Commercial ornamental horticulturists — landscapers, arborists, sod growers, golf-course superintendents, and lawn-care professionals — are educated through a variety of University of Illinois Extension efforts throughout the year.

Presentations by Extension specialists and educators are offered to members of the green industry throughout the year at the North Central Turfgrass Conference, Southern Illinois Grounds Maintenance School, Horticulture Plant Maintenance Seminar, and the University of Illinois Horticulture and Landscape Field Day. Integrated pest management (IPM) and plant health care (PHC) information is also provided through category training sessions at Pesticide Applicator Training Clinics for those green industry members who apply pesticides.

A Commercial Landscape and Turf Pest Management Handbook (revised every other year) provides current University of Illinois Extension management recommendations for insect pests, diseases, and weeds associated with professionally managed trees, shrubs, flowers, turfgrass, and other ornamentals.

Elm foliage samples are gathered in the field and then taken to the lab to determine defoliation levels, larval development, and host preference of the elm leafminer.

Leaf samples are taken to better understand the within-tree distribution, larval development, and host suitability of the elm leafminer, for use in elm breeding programs.

Multiple-choice feeding tests use adult elm leaf beetles and Japanese beetles to see which elm species and hybrids these defoliating insects prefer. The tests are part of a collaborative research effort between the U of I and The Morton Arboretum.

Contacts:

Ray Cloyd, rcloyd@uiuc.edu, NRES

Fredric Miller, millerf@mail.aces.uiuc.edu, Extension

Phil Nixon, p-nixon1@uiuc.edu, NRES

Soybean Aphid Workshop Download and view powerpoint presentations from the workshop....