Shade Tree and Ornamental Breeding Evaluations
9 a.m. - Noon    Room A 107-109

  Audience Guide: Nursery
  Moderator: Sarah Doane, Oregon Research Station manager,
  Landscape Plant Development Center

9 - 10:00 a.m.
Planting the 21st Century Urban Forest
  Speaker: Dr. Olsen, research geneticist, U.S. National Arboretum

Rapid globalization and urban sprawl in the latter half of the 20th century lead to drastic increases in the size of the urban forest at the expense of natural forests. Globalization has increased both the incidence and rate of spread for invasive forest pests, and when combined with concern over invasive tree species, has severely restricted the available palette of trees for planting the urban forest. This talk will address how these issues affect selecting potential new tree varieties for the urban environment, and opportunities for tree breeders to re-invent both over- and under-utilized tree species.

10 - 11:00 a.m.
Behind the Academic Curtain: From Basic Research to Useful Plants
  Speaker: Ryan Contreras, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Georgia

Introduction to a number of techniques often used in woody ornamental plant breeding and cultivar development with emphasis on how breeders utilize basic science in the development of plants for the nursery industry. Brief description of several techniques will be followed by a more detailed explanation of how these tools are used on specific taxa in the breeding program at The University of Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station. Taxa to be discussed in this context will include Callicarpa, Hibiscus and Cryptomeria.

11 a.m. - Noon
Ornamental Plant Breeding at the University of Georgia
  Speaker: Dr. John Ruter, professor, University of Georgia

Learn about the ornamental breeding and selection programs in the Horticulture Department at The University of Georgia. Emphasis will be placed on recent releases and plants that are in the pipeline as future introductions, as well as plants that thrive in USDA zone 8. Find out which herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees might be new introductions for your nursery or landscape.

Sustaining Your Retail Business

 9 a.m. - Noon    Room B 110-112

  Audience Guide: Retail
 Moderator: Cindy Lou Pease, owner, Evans Farms

9 - 10:00 a.m.
To P.O.P. or Not to P.O.P. That is the Question...
  Speaker: Frances Hopkins, owner, Under a Foot Plant Co.

Being a retailer is a hard enough job these days with rising fuel costs, competitors on every corner and the all mighty dollar not always stretching from the consumer’s pocket directly to your door. So why in the world would you want, or for that matter need P.O.P. in your store? Fran Hopkins, the creator of the STEPABLES® brand will give an entertaining talk about what she believes is the key component to making consumers stop browsing and start buying. See how Point of Purchase material can give your store that retail edge it needs to sell products quicker, more profitably, and use fewer employees.

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Boomerang Marketing
  Speaker: Debbie Knitz, owner, BlingKing Lizard Design

Give your customers a reason to come back to you by cross promoting your agritainment calendar of events throughout the year. Knitz will show effective examples of merchandising strategies that compel customers to buy! Lastly are you really plugged into the information highway that your customers are tuned into?

11 a.m. - Noon
The Next Generation
  Speaker: Noah Schwartz, head grower and greenhouse manager, Matterhorn Nursery

Sustainability isn’t just a buzz word for going green – it’s also an important concept for a businesses success. How do we, as industry leaders, attract the next generation of professional and in turn, how do those young recruits help us appeal to a younger customer base? While there are no easy answers, there are strategies, marketing ideas and support systems that point us in the right direction. Join Noah Schwartz, Grower Talks Magazine 2006 Young Grower of the Year, as he discusses methods of looking forward to the next group of professionals and customers and anticipating their needs and expectations while balancing everything in a way that keeps you one step ahead.

Pest and Disease Management

 9 a.m. - Noon    Room B 113-115

  Audience Guide: Nursery, Greenhouse
  Moderator: George Bear, area manager,
  APEX / Simplot

9 - 10:30 a.m.
Understanding the Obvious and Not So Obvious: A Plain-Speak Discussion on Product Labels & Resistance Management
  Speakers: Steve Larson, national ornamentals account mgr, BASF and Todd Burkdoll, technical specialist turf and ornamentals, BASF

In this presentation you will hear about developing a sensible resistance management program which will be followed up with the importance of understanding product labels. Larson will discuss the basics of chemical resistance, minimizing resistance risk, recognizing 'at-risk' chemicals, tactics for managing resistance and chemical rotation basics. Burkdoll will include the inputs and resources that go into a crop protection label, label interpretation, benefits of reading and understanding a label before use and how you can expand your knowledge and expertise by knowing a label thoroughly before applying a product as well as legal obligations when using a crop protection product.

10:30 - Noon
Your Trees on Crack
  Speaker: Dr. Hanna Mathers, associate professor, Ohio State University

The economic cost to the U.S. nursery/ landscape industry of bark cracking is estimated at $6.6 million annually, according to recent calculations. These cost estimates continue a pattern of strong and steady increased severity and frequency of bark cracking throughout the US nursery/landscape industry since 2003. In 2003-4, researchers at Ohio State University first speculated that bark cracking was not solely related to cold injury as previously accepted. Concurrently, consumer preference for faster working glyphosate products was driving production of various surfactants to break down the cuticle of plants and increase rate and amount of glyphosate uptake. However, the absorption of glyphosate into thin barked or pigmented-bark also increased. Exposure to an ornamental plant through green bark is considered a sub-lethal dose. Previous researchers and current Ohio State University studies indicate sub-lethal glyphosate dosing results in glyphosate accumulation in root systems of nursery and landscape thin-green-barked trees with severe consequences. In this session we will evaluate current labeling for glyphosate products, their influence in woody plants and methods to reduce their use including proper use of preemergence herbicides.