Grower, breeder William Flemer III dies
Renowned nurseryman and breeder William Flemer III died April 22 at age 85. He helped grow his company, Princeton Nurseries in Allentown, N.J., into a premier grower of shade and ornamental trees and shrubs. His plant-breeding programs developed many varieties that remain staples in U.S. landscapes. Flemer held patents on more than 45 trees, shrubs and vines including October Glory red maple, Green Vase zelkova, Green Mountain sugar maple, Shademaster honeylocust, Greenspire linden and Princeton Sentry ginkgo. Flemer was named NMPRO Nursery Grower of the Year in 1998.

LBAM quarantine finalized; Florida adds requirements
Calif. Dept. of Food and Ag. finalized its quarantine for light brown apple moth (LBAM), a newly discovered invasive species. The quarantine includes parts of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Marin and Santa Clara counties. CDFA expects to add Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties to the quarantine because of recent detections. The quarantine prohibits movement of all nursery stock within or from the quarantine region unless it is "certified as free from the pest by an agricultural official; is purchased at a retail outlet; or was produced outside the area and is passing through in accordance with accepted safeguards." Florida is requiring all live plants from California have a Certificate of Quarantine Compliance stating it was inspected and found free of LBAM within 14 days of shipment. LBAM was first detected in the Bay Area Feb. 27. More than 170 pests have been detected as of April 20. More than 250 plant species are susceptible.

New fire ant biocontrol could be coming
USDA is seeking a partner to develop a biological fire ant control. Researchers at the Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research Unit discovered an ant-infecting virus, Solenopsis invicta virus-1, that causes the slow death of infected red imported fire ant colonies. Once introduced, the virus can kill a colony in 2-3 months. Cooperators are needed to develop methods for growing and packaging the virus commercially. Integrating the virus into attractant baits could yield a tool for use by the pest-control industry, growers and consumers.

Michigan enacts plum pox quarantine
Mich. Dept. of Ag. established a nursery-stock quarantine to prevent the spread of plum pox virus. MDA detected the virus in a single plum tree near Benton Harbor last fall. The state quarantine restricts movement of susceptible trees and plant parts near this area, but does not affect movement of fruits, according to MDA. "Our ability to regulate the movement of stone fruit nursery stock, rootstock and cuttings is crucial for preventing the artificial spread of PPV to other areas of Michigan and surrounding states," said Ken Rauscher, director of Mich. Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. PPV is a disease of stone fruits, but the D-strain identified in Michigan is not known to infect cherry trees. A map of the quarantine area is on the MDA Web site.

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