For 2020 and newer grants, please go to https://grants.ipmcenters.org/
Home       Current RFAs       PD User Guide       Projects       Login

Funded Project

Funding Program: IPM Enhancement Grants

Project Title: IPM for Shrubs in Southeastern U.S. Nursery Production (Vol. II)

Project Director (PD): Matthew Chappell [1]

Lead State: GA Lead Organization: University of Georgia

Cooperating State(s): Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia

Undesignated Funding: $39,983

Start Date: Mar-01-2015 End Date: Feb-29-2016

No-Cost Extension Date: Jun-01-2016

Pests Involved: Various (Commercial Horticulture)

Site/Commodity: Nursery Crops

Area of Emphasis: IPM Working Group

Summary: U.S. nursery production value exceeds $5.1B annually and creates tens of thousands of jobs (USDA, 2012). Nursery crops are a particularly important source of agricultural income in the seven state Southeastern region (FL, GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, and VA) covered by this working group, which is comprised of Extension professionals and research scientists. Nursery producers in this region are only 24-48 hours away from half the population of the United States and collectively produce 24% of the value in nursery crops in the United States (USDA, 2012). Pest management is particularly challenging for nursery crop producers due to the large number of plant species produced (Yeager et al., 2007) and high labor inputs of the production system, which creates a need for a high level of knowledge about sustainable crop production, complex multi-species systems-based management, key pests, and re-entry interval restrictions. Another layer of complexity for pest control of nursery crops relates to the perennial nature of most ornamental plant crops, in that pest problems are inherited from year to year, further complicating pest management and potentially magnifying pest problems across successive years. Simplifying IPM decision-making processes by providing centralized information resources is critical to economically efficient and environmentally friendly nursery production, and focusing resources on the most economically-important genera allows Extension personnel to maximize impact. More than ever, growers need the assistance of Extension agents and specialists as they work to maintain plant quality and to counter steadily rising production costs. Nursery personnel also need nursery-specific resources to help make informed pest management decisions. Implementation of IPM practices by growers is more important for grower success now, because they cannot afford to mismanage the crops they produce or lose sale of current crops to pest damage. Therefore, greater and consistent cooperation among research and Extension professionals is essential to leverage program objectives, research capital, and personnel resources. To fully realize the efforts of collaborators, and to disseminate developed content while preventing redundancy, efforts must include the development of a lasting repository of information, particularly on economically important ornamental plant genera. The SNIPM Working Group (SNIPM), through this proposed project, aims to educate commercial growers, landscape professionals and county Extension agents on systems-based approaches to pest management in five grower-identified, economically important ornamental plant genera by creating a comprehensive IPM guide for each genus. Additionally, obtaining this grant will help SNIPM maintain momentum and achieve our objectives by funding a teambuilding meeting to strategize, and to coordinate and develop book content. This grant will also allow us to conduct a targeted needs assessment with a small group of growers, to assess additional short- and long-term goals and that develops priority projects that strategically align the strengths and capacity of the working group with the previously identified needs. Finally, this grant will allow us to determine the economic value of SNIPM Working Group documents and Southern IPM Center investments, so that we can better leverage funds in the future to maximize our return on time and monetary investments. Objectives: To support our working group mission by providing timely IPM information that will address nursery and landscape-based problems, we propose to: 1) Develop Volume II of a four volume series on IPM of Shrubs in Southeastern US Nursery Production This volume will focus on Hydrangea, Rhaphiolepis, Ilex, Rhododendron (evergreen) and Loropetalum. a. Complete and publish this book by February 2016. b. Continue to build upon and complete a series of five books (including IPM for Deciduous Trees in the Southeast), covering 30 of the most economically important woody genera in the Southeast, to provide Green Industry professionals with scientifically based information needed to make more informed decisions that positively affect medium and long-term pesticide resistance management, worker safety and environmental risk (e.g. surface water contamination) in the southeastern U.S. 2) Develop additional short- and long-term goals for SNIPM working group, via an in-person meeting among SNIPM members and invited growers, that will provide vision for future collaborations among SNIPM Working Group members. a. Maximize the impact of the SNIPM working group by identifying priority research and extension areas, thereby ensuring the long-term success of both the working group and individual members within the group. b. Develop novel ideas and partnerships that can be translated into larger grant/project activities, such as USDA-NIFA funding opportunities. c. Provide a steady flow of IPM-based research publications and Extension deliverables that grow a library of Green Industry accessible information that improves the long-term sustainability of individual growers and the industry as a whole. 3) Determine the economic impact of Shrubs in Southeastern US Nursery Production, Volume II (developed as part of a previous SRIPM grant) to commercial growers and landscapers. a. Determine the economic importance of Extension-based deliverables by conducting an economic survey of Extension agents and growers that received a printed copy of the textbook. b. Work with Southern IPM Center to highlight the value and return on investment of research funds, with the hope of: c. Increasing long-term funding for the Southern IPM Center and improving the visibility and impact of the SNIPM Working Group.

Close Window

Southern IPM Center North Carolina State University 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 110 Raleigh, NC 27606 p. 919.513.1432   f. 919.513.1114		Developed by the Center for IPM © Copyright CIPM 2004-2025