How IR-4 and OSU are working for you With a 2018 farm gate value just shy of $1 billion, it is no secret that the ornamental plant industries in Oregon (nursery and greenhouse) are important and viable enterprises that contribute greatly to the state’s economy. Controlling insect, disease, and weed pests is an important part […]
A new breed of Norway maple
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An update on efforts to grow sterile cultivars of this important shade tree for Oregon growers The nursery industry in the Pacific Northwest markets a great deal of plant material to the upper Midwest and New England. Overall, Oregon ships 75% or more of its nursery plant material out of state. Shade trees are among […]
Seeing the light on powdery mildew
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Testing the efficacy of using ultraviolet spectral lights to protect greenhouse tomatoes By Kristine R. Buckland, Cynthia M. Ocamb, Lloyd Nackley and Ann L. Rasmussen Widespread outbreaks of powdery mildew have been occurring in fresh market tomato crops in western Oregon over the past decade. Disease incidence and severity tend to be greater in tomatoes […]
Vole control
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These tiny, burrowing rodents can cause problems for nursery crops As we anxiously wait for the first breeding-season birds to arrive and signal winter’s end, most vole species are also gearing up to produce more young. Voles are small, native rodents that are often called “meadow mice.” Oregon is home to a total of 13 […]
Fire blight in the plant nursery
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How did it arrive here, and what can be done? Fire blight is a disease that can kill apple and pear trees. It is especially dangerous in a nursery setting, for reasons we will explain. The disease can result in the direct loss of plant material, which in turn can necessitate a costly and difficult […]
The continuing battle against nasty Nostoc
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Additional treatment methods are tested against this nursery nuisance By Heather Stoven and Jennifer Parke Slimy colonies of the cyanobacterium Nostoc are increasingly noticeable in nurseries and sports infields throughout the country. They appear as green-to-brown-colored globby mats, which, in nurseries, grow on multiple surface types within container yards and greenhouses. What is referred to […]
Ornamental hazelnut cultivars from Oregon State University
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The hazelnut breeding and genetics program at Oregon State University (OSU) has named and released two disease-resistant, red-leafed ornamental cultivars of European hazelnut, Corylus avellana L. The cultivars bring to the nursery industry new combinations of interesting growth habit, leaf form and color, and resistance to the fungal disease eastern filbert blight (EFB). ‘Red Dragon’, […]
Emerging threats to conifer foliage
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Growers and nurseries should be on the lookout for these diseases By Jared LeBoldus, Dave Shaw, and Paul Reeser Two new foliage diseases of Douglas fir and several other conifer species are emerging in Oregon, and they could be a threat to conifer growers and nurseries. The pathogens include Phytophthora pluvialis, the cause of Pytophthora […]
Pest control for Christmas trees
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Evaluating new and old insecticides, and beneficial insects, for aphid control By Chal Landgren, Judy Kowalski, David Howell, Paige Kuchy Aphid control on Christmas tree and other conifer plantings can be a yearly headache for growers. This is especially true for growers of grand fir which, for some reason, seems especially “tasty” to aphids. Over […]
Here comes the sun
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Researchers continue to evaluate soil solarization as a weed management technique By Carol Mallory-Smith, Jennifer Parke and Nami Wada In 2017, nursery and greenhouse producers added $947.7 million to Oregon’s economy, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. And for this very valuable Oregon industry, and all agricultural systems, weeds are a major issue impacting […]