Hydroponics Daily

Dr. Russell Sharp explores research showing that squashes, pumpkins and other cucurbits can absorb persistent hydrophobic pollutants (PCBs, dioxin-like compounds, organochlorine pesticides and furans) because a specific plant protein binds these chemicals and transports them into the fruit. The episode covers the health and food-safety implications, the potential to breed low-accumulating varieties or use phytoremediation, and why growing these crops hydroponically is a safer alternative to avoid soil-borne, long-lasting pesticides. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Todd C. Wehner — North Carolina State University Warren Barham Henderson — North Carolina State University Sam Jenkins — North Carolina State University Chris Hernandez — University of New Hampshire A. F. Yeager — University of New Hampshire Elwyn Meader — University of New Hampshire J. Brent Loy — University of New Hampshire Cecilia E. McGregor — University of Georgia Pamela D. Roberts — University of Florida Rebecca Grumet — Michigan State University Zhangjun Fei — Boyce Thompson Institute Yiqun Weng — USDA-ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit (Madison, WI) Jim Myers — Oregon State University Chuck Bornt — Cornell Cooperative Extension Margaret Tuttle McGrath — Cornell University Michael Mazourek — Cornell University Jocelyn (Joss) Rose — Cornell University Neil Mattson — Cornell University Alan G. Taylor — Cornell University Elizabeth Maynard — Purdue University Rosie Lerner — Purdue University Katie Parker — University of Illinois Extension Bruce Bugbee — Utah State University Mark Brand — University of Connecticut Gerald Berkowitz — University of Connecticut Vance Whitaker — University of Florida Craig Schluttenhofer — Central State University Dan Putnam — University of California, Davis Brad Hanson — University of California, Davis Rebecca Sideman — University of New Hampshire Louise Russell — The James Hutton Institute David Simpson — NIAB EMR Howard Griffiths — University of Cambridge Tracy Lawson — University of Essex Erik H. Murchie — University of Nottingham Malcolm Hawkesford — Rothamsted Research Yiguo Hong — University of Worcester Owen Atkin — Australian National University Susanne von Caemmerer — Australian National University Graham Farquhar — Australian National University Rana Munns — CSIRO Robert D. Furbank — CSIRO Noel Cogan — Agriculture Victoria Research German Spangenberg — Agriculture Victoria Research Simone Rochfort — Agriculture Victoria Research Mathew A. Gilliham — University of Adelaide Peter Langridge — University of Adelaide Ute Roessner — University of Melbourne Mark Lefsrud — McGill University Adam Dale — University of Guelph Rowan F. Sage — University of Toronto Andrew Jamieson — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Kentville) Hugh Daubeny — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Summerland) Kim Lewers — USDA-ARS James Luby — University of Minnesota John R. Clark — University of Arkansas Patrick Conner — University of Georgia David Suchoff — North Carolina State University Jason Griffin — Kansas State University Zelalem Mersha — Virginia State University

Dr. Russell Sharp reviews Hydroponics Daily in 2025, highlighting the top podcast episodes, surprising listener interests (pH, nutrient lockup, microgreens), event highlights, product plans, and both wins and challenges from the year. He also covers industry news, unusual stories like illegal grows, predictions for 2026, and plans to shift the podcast format while continuing to support growers and new products. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Larry Smart — Cornell University Virginia Moore — Cornell University Christine Smart — Cornell University Alan Taylor — Cornell University (Jocelyn) Joss Rose — Cornell University Glenn Philippe — Cornell University Neil Mattson — Cornell University Nick Kaczmar — Cornell University Lynn Sosnoskie — Cornell University Yu Jiang — Cornell University Chang Chen — Cornell University Alireza (Ali) Abbaspourrad — Cornell University Bruno Xavier — Cornell University Roger Morse — Cornell University Olga Padilla-Zakour — Cornell University Gerald Berkowitz — University of Connecticut Mark Brand — University of Connecticut Bruce Bugbee — Utah State University Jose Franco Da Cunha Leme Filho — Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carla Garzon — Delaware Valley University Youbin Zheng — University of Guelph Marco Todesco — University of British Columbia Dan Putnam — University of California, Davis Robert B. Hutmacher — University of California, Davis Charlie Brummer — University of California, Davis Daniel Pap — University of California, Davis Brad Hanson — University of California, Davis Sara Light — University of California, Davis Maya Hotz — University of California, Davis Kadie Britt — University of California, Riverside Mahboubeh Dehnavi — University of California, Davis Nicole Gauthier — University of Kentucky Bob Pearce — University of Kentucky Raul Villanueva — University of Kentucky Whitney Cranshaw — Colorado State University Ismail Dweikat — University of Nebraska–Lincoln Timothy Coolong — University of Georgia David Suchoff — North Carolina State University Jason Griffin — Kansas State University Mitchell Dale Richmond — University of Tennessee Zelalem Mersha — Virginia State University Shilpi Chawla — Virginia State University Elizabeth Geyer — Virginia State University Ramesh Dhakal — Virginia State University Shuxin Ren — Virginia State University Rufus Akinrinlola — University of Tennessee Zachariah Hansen — University of Tennessee Alyssa Collins — Penn State Extension Raul Cabrera — Rutgers University Tom Gianfagna — Rutgers University John McLaughlin — Rutgers University Jim Simon — Rutgers University Andrew Wyenandt — Rutgers University Noel Cogan — Agriculture Victoria Research Aaron Elkins — Agriculture Victoria Research German Spangenberg — Agriculture Victoria Research Simone Rochfort — Agriculture Victoria Research Ashley Isbel — Agriculture Victoria Research Vilnis Ezernieks — Agriculture Victoria Research Antony (Tony) Bacic — La Trobe University Mathew G. Lewsey — La Trobe University Peter Duggan — CSIRO Stuart Gordon — CSIRO Andrew Fuller — Bridge Farm Bioscience Ray Marriott — Bridge Farm Bioscience Craig Schluttenhofer — Central State University Mark Lefsrud — McGill University Nitin Mantri — RMIT University

Dr. Russell Sharp examines the effects of coffee and tea on plants, explaining how caffeine and other compounds (tannins, organic acids, sugars) can act as low-dose biostimulants but become inhibitory or toxic at higher doses. He covers root drench vs foliar applications, allelopathy, impacts on microbes and pests, and how repeated use can harm photosynthesis, nutrient uptake and root health. Practical takeaways: occasional small amounts may help rooting, but regularly pouring leftover caffeinated drinks on houseplants can cause overwatering, chemical stress, microbial shifts and long-term damage—so avoid routine use and be cautious if trying coffee grounds as pest deterrents. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Joanne Chory — Salk Institute (USA) Mark Estelle — University of California San Diego (USA) Steve Kay — University of Southern California (USA) Krishna K. Niyogi — University of California Berkeley (USA) Bob B. Buchanan — University of California Berkeley (USA) Chris R. Somerville — University of California Berkeley (USA) Julin N. Maloof — University of California Davis (USA) Pamela A. Ronald — University of California Davis (USA) Daniel J. Kliebenstein — University of California Davis (USA) Justin O. Borevitz — University of California Berkeley (USA) Natasha Raikhel — University of California Riverside (USA) Julia Bailey-Serres — University of California Riverside (USA) Siobhan Brady — University of California Davis (USA) Michael F. Thomashow — Michigan State University (USA) Sheng Yang He — Michigan State University (USA) Brad Day — Michigan State University (USA) Federica Brandizzi — Michigan State University (USA) Jian-Kang Zhu — Purdue University (USA) Scott Poethig — University of Pennsylvania (USA) Zhenbiao Yang — University of California Riverside (USA) Dominique Bergmann — Stanford University (USA) Sharon R. Long — Stanford University (USA) Wolf B. Frommer — Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (USA) Martin Yanofsky — University of California San Diego (USA) Joseph R. Ecker — Salk Institute (USA) Detlef Weigel — Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen (USA) Xuelin Wu — University of Maryland (USA) Kent D. Chapman — University of North Texas (USA) Donald R. Ort — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA) Stephen P. Long — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA) Elizabeth A. Ainsworth — USDA-ARS (USA) Rebecca Bart — Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (USA) Blake C. Meyers — Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (USA) Jim Giovannoni — Cornell University (USA) Tom Brutnell — Cornell University (USA) Christine Foyer — University of Birmingham (UK) Philip Poole — University of Oxford (UK) Andrew Fleming — University of Sheffield (UK) Alistair M. Hetherington — University of Bristol (UK) Carolin Müller — University of Freiburg (UK) Ian Graham — University of York (UK) Philip Mullineaux — University of Essex (UK) John P. Carr — University of Cambridge (UK) Cathie Martin — John Innes Centre (UK) Pernille Brodersen — University of Exeter (UK) Jill Harrison — University of Bristol (UK) Ottoline Leyser — University of Cambridge (UK) Jim Haseloff — University of Cambridge (UK) Dale Sanders — John Innes Centre (UK) R. George Ratcliffe — University of Oxford (UK) Charles Godfray — University of Oxford (UK) Liam Dolan — University of Oxford (UK) James U. U. (Jim) Whelan — University of Western Australia (Australia) Barry J. Pogson — Australian National University (Australia) Owen Atkin — Australian National University (Australia) Susanne von Caemmerer — Australian National University (Australia) Graham Farquhar — Australian National University (Australia) Sally Aitken — University of British Columbia (Canada) Carl J. Douglas — University of British Columbia (Canada) Justin P. K. L. (Justin) Borevitz — Australian National University (Australia) Marilyn Ball — Australian National University (Australia) Rana Munns — CSIRO (Australia) Mark Tester — King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Australia) James Whelan — La Trobe University (Australia) Jeremy Timmis — University of Adelaide (Australia) Peter Langridge — University of Adelaide (Australia) Mathew A. Gilliham — University of Adelaide (Australia) Ute Roessner — University of Melbourne (Australia) Robert D. Furbank — CSIRO (Australia) David J. Beerling — University of Sheffield (UK) Howard Griffiths — University of Cambridge (UK) Rowan F. Sage — University of Toronto (Canada) Lewis Ziska — Columbia University (USA) Lisa A. Donovan — University of Georgia (USA) Robert A. Bressan — Purdue University (USA) Erik H. Murchie — University of Nottingham (UK) Tracy Lawson — University of Essex (UK) Steven M. Driever — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (USA) Yunde Zhao — University of California San Diego (USA) Keiko Torii — University of Washington (USA) Jen Sheen — Harvard Medical School (USA) Xing Wang Deng — Yale University (USA) Bonnie Bartel — Rice University (USA) Jianhua Zhu — University of Maryland (USA) José R. Dinneny — Stanford University (USA) David W. Ehrhardt — Carnegie Institution for Science (USA) Sabeeha S. Merchant — University of California Berkeley (USA) Susan S. Golden — University of California San Diego (USA) Shauna Somerville — University of California Berkeley (USA) Dolf Weijers — Wageningen University (UK) Anne Osbourn — John Innes Centre (UK) Mike Roberts — Lancaster University (UK) Robyn M. Gleadow — Monash University (Australia) Brett Neilan — University of New South Wales (Australia) Justin O’Sullivan — University of Auckland (New Zealand) Richard Macknight — University of Otago (New Zealand) Malcolm Hawkesford — Rothamsted Research (UK) Marcel Salathé — University of British Columbia (Canada) Stéphane Rolland — McGill University (Canada) Owen K. Atkin — Australian National University (Australia)

Dr. Russell Sharp explores the story behind cotton candy grapes, explaining how they were created through patient, traditional plant breeding rather than artificial flavouring or genetic modification. He describes the selection process, the natural flavour compounds involved, and the decade-long effort by breeders to bring this unique-tasting fruit to market. The episode also looks at research into breeding strawberries and other fruits for distinctive flavours, the role of modern genomic tools in speeding selection, and how these novel varieties could intersect with hydroponic and vertical farming systems. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Sun World — John Harley International Fruit Genetics — David Cain SNFL — Jean-Luc Stalon Bloom Fresh — Chris Davey ARRA — Stefano Di Michele Sheehan Genetics — David Sheehan Grapa Varieties — Luca Fini Great Growers Partnerships — Jim Beagle Vine Genetics — Paul Boss CSIRO — Anthony Borneman USDA-ARS Parlier — David Ramming USDA-ARS Geneva — Bruce Reisch Cornell Grapes — Bruce Reisch UC Davis Viticulture & Enology — Andy Walker UC Riverside Grapes — Pat Brown Washington State University Grapes — Markus Keller Oregon State University Grapes — Patty Skinkis Michigan State University Grapes — Paolo Sabbatini University of Minnesota Fruit Breeding — James Luby University of Arkansas Grapes — John Clark University of Georgia Grapes — Patrick Conner Texas A&M Viticulture — Lorenzo Rossi North Carolina State Muscadine Breeding — Renee Threlfall Florida A&M Grape Breeding — Jeff Wasielewski Florida UF/IFAS Grapes — Peter Cousins Agroscope Grapevine Breeding — Andreas Hund INRAE Grapevine Breeding — Patrice This IFV — Thierry Lacombe University of Bordeaux Vine & Wine — Eric Boissenot UTAD — Henrique Ribeiro Instituto Superior de Agronomia — Antero Martins CREA Viticulture — Stefano Poni Fondazione Edmund Mach — Marco Stefanini Geilweilerhof — Reinhard Töpfer Hochschule Geisenheim — Hans Reiner Schultz Wädenswil Viticulture — Jürg Linde University of Milan Viticulture — Attilio Scienza University of Turin Viticulture — Anna Schneider University of Adelaide Viticulture — Paul Dry AWRI — Rob Walker University of Stellenbosch Viticulture — Gert Nieuwoudt ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij — Danie Myburgh Volcani Center Grapevine — Eyal Tanne INIAV — Antero Martins Embrapa Uva e Vinho — Murillo de Albuquerque Regina INTA — Walter Biasi Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Viticulture — Laura Catena Catena Institute of Wine — Alejandro Vigil University of Chile Viticulture — Patricio Hinrichsen Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Viticulture — José Bordeu Driscoll’s — Steve Nelson Plant Sciences — Doug Shaw Berry Genetics — Kirk Larson Lassen Canyon Nursery — Patrick Phillips California Berry Cultivars — Doug Shaw USDA-ARS Strawberry Corvallis — Kim Lewers UC Davis Strawberry Breeding — Doug Shaw UC ANR — Mark Bolda UF Strawberry Breeding — Vance Whitaker University of Arkansas Strawberry Breeding — John Clark North Carolina State Strawberry Breeding — Gina Fernandez Michigan State University Strawberry Breeding — Chad Finn Cornell Strawberry Breeding — Marvin Pritts Oregon State University Strawberry Breeding — Chad Finn Washington State University Strawberry Breeding — Chuck Brun University of Minnesota Strawberry Breeding — Jim Luby University of Wisconsin Strawberry Breeding — Craig Chandler Penn State Strawberry Breeding — Marvin Pritts Rutgers Strawberry Breeding — James Polashock University of Maryland Strawberry Breeding — Chris Walsh University of Massachusetts Strawberry Breeding — Jaime Pinero University of New Hampshire Strawberry Program — Becky Sideman Agriculture Canada Kentville — Andrew Jamieson University of Guelph Berry Breeding — Adam Dale Summerland Research — Hugh Daubeny NIAB EMR — David Simpson East Malling Strawberry Breeding — David Simpson James Hutton Institute — Louise Russell Wageningen Berry Breeding — Arnaud Wybouw Skierniewice Institute of Horticulture — Agnieszka Masny IVIA — José Luis García-Baudín CSIC Berries — Pedro Martínez-Gómez INRAE Strawberry Breeding — Béatrice Denoyes CIV Strawberry Breeding — Stefano Tartarini CREA Fruit Research — Daniele Bassi Mazzoni Group — Luca Mazzoni New Fruits — Francesco Baruzzi Sant’Orsola — Renzo Zighera Fresh Forward — Geert de Weger Hansabred — Hans-Peter Hansen ABZ Seeds — Andreas Buitelaar Limgroup — Theo de Ruiter Flevo Berry — Jan van de Weg Planasa — Emilio Marin BerryWorld Varieties — Nick Marston Eurosemillas — Javier Cano Viveros California — José María López Fresas Nuevos Materiales — Antonio López-Aranda Ohalo Genetics — Nadav Cohen Embrapa Strawberry Program — Fernando Antunes

Dr. Russell Sharp exposes a growing problem of fake plant listings and AI-generated seed scams on Amazon and other marketplaces, showing how buyers are being misled by impossible varieties (like bright blue hostas) and foreign drop-shippers. He explains how to protect yourself—check seller and nursery credentials, prefer reputable nurseries or local stores—and shares a real seed mix-up story to contrast honest mistakes with deliberate fakes. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ More reputable growers and seed sellers: Burpee — W. Atlee Burpee & Co. Ferry-Morse — Ferry-Morse Seed Co. Botanical Interests — Botanical Interests, Inc. Seed Needs — Seed Needs LLC Outsidepride — Outsidepride, Inc. Eden Brothers — Eden Brothers Seed Co. Harris Seeds — Harris Seeds Park Seed — Park Seed Co. Renee’s Garden — Renee’s Garden Seed Co. Seeds of Change — Seeds of Change, Inc. High Mowing Organic Seeds — High Mowing Seed Co. Sow Right Seeds — Sow Right Seeds HOME GROWN — Homegrown Garden Open Seed Vault — Open Seed Vault Survival Garden Seeds — Survival Garden Seeds Mountain Valley Seed Company — Mountain Valley Seed Company David’s Garden Seeds — David’s Garden Seeds Everwilde Farms — Everwilde Farms, Inc. Southern Exposure Seed Exchange — Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds — Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. Territorial Seed Company — Territorial Seed Company Johnny’s Selected Seeds — Johnny’s Selected Seeds Livingston Seed — Livingston Seed Company Lake Valley Seed — Lake Valley Seed Company Seed Savers Exchange — Seed Savers Exchange Annie’s Heirloom Seeds — Annie’s Heirloom Seeds Indigo Instruments (Sprout People) — The Sprout People Handy Pantry — Handy Pantry True Leaf Market — True Leaf Market NatureZ Edge — NatureZ Edge Islas Garden Seeds — Islas Garden Seeds Organo Republic — Organo Republic Sereniseed — Sereniseed CZ Grain — CZ Grain Gardeners Basics — Gardeners Basics The Dirty Gardener — The Dirty Gardener Marde Ross & Company — Marde Ross & Company Food to Live — Food to Live NOW Foods — NOW Health Group, Inc. Frontier Co-op — Frontier Cooperative Starwest Botanicals — Starwest Botanicals, Inc. Nature Jims Sprouts — Nature Jim’s Sprouts Sproutman — Sproutman Publications Back to the Roots — Back to the Roots, Inc. Tumbleweed Plant Co. — Tumbleweed Plant Co. Costa Farms — Costa Farms, LLC Proven Winners — Proven Winners North America, LLC Altman Plants — Altman Plants LiveTrends — LiveTrends Design Group Shop Succulents — Shop Succulents Succulent Studios — Succulent Studios The Sill — The Sill, Inc. Hirt’s Gardens — Hirt’s Gardens American Plant Exchange — American Plant Exchange Plants for Pets — Plants for Pets Brighter Blooms — Brighter Blooms Nursery Perfect Plants — Perfect Plants Nursery Nature Hills Nursery — Nature Hills Nursery, Inc. Bloomify — Bloomify House Plant Shop — House Plant Shop JM Bamboo — JM Bamboo Florida Foliage — Florida Foliage Green Promise Farms — Green Promise Farms Rooted (Rooted Plants) — Rooted Easy to Grow — Easy to Grow Bulbs Van Zyverden — Van Zyverden, Inc. Holland Bulb Farms — Holland Bulb Farms Breck’s — Breck’s Colorblends — Colorblends Wholesale Flowerbulbs Eden Brothers Bulbs — Eden Brothers Gurney’s — Gurney’s Seed & Nursery Co. Stark Bro’s — Stark Bro’s Nurseries & Orchards Co. Spring Hill Nurseries — Spring Hill Nurseries Wayside Gardens — Wayside Gardens White Flower Farm — White Flower Farm Monrovia — Monrovia Nursery Company Logee’s — Logee’s Plants for Home & Garden Wellspring Gardens — Wellspring Gardens Brighter Gardens — Brighter Gardens Blue Ribbon Plants — Blue Ribbon Plants Green Escape — Green Escape Golden Gate Palms — Golden Gate Palms FastGrowingTrees.com — Fast Growing Trees, LLC Brussel’s Bonsai — Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery Eastern Leaf — Eastern Leaf, Inc. Seedville USA — Seedville USA Seeds2Go — Seeds2Go Nature’s Blossom — Nature’s Blossom Garden Republic — Garden Republic The Old Farmer’s Almanac Seed — Old Farmer’s Almanac Purely Organic Products — Purely Organic Products Nature’s Way Seeds — Nature’s Way Seeds The Clayton Farm — The Clayton Farm Ferry-Morse Home Gardening — Ferry-Morse Seed Co. Bonnie Plants — Bonnie Plants, LLC D. Hill Nursery — D. Hill Nursery Greenhouse PCA — Greenhouse PCA California Tropicals — California Tropicals Humble Roots — Humble Roots Green 4 Ever — Green 4 Ever

Dr. Russell Sharp explains how melatonin — a molecule known for human sleep and stress regulation — is produced by plants and acts as a powerful antioxidant and growth regulator. In hydroponics it can enhance root growth, improve stress tolerance under high light or unstable conditions, delay leaf senescence, and support photosynthesis and secondary metabolite production. Applied as a foliar spray, seed priming, or added to nutrient solutions at micromolar concentrations, melatonin is water-soluble and allows precise dosing in soilless systems. Research shows benefits in crops like tomato and lettuce, with increased root-to-shoot ratios and higher antioxidant levels under stress. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Russel Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Rakesh K. Singh — Banaras Hindu University Nasser Al-Aghbar — King Abdulaziz University Rajeev K. Varshney — International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Chao Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Wei Wei — Zhejiang University Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Russel J. Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Sergiu F. Chivu — University of Bucharest Guang-Yu Chen — Zhejiang University Xing-Guo Lu — South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shuang-Qing Peng — South China Agricultural University Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Russel Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Wei Meng — Zhejiang University Natalia Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Chunhua Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Javier Martinez — University of Granada Ana Cano — University of Granada Russel J. Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Debabrata Chattopadhyay — Bose Institute Fanyue Meng — Zhejiang University Chao Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Bin Xu — Nanjing Agricultural University Wei Wei — Zhejiang University Maria Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Sergey Kvetnoy — Russian Academy of Sciences Jian-Kang Zhu — University of California, Riverside Chunhua Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Xiaohong Zhu — South China Botanical Garden Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Russel Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Iwona Zielenkiewicz — Polish Academy of Sciences Yali Zhang — Zhejiang University Fang Fang — Nanjing Agricultural University Xinyue Wang — South China Botanical Garden Sonia Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Gonzalo Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Javier Martinez — University of Granada Ana Cano — University of Granada Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Russel Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Yi Li — Zhejiang University Chunhua Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Wei Wei — Zhejiang University Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Russel J. Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Rajeev K. Varshney — ICRISAT Rafael Guerrero — University of Granada Juan Pablo Martínez — University of Granada Natalia Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Chunhua Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Wei Wei — Zhejiang University Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Russel Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Javier Martinez — University of Granada Ana Cano — University of Granada Chao Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Fang Fang — Nanjing Agricultural University Xinyue Wang — South China Botanical Garden Maria Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Sergey Kvetnoy — Russian Academy of Sciences Jian-Kang Zhu — University of California, Riverside Fanyue Meng — Zhejiang University Guang-Yu Chen — Zhejiang University Shuang-Qing Peng — South China Agricultural University Debabrata Chattopadhyay — Bose Institute Iwona Zielenkiewicz — Polish Academy of Sciences Yali Zhang — Zhejiang University Xiaohong Zhu — South China Botanical Garden Fang Fang — Nanjing Agricultural University Yi Li — Zhejiang University Rafael Guerrero — University of Granada Juan Pablo Martínez — University of Granada Russel Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Javier Martinez — University of Granada Ana Cano — University of Granada Natalia Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Maria Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Chao Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Wei Wei — Zhejiang University Chunhua Zhao — Nanjing Agricultural University Guang-Yu Chen — Zhejiang University Fanyue Meng — Zhejiang University Sergey Kvetnoy — Russian Academy of Sciences Jian-Kang Zhu — University of California, Riverside Debabrata Chattopadhyay — Bose Institute Iwona Zielenkiewicz — Polish Academy of Sciences Fang Fang — Nanjing Agricultural University Xinyue Wang — South China Botanical Garden Yi Li — Zhejiang University Rafael Guerrero — University of Granada Juan Pablo Martínez — University of Granada Russel Reiter — University of Texas Health Science Center Dun-Xian Tan — University of Texas Health Science Center Javier Martinez — University of Granada Ana Cano — University of Granada

Host Dr. Russell Sharp tackles a Twitter claim that hydroponic crops lack micronutrients and are artificially flavoured, explaining why those assertions are incorrect and how micronutrient levels can be measured (e.g., atomic absorption spectroscopy). He reviews research on manipulating flavor through nutrient levels, light, and biostimulants, notes the limited and mixed evidence, and concludes there is no solid proof of intentional artificial flavouring in hydroponic produce; soilless systems can match or even enhance some flavour-related compounds. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Gary Reineccius — University of Minnesota Andrew Taylor — University of Nottingham Russell Keast — Deakin University Charles Spence — University of Oxford Harrison Schmitt — Virginia Tech Morten Møller — University of Copenhagen John Hayes — Penn State University Qian Janice Wang — Aarhus University Marcia Pelchat — Monell Chemical Senses Center Barry Smith — University of London Linda Bartoshuk — University of Florida Paul Breslin — Monell Chemical Senses Center Danielle Reed — Monell Chemical Senses Center Barry Green — Monell Chemical Senses Center Thomas Hummel — Technical University of Dresden Alan Hirsch — Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation Susan Schiffman — Duke University Molly Birnbaum — Freelance Food Writer Harold McGee — Freelance Food Writer Kantha Shelke — Corvus Blue Tim Hanni — Master of Wine Institute Geoffrey Talavera — Freelance Flavor Consultant Peter Schieberle — Technical University of Munich Thomas Hofmann — Technical University of Munich Corinna Dawid — Technical University of Munich Veronika Somoza — University of Vienna Morten Andersen — University of Copenhagen Christophe Lavalle — AgroParisTech Stéphane Guichard — INRAE Thierry Thomas-Danguin — INRAE Erich Leitner — Graz University of Technology Hans-Georg Schmarr — University of Hohenheim Elke Pawelzik — University of Göttingen Michael Witting — Helmholtz Zentrum München Ralf Zimmermann — University of Rostock Francesco Capozzi — University of Bologna Giovanni Capuano — University of Naples Federico II Maurizio Servili — University of Perugia Rosa Lo Scalzo — CREA Italy Paolo Masella — University of Parma Fidel Toldrá — Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos María Dolores del Castillo — Spanish National Research Council Dolores Coreta-Gomis — University of Valencia Juan Fernández-García — University of Granada Ana Bayarri — University of Valencia Marta Corredig — Aarhus University Marina Heinonen — University of Helsinki Anu Hopia — University of Turku Kees de Graaf — Wageningen University & Research Gerry Barker — University of Leeds Jean-Marie Lehn — Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research Wilfried Meyerhof — German Institute of Human Nutrition Maik Behrens — German Institute of Human Nutrition John Prescott — University of Otago Anna M. Di Monaco — University of Naples Federico II Catherine Barry — University College Dublin Aurelio Lopez-Malo — Universidad de las Américas Puebla Rosario Zamora — Institute of Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia Isabel Hernando — Polytechnic University of Valencia Dolores Torres — University of Zaragoza Jean-Pierre Cotter — International Organization of the Flavor Industry Robert Hall — Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association Hervé This — AgroParisTech Arielle Johnson — Independent Flavor Researcher Dave Arnold — Museum of Food and Drink Ali Bouzari — Pilot R&D Peter Barham — University of Bristol François Chartier — INRAE Gérard Trystram — AgroParisTech

Dr. Russell Sharp examines a warning from the UK Urban AgriTech group that a planned 94% increase in electricity network standing charges from April 2026 could dramatically raise operating costs for vertical farms and greenhouses, risking business failures, reduced domestic produce and higher food prices. The episode explains how horticulture is excluded from the energy-intensive industries exemption, compares UK energy costs with EU competitors, and outlines how razor-thin margins make indoor growers particularly vulnerable; calling for urgent policy review and industry engagement. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Leo Marcelis — Wageningen University & Research Erik Runkle — Michigan State University Neil Mattson — Cornell University Bruce Bugbee — Utah State University Roberto Lopez — Michigan State University Chieri Kubota — Ohio State University Youbin Zheng — University of Guelph Toyoki Kozai — Chiba University Genhua Niu — Texas A&M AgriLife Research A.J. Both — Rutgers University Peter van Weel — Wageningen University & Research Eugene Jones — University of Arizona Cary Mitchell — Purdue University Klaus Stanghellini — Wageningen University & Research Bert van Ruijven — Wageningen University & Research Frank Kempkes — Wageningen University & Research Ep Heuvelink — Wageningen University & Research Silvia Pampuri — Wageningen University & Research Simon Pearson — University of Lincoln David Llewellyn — Harper Adams University Paul Hadley — University of Reading Jeremy Burdon — Harper Adams University Mark Else — Cranfield University Graham Wallace — James Hutton Institute James Locke — USDA Agricultural Research Service Dewayne Ingram — University of Kentucky Michelle Jones — Ohio State University Kevin Folta — University of Florida Michele Montero — University of Almería Juan Fernández — University of Almería Kees van der Velden — Wageningen University & Research Artemis Koukounaras — Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Giacomo Tosti — University of Bologna Rita Maggini — University of Pisa Paolo Sambo — University of Padua Lorenzo Pardossi — University of Pisa Alessandro Ferrante — University of Milan Gabriele Costa — University of Bologna Luigi De Bellis — University of Salento Francesco Orsini — University of Bologna Michael Struik — Wageningen University & Research Andrew Neilson — University of Nottingham Zhenhua He — University of Florida Haijun Liu — Zhejiang University Yuanhui Zhang — University of Illinois Qingwu Guan — Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Xiuming Hao — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Bob Hansen — Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Xiaohong Yang — Nanjing Agricultural University Jianjun Chen — University of Florida Pramod Pandey — University of Illinois Arun Kumar — Indian Agricultural Research Institute Sanjay Kumar — Indian Institute of Horticultural Research Rajesh Kumar — Punjab Agricultural University Hiroshi Shimizu — Kyoto University Masaharu Kitano — Kyushu University Yasushi Ishigami — University of Tokyo Toshihiko Kozai — Chiba University Keisuke Omasa — University of Tokyo Hirokazu Takahashi — Tohoku University

In this episode we examine why carnivorous plants and bonsai often struggle in coco grow media — coco (coir) can contain high sodium and is frequently buffered with calcium nitrate, resulting in elevated calcium and nitrogen compared with peat. The host suggests a fix: use raw high-sodium coco and flush it with Liquid Gypsum (calcium sulfate) to remove sodium without adding nitrogen, creating a peat-free grow medium suited to carnivorous plants and bonsai and a potential niche business idea. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/soil-conditioners/liquid-gypsum/ Ryan Neil — Bonsai Mirai Bjorn Bjorholm — Eisei-en Bonsai Michael Hagedorn — Crataegus Bonsai Peter Chan — Herons Bonsai Walter Pall — Freelance Bonsai Artist Mauro Stemberger — Italian Bonsai Academy Kimura Masahiko — Kinbon Bonsai Garden Takeyama Takashi — Fujikawa Kouka-en Shinji Suzuki — Kaizen Bonsai Boon Manakitivipart — Bonsai Boon Jonas Dupuich — Bonsai Tonight Sergio Cuan — Bonsai Empire Colin Lewis — Freelance Bonsai Artist Kevin Willson — Bonsai Willson David Easterbrook — Freelance Bonsai Artist Graham Potter — Freelance Bonsai Artist Mauro Di Lorenzo — Bonsai Studio Italiano Eric Schrader — Bonsaify Andy Smith — Golden Arrow Bonsai Tony Tickle — Yardley Bonsai Jim Doyle — Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt Kathy Shaner — Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt Kathy and Jim Doyle — Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt Bill Valavanis — International Bonsai Arboretum Frank Mihalic — Bonsai Artist Nick Lenz — Freelance Bonsai Artist Dan Robinson — Elandan Gardens David Benavente — Bonsai Kai Pedro Morales — Bonsai Sur Salvatore Liporace — UBI Bonsai Jan Schlauer — Carnivorous Plant Society Europe Barry Rice — Carnivorous Plant Society Stewart McPherson — Redfern Natural History Andreas Fleischmann — Botanische Staatssammlung München Charles Clarke — Monash University Fernando Rivadavia — Universidade Estadual de Campinas Robert Cantley — Borneo Exotics Alastair Robinson — Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Andreas Wistuba — Wistuba Carnivorous Plants Lubomír Adamec — Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences Peter D’Amato — California Carnivores Barry Meyers-Rice — International Carnivorous Plant Society Richard Nunn — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower Ivan Snyder — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower Thomas Carow — Green Jaws Marcel van den Broek — Carnivorous Plant Nursery Christian Klein — Kleins Carnivorous Plants Marcel van den Berg — Dutch Carnivorous Plant Society Brian Barnes — California Carnivores Tamlin Magee — Meadowview Biological Research Station Aaron Ellison — Harvard University Paulo Gonella — Universidade de São Paulo Kai Müller — University of Würzburg François Mey — Société Botanique de France Nicolas Riddick — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower Adam Karremans — Lankester Botanical Garden Kamil Pásek — Best Carnivorous Plants Christian Dietz — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Researcher Adrian Slack — Carnivorous Plant Author Paul McMillan — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Researcher Tony Tickle — Bonsai Artist Koji Hiramatsu — Shunkaen Bonsai Museum Kunio Kobayashi — Shunkaen Bonsai Museum Masahiko Kimura — Kinbon Bonsai Garden Naoki Maeoka — Japanese Bonsai Artist Taiga Urushibata — Japanese Bonsai Artist Ryuji Suzuki — Japanese Bonsai Artist David De Groot — Bonsai De Groot Andrew Robson — Rakuyo Bonsai Leo Eshkenazi — Freelance Bonsai Artist Jason Chan — Eastern Leaf Kevin Wilson — Bonsai Willson Mark Fields — Evergreen Gardenworks Brent Walston — Evergreen Gardenworks Michael Tran — Muranaka Bonsai Nursery Roy Nagatoshi — Royal Bonsai Garden Mas Iida — Iida Bonsai Nursery Peter Tea — Freelance Bonsai Artist Tony Remington — Freelance Bonsai Artist Harry Harrington — Bonsai4Me Damon Collingsworth — California Carnivores Mike King — Carnivorous Plant Nursery Andreas Fleischmann — Munich Botanical Collection Stewart McPherson — Redfern Natural History Productions Matt Opel — International Carnivorous Plant Society Bob Ziemer — Meadowview Biological Research Station Ron Determann — Meadowview Biological Research Station Tom Luecking — Freelance Carnivorous Plant Grower Richard Myers — Carnivorous Plant Society UK Adrian Yeo — Singapore Botanic Gardens Ch’ng Khoon Meng — Singapore Botanic Gardens Paul Harwood — Carnivorous Plant Society UK Jan Schlauer — Botanical Researcher Barry Rice — ICPS Peter D’Amato — California Carnivores Ryan McEnaney — Chicago Botanic Garden Kevin Wilson — Bonsai Willson Jonas Dupuich — Bonsai Tonight Bjorn Bjorholm — Eisei-en Bonsai Stewart McPherson — Redfern Natural History

In this episode Dr. Russell Sharp explains how dosatrons work and compares practical alternatives for run‑to‑waste hydroponic systems, including Venturi injectors, electric metering pumps, and simple fertigation tanks. He outlines the pros and cons of each option — cost, accuracy, power needs, maintenance, and scale — and covers considerations about recirculation, environmental impact, and regulatory risk. Ideal for growers choosing the right dosing method for medium to large greenhouse operations. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Jean-François Hannequart — Dosatron International Eric Roudaut — Dosatron International Philippe Martin — Dosatron International Pascal Lacroix — Dosatron International David Hull — Dosatron USA Bill Toler — Hydrofarm John Lindemann — Hydrofarm Terry Fitch — Hydrofarm Peter Wardenburg — Hydrofarm Gaby Miodownik — Netafim Ran Bar-Tal — Netafim Eliezer Zilberman — Netafim Poul Due Jensen — Grundfos Anne Grønbjerg — Grundfos Morten Bach Jensen — Grundfos Mikael Geday — Grundfos Bent Jensen — Grundfos Jeremy Brown — Iwaki America John Miersma — Iwaki America Andreas Kleimann — Iwaki Europe Marco Gandolfi — SEKO Davide Galli — SEKO Roberto Mantovani — SEKO Carlo Pizzocaro — SEKO Jim Lauria — Blue-White Industries Brian E. Cooney — Blue-White Industries Paul Van der Wal — Autogrow Systems Chris White — Autogrow Systems Shaun Whiteman — Autogrow Systems Scott Peters — Growlink Ted Tanner — Growlink Ryan Boyle — Growlink Ross Sherwood — Bluelab Darryn Keiller — Bluelab Colin Jennings — Bluelab John Kinsella — Hanna Instruments Oscar Llobet — Hanna Instruments Mark Johnson — Stenner Pump Company Kevin Perry — Stenner Pump Company Paul Riley — Walchem Kevin McDonnell — Walchem Dan Myers — Milton Roy (LMI) Thomas Pfitzner — Milton Roy Maurizio Bianchini — EMEC Marco Bernardini — EMEC Giorgio Bassi — Doseuro Stefano Bertolini — Doseuro Yossi Tal — Tefen Eyal Cohen — Tefen Hanu Pappu — Jain Irrigation Anil Jain — Jain Irrigation Naresh Patel — Jain Irrigation Harmen van der Meer — Priva Rick Van Der Zanden — Priva Erik Jansen — Priva Ben Nijland — Argus Controls Rick Mosher — Argus Controls Pat McIntyre — Argus Controls Don Janssen — AmHydro Gary Hickman — AmHydro Steven Bacon — CropKing Mark Doherty — CropKing Brian Young — General Hydroponics Ron Wold — General Hydroponics James Thompson — Netafim USA Steve Bradley — Netafim USA Mike McDonald — Dosatron USA Tom Ball — Dosatron USA Chris Higgins — Hort Americas Jeff Timmons — Hort Americas Scott Lowry — Current Culture H2O Derek Ruschmann — Current Culture H2O Mark Tracey — Nutriculture Graham Smith — Nutriculture Andrew Turnbull — HydroGarden Lee Stephenson — HydroGarden Nick Brook — Pure Hydroponics Oliver Edwards — Pure Hydroponics Matthew Hay — Autogrow Systems Ben Parsons — Autogrow Systems Chris Higgins — Lumigrow Ryan Donovan — LumiGrow James Eaves — Rivulis Itzhak Nir — Rivulis Moshe Ben-David — Rivulis Daniel Grant — Irritec Marco Sironi — Irritec Yaron Dagan — Bermad Rami Levi — Bermad Avi Peleg — Bermad Paul Shed — Nelson Irrigation Wade Jones — Nelson Irrigation Simon van der Walt — Greencube Pieter van der Merwe — Greencube Steve Mallory — Autogrow USA Mark DeKoster — GrowControl Daniel Stacey — GrowControl Jim Pantaleo — Xylem Patrick Decker — Xylem Kenji Sato — Takemura Electric Works

Hello there, and welcome back to Hydroponics Daily, your go-to podcast for everything soilless cultivation. I am your host, Dr. Russell Sharp, the founder of Eutrema Limited, a company that makes truly unique fertilizers, biostimulants, and biopesticides that you won't find anywhere else. The technology is completely unique. And today, the topic of the podcast is what I would do if I was faced with a virus in my crop. Specifically a crop where you want to protect the genetic material and you can't just throw the plants away often when we say when you've got a virus the first thing you should do is just destroy all plant material but what if you've got a strain a variety a cultivar that only you've got or is protected or is endangered or you need it for a breeding program or something like that and you need to get rid of the virus what are you going to do you can't give plants tamiflu that technology is not available you can't just wait for their immune system to fight the virus off because they don't have immune systems and so there's only really one option that i'm aware of and that's heat treatment so you when you're planting out cuttings tubers bulbs or seeds immersing them in hot water for a defined period can help with virus control. So we're talking about temperatures of 45 to 55 degrees Celsius. So you wouldn't keep plants, not many plants would live at that sort of temperature, they would soon die off, especially unless the humidity was really, really high. But the duration of which you give this treatment is only like 10 to 60 minutes. So in crops that's regularly, perennial crops, herbaceous perennial crops where they regularly suffer from viruses like sugar cane, sweet potato, banana, even grape vines and some ornamentals, you can do this and with success and control viruses. And you're best obviously doing it with smaller plants because smaller the plants, the more effective the treatment will be because of just the temperature profiles and things like that. Now obviously there's a big challenge there it could be phytotoxic it could just kill your plants from the heat but with a bit of experimentation you could find what is the sweet spot for your particular plant and in fact if I was going to do this if I had a plant that I needed to control the viruses I would do it until the plant breaks so I would get maybe 100 cuttings from a virus infected plant and I'd treat 10 at. What did I say the temperature was, 45 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes, and then all the way up to 10 that would be treated at 55 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes. No idea what that is in Fahrenheit, apologies for American listeners, but it's pretty warm, it's sort of like steam room temperature. So I would do a range and find out at what point did the plants die, and just go slightly below that, and really really stress it, because you don't want any virus particles in that new plant because it will be a source of infection and you will not get a chance to do this twice really so obviously seeds is the easiest but very rarely you won't go on to do that it's after that tubers something dormant a bulb they're going to be much more resistant much more tolerant of those high temperatures whereas a cutting is probably going to be the most sensitive but i would do it until it breaks if you're prepared to lose a few cuttings you could do it on unrooted cuttings and rooted cuttings i'd probably start with rooted cuttings see if you could get away with it because, severely stressing a cutting that's not rooted and then trying to get it to root you know you're not you you're in for a bad case there because you really struggle because it's all the cells are going to be weak and stressed from that heat treatment so i do it on rooted cuttings, newly rooted cuttings, not too much growing media around them. Okay, so that would be my. My suggestion, what are the success rates? If you're doing it on seeds, the sort of typical virus elimination you can achieve is 60 to 90%. Whole plant cure rate, typically around 50%. So you may need to screen the plants and quarantine and destroy any plants that are not completely successful. Micropropagation as well. There's often a technique that's used in micropropagation because you can, these plants are so much smaller than a normal cutting than a normal plant that you can quickly get them to the temperature and then back down again quickly whereas a a large corm or bulb or tuber you could think you can get in the center of that tuber to 50 degrees celsius means much longer and the outside temperature will have to be a lot warmer so so yeah that's probably going to be lower success rate there what else can we say this is sort of the term is thermotherapy by the way so what else can we say about it you can do it on whole plants large plants but you would probably need a grow room dedicated to it with a sort of a temperature of high 30s probably early 40s for two to six weeks that's a lot of heat if you're not in a tropical or arid area but you've got fruit trees large fruit trees ornamentals that are just infected then it might be worth it for targeting systemic viruses and preserving the whole plant structure rather than going back down to cuttings and starting it all over again. The heat stress will reduce the vigour and survival of the plants. You'll probably get some scorching on the leaves and things like that. So if it's an ornamental plant, you might reduce that. The success rates for whole plant thermotherapy are lower. So 30 to 70% virus elimination. And just because the temperatures are lower, so the virus isn't exposed to such a high temperature. And maybe this is why, you know, when you get a virus, like a cold or a flu, your body heats up because viruses don't like high temperatures. But, you know, tropical plants still get viruses. So I'd imagine this is harder to do on tropical plants and easier to do on temperate plants, because tropical plants are going to be exposed to these high temperatures anyway, and the viruses will be adapted to them. It will depend on the virus and its genetics, because even though they're not alive, they have genetics, they have genes, whether that's RNA or DNA. So the virus biology will have an effect and the host tolerance the ability to withstand those high temperatures will be key and the precise treatment i would probably do a water bath would probably be the easiest way to do it with cuttings now a water bath you can set to a set temperature and and dunk them in what's that thing they use in kitchens is it a bain marie when they when they're cooking steaks very precise temperatures you could potentially use one of those as well and or Or if you fail in that, a pot on a stove or something in an oven, some water in an oven that could get the plants to 50 degrees Celsius uniformly. So you don't want to put them in dry heat in an oven because they're exposed to all sorts of temperatures there. Definitely don't just put them in an oven. Definitely use a water bath for cuttings and things like that. So that would be my top tip. Just sort of Google there. You can pick up a Bain-Marie for like 100, 140 pounds. So that's not a lot considering the value if you're going to go to these lengths then the value of these plants must be considerable if you're going to spend the time and effort to try and eliminate viruses from them and potentially you know with virus testing getting better and better and more what's the word i'm looking for accessible you could potentially have a nice little hydroponic. Business selling certified virus-free heat treated cuttings that could be one of the things if you if in your industry cuttings there's a there's a business is selling cuttings and you're looking for a unique selling point then potentially you could say our product our cuttings are all heat treated and checked and checked for viruses before they leave the nursery and that could be a really good small little venture little bootstrapped hydroponic company to get you going up and running, selling, cuttings, and propagation material. Anyway, that's been Hydroponics Daily for today. If you found it interesting, please do give us an Apple podcast review because it does help spread the word of hydroponics with the wider horticultural gardening community and scientific community. If you're not an Apple, just make sure you follow the podcast so you don't miss an episode. We've got about 14 episodes left of 2025. I've done an episode every day,  at the very least check out www.Eutrema.co.uk for all your amazing. Fertilizers, biostimulants and biopesticides. None of our products control viruses because you can't control a virus. You have to either destroy your plants or heat treat them. You can use insecticides to prevent the spread of aphids, which transfer the viruses. We don't sell insecticides, we sell an insecticide or soap and that's about it. So yeah, that's been Hydroponics Daily for today. Thank you very much for listening and I'll see you again tomorrow. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Roger Hull — John Innes Centre David Baulcombe — University of Cambridge James Carrington — Donald Danforth Plant Science Center Andrew O. Jackson — University of California, Berkeley B. W. Falk — University of California, Davis Anne Simon — University of Maryland Herman Scholthof — Texas A&M University Siddarame Gowda — University of Florida Ralf Georg Dietzgen — University of Queensland Ioannis E. Tzanetakis — University of Arkansas Bryce Falk — University of California, Davis Karl Maramorosch — Rutgers University John Hammond — USDA Agricultural Research Service Robert A. Owens — USDA Agricultural Research Service Véronique Brault — INRAE Thierry Candresse — INRAE Stephane Blanc — INRAE Yiguo Hong — Zhejiang University Shou-Wei Ding — University of California, Riverside W. Allen Miller — Iowa State University Karen-Beth G. Scholthof — Texas A&M Univers

Dr. Russell Sharp explores the growing interest in perennial arable crops like Kernza, perennial rice and sorghum, explaining their environmental benefits, current commercial status, and the agronomic challenges they face. The episode also discusses breeding and gene-editing opportunities to improve yield and resilience, and considers how perennial grains might fit into hydroponic and niche high-value markets. https://eutrema.co.uk/ Maqsood Ali Wagan — Sindh Agriculture University Farhan Ali Wagan — Sindh Agriculture University Andrius Grigas — Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Dainius Steponavičius — Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Indrė Bručienė — Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Ričardas Krikštolaitis — Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Tomas Krilavičius — Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Aušra Steponavičienė — Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Dainius Savickas — Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Alejandro Perdomo López — Reaseheath College / University Centre Adrienn S. — Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences S. Upreti — ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute Monica Dutta — Indian Institute of Information Technology Deepali Gupta — Indian Institute of Information Technology Sumegh Tharewal — Indian Institute of Information Technology Deepam Goyal — Indian Institute of Information Technology Jasminder Kaur Sandhu — Indian Institute of Information Technology Manjit Kaur — Indian Institute of Information Technology Ahmad Ali Alzubi — Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University Jazem Mutared Alanazi — Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University Sreehitha Padala — St. Francis College for Women Saniya Vaishnav — St. Francis College for Women Revathi Saravanan — St. Francis College for Women Basanti Chintapalli — St. Francis College for Women Sandeep Indurthi — Assam Agricultural University Ira Sarma — Assam Agricultural University Chereddy Maheswarareddy — Assam Agricultural University M. R. Islam — Bangladesh Agricultural University M. A. Rahman — Bangladesh Agricultural University S. K. Paul — Bangladesh Agricultural University A. K. Singh — ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute R. K. Yadav — ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute P. K. Singh — ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute J. L. Minhas — ICAR–Central Soil Salinity Research Institute V. P. Singh — ICAR–Central Soil Salinity Research Institute H. R. Sharma — Punjab Agricultural University S. S. Dhillon — Punjab Agricultural University M. A. Al-Khatib — King Saud University A. A. Al-Harbi — King Saud University N. H. Batool — University of Agriculture Faisalabad M. A. Nawaz — University of Agriculture Faisalabad Y. S. Kim — Seoul National University J. H. Lee — Seoul National University T. Matsuo — University of Tokyo K. Yamamoto — University of Tokyo P. J. Botha — University of Pretoria M. J. van der Merwe — University of Pretoria R. N. Singh — Banaras Hindu University S. K. Verma — Banaras Hindu University Alice Withrow — Purdue University

Dr. Russell Sharp explains how Dosatrons (water-powered dosing pumps) mix concentrated fertilizer like Gold Leaf/Liquid Gold into fertigation systems, describing the piston-driven mechanism, proportional injection, and why it maintains a constant concentration despite flow changes. The episode covers practical setup tips for off-grid hydroponics — solenoids, drippers, solar pumps, and how a Dosatron enables accurate, electricity-free dosing, along with limitations (not for powders, pressure loss, very viscous or abrasive chemicals) and a brief mention of Venturi injectors. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/

Dr. Russell Sharp of Hydroponics Daily breaks down the truth behind "cut-and-come-again" vegetables and viral social media hacks, explaining which crops genuinely regrow and which claims are misleading. Learn which leafy herbs and greens can be harvested multiple times, why most bulky vegetables won’t produce a marketable second crop, and when starting fresh is a better option for consistent yields. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Holly Wolf - Wolf of the Wild Ivy Vernalis  Farmer Belle  curlygardens rock.gardener  TheRoseGarden Becky Houzé Abby Hughes  

Dr. Russell Sharp explores advanced preservation methods for flower crops; from freeze-drying and glycerin sap replacement to citric acid treatments used for hops,cand how these techniques can create premium, display-ready products for shops, dispensaries, and e-commerce. This episode offers practical ideas for ornamentals and specialty growers looking to add high-value, long-lasting products to their lineup. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/   Ryan Hopkins — Yakima Chief Hops Karl VanEvanHoven — Yakima Chief Hops Bryan Pierce — Yakima Chief Hops Denis Gayte — Yakima Chief Hops Missy Raver — Yakima Chief Hops Cesar Silva — Yakima Chief Hops Aric Gamache — Yakima Chief Hops Dean Monshing — Yakima Chief Hops Salvador Benitez — Yakima Chief Hops Chuck St. Mary — Yakima Chief Hops  Drew Gaskell — Yakima Chief Hops Jason Champoux — Yakima Chief Ranches Jason Perrault — Yakima Chief Ranches Tom Davis — John I. Haas Stephanie Conrad — John I. Haas Alex Barth — John I. Haas Stephan Barth — BarthHaas Alexander Barth — BarthHaas Oliver Bergner — BarthHaas Peter Hintermeier — BarthHaas  Prof. Dr. Mirja Steinkamp — BarthHaas Dr. Philipp Ramin — BarthHaas Thomas Raiser — BarthHaas Nic Donald — BarthHaas X David Kerr — BarthHaas X Ian Clarke — BarthHaas X Kevin McCarry — BarthHaas X Enrico Prenni — BarthHaas X Sarah Goddard — BarthHaas X Maria Bailey — BarthHaas X  Jim Solberg — Indie Hops Roger Worthington — Indie Hops Matt Sage — Indie Hops Gayle Goschie — Goschie Farms Glenn Goschie — Goschie Farms Gordie Goschie — Goschie Farms John Coleman — Coleman Agriculture Brandon Davidson — BC Hop Farms Ben Smith — B & D Hop Farms Dave Smith — B & D Hop Farms  Blair Stewart — New Zealand Hops Glynn Rowell — New Zealand Hops Devin Biondi — New Zealand Hops Kerry Sutcliffe — New Zealand Hops Dr. Ron Beatson — New Zealand Hops Owen Johnston — Hop Products Australia Chris Price — Hop Products Australia Grace Irwin — Hop Products Australia Paul Corbett — Charles Faram Will Rogers — Charles Faram

Dr. Russell Sharp outlines the key 2026 dates affecting hydroponic growers (equinoxes, longest day) and recommends major trade shows and conferences worldwide — from IPM Essen and Fruit Logistica to Greentech Amsterdam, Indoor AgCon and MJBizCon. He also highlights UK and crop-specific events, tips for timing indoor grows, and invites listeners to suggest other shows for an updated diary. Tue–Fri 27–30 Jan 2026 — IPM ESSEN (Essen, Germany) IPM ESSEN Wed–Thu 11–12 Feb 2026 — Indoor Ag-Con (Las Vegas, USA) Indoor Ag-Con+1 Tue–Thu 9–11 Jun 2026 — GreenTech Amsterdam (RAI Amsterdam) GreenTech Sat–Sun 8–9 Aug 2026 — UK Hydro Expo (Somerset) (tickets noted as available from 1 Jan 2026 on their site) Uk Hydro Expo+1 Wed–Thu 2–3 Sept 2026 — Four Oaks Trade Show (Cheshire, UK) fouroaks-tradeshow.com https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Simona Bassu — Technical University of Munich Sebastian Eichelsbacher — Technical University of Munich Francesco Giunta — University of Sassari Rosella Motzo — University of Sassari Corinna Dawid — Technical University of Munich Martina Gastl — Technical University of Munich Michael Schloter — Helmholtz Zentrum München Katharina A. Scherf — Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich Stefan Hör — Technical University of Munich Yuri Pinheiro Alves De Souza — Helmholtz Zentrum München Stefanie Schulz — Helmholtz Zentrum München Timo D. Stark — Technical University of Munich Volker Mohler — Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL) Senthold Asseng — Technical University of Munich Mahmoud A. Abdelhamid — Ain Shams University Sobhy M. Mahmoud — Ain Shams University Zeinab M. Hendy — Ain Shams University Mohamed K. Abou El-Nasr — Ain Shams University Zhao Zhang — China Agricultural University Monica Dutta — Chitkara University Deepali Gupta — Chitkara University Sapna Juneja — KIET Group of Institutions Saleh AlNadhari — King Saud University Samir Brahim Belhaouari — Hamad Bin Khalifa University Wenyi Liu — Hunan Agricultural University Zhihua Zhang — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Bin Zhang — Hunan University of Science and Engineering Yi Zhu — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Chongwen Zhu — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Chaoyong Chen — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Fangxu Zhang — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Feng Liu — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Jixiang Ai — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Wei Wang — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Wuyuan Kong — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Haoming Xiang — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Weifeng Wang — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Daoxin Gong — Hunan Agricultural University Delong Meng — Hunan University of Science and Engineering Li Zhu — Changde Tobacco Company of Hunan Province Taehyun Roh — Texas A&M University Laura Ashley Verzwyvelt — Houston Methodist Hospital Anisha Aggarwal — Texas A&M University Raj Satkunasivam — Houston Methodist Hospital Nishat Tasnim Hasan — Texas A&M University Nusrat Fahmida Trisha — Texas A&M University Charles Hall — Texas A&M University Ponkamon Ruploet — Kalasin University Kathanyoo Kaewhanam — Kalasin University Sayan Phansoomboon — Kalasin University Anan Piriyaphattarakit — Thailand Institute of Science and Technological Research Amina Haider — Universiti Malaya Muhammad Faisal — Universiti Malaya Laiq Hasan — Universiti Malaya Syed Danish Yousaf — COMSATS University Islamabad Ali Raza — COMSATS University Islamabad Muhammad M. Umer — COMSATS University Islamabad Smart Idumoro Samuel — Landmark University Oluwaseun Temitope Faloye — Federal University Oye-Ekiti Abiodun Afolabi Okunola — Landmark University Adeolu Adediran — Federal University Oye-Ekiti Viroon Kamchoom — King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang Natdanai Sinsamutpadung — King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang Polina Kuryntseva — Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Nataliya Pronovich — Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Gulnaz Galieva — Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Polina Galitskaya — Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Svetlana Selivanovskaya — Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University Alessandro Esposito — University of Palermo Alessandra Moncada — University of Palermo Filippo Vetrano — University of Palermo Eristanna Palazzolo — University of Palermo Caterina Lucia — University of Palermo Alessandro Miceli — University of Palermo Zoe Karachaliou — University of Thessaly Ioannis Naounoulis — University of Thessaly Nikolaos Katsoulas — University of Thessaly Efi Levizou — University of Thessaly Manlio Fabio Aranda Barrera — Universidad Panamericana Hiram Ponce — Universidad Panamericana Mino Sportelli — ISTI-CNR Davide La Rosa — ISTI-CNR Antonino Crivello — ISTI-CNR Dunia Pineda-Medina — ISTI-CNR Manlio Bacco — ISTI-CNR Paolo Barsocchi — ISTI-CNR Kateryna Vasylkovska — Central Ukrainian National Technical University Mykola Kovalov — Central Ukrainian National Technical University Oleksii Vasylkovskyi — Central Ukrainian National Technical University Daria Michailova — Kropyvnytskyi Agrarian Professional College Angélica Nohemí Cardona Rodríguez — Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Carlos Alberto Olvera-Olvera — Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Santiago Villagrana-Barraza — Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Ma. Auxiliadora Araiza-Ezquivel — Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Diana I. Ortíz-Esquivel — Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Luis Octavio Solís-Sánchez — Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Germán Díaz-Flórez — Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas Jeongwook Heo — Rural Development Administration (National Institute of Agricultural Sciences) Jeonghyun Baek — Rural Development Administration (National Institute of Agricultural Sciences) Zarin Subah — University of Idaho Boise  

Dr. Russell Sharp discusses the struggle of the UK and European hydroponic sector, focusing on recent enforcement in the Netherlands over continuous in-line dosing of hydrogen peroxide. He explains why regulators flagged the practice, the science behind peroxide breakdown, and his frustration with overly rigid enforcement. Russell also offers practical advice: avoid continuous peroxide dosing to protect roots and yields, keep systems clean, and use peroxide sparingly. He reflects on the wider impact of regulation on innovation and shares how his company adapts to EU rules. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/   Matthew Appleby — Horticulture Week Sally Drury — Horticulture Week Gavin McEwan — Horticulture Week Clare Foggett — The English Garden Vivienne Hambly — The English Garden Sue Fisher — BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Emma Crawforth — BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Kevin Smith — BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Miranda Janatka — BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Kay Maguire — BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Daniel Haynes — Gardeners’ World Catherine Mansley — Gardeners’ World Sonya Patel Ellis — Gardeners’ World Kate Bradbury Greg Loades Veronica Peerless — Gardens Illustrated Kate Jacobs — Gardens Illustrated Tim Richardson — Gardens Illustrated Alys Fowler Jane Perrone Alexandra Campbell Alice Vincent Alice Lascelles — Financial Times Tom Heap — BBC James Wong Val Bourne Anne Swithinbank Bob Flowerdew Mark Diacono Cleve West Sarah Raven Annie Guilfoyle Andrew Timothy O’Brien Jonathan Buckley Tamsin Hope Thomson Nic Wilson Kim Stoddart — Amateur Gardening Alan Titchmarsh Monty Don Carol Klein Joe Swift Pippa Greenwood Paul Green Noel Kingsbury Marian Boswall Jack Wallington Alice Bowe Jane Courtier Rachel de Thame Lucy Chamberlain Carolyne Roehm Noel Kingsbury Nigel Slater — The Observer Anna Pavord Penelope Lively Beth Chatto Christopher Lloyd Vita Sackville-West Gertrude Jekyll Margery Fish Dan Pearson Tom Stuart-Smith Armitage Shanks (No, wrong) Toby Buckland Fergus Garrett Sarah Cuttle Lia Leendertz Matthew Biggs Peter Seabrook Bunny Guinness Alice Doyle Jamie Butterworth — RHS Guy Barter — RHS Helen Yemm — The Telegraph Jane Moore Debora Robertson Mary-Kay Wilmers Emma Townsend Jessica Damiano — Associated Press Adrian Higgins — The Washington Post Margaret Roach Ken Druse Jeff Lowenfels Doug Oster — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Maria Rodale Danielle Sherry — Fine Gardening Jeremie Fant — Fine Gardening Caitlin Boyle — Fine Gardening Erin L. Schanen — Fine Gardening Lisa Negri — Fine Gardening Benjamin Vogt Roy Diblik Kelly D. Norris Nancy J. Ondra Allan Armitage Piet Oudolf Noel Kingsbury Michael Pollan Joe Lamp’l P. Allen Smith

Dr. Russell Sharp discusses e-commerce strategies for hydroponic businesses, advising against competing in commodity leafy greens and recommending niche, high‑value preserved products like freeze‑dried herbs, pickles, and gourmet fermented goods. He outlines marketing channels (social ads, trade shows, brand storytelling), logistics considerations (cold chain vs preserved goods), alternatives like ornamentals and cut flowers, and cautions about high costs and platform pitfalls such as selling on Amazon. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Greens For Good OnlyHydroponics Max Green Farms Gabbar Farms LEAFY (Leafy Scot) Oasis Hydroponics Sunway XFarms Vexotics Dizon Farms Delivers Biogrove Foodstories Kaze Living ElaGreens GetBlok Farms Greens For Good OnlyHydroponics Sunden Farms Urban Greens Revol Greens Vertical Roots Village Farms International Oishii Soli Organic Square Roots Grow Vertical Harvest Smallhold Fischer Farms Market 114 Sustainable Farm by Custom Cuisine Lettuce Grow Plenty Farm Fresh to You Live Greens Local Greens Farm Urban Sprouts Farm FreshBox Farms Green Spirit Farms Eden Green Farms Green Sense Farms LightHouse Farms Iron Ox Farms Bowery Urban Growers Goodleaf Farms Farm One VertiCrop Fresh Origins Sundrop Farms BrightFarms Hollandia Produce / Pete’s Living Greens Mae Farms CropOne Holdings City Farm Co Pure Greens Growers National Greens Eden Organic Greens HydroFarm Produce Co Blue River Farms NuLeaf Farms Urban Leaf Growers FreshField Farms Terra Greens HydroHarvest GreenLeaf Vertical Farms

Dr. Russell Sharp explains why bootstrapping is the best route for many hydroponic ventures, emphasizing unique products, testing market demand, and protecting cash flow. He warns against offering customer credit—suggesting pro forma payments and using strong order books to secure bank loans if scaling is needed—plus practical tips for long-term sustainability. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/ Geoffrey Guy Brian Whittle Justin Gover Tom Whettem Adam Windish Paul Kenward Ben Langley Gabriel Newman Sam Ashton Jon Robson Maximillian White Mason Soiza Oliver Soar Scott Stephen Peter Zownir Graham Woodward Rupa Shah Dr Susan Jane Clenton Frances Crewdson Tom Gray Mike Morgan-Giles Nick Pateras Ricardo Geada Dr Sunil Arora Damien Bove Sam Cannon Hamish Clegg Matt Hughes James Leavesley Dr Shanna Marrinan Paul North Sonal Patel Tony Reeves Clare Holliday James Duckenfield Adam George Martin Dickie Richard Reed Christian Angermayer Maria Raga Irina Elena Haivas Sophia Bendz Fiona Pathiraja Michelle Tempest Leafy Tunnel Salica Measure 8 Venture Partners Casa Verde Capital Deepbridge Capital Kindred Capital

Dr. Russell Sharp breaks down how water is controlled in hydroponic systems: pressure‑regulated drippers set the flow rate, spikes only deliver the water, and solenoid valves control timing. He explains why pipe size matters little, how blockage and water hardness affect drippers, and why pH or RO water are common choices. This short episode also previews dosing and fertigation meters to be covered next, and offers practical tips for automating reliable irrigation. https://eutrema.co.uk/shop/fertiliser/liquid-gold-unique-complete-fertiliser/   Gotham Greens FresH2O Growers Thanet Earth The Green House Ely The Green House Sussex Village Farms International Vertical Harvest Farms Eden Green Technology Plenty AeroFarms GoodLeaf Farms Just Vertical ZipGrow Harvest Today Freight Farms Smallhold Elevate Farms Raiz Vertical Farms Eden Grow Systems Homer Farms Growponics Ltd. Novagric Greener Crop Inc. Levo International Bowery Farming BrightFarms Kalera Infarm Crop One Holdings Iron Ox 80 Acres Farms Green Sense Farms Sky Greens Agritech Nordic Agricool Agrilution Systems Autogrow Systems Green Spirit Farms Farm.One Nordic Harvest SPREAD Co., Ltd. Pure Green Farms Red Sun Farms Eurofresh Farms Swiss Leaf Farms Planet Farms Future Crops Urban Crop Solutions Infinite Acres NatureFresh Farms