New Pennsylvania Christmas Tree IPM Manual Available

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA December 09, 2010 (Press-News.org) A new manual will help Pennsylvania growers identify, monitor and control insect and disease pests affecting Christmas trees using integrated pest management (IPM).

Produced by the Pennsylvania IPM Program, Integrated Pest Management for Christmas Tree Production is the first manual customized for Pennsylvania conditions that describes pests and their management. The pests included are common on Christmas trees in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the United States, however, many of these pests can be found in other regions of the United States also. The manual draws upon expertise from Penn State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to help growers to incorporate IPM techniques into their farm operation.

IPM aims to manage pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe, profitable and environmentally compatible. Tactics such as scouting, monitoring and the substitution of safer chemicals are all part of a Christmas tree IPM program.

The 208-page full-color manual includes IPM basics, pest fact sheets, pesticide information and appendixes such as a pest and disease photo chart, over 400 color photos and a photo index, seasonal monitoring guide, scouting record templates and lists of pests and a glossary. Spiral-bound with a waterproof cover, the manual is intended for field use for any level of grower, whether professional or hobbyist.

The manual was produced as part of a larger research project under the direction of Cathy Thomas, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture IPM coordinator. During the project, Thomas, Sarah Pickel, and Brian Schildt, PA IPM program associates, worked with growers to develop better scouting and monitoring techniques, which are included in the new manual.

Hard copies of the manual can be obtained through the Publications Distribution Center by calling 814-865-6713, e-mail AgPubsDist@psu.edu, or by filling out the order form at web site http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/orders_CAS.asp (specify publication AGRS-117 on the order form). The cost is $40 plus shipping and handling. A PDF copy of the publication can be downloaded from Web site http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/agrs117.pdf or http://extension.psu.edu/ipm/program/christmas-tree-production.

The project was funded by a grant from PDA agricultural research funds. For more information on Christmas tree pest management, go to the Penn State Christmas Tree Web site at http://ctrees.cas.psu.edu/default.html.

The Pennsylvania IPM program is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture aimed at promoting integrated pest management in both agricultural and urban settings. For more information, contact the program at (814) 865-2839, or Web site http://www.paipm.org/.