IPM Symposium to Take Place in N.C.
The North Carolina Arboretum, an affiliate of the University of North Carolina system, in conjunction with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, will host its sixth annual Integrated Pest Management (IPM) symposium on Sept. 22, 2016, in the Arboretum’s Education Center in Asheville.
The IPM symposium is a continuing education and professional development resource for members of the green industry who want to learn more about developing an integrated pest management program that incorporates the use of beneficial insects and biocontrols to manage pest issues in greenhouses, nurseries, landscapes and on farm crops.
Participants who attend the full-day conference will also have the opportunity to receive pesticide credits and continuing education units (CEUs) in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
This year’s speaking panels will feature many local growers who will discuss their IPM practices and offer guidance to attendees to help them develop or improve their integrated pest management programs. The symposium will also welcome researcher and University of Kentucky professor Dan Potter along with University of Maryland extension specialist Stanton Gill as keynote speakers. Potter has specialized in pests and beneficial insects for more than 40 years, and Gill has authored and been featured in dozens of books and publications focused on insects, disease and bio-controls.
“At the Arboretum, we have been using beneficial insects in our production greenhouse and bonsai exhibition garden for several years,” explained George Briggs, executive director of The North Carolina Arboretum. “As we continue to see more interest from the industry around pollinators, we hope that this year’s IPM program will provide attendees with better resources and materials to manage their horticultural and agricultural needs safely, innovatively and sustainably.”
In addition to the emphasis on protecting pollinators at the IPM symposium, the Arboretum’s 2016 Seasonal Landscape Exhibits program is focused on plantings and nesting sites for pollinators. Recently, the Arboretum was named as the nation’s seventh Bee Campus USA in honor of its ongoing educational and horticulture work around pollinators.
“We continue to make strides to help conserve our pollinator populations and manage our horticulture programs in a sustainable manner,” continued Briggs. “This year’s IPM symposium is a great way to carry on our pollinator conversation and provide our colleagues and trade professionals with techniques and insights that they can take back with them to their greenhouse, nursery, farm or landscape organization.”
IPM attendees must register in advance online at www.ncarboretum.org or by calling 828.665.2492. The symposium’s special early-bird discount ends September 1, 2016.
For a full list of speakers and lectures or to register, please visit http://www.ncarboretum.org/eve
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