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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Insects and Horticulture Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #302909

Title: A call to action - Or others will force their will upon us!

Author
item CHAMBERLIN, JOE - Valent Usa Corporation
item McKenzie, Cindy
item OSBORNE, LANCE - University Of Florida
item SCHMALE, LIN - Society Of American Florists

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/31/2013
Publication Date: 2/21/2013
Citation: Chamberlin, J., McKenzie, C. Osborne, L., Schmale, L. 2013. A call to action - Or others will force their will upon us! Society of American Florists Meeting, February 21-23, San Francisco, California. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Pest and Production Management Conference XXIX. 71-81.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Invasive species and resistant pest biotypes pose a significant threat to the ornamentals industry, and their numbers have increased rapidly in recent years. In addition, the development of pesticide resistant pests, a decline in the introduction of new management tools, and environmental concerns about pesticides threaten the availability of tools that can be used to effectively manage invasive pests. To confront these threats, all segments of the ornamentals industry must work together. Further, it is also important to recognize that with each passing day, the ornamentals industry is becoming increasingly global in structure. As a result, individual growers cannot successfully deal with the issue of invasive species on their own. Instead all components of the ornamentals industry (propagators, growers, pesticide manufacturers, regulatory agencies, university scientists and the trade media) must work together if we are to successfully confront and manage the issues associated with the movement of pests on ornamental plants. In this paper, we will discuss how invasive pests threaten the ornamentals industry including regulatory action, lack of effective or economic control measures and decreases in the introduction of new chemistry for control. We will use the introduction of the biotype Q whitefly into North America to demonstrate how effective action and cooperation on the part of ornamental propagators, offshore produces, domestic growers, scientists and regulators as a successful model for future efforts with other pests.