Plant Types & Their Inputs

Knowledge of temperate and tropical agricultural crops has been acquired through in-field experience, preceded by studies and training programmes.

General knowledge of most crops, from broad acre cereals through to many horticultural and tree crops has been utilised to advise on the relevant inputs.

Some specialist experience in landscape amenity and sports turf environments enables Planting Ideas to provide expertise in the introduction of specific bio-products to this market.

Planting Ideas has developed a specialism for integrating biological products such as microbials, plant extracts, micronutrients and bio-stimulant products into the market place.

Soil Biology

Everything starts and finishes within the soil. Although Soil Health attracts a great deal of attention at present, in fact to the organic and biologically orientated person it has always been so.

To deliver sound advice and support for biologically interactive products, a robust knowledge of soil physics, chemistry and biology is a prerequisite and something that Planting Ideas can offer to a customer requiring an understanding of soil properties.

Hugh has been part of research and development programmes that have delivered microbial and other biologically active products to the market.  In the process a comprehensive understanding of their interaction within a variety of soils, in a range of climatic conditions has been acquired.

Also able to provide soil sampling and soil results interpretation capabilities.

Field Trialling & Research

An early training in crop trialling techniques at Reading University has been utilised greatly in former roles from trial management for research institutes, to seed breeder trials and biological product testing and evaluation for manufacturers.

Planting Ideas consultancy is able to assist a business in setting up plant trials programmes, overseeing and managing the whole process and then providing interpretation and delivery of results.

Transferring relevant product or process knowledge from research science to customers utilisation in the field is an additional skill set available to assist businesses deliver their innovations to the market.

UK & International Production

Hugh Frost of Planting Ideas began his career in the UK, with a BSc qualification in agricultural technology  and has since then broadened his knowledge to work in both the African continent as well as conduct research trials across Europe. Some time was also spent teaching agriculture in the humid tropics of the South Pacific.

Tropical crops, research technique and agricultural development became a greater focus when studying an MSc at Reading several years later. These acquired skill sets are now  subsequently employed in a range of situations.

From temperate agriculture to tropical and sub-tropical production systems and soil types a range of experiences means that Hugh is adept at working in a variety of crop and plant production systems to provide technical support, backed up with commercial progression.

Plant & Crop Physiology

After an understanding of soil, comes a need to know basic plant physiological process and how any plant is likely to be affected by its surroundings and inputs.

All commercial products introduced into a plant’s environment or crop production system will invariably have some type of influence on the physiology of those plants and deducing these effects an be all important.

With several years of experience working with plant types of many descriptions, Planting Ideas is able to adapt knowledge and subsequent advice to match the needs of product manufacturers and suppliers of plant production materials.

Technical Product Representation

High quality, technically strong products, particularly those of a biological orientation, need to be represented and sold positively, using accurate product knowledge and good science to place their correct position in the market, as opposed to solely being traded at the lowest price points.

Often requiring to be sold at a higher price in the market place, sound techniques need to be employed to represent products of technically high calibre.

Having successfully represented a number of such product ranges, using the Planting Ideas consultancy Hugh provides adapted representation methods to ensure that accurate information on new technologies is conveyed in a comprehensible manner to both suppliers and their progressive end-users.

Bio-Product Integration

Since the mid-1940’s physical engineering and new chemistry provided new inputs of artificial fertilisers and agrochemicals and the automation to apply them.  Great advances were made in crop production, though the inclusion of biological processes were largely confined to plant genetics and organic farming.

More recently however, scientific advances in microbiological techniques have enabled better understand of soil and plant biology and increasingly the interaction between plants and their wider environment.  Great benefits are now being realised from knowing the chemical and biological communications between plants and soil.

Biologically-orientated products are now finding their rightful place in crop production and over the recent years, Hugh has had significant experience in this new generation of bio-products and understands these need integrating into conventional plant and crop production.

Customer Support & Liaison

Customers need supporting and their relationship with their suppliers managing, whatever the line of business, though none more so than those of traditional industries of agriculture, horticulture and landscape amenity.

Planting Ideas’ Hugh Frost takes pride in his ability to work closely with customers of the client businesses, to ensure that the customers always know what to expect, so that the products are right for them.

With previous customer support provided in a range of plant production industries, from seeds to fertilisers and from garden retailers to bio-pesticides, Planting Ideas can assist a company with looking after their customers in a manner that ensures customer satisfaction and return of business.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

Whilst product representation and customer relationships are vital components to business success in themselves, all strategies and approaches need to fit within a broader marketing and sales strategy.

Working to set strategies agreed with business managers and operating flexibly to achieve the set goals, Planting Ideas consultancy is able to provide both input and feedback to agreed marketing strategies and the plans made to achieve sales targets.

A range of activities that comprise typical marketing and sales strategies have been undertaken from sales literature creation to show stand representations, as well as conventional customer presentations and, in addition, more original approaches.

End-User Training

Hugh is an enthusiastic and confident trainer and has himself been trained in ‘Training of Trainers’ in challenging international agricultural development scenarios.  Therefore he has developed a range of ideas that help plant understanding and knowledge in his audience.

Aside from a proficient use of PowerPoint presentations, which are commonly used, there are numerous other training techniques that can be employed to deliver training to new audiences with enthusiasm and commitment to conveying the technical knowledge required.

Training can be undertaken at all levels, from product research and development through to market delivery and end user application.