JOB VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
JOB TITLE: Turf Crew Leader
Givens Estates
(828) 271-6951
DEPARTMENT: Grounds
SUPERVISOR: David Smith, Grounds Director
DESCRIPTION: Full-time, year-round, position is available in the Grounds
Department. Responsibilities for the Turf Crew Leader will include, but are not
limited to: management of the turf crew activities including mowing, edging,
pesticide application, fertilization, leaf removal, etc.; knowledge and management of
the Integrated Pest Management Program. The successful candidate will also
possess an exemplary work ethic, an eagerness to learn, and be willing to work in
extreme weather conditions. Bi-lingual communications is a plus but is not
required.
JOB REQUIREMENTS: The ideal candidates will possess related
degrees/certificates or a minimum of 2 years field experience. NC pesticide
applicators license is preferred but not required.
TO APPLY: Please submit resume or application to Human Resources or David
Smith as soon as possible.
JOB OPENING DATE: June 22, 2014 POSTING DATES: Until filled
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Pest News Alert for Week of June 23rd
ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist
Flea Beetles
Redheaded flea beetles, Systena frontalis, have become a serious pest of nursery stock over the past several years. They are an especially damaging pest because they feed on roots and leaves. They overwinter as eggs in the soil. Larvae hatch in spring and begin feeding on roots. The larvae are elongate and creamy-white. Heavy infestations may reduce root mass or girdle plants. Adult redheaded flea beetles are small, shiny black, beetles with reddish to dark colored head and long antennae. They are about 1/16 of an inch long and, as the name suggests, jump when they are approached. There are at least two generations in Delaware and may be more in North Carolina.
Redheaded flea beetle on a rose leaf.
Adults and adult feeding damage are present now. The favored hosts are Itea, hydrangea, forsythia, and knockout roses and many perennials like joe-pye weed. Adult management has been frustrating for growers who find that even frequent insecticide applications do not reduce adult abundance and damage to acceptable levels. Part of this has to do with not controlling larvae since even if you kill all the adults present in a crop (which you won’t) more adults are emerging from the soil every day. Research thus far in Delaware and grower reports indicate that Talstar, Sarfari, and Flagship provide good efficacy as foliar applications, but do not have long residual activity.
- One Western NC note- typically these alerts are earlier than expected emergence here but this pest is very active on Knockout Roses this year and has been for over 10 days.
Columbine Leafminer
The first round of flowering is about over for my native columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. Columbine is a great early spring flower that flowers profusely and spread easily by seed. Spring bees and humming birds visit columbine flowers particularly in early spring when it is one of the only flowers present.
The columbine leafminer, Phytomyza aquilegivora, overwinters as pupae. Adults emerge in early spring and oviposit in new columbine leaves. Small white maggots mine the leaves creating white or grey serpentine pathways. Often entire leaves are discolored. Larvae pupate after about 10 days on the underside of leaves. Columbine leafminer has at least 4 overlapping generations per year in North Carolina. There are at least 13 species of parasitoids that become more abundant as the summer progresses.
Braman et al. (2005) reported that the native species, A. canadensis, is more resistant to leafminers than many other species of cultivars. Removing and destroying infested leaves before adults emerge may help reduce damage to subsequent leaves. Leafminer control is often best to left the parasitoids become established and just accept some damage. If you are a grower, there are several insecticides available to help reduce leafminer damage.
New industry articles on spider mite and thrips management for greenhouses.
Periodically I publish articles in industry magazines such as Greenhouse Grower, GrowerTalks, and American Nurseryman. The two most recent articles discuss spider mite and thrips management. You can find these and all industry articles at:
This pest feeds on roses, grapes, flowering plums and other plants during the mid summer and will begin to lay eggs fairly soon after the adults emerge. Once the eggs are laid we can expect the Juvenile stage; white grubs to hatch within 2 weeks. Adult beetles are already flying in large numbers in WNC. Landscapers should consider applying an insect for the adults NOW!. But turf grass managers need to consider starting applications of insects for the grubs in about 3 weeks. A couple of very safe products can be considered; Acelepryn (an IGR from Sygenta) and the beneficial nematode- Heterorhabditis
bacteriophora can be used. Both products will need multiple applications from mid July through September. Mach 2 and Merit are also two very good insecticides however use caution when applying either of these due to potential for damage to pollinators.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
IPM Workshop for Nursery Folk
IPM 2-day Workshop, Raleigh, NC. June 25-26, 2014.
The Southern Nursery IPM (SNIPM) Working Group recently received funding from the Southern IPM Center to present a hands-on, 2-day, professional development workshop focused on integrated pest management (IPM) for nursery crops to save resources, reduce pest damage and pesticide use, and create a safer working environment for employees. The training costs $15, which includes snacks, lunch and beverages for two days, as well as training materials described below.
YOU MUST PREREGISTER, THERE ARE NO REGISTRATIONS AT THE DOOR AT THE DAY OF THE WORKSHOP. TOTAL ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED TO 35 PEOPLE.
YOU MUST PREREGISTER, THERE ARE NO REGISTRATIONS AT THE DOOR AT THE DAY OF THE WORKSHOP. TOTAL ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED TO 35 PEOPLE.
REGISTER HERE:
Horticulture Headhouse & Greenhouse Complex at the Horticultural Field Lab located behind the J.C Raulston Arboretum
Directions to Horticulture Headhouse & Greenhouse Complex
Directions to Horticulture Headhouse & Greenhouse Complex
Wednesday 25 June 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday 26 June, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Training will include integrated management of diseases, arthropod pests, weeds, as well as cultural practices that influence pest management, and training on utilization of the IPMPro mobile device app. Attendees will be taught insect, disease and weed identification techniques using live samples.
Participants will receive a copy of IPMPro, Weeds of the Northeast, Weeds in Containers, and copy of the newly printed IPM for Shrubs in Southeastern U.S. Nursery Production, as well as other lecture handouts. Those things alone are worth $200.
All participants will be given a pre- and post-workshop survey as well as a post-season survey (Nov 2014) to gauge learning, comprehension, and adoption of IPM practices.
The training has been developed by the Southern Nursery IPM (SNIPM) Working Group - the same team that produced the IPMPro app, IPM Manual for Deciduous Trees, and the IPM Manual for Shrub Production. Instructors will include Joe Neal, Steven Frank and Anthony LeBude from NCSU; Matthew Chappell and Kris Braman from Univ. of Georgia, Sarah White and J.C. Chong from Clemson, and Nicole Gauthier from Univ. of KY. We are all grateful for the assistance from the Southern Region IPM Center.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Pest News for week of June 9th
ORNAMENTALS AND TURF
From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist
Gloomy Scale Crawlers are Active
Gloomy scale, Melanaspis tenebricosa, is an armored scale that is found on maples and other tree species. It becomes very abundant on landscape maples and can cause branch dieback and tree death in some cases. It is not unusual to find trees with nearly 100% of their trunk covered in scale. Street trees are particularly prone to gloomy scale. I have never found one that didn’t have it! Crawlers of this scale are active now and can be seen on bark and under scale covers. Control of this scale is complicated be-cause crawlers emerge over 6 to 8 weeks so it is impossible to treat all the crawlers at once with horticultural oil or other contact insecticide. This is as opposed to scale such as euonymus scale in which all crawlers are produced within a narrow window of two weeks or so. However, horticultural oil can still be applied to kill gloomy scale. We have tested several products against gloomy scale with mixed results. None provides consistent high levels of control. Products including Safari, TriStar, and Distance can provide some suppression. It is important to note that imidacloprid (e.g., Merit) is not effective on armored scale. More information on armored scale control can be found here (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/
Gloomy scale on a maple branch. Photo: Steve Frank.
Crapemyrtle Aphids
Crapemyrtle aphids are one of the most common pests of crape myrtle, but rarely require treatment. Small populations are present in Raleigh and have been building over the past couple weeks. Feedings by these aphids result in leaf yellowing and distortion, leaf drop, and honeydew deposits which of course lead to sooty mold. Crapemyrtle aphids are generally kept in check by natural enemies. When scouting for them I often find almost as many lacewing eggs, lady bug larvae, and other predators as aphids. Interestingly, there are no known parasitoids of this exotic aphid. A variety of chemicals are available should these aphids reach unacceptable levels in nurseries or landscapes. Some of the same chemicals recommended for aphids such as imidacloprid can be applied as a drench to protect against Japanese beetles later in the year. For more information on this pest including control options, visit http://ecoipm.com/ and Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note ENT/ort-31 at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
Friday, June 6, 2014
5th Annual Farm Workers Festival - Seeking Support
Plans are now being made for the 5th Annual Farm Workers Festival and we need your help. This event will include workshops that will help keep your workers and their families safe from pesticides, farm equipment, food borne illnesses and many other topics.
The event will be held August 10, 2014, 4 – 7 pm in Jackson Park at the large picnic shelters, next to North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Henderson County Center. The day’s activities will include a light evening meal for all participants, door prizes, and a day filled with fun, activities, and beneficial workshops. Please encourage your workers to attend and participate.
Would you also consider making a monetary donation to help support the Farm Workers Festival? Your donation would help to provide the food, door prizes and other materials for this festival.
If you have questions or suggestions for possible workshops, we would love to hear from you. You can contact this year's coordinator, Renay Knapp at 828/697-4891 or email her at renay_knapp@ncsu.edu.
We appreciate what you do in supporting your workers and the valuable service they provide.
For more information contact your local Cooperative Extension Center and ask for the Commercial Horticulture Agent.
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