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Christmas Tree Pests Target of New Project - November 2007

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Christmas and nursery tree industry in Pennsylvania is under increasing pressure due to an influx of invasive pests, but researchers from Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) are collaborating in a project to help growers gain better control while reducing pesticide applications.

Christmas and nursery tree sales generate over $42 million in Pennsylvania, making the state fifth in the nation. According to Cathy Thomas, Pennsylvania integrated pest management coordinator at PDA, scale pests from Asia such as Elongate hemlock scale and Cryptomeria scale cause a lot of damage to hemlock and fir trees. “Fraser, canaan, and balsam firs see the most damage and are all important Christmas tree varieties in Pennsylvania,” says Thomas. “Each of these scales has two generations per year, with adults having a waxy, armored-like covering. This makes these scales difficult to control with pesticides, which often causes growers to make excessive pesticide sprays.”

According to Thomas, many of the pesticides used for control of scales and other insect pests are broad-spectrum that also kill natural predators of the scales. “Our goal is to help growers better time their pesticide applications for scales and other pests, which will allow for fewer applications and substitution of safer chemicals.”

A highly effective alternative to excessive pesticide applications is integrated pest management (IPM). IPM aims to manage pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and environmentally compatible.

In an IPM project targeting White Pine Weevil, Thomas helped three conifer growers in Schuylkill County reduce pesticide use by over 50 percent by using an IPM approach. “By using IPM techniques such as scouting, trapping and monitoring growing degree days, the participating growers were able to correctly time their pesticide applications,” Thomas explains. “As a result, growers were able to produce high quality conifer trees while substantially reducing pesticide use, which resulted in improved profitability.”

In a new project involving Elongate hemlock and Cyptomeria scales, Thomas says they will be working with 6 to 8 growers in Schuykill and York Counties. “We’ll collaborate with PDA entomologists and plant inspectors in the field using IPM techniques such as scouting, weather monitoring and record keeping to find the relationship between scale life stage and growing degree days,” says Thomas. “An IPM consultant will provide on-site training for growers on scale lifecycles and IPM techniques.”

IPM informational seminars will also be available for participating growers to learn about current pest information and research, the use of biocontrols, reduced-risk products and sustainable techniques used in an IPM system to reduce broad-spectrum pesticide use. Project leaders will also gather scouting, trapping and temperature information from the growers, which will be used to follow the progress of the project each year.

In addition, Thomas plans to develop a conifer pest scouting manual to help participating and non-participating growers to incorporate IPM techniques into their farm operation. “Several conifer/Christmas tree manuals exist, but none are specific to Pennsylvania. With the help of specialists at Penn State University and PDA, conifer growers will be able to directly access regionally pertinent IPM advice from experts in the industry,” Thomas explains.

The project also aims to establish a crop management association to help growers transition to a system of employing IPM techniques. “A trained consultant will provide grower with professional IPM services and promote more economical and environmentally sound crop production practices,” says Thomas.

The project is being funded by a grant from PDA agricultural research funds. Educational presentations of the data collected will be available for statewide use and additional training programs. The data will also be available on the Pennsylvania IPM Program's 1-800 PENN IPM hotline and the Penn State Christmas Tree Web site at http://ctrees.cas.psu.edu/default.html. For more information on Christmas tree pests, see PA IPM's Christmas Tree Pest Problem Solver at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/259.htm. Questions about the project can be directed to Thomas by calling (717) 705-5857 or by e-mail at caththomas@state.pa.us.

The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and urban settings. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://www.paipm.org/. To view our archived news releases, see Web site http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/10.htm.