Would like to THANK the following companies for being Membership Sponsors
GOLD MEMBERSHIP SPONSORS
Barky Beaver Mulch & Soil Mix, Inc.
Blankenship Farms and Nursery
Botanico, Inc.
Flower City Nurseries
Living Earth Nashville
Living Earth Knoxville
Nashville Landscape Systems, Inc.
Putnals Premium Pine Straw, Inc.
Randall Walker Farms
Safeguard Nursery Products
Swafford Nursery, Inc.
Tennessee 811
Tennessee Wholesale Nursery
Warren County Nursery, Inc.
SILVER MEMBERSHIP SPONSORS
Carpe Diem Farms
Dayton Bag & Burlap Co.
Old Courthouse Nursery
Scenic Hills Nursery
Turf Mountain Sod
T INTERESTING TIMES
here is an ancient Chinese Proverb that says, “May you live in interesting times.” Well, the past year or so has definitely been interesting times in the Nursery and Landscape world in general and on the TNLA board in particular. We have faced two major challenges, the first was the pending ban on chlorpyrifos (Dursban) and the second was the proposed Plant Pest Rule from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA). I am happy to report that our position won the day in both cases. The EPA refused to put a nation-wide ban on chlorpyrifos and TDA withdrew the proposed Plant Pest Rule.
Here are the key take-aways from facing these two challenges. First, membership in organizations such as TNLA and AmericanHort is a force multiplier. It means we speak with a much bigger megaphone with the power of all the members combined instead of a few who may come across as disorganized and isolated. These are the words of State Senator Mark Pody at the Pest Plant Rule meeting during the TNGIE trade show:
“It’s important that we hear from trade associations like yours. That lets us know that your industry is unified and speaking with one voice. Second, cooperation among industry partners and engagement with your local representatives are key. Therefore, I want to thank our partners at MTNA on the TNGIE trade show committee for their efforts in our recent successful trade show (visit www.tngie.com for more info) and in combining forces to create a task force on the proposed Plant Pest rule. I also want to thank AmericaHort for their national organizational efforts on the chlorpyrifos ban and other matters of national concern.” For more information you can visit them at www.americanhort.org
Given our successes and industry influence, I will make one final plea for becoming a member, renewing your membership, or increasing your membership to Silver or Gold. Please visit www.TNLA.com and click the Membership leaf, then click on the “Join Today” link in the last line of that page. Download and fill out the membership application and send it, along with your dues to our Executive Director, Louree Walker. Your voice matters, so make it louder by becoming a member today. Already a member? Please get involved on committees and be willing to serve on the board. We are always looking for new ideas and new faces.
Finally, I want to thank my fellow board members for stepping up to serve their industry. The work we do is important. I look forward to the future. Fellow members, please support your board’s efforts as they bring new people and new ideas forward to serve the real Green Industry in Tennessee—which is all of us. I have complete confidence in your incoming President, Bert Driver, and look forward to his stalwart leadership. Bert is a dynamo with new ideas deeply rooted in a proper understanding of the green industry past, present, and future. We may have been through interesting times, but the future looks like exciting times for TNLA. As always, we are hardworking people serving hard working people in the green industry since 1905!
Nursery and landscape professionals from across the state and beyond gathered for the opportunity to learn, cooperate and grow the industry at the Tennessee Green Industry Expo, held at the Wilson County Expo Center in Lebanon, Tennessee on September 12–13, 2019. TNLA thanks all sponsors, vendors and attendees who made the event a great success!
• Tennessee State University (Nursery BMP Project)
• Tennessee State University Research Center
• Tennessee Valley Nursery, Inc.
• Tennessee Valley Tractor & Equipment
• The Greenhouse Company of South Carolina, LLC
• TIPCO, Inc.
• TriGreen Equipment
• Trivett’s Nursery
• Tupper Tree Farm
• Turner & Sons Nursery
• University of Tennessee — Plant Sciences
• Van Belle Nursery
• Vermeer Heartland
• Walker Nursery Company
• Warren County Nursery
• Youngblood & Associates, PLLC
EVINS MILL NURSERY
Cripps Lane
Smithville, TN 37166
PH: 615-597-6555
FAX: 615-597-6361 2ND LOCATION:
Smithville, TN 37166
PH: 615-215-6011 FAX: 615-215-6022
www.evinsmillnursery.cominfo@evinsmillnursery.com
1st Place Green Goods RIVERBEND NURSERIES, LLC Thompson’s Station, TN
1st Place Hard Goods ALBERTVILLE WOOD PRODUCTS
TNGIE BOOTH AWARDS
2nd Place Green Goods HALE & HINES NURSERY CO. McMinnville, TN
2nd Place Hard Goods ANDERSON INJECTORS
3rd Place Green Goods PACK’S NURSERY Boaz, AL
3rd Place Hard Goods STOWERS MACHINERY
January 6 – 8
TTA Annual Conference & Trade Show (Tennessee Turfgrass Association) Embassy Suites Hotel Murfreesboro, Tennessee www.ttaonline.org
January 8 – 10
MANTS 50th Annual Trade Show (Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show) Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, Maryland www.mants.com
January 21 – 23
WINTERgreen 2020 Georgia Green Industry Association Infinite Energy Center Duluth, GA www.ggia.org
Welcome, New TNLA Member!
ASSOCIATE
Safeguard Nursery Products
Jerry Mehling
Jim Behagg 100 Galvan Way New Albany, IN 47150
Nature’s Elite Tree Farm, Inc.
Tad Bielstein P.O. Box 695 Plaineville, GA 30733.
CONTROLLING WEEDY PERENNIALS, SHRUBS, AND TREES on Slopes and Near Wetland Habitats
By Dennis Gregg, with Andrea Ludwig and Bill Klingeman, The University of Tennessee Biosystems Engineering and
Soil Science and Plant Sciences Departments
Plants provide a critical ecosystem service by holding soil on slopes and stream banks. This benefit is particularly important in urban areas that are facing challenges managing stormwater run-off. As we experience increasing trends of seasonal storm intensity, the power of a stream to erode its banks also increases. As erosion is increased, suspended sediments choke creeks, streams, and rivers and produce a cascade of negative effects, including reduced ecological resilience, loss of habitat and diversity, and decline in reproductive success of fish and arthropods.
Native plants adapted to the difficult conditions of stream edges and stream bank are important for retaining soil and preventing erosion. While non-native invasive plants can also flourish in these conditions (Fig. 1), they are less effective at holding soil in place. Several introduced plant species are extremely common around streams and are challenging players in efforts to restore wetland habitats and mitigate stream bank erosion.
In Tennessee, grounds managers and habitat restoration staff will quickly recognize some of our area’s key offenders. Several woody plants are perennial and persistent challenges to restoration efforts. Kudzu ( Pueraria montana ) is a ubiquitous challenge across the southeastern US. Similarly, privet species, including Japanese privet ( Ligustrum japonicum ), common privet ( L. vulgare) (Fig. 2) and Chinese privet (L. sinense), have become widespread in wetland and riparian habitats around streams. After removal of mature, reproducing individuals of these species, the seed bank that persists in soil beneath the parent plant will continue to produce seedlings that will need follow-up management action. Bush and vine honeysuckles, including Morrow’s bush honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), Amur honeysuckle (L. maackii) ( Fig. 3, 4 ), wintersweet honeysuckle ( L. fragrantissima ), and Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica) (Fig. 5) are also commonly encountered. In some locations, Asian bittersweet ( Celastrus orbiculata ) has gained a foothold, with regional spread often aided by DIY crafters and holiday wreath makers. Autumn olive (Eleagnus umbellata) and thorny olive (E. pungens), as well as burning bush ( Euonymus alata ) (Fig. 6) and winter creeper
Fig. 1. Several species of perennial invasive plants create management challenges on steep slopes and adjacent to wetland habitats.
and bark
Fig. 3. Characteristic stems
on Amur, or bush honeysuckle.
Fig. 4. Ripe Amur honeysuckle fruits on stems
Fig. 2. Immature fruits on common privet.
Fig. 5. Japanese honeysuckle vines.
Fig. 6. Burning bush can escape plantings to become naturalized in the landscape.
( Euonymus fortunei ) (Fig. 7) can be difficult to control where they have escaped culture or are marked for removal. Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) and Japanese spiraea (Spiraea japonica) (Fig. 8) may become naturalized in protected areas and become problematic in streamside habitats.
In Tennessee, there are several non-native, herbaceous plants that are notoriously difficult to control in wetland and woodland habitats, including common reed ( Phragmites australis ) and Japanese stiltgrass (also called Nepalgrass, Microstegium viminium) (Fig. 9). Chinese yam (Fig. 10) is a non-native vine that is also challenging to manage where it occurs.
Habitat restoration specialists and landscape managers are faced with decisions regarding weed control: Should I pull? Spray? Or treat a “Stump Cut” stub? When working on slopes, and where stormwater flooding can over wash land adjacent to creeks and streams, it is often a better practice to cut woody plants almost flush with the ground and to leave the roots intact (Fig. 11) so that the fragile soils are not displaced. When using the stump cut approach, the cut stub needs much less herbicide material to prevent regrowth. In addition, the herbicide is applied very precisely to just the target plant (OWCA applicators use a modified sponge wand applicator (Fig. 12) and see https:// www.obedwatershed.org/native-plant-information-andresources), and often at higher concentrations than are used in a foliar spray solution. Following the pesticide label is always a legal requirement. When applying concentrated herbicide solutions, it is an even greater imperative to adhere to label requirements for use of the specified personal protective equipment and clothing. It is easiest to control and treat these plants in early spring, or late fall; times when other native plants are often dormant. For managing Japanese knotweed (Fig. 13), invasive grasses, and seedling establishment from seed banks (after the parent plants have been cut and removed), foliar sprays may be the only practical method for obtaining control. Shielded sprayers and paying close attention to droplet size, spray pressure, wind and weather conditions are crucial for limiting herbicide drift.
Herbicide use in stream bank areas and wetland habitats also introduces some restrictions and hazards that are not as prevalent in typical managed landscapes. Many herbicides are toxic to non-target animal species, including fish, amphibians, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, etc. Be aware that not all formulations of an herbicide are appropriate for use near water. Roundup®, which contains the active ingredient glyphosate is a good example of a site restricted herbicide. Roundup ® is formulated to contain adjuvants (additives) that may be used to improve foliar surface adhesion and penetration, rain-fastness, and other functional characteristics when used in managed, dry land landscape use sites. Similarly, Garlon® 4 Ultra, which contains triclopyr formulated for use in right-of-way and dry land landscape use sites, has label restrictions against application to wetlands. Addition of adjuvants within herbicide formulations makes certain labeled products unsafe for use sites where the sprayed material may encroach upon aquatic environments. Other herbicides are restricted entirely. For these reasons, it is important to read and follow the pesticide label; the Label is the Law . Labeled
Fig. 7. Wintercreeper euonymus stems, foliage, flowers, and unripe fruits.
Fig. 10. Chinese yam leaves (Photo courtesy of Chris Evans, University of Illinois, bugwood.org).
9. Japanese stiltgrass becoming naturalized on a hillside (Photo courtesy of Chris Evans, University of Illinois, bugwood.org).
12. A sponge application herbicide wand for direct application to cut stumps.
11. Vegetation management on steep slopes requires special strategies to avoid soil loss due to erosion.
Fig. 13. Japanese knotweed.
Fig.
Fig.
Fig
Fig. 8. Japanese spiraea naturalized in a woodlot.
alternatives to Garlon® and Roundup® are Vastlan™ (triclopyr) and Rodeo® (glyphosate). Vastlan™ and Rodeo® are labeled for stump cut and wiped applications and may be used in wetland areas, if local ordinances permit such use.
Understand that pesticide applicators must also be certified if applying restricted-use pesticides and applicators must possess the appropriate category of pesticide certification for corresponding application sites. For example, someone applying a pesticide product to roadsides should have Category 6: Right-of-Way certification. An individual applying herbicides to waterways should have Category 5: Aquatic Pest Control certification.
Generally, licensed pesticide operators are individuals who have passed a licensing exam and work under a pest control charter. They are allowed to charge a fee for conducting a service of pest control. Normally, operators and applicators under the operator’s supervision will have access to different herbicide formulations that are labeled for wetland use sites from specialty wholesale outlets. Wholesale vendors may refuse to sell specific products to a certified applicator if the certified applicator is not working under a charter because the label states for “Professional Use Only”, which the wholesaler can interpret to mean as someone who is in the business of pest control. Other wholesalers and/or retailers may have policies about only selling pesticide products to applicators who can provide a valid certification. C
RELATED RESOURCES
“O OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
Phorid Decapitating Flies to the Rescue
By Jason Oliver, Karla Addesso, and Nadeer Youssef, Tennessee State University
Karen Vail and Pat Parkman, University of Tennessee and Joshua Basham and Steve Powell, Tennessee Department of Agriculture
ff with their heads!” was a favorite snap of the illtempered Queen of Hearts in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland story. But in real life, the equally infamous imported fire ant (Solenopsis spp.) has similar head-cutting enemies in ant-decapitating flies in the family Phoridae. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found this fire ant
FIG. 1. A female Pseudacteon curvatus phorid fly. Note the ‘hump-backed’ characteristic of these flies and the curved egglaying ovipositor on the tail-end of the fly, which relates to the ‘curvatus’ species name that means bent, hooked, or curved in Latin. (Photo by Nadeer Youssef, TSU)
nemesis while searching for natural enemies in South America, which is the native range of Solenopsis ant species. Decapitating phorids in the genus Pseudacteon are small, gnat-sized flies belonging to the ‘hump-backed’ fly family. The family name describes the enlarged buffalo-like raised back, or thorax, of these flies (Fig. 1).
Phorid flies are attracted to chemical signals produced by fire ants foraging for food (trail pheromones) and when colonies are disturbed (alarm pheromones). During a successful phorid fly attack, an egg is injected into the thorax behind the head of worker fire ants (Fig. 2). The actual egg injection occurs within
FIG. 2. An adult phorid fly about to inject an egg in the thorax of a fire ant worker (image courtesy of Sanford D. Porter, USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Bugwood.org).
just a fraction of a second; so fast the flies do not land during the process. Many ant-decapitating phorid fly species have uniquely shaped egg-laying ovipositors that are often reflected in their corresponding scientific species names (Fig. 3). Like a ‘lock and key’ system, the ovipositor shape also matches the specific location on the ant thorax where the adult female fly of each
species prefers to lay eggs. After eggs hatch, the fly larva moves to the head capsule of the fire ant and begins to feed and grow. The larva eventually kills the ant, after which the head subsequently falls off of the ant body yielding the common name as ‘decapitating flies’ (Fig. 4A). After development, the adult fly exits the ant head by pushing through the mouthparts (Fig. 4B).
FIG. 3. From left to right, egg-laying ovipositors of P. curvatus, P. cultellatus, P. obtusus, and P. tricuspis (Photos by Nadeer Youssef, TSU)
Fig. 4 A, B. A: A decapitated worker fire ant. B: An adult phorid fly emerging through the mandibles of a decapitated ant head (emerging fly image source: USDA-ARS Photo Unit, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org).
While developing, the fly larvae can modify the behavior of their ant host, causing the ants to exit the colony and seek out sheltered locations, like under leaves, to die. The manipulation of the ant to perform alternate behaviors has been referred to as ‘creating zombie ants.’
There are more than 20 phorid species in South America that are known to attack fire ants in the genus Solenopsis. After extensive testing to ensure the flies would not pose a threat to other insects, humans, or animals, the USDA has approved six phorid species for release in the United States (Table 1). From 1999 to
P. cultellatus
P. curvatus
TN and S. US
TN and S. US
P. nocens S. US
P. tricuspis TN and S. US
P. obtusus
TN and S. US
P. litoralis S. US
Mound, Trail
a Species in this table are reported to attack red and black imported fire ants and their hybrid, but some exhibit higher preference for one or the other. Some species like P. curvatus and P. tricuspis have biotypes that prefer red or black imported fire ant.
b TN = Tennessee. S. US = Southern United States.
c Adult fly size range is for females of both single and multi-queen colonies. Ant Head refers to the reported ant head size range preference for this fly species.
d Mound = disturbed mound. Trail = foraging trails.
Information source: Chen, L. and H. Fadamiro. 2018. Pseudacteon phorid flies: host specificity and impacts on Solenopsis ants. Annu. Rev. Entomol. 63: 47−67.
TABLE 1. Phorid fly species in the genus Pseudacteon that have been released in the United States and some of their characteristics.
2017 and in cooperation with USDA-ARS and USDA-APHIS, we have released four of these fly species in Tennessee (Figs. 3 and 5 A-F, Table 1). Tennessee release locations of the four species are depicted in Fig. 6.
Although the USDA phorid release program ended in 2017, we are presently involved in efforts to determine establishment success of these fly species in Tennessee. Pseudacteon curvatus is now established statewide (Fig. 1). Each of these fly species offer different potential benefits. For example, smaller fly species tend to attack smaller worker fire ants and vice versa (Table 1). Since fire ant workers within a colony vary in size (Fig. 7), it is valuable that a range of fly species with different ant size preferences are available to attack ants. These fly species also can vary in their preference for red or black imported fire ants or their
5 A–F. A: Phorid fly attack boxes at the USDA-ARS Starkville, MS rearing facility. B: Individual attack trays with cups that raise and lower on timers to expose vulnerable hiding ants to flies. C–E: Collecting fire ant workers with a stick, tapping into a bucket, and then concentrating in a box for shipment to the phorid attack facility. F: Releasing parasitized worker ants back at their original home colony in Tennessee.
hybrid (all of which are found in Tennessee), the time of day they attack, and the location of attack, which may occur at disturbed mounds or along foraging trails (Table 1). Because each phorid species contributes a different ‘service component’ to fire ant management (i.e., niche specialization), it is important to establish as many phorid species as possible within a given area to maximize the effect of their management benefits against fire ants.
There are multiple benefits offered by phorid flies. One direct benefit of phorid flies is they kill fire ants, but only at a rate of about 3% of the colony at any given time. Therefore, phorid flies will not eliminate fire ants because all biological control agents require some level of their host to be present to sustain the beneficial species. Perhaps a greater potential benefit provided by
flies)
cultellatus (~64,713 flies)
FIG. 6. County locations in Tennessee of the different phorid fly species released and total estimated numbers of flies released in the state.
FIG.
FIG. 7. Variation in fire ant worker sizes is typical in colonies.
P. curvatus (~47,656 flies)
P. tricuspis (~9,392 flies)
P. obtusus (~53,449
P.
Formosa biotype Both biotypes
Las Flores biotype
phorid flies is their ability to harass fire ant workers during ant foraging activity, which reduces access to food. In the same way that nursery plants need water, sunshine, and soil nutrients to grow and thrive, a fire ant colony must collect food resources for the colony to persist and grow. Fire ant colony members include the queen, eggs, larvae, pupae, worker ants, and reproductioncapable progeny of the queen, called ‘reproductives’ (Fig. 7). The reproductives are a special caste of ants that serve to establish new colonies and spread the fire ant species by periodically leaving the colony during mating flights. Only large mature colonies will gather sufficient resources to produce reproductives. By harassing foraging workers, phorid flies may functionally reduce or limit colony growth and reproductive outputs of fire ants. Reducing access to food resources by phorid flies would be enhanced in areas with other aggressive ant species competing for the same food resources. Because fire ant workers can detect phorid fly attacks, the presence of phorid flies also reduces the time that colonies will remain agitated after mound disturbance. If you have experienced multiple fire ant stings after disturbing a mound (like the individual in Fig. 8), you will appreciate phorid flies for their help in chasing the ants back into the mound. Finally, it has been speculated that phorid flies may enhance the transmission of some fire ant pathogens. For example, it is possible the phorid ovipositor used to inject eggs may serve a dual role as a ‘dirty hypodermic needle’ spreading disease among colony members.
Fire ants continue to spread northward in Tennessee, partially or completely infesting 66 counties, thereby potentially impacting about 4.9 million people across an area greater than 18 million acres (Fig. 9). All of the primary middle Tennessee nursery growing counties are now infested. Imported fire ants and their hybrids have achieved all of this range expansion in just the 32
Fire Ant Quarantine Area
FIG. 8. Results of an unfortunate encounter with red imported fire ants. Image source: Murray S. Blum, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.
FIG. 9. 2018 Imported Fire Ant Quarantine Area (Image courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture) Imported
years since their first confirmed natural entry into Hardin County in 1987. Unfortunately, fire ant presence in the nursery-growing areas adds cost and management activities to growers (Fig. 10 A, B), who must apply required regulatory treatments to certify nursery stock for shipment out of the Federal Quarantined area
(Fig. 9). Hopefully, phorid flies may be one component of a larger management plan for reducing the fire ant problem in Tennessee. One significant benefit of the flies is they are ‘free and self-maintaining’ once they are established, so maybe the Queen of Hearts was right after all — “Off with their heads!” C
