The Oregon Association of Nurseries will present three hours of grower seminars from noon–3:10 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25 at the NW Ag Show. The show runs Jan. 24–26 at the Portland Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Drive, Portland, Ore. Your paid seminar registration includes admission to the expo floor. The seminars are as follows:

• Noon–1:10 p.m. — A Systems Approach for Managing Nursery Diseases and Pests — Dr. Jennifer Parke, Oregon State University — The Safe Procurement and Production Manual, recently published by the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), describes a systems approach for the production of healthy nursery stock emphasizing grower-initiated strategies for prevention of diseases and pests. Dr. Jennifer Parke, associate professor, will provide an interactive overview of the manual and show how it can be used to conduct a site risk assessment, fine-tune existing practices, or develop a full scale systems approach program. Nursery owners, managers, and employees will all benefit from this guide and session.
• 1:10–2:10 p.m. — Bugs in the System: Enhancing Biological Control in Greenhouses and Nurseries — Robin Rosetta, Oregon State University North Willamette Research Center — There are a number of factors that influence the activity of natural enemies and the success of biological control programs. This session will cover key actions that growers can take to enhance activity of natural enemies. The presentation will focus on attraction, augmentation, and conservation of beneficial insects and mites.
• 2:10–3:10 p.m. — Bugs, not Drugs — John Maurer, Evergreen Growers Supply and Brian Spencer, Applied Bio-Nomics — Learn how using beneficial insects can be used with and without the use of pesticides.

Get into all three seminars for one low rate — OAN members $35, full-time students $25 and non-members $45. You can register and pay online at the OAN website. Note: The schedule has been submitted to Oregon and Washington for recertification credits.