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The American Floral Endowment will host a Grow Pro webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, on using bioreactors to reduce agrochemicals in agricultural production water. Dr. Tom Fernandez of Michigan State University will speak.
The American Floral Endowment (AFE) will host a webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, on how growers can use bioreactors to reduce agrochemicals in agricultural production water, part of the organization’s ongoing Grow Pro webinar series. The session, titled “Bioreactors for Reduction of Agrochemicals in Agricultural Production Water,” will be led by Dr. Tom Fernandez, a professor at Michigan State University whose research focuses on water quality and management for nursery production.
According to AFE, the webinar will present bioreactors as a practical, cost-effective tool for cleaning production water — an issue the organization frames as growing in urgency as water security becomes a bigger concern for growers. Keeping accessible water clean and safe, AFE says, protects crops, budgets, and the bottom line of horticultural operations.
The announced agenda covers four areas: how microbial communities drive contaminant breakdown; how woodchip-based bioreactors work; how to remain compliant with regulations while protecting an operation; and strategies to improve system effectiveness and startup time. No findings or results are being released with the announcement — the session is positioned as educational rather than as a report of new research.
Registration is open through Zoom or via the Grow Pro Webinar series page on the AFE website, where the full 2026 Grow Pro calendar is posted. Recordings of past Grow Pro webinars are available on the AFE YouTube channel, so growers unable to attend live will likely be able to view the session afterward, based on the organization’s stated practice.
Why Growers Are Watching Water Quality
The webinar speaks to two pressures on greenhouse and nursery operations: tightening scrutiny of agrichemical runoff and the rising cost and scarcity of usable water. Production water that carries pesticides or fertilizers can contaminate retention ponds and recycling systems, forcing growers to choose between treatment costs and regulatory risk.
Woodchip bioreactors — essentially trenches or containers of carbon material where microbes degrade contaminants — have been studied as a lower-input treatment approach. If Fernandez’s presentation shows they can be deployed at commercial scale with manageable startup time, growers could gain a treatment option that does not depend on chemical dosing or high-energy filtration.
The Grow Pro Series and the Speaker
The Grow Pro series is an ongoing AFE webinar program covering production and business topics for floriculture and nursery growers. Past sessions are archived on the organization’s YouTube channel.
Dr. Tom Fernandez teaches Landscape Plant Identification and Nursery Management at Michigan State University. His research and Extension program centers on water quality and management for nursery production, and his other interests include using RFID technology to support precision agriculture in container production, according to AFE’s announcement.
What the Announcement Does Not Say
The announcement does not include data on how effectively bioreactors remove specific agrochemicals, what systems cost to install, or how they perform across climates and operation types. Those details, if available, are expected to come during the webinar itself.
The description also does not specify which regulations the compliance portion will address, the session’s duration, or whether it will include a live question period. Whether a recording of this particular session will be posted is likely but not explicitly confirmed.
How to Register and What Follows
Growers can register through Zoom or the Grow Pro Webinar page on the AFE website ahead of the Oct. 20, 2026 date. The same page lists future webinars in the 2026 series, and the AFE YouTube channel hosts recordings of earlier sessions for catch-up viewing. Attendees evaluating bioreactors for their own operations should verify any regulatory guidance discussed against current local and state requirements.
Key Questions
When is the bioreactor webinar and who is presenting?
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, presented by Dr. Tom Fernandez of Michigan State University as part of AFE’s Grow Pro series.
What topics will the webinar cover?
Microbial breakdown of contaminants, how woodchip-based bioreactors work, regulatory compliance, and strategies to improve system effectiveness and startup time.
How do I register?
Through Zoom directly or via the Grow Pro Webinar series page on the American Floral Endowment website.
Will a recording be available?
AFE says recordings of all past Grow Pro webinars are on its YouTube channel; a recording of this session is likely to follow, though it is not explicitly confirmed.
Is the webinar free?
The announcement does not state a fee. Registration details are available on the AFE Grow Pro page.
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