs for labor, heat or chemicals?
3. Timing is everything. Schedule your trial plants or seeds at the appropriate time to coincide with your regular production. Make sure you have a culture sheet from the breeder and that you understand the production requirements and timing. Breeders usually conduct a few production trials before introduction and they often have some basic cultural information to share. Crop culture is generally available via the breeder’s website or it can be requested from your broker sales rep.
4. Follow the instructions. Grow the product—especially for the first time—according to the breeder’s recommendations. Slight adjustments for your circumstances might be necessary, but follow these recommendations as closely as possible. If you're testing the breeder’s claim of a production advantage (e.g., fewer PGRs, faster finish, lower heat requirements), you may not see those advantages if you deviate from the breeder’s protocol.
5. Success is a team sport. Mark the trial in your greenhouse with a special flag or label color so it’s easy to spot. Make sure all of your growers are aware of the trial and any special cultural needs. Assign someone to record performance at each stage of production, weekly through the growing on and finishing stages. Take photographs to supplement those notes! When the busy season subsides and you’re ready to make a final decision, you’ll be really glad to have that documentation.
Additional Advice
Data is key to assessing the success or failure of any product trial. You have a lot going on during the busy season—it could be weeks or months before you’re ready to review a trial! Without detailed notes, it’s nearly impossible to recall every detail you and your team encountered throughout the trialing process. But what kinds of things should you be keeping track of?
• Product form: Is the seed easy to sow? Is the cutting a good size? Is the liner well branched?
• Germination or rooting: Is it better, more uniform or faster?
• Young plant development: Are you seeing more branching, faster and/or better root development or more usable seedlings?
• Finishing: How fast does the variety fill the pot? When did the plants begin to flower? How quickly did it go from first flower to saleable color? How uniform is the crop in habit and flowering time? If it’s a series, how well do the colors match for habit and timing?
• Flower size and number of blooms: Did it flush into color or did color come on gradually? How long did the flowering last on the bench? Did it flush and go out of color or did it continue flowering, indicating a longer shelf life at retail?
• Habit and branching: Look for signs of longer shelf life, such as continuous blooming and/or better branching and less stretching. Are there additional production steps you could add to improve finished appearance, e.g., a pinch, more or less feed, more or less PGRs? Are there other advantages such as shorter plants or flower stems allowing for more shelves on a shipping rack and/or easier shopping or pulling from the rack with less damage to the plants and blooms?
• If possible, follow the product into the garden: If you don’t have beds at your location for trialing, take some plants home to evaluate in your home garden. Share a few with employees or neighbors to get some feedback on garden performance.
Wow, that’s a lot of work! It’s certainly not something you’ll do for every variety change you make. But for three to five items a year—those that are unique or promise production efficiencies—it truly is worth the effort. GT
Jeanne Svob is Seed Business Manager for Griffin. She can be reached at jsvob@griffinmail.com.