Commercial Ornamental Horticulture...Focusing on IPM
IPMnet is an on-line resource for commercial ornamental plant production and maintenance with an emphasis on using an integrated pest management approach. We primarily work with nursery growers, landscapers, greenhouse growers, cut flower growers, IPM scouts, and arborists. According the 2018 Horticulture Industry Survey, gross sales for the ornamental green industry are $1.376 billion.
Hot Topics
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Spray Drones in Nurseries
In 2021, the University of Maryland Extension Commercial Ornamental Horticulture team with Kirk Floyd, KDrone Services, and Brian Kunkel, University of Delaware, looked at using a drone to spray arborvitae trees for bagworm control in a Maryland nursery. Details and the results of this trial have been published in the March 1, 2022 issue of GrowerTalks.
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Sprayer drones for rust control
Traditional methods of spray applications involve extensive PPE, water use and labor time. Drones can be used instead of actual employees in the field to reduce the risk of exposure, the need for extensive and uncomfortable PPE, and water use for dilution. We set out to look at the efficacy of drone spray applications against traditional methods, such as an airblast sprayer for the control of gymnosporangium rust on Amelanchier.
