Boxwood Blight webinar Jan 5

See the message below from Dr. Kelly Ivors at NC State: 

On Thursday January 5th at 11 am EST, NC State University will be hosting an ELLUMINATE LIVE webinar on box blight- a new disease to the US recently found on boxwood in North Carolina, Virginia, and Connecticut.

This webinar will be geared towards agents and boxwood growers in North Carolina and adjacent states, but I am also inviting interested parties from any other state, especially those that produce boxwood, to participate.

There is no limit on attendence, so anyone can watch the webinar LIVE!

This ELLUMINATE session will also be the re-start of our regional SE ornamental / floriculture IPM webinar series, which will continue on a monthly basis in 2012.

I will speak for 45 minues on this new boxwood disease in the U.S., followed by questions from the audience- that means the session could go until about

12:30 pm EST or later if there are a bunch of questions. I am hoping to have representatives from both VA and CT as well and give them time to make additional comments and address concerns in their states.

We will record the webinar during the live session; it will be made available for viewing at anytime after the webinar at the same URL pasted below.

Here's how to participate in the webinar:

Before the webinar, click on the link below.

http://go.ncsu.edu/box_blight_webinar

You will be able to enter the session starting at 10 am EST on the day it occurs (for trouble shooting if necessary), but the actual webinar will not start until 11 am EST.

All that you need is an up-to-date browser and internet connection. We will run the webinar off of NC State's ELLUMINATE site licence, so you don't need a copy of the program yourself. In order to test that your system requirements are acceptable, visit the Configuration Room linked on http://go.ncsu.edu/elluminate_config

In addition, Elluminate tips can be found at the link below.

http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Elluminate_Tips

Looking forward to the webinar, and getting the information out!

Thanks,

K

Boxwood Blight

Paul Bachi, plant disease diagnostician at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton, has made available two of his most recent presentations.  Visiti UKREC's YouTube channel for Paul's videos on:

• Pinewood nematode & pine wilt disease
• Boxwood blight

Nov-Dec issue of Fruit Facts is online

The Nov.-Dec. issue of Fruit Facts is posted on our Horticulture Web site in the pdf format at:

http://www.ca.uky.edu/fruitfacts/ 

Please note the 2012 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable
Conference program scheduled for Jan. 5-6 and the advanced registration deadline of Dec. 20.

Articles:

Fruit Crop News

Upcoming Meetings

Welcome to UK’s Newest Extension Plant Pathologist

2011 Fruit and Nut Crop Summary

Fruit Pesticide Residues

Crown Rot of Strawberry Transplants

KY Fruit and Vegetable Conference

Receiving Fruit Facts Electronically on the Internet

KY Landscape Industries Winter Conference Jan 26-27, 2012

Each year the Kentucky Nursery and Landscape Association, Kentucky Arborists’ Association, Kentuckiana Greenhouse Association and University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service jointly sponsor the Kentucky Landscape Industries Winter Conference. The workshops at this event are designed to assist the green industry in Kentucky with key information to assist businesses remain viable in this time of shrinking dollars. Join us for an outstanding program featuring two full days of education on January 26-27, 2012 at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville.

More information at http://knla.org/http://knla.org/

Imprelis Herbicide Damage

It seems that newly symptomatic Imprelis-damaged trees are still appearing in landscapes across the region. The UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and plant pathologists alike receive many questions concerning diagnosis and treatment  of these weakened plants. 

While damage can sometimes be confused with disease symptoms, the herbicide must be detected by special analytical chemistry laboratories.  The UK Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory specializes in detection of plant pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, not chemicals or herbicides.

Michigan State University has one of the few facilities with the capability of detecting herbicide residues in soils (www.pestid.msu.edu). Private labs may be available, but as of this posting, they are unknown to our group.

Additional information is available from Purdue University (http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/PPDL/pubs/briefs/ImprelisLCO.pdf or ) and Dupont (http://www.imprelis-facts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Guidelines-for-Removal-and-Replanting-093011.pdf and http://www.imprelis-facts.com/letter-to-lawn-care-professionals/ ) concerning Imprelis-related issues.

Kentucky Pest News newsletter

The latest issue of Kentucky Pest News is now online at http://www.ca.uky.edu/agcollege/plantpathology/extension/kpn/current.html.

Downy Mildew of Grape: An Overwintering Pathogen

Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is a major disease of grape here in Kentucky. Infection by this pathogen can weaken plants, infect fruit and buds, and reduce photosynthesis.

Downy mildew disease symptoms develop in spring during warm, wet weather when temperatures range from 65 to 75 degrees. Fungal masses then begin to grow across plant surfaces, infecting tissue along the way. Symptoms usually subside when summer temperatures become hot and dry, but the disease quickly returns when temperatures begin to drop again in the fall.  

The pathogen, however, does not disappear in winter. It can survive mild winters in infected dormant canes and begin to grow again in spring (sporangia).
During this time of year, the pathogen also generates specialized overwintering spores (oospores). Leaf litter on the vineyard floor creates the ideal environment for winter survival of these spores.

It is a misconception that downy mildew is a late season disease. Very early in the spring, when temperatures begin to creep into the 50’s, the overwintering spores germinate on the ground, new spores (zoospores) splash up onto vines, and infection occurs. This infection can remain inactive until temperatures rise above 65 degrees, and the disease cycle begins once more.

 Control of downy mildew begins with removal of leaf litter. This helps eliminate early sources of the fungus. Fungicides can be applied after harvest to destroy spore-producing fungi, and dormant sprays can be used before bud break to help eliminate any pathogen that may have overwintered in canes.

 Understanding a pathogen’s life cycle is the first step in maintaining a disease-free vineyard. Control of downy mildew before it becomes a problem is the best way to manage the disease.