Approaches in the Southern Region to Research and Extension for Sustainable Landscape Plant Production, Use and Pest Management

One of the largest agricultural commodities in the U.S. is the Green Industry, consisting of various component industries linking landscape plant production and ultimate consumer use.  Plant production alone involves thousands of species in containers, in-ground, under shade and in protected culture requiring myriad culture and management practices.  Other aspects of the Green Industry include regulation, marketing, sales, design, installation, maintenance and allied industries.  Green Industry use of sustainable practices is confounded by consumer purchasing patterns indicating low tolerances for imperfect plant products.  Consequently, production and maintenance often involve high use rates of water, fertilizer, and pesticides that are neither worker nor environmentally friendly.  Attempts to develop sustainable production, maintenance and IPM strategies for the Green Industry have been challenged by the number of plant species, growing methods, climatic zones and site conditions across the U.S.   Nevertheless, current emphases on sustainability necessitate innovation in developing integrated approaches to make landscape plant production and consumption more environmentally compatible.

More than 45 stakeholders from eight states convened and developed a series of strategies for southeastern U.S. regional approaches to create sustainable landscape plant production, use and pest management.  Stakeholders included scientists, producers, allied industry representatives and regulatory organization personnel.  In facilitated sessions, the participants determined research, extension and regulatory priorities for the Green Industry.  These ideas were discussed initially in terms of production/use, disease, arthropod and weed issues.  Group participants found commonalities in strategies and tactics that delineate interactions between disciplines to facilitate integrated, transactional approaches to sustainable landscape plant production and use.  Common themes and unifying concepts were explored in areas such as plant and pest phenology, water (quantity, quality, runoff, reuse and application methods), key pests, host plant resistance, plant-disease-pest ecological interactions and key production barriers.  Participants then outlined a schedule of priority issues to address and thereby move the Green Industry toward more rapid change.