Greenhouse and nursery production of ornamental plants is one of the largest segments of Texas agriculture with annual sales exceeding 1 billion dollars. The main goal of my extension education and applied research program is to increase adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies among ornamental growers by 1) promoting/demonstrating the application of basic ecological principles and plant health monitoring information into pest/disease management decisions, and 2) promoting/demonstrating the use of IPM-compatible pest management tools including cultural practices, selective pesticides and biological control agents. My extension specialist responsibilities include support of educational programs in entomology and plant pathology for all counties in southeast Texas. Educational programs include Texas master gardener volunteer training and continued education programs for commercial pesticide applicators.

Applied research is conducted in collaboration with other scientists at Texas A&M University and with cooperating growers across the state. Ongoing research projects in plant pathology include:

1. Resistance of wax Begonia cultivars to Rhizoctonia solani (funded by Texas Ornamental Enhancement Endowment; Drs Tom Isakeit and Brent Pemberton collaborating). Begonias are one of the most popular flowering plants grown in Texas with a wholesale value of 22 million dollars in 2003. The objective of this research project is to identify Begonia germplasm that may be tolerant to R. solani , one of the most important pathogens of flowering plants.



2. Enhancing pest/disease management with reduced inputs (funded by USDA Floriculture Research Initiative; Drs. Kevin Heinz (PI) and Fred Davies collaborating). The goal of this multidisciplinary research project is to maximize the benefits of production inputs while minimizing the cost and risks associated with their use. Water and fertilizer are required for plant growth and development but may also impact host plant susceptibility to pests and diseases and the cost of their control. Greenhouse work is conducted to assess impact of fertilization regime on pest/pathogen incidence and control cost.