HRI announces October tHRIve webinar focusing on Ambrosia beetle management tactics

Growers are concerned about the devastating impact of the exotic ambrosia beetles Xylosandrus crassiusculus and Xylosandrus germanus on trees in ornamental nurseries and tree fruit orchards. However, research shows that there are effective production strategies to protect trees from these wood-boring pests. The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) will host a webinar, “Wood-Boring Ambrosia Beetles: Management Tactics to Reduce the Risk of an Infestation,” to share these essential insights and strategies for managing these destructive wood-boring pests.

• Date: Oct. 4, 2023
• Time: 1-2 p.m. Eastern
• Registration: https://bit.ly/AmbrosiaBeetle23
  

Ambrosia beetles pose a significant threat to trees in ornamental nurseries and fruit orchards. These beetles tunnel into the heartwood of trees, where they cultivate and consume their fungal symbiont. Infestations can have detrimental effects on tree health and productivity, leading to symptoms such as sawdust noodles, sap production, wilting, and branch dieback. Thin-barked deciduous trees are particularly susceptible, and the beetles often target trees in the early stages of stress.

Dr. Christopher Ranger, research entomologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, will lead the webinar and share his expertise and in-depth knowledge of ambrosia beetle biology and management strategies.

Ranger wrote an article on this subject for us in March. Click here to read the article.

The webinar will cover a range of topics essential for combating ambrosia beetle infestations, including:

1. Host Selection and Stress Factors: Learn how beetles preferentially target trees in the early stages of stress, and discover the key stressors that make trees vulnerable to infestations, including flooding, inadequate drainage, and low temperatures.
2. Monitoring and Trapping: Explore the effectiveness of ethanol-baited traps for monitoring the flight activity of Xylosandrus species ambrosia beetles, aiding in early detection and intervention.
3. Insecticide Strategies: Understand the limitations of conventional insecticides in protecting vulnerable trees and explore alternative methods to reduce the risk of infestations.
4. Optimizing Tree Health: Discover the most effective and sustainable tactics for reducing the risk of ambrosia beetle infestations by optimizing the health of your trees.
   

This informative webinar will equip growers with the knowledge and tools needed to safeguard trees and mitigate the risk of infestation. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, enhance their pest management skills, and gain valuable insights into protecting their trees effectively.

Connecting the industry to practical, actionable, and research-backed advice is at the heart of HRI’s mission. Hosting tHRIve webinars is just one way HRI tackles that goal.

Register for the no-cost tHRIve webinar at https://bit.ly/AmbrosiaBeetle23.