Mission Statement:
The Nursery Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program is an educational program directed toward commercial producers of container and field grown nursery stock. IPM combines a variety of techniques into comprehensive strategies to manage pest populations. The Nursery IPM program is designed to help growers produce top quality plant material while minimizing environmental impact.
This program is specifically focused on developing cost-effective effective pest control strategies for commercial production of herbaceous and woody perennial plant material. Options may include cultural, chemical, and/or biological controls. The effort also seeks to develop techniques that help reduce pest resistance and enhance the environment.
Objectives:
- Help growers develop scouting programs to identify pest populations before significant plant damage occurs.
- Develop pest management options to be used in an integrated or rotational program.
- Identify indicators to help growers anticipate pest problems.
- Develop monitoring techniques and population damage thresholds for selected pests.
- Conduct research and demonstration projects to expand the information base of the nursery IPM program.
- Present information to growers in educational programs to keep them apprised of current information and technologies.
For more information contact:
Steven K. Rettke
Greenhouse/Nursery IPM Program Associate I
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County
4000 Kozloski Road
PO Box 5033
Freehold, NJ 07728-5033
732-861-8105 (Cell)
rettke@njaes.rutgers.edu