LBAM found in Santa Barbara County, Calif.
A single light brown apple moth (LBAM) has been detected in Carpinteria, Santa Barbara County, Calif. The trap that caught the male moth was part of a statewide trapping array deployed to detect new infested sites as early as possible. The detection triggered increased trapping to determine if additional moths are present. If more moths are found in the vicinity, the area would be quarantined to limit movement of plants, produce, yard waste and related articles. LBAM is native to Australia and is found in New Zealand, U.K. and Hawaii. Its range of host plants includes more than 2,000 species. The pest destroys, stunts or deforms young seedlings, spoils the appearance of ornamentals and injures citrus, grapes and deciduous fruit tree crops.

California finalizes LBAM eradication plan
On the heels of the latest LBAM discovery in Santa Barbara, Calif., the state outlined a plan to eradicate the pest. Aerial treatment with the moth pheromone will be the primary control tool. Treatments are slated to begin June 1 in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. This plan is crucial because a statewide infestation could cost up to $640 million in crop damage annually.

Univ. of Fla. president faces criticism over ag. comment
Whether or not Univ. of Fla. President Bernie Machen called Florida ag. a dying industry, he faces a political firestorm. Machen denied this month that he said "agriculture is a dying industry in the state of Florida" and "not worthy of the investments being made by the Legislature" in the university's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). Machen's comments were reported Feb. 5 in the online version of Farm & Ranch News, a Tampa-based newspaper. The president denied making those comments in a letter to the publisher and in a press statement. Nevertheless, the accusations generated concern among ag. leaders and legislators. At issue is how much of a proposed $50 million cut in this year's UF budget IFAS will have to absorb. Stephen Orlando, a UF spokesman, told the Lakeland Ledger the university would have to cut that amount from its 2007-08 budget and a similar amount in the next fiscal year. But Machen said he would not cut funding for "critical basic or applied research."

Atlanta bucks Georgia governor's water ban relief
Atlanta homeowners won't get a reprieve from water bans, despite Ga. Gov. Sonny Perdue's announcement earlier this month to ease water restrictions. Perdue allowed residents to hand-water for 25 minutes a day on an odd-even schedule between midnight and 10 a.m. "We are still in a Level 4 drought," said Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. "And we still are under an obligation to cut our use 10%. We can't allow outdoor watering and meet that goal." A 30-day exemption for new landscaping is still in effect, but Atlanta will no longer exempt watering for lawn overseeding and aeration. Franklin granted an exemption to filling pools.

AARS announces 2009 winners
Last week Carefree Spirit, Pink Promise and Cinco de Mayo were named the All-America Rose Selections' 2009 winners. Carefree Spirit has deep-red flowers with white accents. It was hybridized by Jacques Mouchotte and introduced by Conard-Pyle. Pink Promise, a hybrid tea with large, pink flowers and dark-green foliage, was introduced by Coiner Nursery. A percentage of sales from this rose will be donated to Nat'l. Breast Cancer Foundation. Cinco de Mayo's lavender flowers have a hint of rusty red-orange. It was hybridized by Tom Carruth and introduced by Weeks Roses.

Oregon widens SOD quarantine area
Ore. Dept. of Ag. is increasing its sudden oak death quarantine area in Curry County from 26 square miles to about 162 square miles based on new discoveries of the disease. The site, northeast of Brookings, remains the only place in Oregon where Phytophthora ramorum, the fungus causing the disease, has been found in the wild. 5 new diseased sites have been detected outside the original 2007 quarantine area. They are part of the original infestation, but some are more than 2 miles from past sites. The quarantine has been extended to a 3-mile buffer around all known infected sites. The goal is to keep potentially infected plant material from leaving the area.

Discovering the world of sustainability
The majority of U.S. firms aren't addressing ways to improve environmental performance, according to one study. Project: Green Industry

Worth a visit
The GMPRO Combo Chef shows you how to create a sparkling combination highlighting silvery selections, and a container that puts coleus 'Defiance' in the spotlight with some worthy supporting actors. Only on GreenBeam.com.

Mavrik Aquaflow® Insecticide/Miticide provides immediate and long term, broad-spectrum insect control for use on all greenhouse and nursery crops. For more information contact your local distributor, call 1-800-248-7763 or visit us online at www.mavrikaquaflow.com.

Since 1910, Dayton Bag & Burlap has served the nursery industry with the highest quality products from 4 locations nationwide. Visit www.daybag.com for more information!

Collier Metal's Sign Holders feature low-cost, durable galvanized construction for years of use. You can use the sign holders to identify, price and describe plants, bag goods or hard goods. Custom sizes and colors are available.

Each cultivar selected for the Chicagoland Grows® Plant Introduction Program has proven performance under Northern growing conditions after a rigorous, independent evaluation by the region's top horticultural experts.