Three pre-recorded webinars on how to grow "bee-friendly' plants, manage pests in the nursery and plant nutrition are now available.
Posted on March 18, 2015 by Heidi Wollaeger, Michigan State University Extension
Michigan State University Extension has released three free, one-hour webinars for nursery growers: “Top Diseases and Insects in Nursery Crops,” “The Missing Element: Plant Nutrition and Fertilization beyond Nitrogen” and “Growing Bee-Friendly Plants in the Greenhouse.”
“Top Diseases and Insects in Nursery Crops” discusses pest issues and management strategies for some of the most common and new diseases and insects that could quarantine plants. It is taught by MSU entomologist David Smitley and MSU Extension educators Jill O’Donnell and Thomas Dudek. Some of the common problems that are covered in the webinar are adelgids, white pine weevils, Gypsy moths, Linden borers, Hosta virus X, black knot, verticillium, cedar rusts, scales and needlecasts. The webinar is offered through the Online Integrated Pest Management Academy and pesticide recertification credits are available upon completion.
In “The Missing Element: Plant Nutrition and Fertilization beyond Nitrogen”, MSU horticulturist Bert Cregg covers macronutrients and micronutrients needed by plants and the factors impacting their availability. In addition, Cregg covers common symptoms of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities in nursery plants, but reminds growers that soil and foliar tissue testing are necessary for an accurate diagnosis. This webinar is offered on the MSU Christmas Tree YouTube channel and provides a basic understanding of plant nutrition for both nursery and Christmas tree growers.
“Growing Bee-Friendly Plants in the Greenhouse” is taught by Smitley. He discusses how ornamental plant growers can grow plants that will be safe for bees and shares his research results from recent studies on the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on bumble bees. The topics covered in the webinar are:
- Overview of neonicotinoid and bee issue.
- Biorational products.
- Alternatives to neonicotinoids.
- Biological control as an alternative pest management practice.
- Bee-friendly insecticides.
- Safe use of systemic drenches.
- New products available.
- Best management practices for producing bee-friendly plants.
The webinar is offered through the Online Integrated Pest Management Academy and pesticide recertification credits are available upon completion.
All webinars were recorded by Heidi Wollaeger in front of a live grower audience and then edited and optimized for online viewing.
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.cnchemicals.com/. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://bit.ly/MSUENews. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://www.cnchemicals.com/, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
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