Join UNH Cooperative Extension and other experts to sharpen and refresh plant production skills. These monthly webinars on a variety of topics are intended to provide practical training for greenhouse, nursery and garden center professionals, although all are welcome to attend.
One New England pesticide applicator recertification credit has been applied for each event.
Virtual Only |MS Teams links will follow
Cost: $ 10 per webinar
Time: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Not only are Western Flower Thrips one of the most common and damaging pests in our New England greenhouses, they can be the toughest to manage. This refresher on Western Flower Thrips will cover identification, life cycle and integrated management, including sanitation, sprays and biocontrols.
March 25 | An integrated approach to diagnosing plant problems in-house | Speaker: Jonathan Ebba
More than simply knowing the signs and symptoms of each possible problem, field expedient diagnosis uses a systematic approach to figure out what's wrong with our plants. Learn this process to observe your way to a diagnosis saving time, reducing guessing and avoiding sub-optimal sprays.
April 29 | "Other" thrips in the greenhouse: an overview | Speaker: Dr. Amber Vinchesi-Vahl
Greenhouse growers may be well acquainted with Western Flower Thrips, but in recent years other species of thrips, such as chili thrips, echinothrips and others have become important to our industry. Learn how to identify these pests, learn how they differ from Western Flower Thrips and get some ideas for management. We'll also learn about Thrips parvispinus: where this pest is, how it's moving and what it might mean for NH.
June 24 | Choosing and navigating better greenhouse climate control options | Speaker: Dan Birnstihl
Climate control options for greenhouses have come a long way from simple thermostats and relays, and integrated control options exist for small to mid size growers. Join Dan Birnstihl from Rimol Greenhouse Systems and Jonathan Ebba from UNH Cooperative Extension to discuss integrated control options for greenhouses to save energy, improve crop timing and increase crop health.
July 29 | Bacterial leaf spots: diagnosis and management| Speaker: Dr. Bo Liu
Bacterial leaf spots from Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas are less common than fungal leaf spots, but can be more difficult to diagnose and manage. Join Dr. Bo Liu to learn about these diseases: how to diagnose and how to manage using cultural, chemical and environmental techniques.
Using foggers, electrostatic and other low volume sprayers can make spraying easier and more effective, but these applications require a different approach to calculating, calibrating and mixing. Learn about the options and how to properly use these machines for pesticide application.
September 30 | How to choose pesticides and build effective spray regimens | Speaker: Jonathan Ebba
Get more value from your sprays by tailoring your spray program to consider pest thresholds, application method and spray rotation. Integrate your scouting into your spray decisions to create simple, effective spray regimens to save money and chemical and to increase efficacy.
October 28 | How to train employees to water | Speaker: Jonathan Ebba
Watering is one of the most challenging tasks in a greenhouse business, and one that often falls to the newest employees. Learn how to train employees to water effectively to maximize plant health and labor efficiency.
November 25 | A biocontrol starter pack| Speaker: Jonathan Ebba
Biocontrols have become an important component of greenhouse biocontrol programs, but many growers have struggled with knowing how to begin. Although a biocontrol program can be tweaked and refined in countless ways, this simple starter formula will help growers transition to using these helpful "good bugs" in their greenhouses.
December 16 | In-house root zone testing | Speaker: Jonathan Ebba
Managing the pH and Electrical Conductivity (EC) of our root zone is of vital importance to plant health and necessary to make good fertilizer decisions. We’ll learn how to run this test, what equipment is needed, and how to make decisions as a result.
If you have questions or would like assistance registering for or accessing the webinars, including language access, please contact Jonathan at Jonathan.Ebba@unh.edu or (603) 749-2529.
The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. UNH, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and New Hampshire counties cooperating. Direct inquiries to unh.civilrights@unh.edu.
