Emerald Ash Borer, Plant Growth Regulation, and Soil Care. Hosted by Rainbow Ecoscience and Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA).
More than ever, green industry professionals are looking for new solutions that can help them better manage some of the biggest trees and plant health care issues. Join us for this hands-on town hall to learn about some of the latest solutions for your PHC program including:
- Using plant growth regulators to be able to do more with your existing labor and reduce pruning/trimming spikes.
- The latest research on tree injection wounding and how to get optimal product uptake and even distribution for emerald ash borer management.
- Understanding mycorrhizae and the benefits to the trees.
- Field demonstrations and best practices for foliar shrub applications, tree injection, and soil amendments.
Venue: Forest Park Visitor Center, 5595 Grand Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112
Date: July 19th 2022
Time: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
ISA CEUs
Light Breakfast & Lunch Included
Free Event
Registration
If you do not see the form below or have trouble registering, please contact us
Agenda
8:00-9:30 am Registration / Sign In / Breakfast
8:30-8:45 am Introduction
Lee Fredricks, Territory Manager, Rainbow Ecoscience
- Welcome
- Safety brief
- Housekeeping, photo / video
- Review the agenda for the day and expectations
- Introduction of guest speakers and Rainbow staff
8:45-10:15 am Economics of Using PRGs in Landscape on Shrubs
Ariana Torres, Assistant Professor
Labor is the single largest expense in agriculture, and the landscape industry is no exception. Labor costs can represent between 30% to 55% of all costs for landscape businesses (IBIS World, 2019). Thus, landscape managers are constantly looking for new technologies to reduce labor expenditures, one of them being PGRs (plant growth regulators) to maintain shrubs in landscapes. This presentation will provide information on labor savings and economic benefits of using PGRs for shrub maintenance. We will also cover how labor wages and pruning demand can affect the economic impact of PGRs.
Ariana Torres
Dr. Torres’ research focuses on the decision-making processes of specialty crop farmers, along with the economic feasibility of technologies used by industry stakeholders. Her expertise includes the economic modeling of adoption of new technologies, the development of decision-making tools for specialty crop growers, and the economic impact of growers decision-making processes. Her research provides relevant research-based information to her extension program, Horticulture Business (www.hort.purdue.edu/hortbusiness) to provide training and publications to farmers, business owners, Extension personnel, and policymakers.
10:15-10:30 pm Break
10:30- 11:30 am Ashability of Emerald Ash Borer Management: Advancements in Tree Injection Research and Technology
Rich Hauer, Professor of Urban Forestry at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
As we hit the 20th anniversary of the emerald ash borer (EAB) discovery in North America, what have we learned? What does the next 20 years hold for ash trees? Join us for an interdisciplinary journey using lessons learned with EAB management. See how science has led to effective treatments based on tree size and health as reliable predictors at preventing tree loss. Next, we will explore an ash tree retention and replacement study using tree canopy as a currency to evaluate a no net loss of tree canopy over a 20-year-time period? We will explore EAB decision making by using sustainability constructs. What do we know about tree treatments to prevent ash loss? Finally, practical findings from field studies with tree and soil injection and will further help with your short- to long-term decisions with ash tree populations.
Rich Hauer
Richard Hauer is a Professor of Urban Forestry at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point teaching courses in urban forestry, nursery management, woody plants, dendrology, and introduction to forestry. He received his B.S. from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, M.S. from the University of Illinois, and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Rich has conducted research in tree biology, tree diversity, urban forest management, emerald ash borer management, trees and construction, tree risk management, and ice storms. He received the L.C. Chadwick Award for Arboricultural Research from the International Society of Arboriculture and UW-System Board of Regents Excellence in Teaching. He has published over 180 publications and presented over 440 talks throughout the world. Dr. Hauer is also an Associate Editor of the Journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greenspaces.
11:30- 12:30 pm Key Components & Plant Benefits of the Horticultural Alliance Bio-Organic Blends of Trees & Shrub Nutrients
Jon Oren, Horticultural Alliance
These dry products contain living organisms and many biological and natural ingredients. How do these products benefit their host plants and the surrounding soil biota? We will explore a few key ingredients of a variety of the Horticultural Alliance blends and how they buffer against stress, increase nutrient uptake, impact water retention, and improve overall plant health.
Jon Oren
Jon has been with Horticultural Alliance for four years, interacting with beneficial micro-organisms and biostimulants in treecare, landscape and agriculture. Horticultural Alliance, under the broader umbrella of Hello Nature® companies, seeks to bring sustainable solutions to all sectors of the green industry. Prior to joining Horticultural Alliance, Jon worked in the healthcare chemical industry. Jon is passionate about doing more with less by growing plants in proven, safe and sustainable ways for humans and their environments. His hobbies include gardening, working on his old schoolhouse, weightlifting, walking and reading. His favorite tree is the state tree of Indiana where he resides – the tulip tree. Jon and his wife Rachael live in an old schoolhouse with their five kids. In 2017, Rachael and Jon co-founded a collaborative, university-schedule, classical school in greater Indianapolis which Rachael runs full-time and four of their children attend. If Jon were hosting a dinner party and could invite three guests, they would include Wendell Berry (farmer, essayist, novelist and poet), Kevin Kelly (technologist and co-founder of Wired magazine) and Jesus. Jon holds a M.Div. from Clarks Summit University and a B.A. in International Business from Cedarville University.
12:30-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-2:00 pm Mycorrhizae – Diehard Applications
Lee Fredricks, Territory Manager, Rainbow Ecoscience & Jon Oren, Horticultural Alliance
Back to Basics – How to Plant a Tree Using DIEHARD™ Transplant: Transplanting a tree or shrub properly is vital for long-term health. We will revisit the basics of transplanting and demonstrate the proper way to use DIEHARD™ Transplant in the planting hole.
How to deep root fertilize a Tree Using DIEHARD™ Injectable formulations: this will include mixing, agitation, and application to the drip zone of the tree and or shrub for optimum uptake and benefits to the plant.
Lee Fredricks
With over 27 years of experience in many sectors throughout the green industry including owning a tree care company, campus ground management, and commercial landscape operations management and business development. Prior to joining Rainbow, Lee worked with Brickman Group and Asplundh. Lee is passionate about building trusted relationships and delivering quality service and support.
2:00-2:30 pm Using Cambistat for Growth Control & Tree Health – Soil Injection Demonstration and Training
Justin Matlock, Territory Manager, Rainbow Ecoscience
During this demonstration, we’ll get hands on with soil injections / soil drenches and discuss the best practices, PPE requirements, and timing techniques to get predictable control with Cambistat to control tree growth and improve overall tree health.
Justin Matlock
Justin has over 14 years of green industry experience. As the Midwest Territory Manager, Justin provides products, equipment, protocol training and education to tree care professionals across Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, and Nebraska. He strives to not just be a “distributor” but a true resource for his clients. His hometown is Kansas City, KS.
2:30-3:00 pm Trimtect Foliar Application Demonstration
Lee Fredricks, Territory Manager, Rainbow Ecoscience
Trimtect is a shrub growth regulator. It has many benefits including reducing the labor required for regular maintenance of shrubs and hedges allowing companies and municipalities to reallocate existing labor and reducing frequent trimming spikes. It also improves the overall appearance of flowering plants and increases the plant’s tolerance to drought and other urban environmental stresses. The key to proper application of Trimtect is to understand the nuances and best practices of the foliar application process. During the demonstration, we will cover the foliar spray techniques on shrubs and hedges, best practices for complete coverage, and expectations for control.
3:00-3:30 pm Emerald Ash Borer – Tree Injection Demonstration & Training
Erik Lindberg, Rainbow Ecoscience
During this demonstration, we’ll show you how to get efficient and predictable control for emerald ash borer using the latest tree injection technology, tree injection best practices, and tips for optimal uptake, timing, and product distribution.
Erik Lindberg
Erik provides education and training to Rainbow’s clients. He also works with the research and development department in conducting trials, analyzing data, and writing research reports. Erik received his bachelors from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire majoring in Ecology and Environmental Biology with a chemistry minor. He has a M.S. in Biology with an emphasis in forest ecology from Texas Tech University. He is a licensed pesticide applicator in Minnesota and previously worked as a R&D project manager and plant healthcare technician for Rainbow.
3:30-4:00 pm Closing Remarks and ISA Credits
