Table of Contents
Common Plant Production Acronyms
ADT (Average Daily Temperature)
ADT is a mathematically calculated temperature representing the average temperature in a twenty-four-hour period.
CFD Computational Fluid Dynamics
CFD is a computational analysis indicating how fluids flow. This abbreviation is used in horticulture to determine how air flows (speed and direction) in a growing facility.
CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture)
CEA refers to the production of crops indoors, for example, in containers, greenhouses, or warehouses.
DROP
Although not an acronym, DROP refers to the short-term (2 to 4 hrs) decrease in temperature, which often happens before sunrise and prevents stem elongation.
DLI (Daily Light Integral)
DLI refers to the amount of light delivered daily to a particular area within twenty-four hours. This measurement is important since it describes the light environment of plants.
DIF
DIF refers to the difference between nighttime and daytime temperatures. You will get DIF by subtracting the night temp from the day temp. A +DIF means that the days are warmer, and this supports stem extension, and vice versa is true.
EC ( Electrical Conductivity)
EC measures the quantity of salts in the soil. This measurement is a great indicator of nutrient availability & loss, available water capacity and soil texture.
HAF ( Horizontal Air Flow)
HAF refers to air movement in a growing environment like a greenhouse; HAF fans help accomplish this.
HPS (High-Pressure Sodium)
HPS is a type of lighting fixture often used to increase greenhouse crop light.
LED (Light Emitting Diode)
As the name suggests, LEDs are lighting devices. Various horticultural applications use LEDs.
NFT (Nutrient Film Technique)
NFT is a technique in hydroponics where water and nutrients flow under bare plant roots.
PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation)
PAR is the energy from the light used for photosynthesis in plants.
PGR (Plant Growth Regulator)
PGRs are chemicals that one can use to modify plant growth. For example, they help alter fruit maturity, remove excess fruit, increase branching, increase return bloom and suppress shoot growth.
PPE ( Personal Protective Equipment)
PPEs include masks, clothes, gloves or any other item one wears to protect themselves from pesticides, harmful light or other hazards.
PPF (Photosynthetic Photon Flux)
PPF refers to the quantity of light released from a light source.
PPM (Parts Per Million)
PPM refers to the concentrations of substances such as fertilizer and growth regulators.
SSL (Sole Source Lighting)
SSL is a form of lighting where the only source of light for plants is from electric sources like LEDs
VPD (Vapor Pressure Deficit)
VPD is a technique that growers use to measure humidity in greenhouses or growing environments.
WPS (Worker Protection Standard)
WPS is a federal regulation in the US issued by the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA). This regulation protects agricultural workers and pesticide handlers against pesticide poisonings and injuries.
Common Acronyms Used in Seed Catalogues
Acronym | What it stands for |
A | Anthracnose |
AB | Alternaria (Early) Blight |
ALS | Angular Leaf Spot |
ASC | Alternaria Stem Canker |
B | Bacterial Wilt |
BB | Bacterial Blight |
BBS | Bacterial Brown Spot |
BLS | Bacterial Leaf Spot |
BMV | Bacterial Mosaic Virus |
BYMV | Bean Yellow Mosaic Virus |
CMV | Cucumber Mosaic Virus |
CTM | Curly Top Beet Mosaic Virus |
DM | Downy Mildew |
E | Enation Mosaic Virus |
F | Fusarium Wilt (Race 1) |
F2 | Fusarium Wilt (Races 1 & 2) |
F3 | Fusarium Wilt (Races 0, 1 & 2) |
HB | Halo Blight |
L | Grey Leaf Spot |
LB | Late Blight |
LM | Resistant to Leaf Molds A-E |
LMV | Lettuce Mosaic Virus |
MNCLB | Moderate Northern Corn Leaf Blight |
MR | Moderate Common Rust |
MSCLB | Moderate Southern Corn Leaf Blight |
MSW | Moderate Stewart’s Wilt |
MT0-10 | Indicates that seeds have been tested for mosaic lettuce virus and results showed that none had the virus in a sample of ten thousand seeds or less |
MT0-30 | Indicates that seeds have been tested for mosaic lettuce virus and results showed that none had the virus in a sample of thirty thousand seeds or less |
N | Nematodes |
NCLB | Northern Corn Leaf Blight |
PLR | Pea Leaf Roll Virus |
PM | Powdery Mildew |
PMV | Pepper Mosaic Virus |
PVY | Potato Virus Y |
R | Common Rust |
S | Scab |
SCLB | Southern Corn Leaf Blight |
SW | Stewart’s Wilt |
TEV | Tobacco Etch Virus |
TMV | Tobacco Mosaic Virus |
TSWV | Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus |
V | Verticillium Wilt |
VFN | Resistant to Verticillium wilt, Fusarium and Nematodes |
W | Common Wilt |
WR | White Rust |
Seed Sowing Abbreviations
All seeds are divided into categories depending on their growing characteristics. Here are abbreviations in these categories and their meanings:
HA (Hardy Annual)
HA refers to flowers that complete their life cycle in one year; they will be sown, mature, bloom, make seed and die within one year.
HHA (Half Hardy Annual)
Like the HAs, HHA germinate, flower and die in one year. However, HHA can’t withstand frosts.
HB (Hardy Biennial)
A HB will develop a strong root and leaf system within its first year, endure average winter, proceed to flower and set seed, and then die in its second year.
HHP (Half Hardy Perennial)
These plants are treated like annuals since they won’t survive winter unless you bring them indoors. Examples of HHPs include dahlias, geraniums and gerberas.
HP (Hardy Perennial)
Hardy perennials are plants that can last three seasons or more and can withstand freezing temperatures.
Other Abbreviations for Specialized Crop Groupings
- GBb – Greenhouse Bulb
- GP – Greenhouse Perennial
- GT – Greenhouse Tree
- GS – Greenhouse Shrub
- HBb – Hardy Bulb
- HHBb – Half-Hardy Bulb
- HHSh – Half-Hardy Shrub
- HSh – Hardy Shrub
- HHT – Half-hardy Tree
- HT -Hardy Tree
