Project Number: 6404-21220-003-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: Sep 05, 2003
End Date: Apr 30, 2008

Objective:
Development of strategies to control diseases and insect pests of ornamental plants in commercial production systems in the southeastern Gulf Coast states. Development of production practices and plant varieties to improve and standardize vegetable and ornamental plant quality and selection in the southeastern Gulf Coast states.

Approach:
Evaluate use-patterns of disinfectants, model disease progress of Rhizoctonia blight in azalea container production to improve cultural practices and fungicide timing, and monitor infection periods and latency of Camellia twig blight to identify seasonally relevant periods to target control practices. Develop cultural and biological control tactics against insect pests of azaleas and determine phenological traits of arthropod pests in production nurseries to better determine control tactics in the Gulf States region. Identifying host plant resistance of azaleas to the azalea lace bug will be a method of cultural control studied. Biological controls using natural enemies of the azalea lace bug will be analyzed. The biology of the strawberry rootworm, a new pest of azaleas will be determined. Phenological studies will include tree borers, scale insects, and other recurring pests of ornamental production nurseries. Determine factors that regulate growth characteristics and tolerance to environmental stress of vegetable and ornamental crops. Evaluate and screen germplasm for tolerance/resistance to factors affecting plant performance (i.e. heat, cold, and pest), identify/enhance desirable traits, and develop improved varieties for the Gulf States Region. Coordination of pest etiology and control practices and development of new cultivars will serve multiple industry segments by providing multiple management tools that facilitate production practices.