Many industries bringing plant material into the United States will be required to file a Lacey Act disclosure beginning on Dec. 15, according to USDA/APHIS. But thanks to some astute lobbying, the nursery industry will not be among them. The new Lacey Act provision (PDF) was included in the 2008 Farm Bill, approved in May. […]
Entomologist heads up Hood River extension center
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Oregon State University has hired tree fruit entomologist Dr. Peter Shearer as superintendent of the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center (MCAREC) in Hood River, Ore. Before starting work for OSU, he was a tree fruit entomologist for Rutgers University in his native state of New Jersey, but he has past Oregon connections as well. […]
Oregon Invasive Species Council seeking nominees
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Courtesy of the incomparable Robin Rosetta (subscribe to her listserv here – you’ll be glad you did), we received word that the Oregon Invasive Species Council is looking for nominees for some soon-to-be-available council positions. The council has a vital mission — to facilitate communication, cooperation and education on invasive species problems (such as sudden oak […]
Master Gardener course returns to Portland
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It’s been six years since Master Gardener training was last offered in Portland, but now, the drought is over. An 11-week course will be taught from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. every Thursday, starting Jan. 8 and ending March 19, at Central Lutheran Church, 8120 N.E. 21st Ave (directions), Portland. Registration is underway online. The deadline to […]
Tuesday afternoon Green Industry Seminars kick off Oct. 28
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The 2008 Willamette Valley Green Industry Seminars will be every Tuesday afternoon from Oct. 28-Dec. 14 at the Oregon Garden’s Natural Resource Education Center, Silverton, Ore. Each class is from 1-4:15 p.m., and the cost is $45 per session, $105 for any three, or $225 for all of them. The initial seminar, Oct. 28, is […]
State to set benchmarks for seven pesticides
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The state of Oregon has identified seven pesticides for which it will establish benchmarks for safe levels in Oregon’s waterways, the Statesman Journal of Salem, Ore. reported last month. All seven were selected because they have been found in Oregon streams and could have risks to the health of humans and/or salmon and other fish. […]
Gall mites cause problems for growers
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A microscopic mite about .01 inch long is giving nurseries fits because it is destructive, yet difficult to detect, the Capital Press reported. According to Robin Rosetta of the OSU Extension Service, the eriophyid mite, also known as the gall mite, can cause galls, scarring, discoloration, wrinkling and malformation on growing shoots. The tiny bugs […]
Curry County still fighting p. ramorum
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Timber owners, nurseries and other interested parties are working to prevent the spread of P. ramorum, or sudden oak death, in Curry County, Ore., on the southern Oregon Coast. According to the Curry Coastal Pilot newspaper in Brookings, Ore., the Curry County Biomass Working Group has invited Forest Service officials who are experts to speak […]
Out-of-state firewood: bad
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Oregon residents are being asked to make sure that if they purchase firewood, that it comes from Oregon. According to Dan Hilburn, administrator of the Oregon Department of Agriculture Plant Division, that’s because firewood often allows diseases and invasive species to hitchhike to new locales, endangering trees and nursery stocks in whole new areas. Officials […]
Chrysanthemum white rust found in Connecticut
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Puccinia horiana, also known as chrysanthemum white rust, was detected at six locations in two counties in Connecticut, the Litchfield County Times (Conn.) reported last week. Additionally, the parasite also was found in Michigan, according to a USDA bulletin. According to the USDA, “Chrysanthemum white rust may be recognized by the small white to yellow […]