2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Management of weeds, diseases and insect pests in horticultural crops remains considerably challenging for producers. Stakeholders and land owners depend on knowledge and recommendations from professional horticulturists, including Extension educators, crop consultants, and researchers in order to manage endemic and invasive species. These challenges are increasing in complexity as we are faced to address risks posed by new invasive species, chemical resistance, labor shortages, new regulations on pest protectants, and climate change. In the horticultural crops sector, there is increasing demand from stakeholders for environmentally sustainable management practices that protect beneficial species such as pollinators and monarch butterflies, for example. Increasingly, management practices need to be effective but at the same time selective to limit negative effects on beneficial organisms. There are a number of national programs that can help horticulturists address these management challenges and develop robust research projects and outreach programs. The ASHS conference is the ideal venue for knowledge sharing and provides an opportunity for continued education, dialogue and discussion around dynamic national priority issues. In this workshop, we will highlight resources that horticulturists can connect with to improve research and outreach programs devoted to sustainable practices for weed, disease and pest management in fruit and vegetable production systems. Speakers will provide an overview of their programs and initiatives and describe how horticulturists may connect with or benefit from their programs. Participants will discuss the utility of current resources, identify any gaps in resources, and generate ideas for future endeavors.

The last 30 minutes of the workshop will feature an interactive panel discussion with the three speakers to allow for general discussion. The moderator will be prepared with questions to stimulate discussion between the speakers and the audience members on the utility of the resources identified as well as highlighting other resources not covered here. We will also spend time discussing needs and priorities for managing newly emerging pests, diseases, and weeds significant to various horticultural industries.