News

Companies seek to protect branded plant patents

Plant Watch has been hired to help protect Encore Azaleas.

Spring Meadow Nursery, Bailey Nurseries, Conard-Pyle and Plant Development Services have hired Plant Watch to ensure growers follow patent and branding requirements.

Branded programs covered include Proven Winners Color Choice, Encore Azaleas, Endless Summer Collection, First Editions, the Knock Out Family of Roses, Drift Roses and Southern Living Plant Collection. Starting this fall, nurseries across the country will be inspected by Plant Watch representatives to see how they are meeting the requirements of these branded programs. Nurseries found to be non-compliant will be assessed a significant fine based on the number of unauthorized plants discovered, and the destruction of those plants will be required.

"Purchasing new varieties doesn't give a grower the right to take cuttings," said Jeremy Deppe at Spring Meadow Nursery, which developed the Proven Winners Color Choice brand. "We've worked hard to establish our brands and spent tens of thousands of dollars on patents. Enforcing these intellectual property rights is necessary to support our customers and licensees."

Plant Watch, which started in 2005, is modeled after COPF in Canada, a monitoring program established in 1964. COPF has been inspecting for Spring Meadow Nursery since 2008, resulting in more than $30,000 in fines collected during 2010.

"Unfortunately, some growers are taking advantage illegally of the investment made by other growers in these [branded] programs," said Peggy Walsh Craig, Plant Watch managing director.

For more: Plant Watch, www.plantwatch.org.

NEWS NOTES

Ohio State studies Safari for EAB control

EAB creates D-shaped, 1/8-inch exit holes.

A study conducted by Dan Herms, professor of entomology at Ohio State, shows that soil applications of Safari Insecticide are providing strong results against emerald ash borer (EAB).  
The study, which began in 2008 in Bowling Green, Ohio, measures the percentage of canopy thinning witnessed in ash trees treated with different products and through a range of application methods.

Trees that were not treated with insecticide showed an average of 48 percent canopy thinning three years after their first treatment, those treated via soil injection with Safari 20 SG at a rate of 7.5 grams/inch of trunk diameter exhibited an average of just 2.5 percent canopy thinning, and 6 of 8 trees showed no damage at all.

"The data shows that a single Safari soil drench is giving very good EAB control based on canopy loss," said Joe Chamberlin, regional field development manager for Valent Professional Products. "They basically saw no canopy loss on trees treated with Safari. That's very encouraging."

High amounts of Safari are rapidly absorbed by ash trees and then transported into the vascular system where EAB feeds. This results in faster control of EAB than with less systemic products and also extends the application window later in the season.

For more: Dan Herms, herms.2@osu.edu.

HGTV to launch plant brand

Cable network HGTV is working with Agricola Management Group to launch a branded-plant program. Set to debut in 2012, the "HGTV HOME Plant Collection" will include perennials, annuals, shrubs, trees and seeds. Agricola Management Group is recruiting breeders, growers and retailers to participate in the program.

According to this initiative's website, the program will be "backed by the media power of HGTV and its own high impact marketing program, supported by hgtv.com."

The HGTV HOME Plant Collection will join other HGTV HOME product lines, including paint from HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams, HGTV HOME Flooring by Shaw.

See more here: www.agricolamanagement.com/site.