New England Greenhouse Conference. Cultural practices and virus testing to reduce pesticide use on thrips. Thrips are major pests in commercial greenhouses. Heavy reliance on pesticides has caused widespread resistance and problems with their control. Over-winter survival of thrips in fallowed greenhouses is poorly documented for New England. In this project, we are monitoring fallowed greenhouses over the winter for thrips and viruses they transmit. Thrips were recovered from 7 fallowed greenhouses; weeds served as alternative hosts for the insect and the virus it vectors. If fabric mats were used and weeds eliminated, thrips were not detected. Knowledge on thrips survival and the incidence of viruses vectored by them will allow growers to implement end-of-season sanitation practices to remove weeds and thrips, reducing or eliminating the risks to bedding plants the following spring. (M. Brownbridge, T. Doubleday, S. Costa, M. Skinner, B. Parker)
UVM Extension. Horticulture: Master Gardener Program. There is a need to educate homeowners regarding the biology and life cycles of insects and diseases so that pesticides are only used in a judicious manner by the public. The program trained 235 new Interns this year. Certified Master Gardeners and Interns volunteered 9,800+ hours in outreach education and community projects throughout Vermont. Increasingly, informed Vermont home gardeners are employing low-impact pest and disease management practices to reduce their reliance on pesticides. Proper disease identification and knowledge of management alternatives helps to reduce unnecessary pesticide use by the home gardener. (N. Hulett, A. Hazelrigg)
VT-AES and UVM Extension. Western flower thrips cold-hardiness and its relationship to greenhouse IPM. The greenhouse industry generates millions of dollars for Vermont's agricultural economy. Western flower thrips is a major pest of many crops and significantly impacts plant quality and value. We determined the low lethal temperature for this pest under lab conditions and evaluated the effect of cold on thrips fecundity. Results have been transferred to growers attending our IPM workshops in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Development of cultural methods to manage western flower thrips will improve production and profits, and reduce pesticide contamination of the environment. (B. Parker, M. Skinner, M. Brownbridge, S. Costa)
USDA-Hatch,. Effects of freezing conditions and soil moisture on herbaceous perennial hardiness. Many perennials grown in Vermont and similar northern climates are lost to cold damage each year. This project examines the effects of various freezing durations, and various conditions prior to freezing, on subsequent survival. Results show few differences to cold temperature, or amount of outdoor acclimation, for similar perennial geranium cultivars 'Karmina' and 'Cambridge'. Geranium 'Dilys', however, was generally killed below -5C. Growers will use this information to better control and predict losses of plants in nurseries. (L. Perry)
UVM Extension. Greenhouse IPM. Production of greenhouse ornamentals is becoming increasingly important in Vermont's agricultural economy. Ornamentals are attacked by a wide array of pests, many of which are difficult to manage. Through education and demonstration projects, growers are introduced to integrated pest management (IPM) practices that reduce chemical pesticide use. Together with other IPM specialists from Northern New England, UVM entomologists host hands-on IPM workshops and develop manuals for growers on IPM implementation. An expert in the biocontrol of pestiferous mites participated in this year's workshops, and provided practical information on the effective use of natural enemies for mite control. The workshops encourage greater use of biocontrol agents and reduced-risk pesticides, thereby reducing pesticide use and environmental and human-health risks. (M. Skinner, M. Brownbridge, B. Parker)
USDA-Special Grant,. Western flower thrips cold-hardiness and its relationship to greenhouse IPM. Bedding plant sales provide critical income for greenhouse growers. Insecticides are used heavily to control western flower thrips, the primary pest of this crop. New cultural controls are needed. Many greenhouses in northern New England stand empty over the winter; we do not know if thrips can survive this fallow period to infest new crops in the spring. Winter-fallowed greenhouses in ME, NH and VT were monitored for thrips from December through May. Thrips were found in eight greenhouses with gravel/dirt floors in Jan/Feb; virus was detected in three locations. Thrips were absent in greenhouses with fabric mats where weeds were removed. Findings will allow specific actions to be taken to eliminate overwintering thrips, and will promote greenhouse IPM. (M. Skinner, M. Brownbridge, B. Parker, S. Costa)
USDA-Special Grant,. Novel cultural controls for thrips in spring bedding plants. Bedding plant sales provide critical income for greenhouse growers. Insecticides are heavily used to control western flower thrips, a primary pest of this crop. Many greenhouses in northern New England stand empty over the winter; we do not know if thrips survive this fallow period to infest new crops in the spring. Winter-fallowed greenhouses in ME, NH and VT were monitored for thrips from Dec. through May. Thrips were found in 8 greenhouses with gravel/dirt floors in Jan-Feb. Thrips were absent in greenhouses with fabric mats where weeds were removed. IPM workshops held in January focused on biocontrol of mites and bio-based IPM. Results will allow development of cultural control strategies appropriate for New England. The workshops promote implementation of biocontrol strategies and IPM on greenhouse crops. (M. Skinner, M. Brownbridge, B. Parker)
USDA-Hatch. Grafting Sugar Maple to improve salt tolerance. Sugar maples typically cannot be grown in urban areas due to salt applied to nearby roadways and walkways during winter. This project will determine if a sugar maple grafted onto a salt-tolerant maple will produce a salt-tolerant sugar maple suitable for possible use in urban areas. Sugar maples were successfully grafted onto salt-tolerant sycamore maple rootstock. Arborists in urban areas of the northeastern and northern mid-America states may be able to effectively use these grafted sugar maples in city locations without the negative impact of winter de-icing salts. (M. Starrett)
USDA-Hatch, USDA-Hatch. Media top-dress amendments for prevention and control of liverworts. Liverworts are a common weed that are difficult to control in container production of ornamental horticultural crops. This projects examines the effectiveness of several different mulches to prevent or control liverworts in container crop production. Preliminary results indicate that all the mulches investigated prevent the growth of liverworts during the production of container-grown horticultural crops. Greenhouse and nursery growers should consider using mulches as a top-dress application on the surface of potting media in container-grown horticultural crops as an effective method to prevent the growth of liverworts. (M. Starrett)
USDA Higher Education Challenge Grant Competitive. Multimedia instrument for worldwide greenhouse education. In the age of technologically enhanced communication, there is too often duplication of effort by educators and lack of collaboration among content experts. This instrument will consist of an Internet repository of greenhouse educational materials, five new learning-centered interactive modules, and compilation DVD. Materials will be evaluated utilizing a built-in survey. Regional greenhouse videos highlighting two small producers in Vermont and a large-scale operation in Arizona have been completed, edited, and titled. The flash interface for the interactive modules is complete and the engineering model that will drive the simulator is nearing completion. This instrument will provide teaching resource materials for anyone involved in greenhouse science instruction. (M. Tignor, UVM, G. Giacomelli, U of Arizona; C. Kubota, U of Arizona; T. Irani, U of Florida; M. McMahon, Ohio State University; S. Wilson, U of Florida)
10 projects