News Articles
April 2005
Christmas Trees 101: Scouting Trees at Different Ages is reprinted in Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association Quarterly Journal (April '05). “The problems of young trees are different from those of older trees. Scouting schedules and objectives need to be adjusted for tree age. . . . During the first growing season after planting, the emphasis is on establishing transplants. The cause of any tree death including Phytophthora root rot, white grubs, drought or salt injury should be diagnosed. The scout needs to keep a close eye on weed size and types. Briars and brush are often a problem. From the second growing season until trees are waist high, the emphasis of management is on rapid tree growth. . . . During these years, some damage from the balsam twig aphid and spruce spider mite is tolerable, but serious problems must be controlled. . . . As the market value of trees increases, the time spent scouting them should also increase.” Read the complete article on the North Carolina IPM website by clicking on http://ipm.ncsu.edu/Scouting_Fraser_Fir/scouting_trees_at_different_ages.html .
Hard-to-control insect pests in Christmas trees: white grubs and weevils by Richard S. Cowles, Conn. Agric. Experiment Station, appears in Shearings (Mass. Christmas Tree Assn, Apr. ’05). “White grubs and root weevils pose a challenge to Christmas tree growers because they feed in protected locations (in the soil or inside the tree). . . . White grubs, the larvae of scarab beetles, indiscriminately feed on the roots of plants. . . . Obviously, high quality root systems should be a principal concern in the nursery, and protecting roots from white grubs can make tremendous difference in the growth performance of trees. . . . The eventual registration of soil-applied systemic insecticides will be an important event for integrated pest management in Christmas trees. . . . The common name ‘white pine weevil’ is a misrepresentation: it can damage pines, spruce, Douglas-fir, and on rare occasions, even true firs. Pales weevils can also be destructive to many Christmas tree species. . . . The principal difference between these two species is where the larvae develop. For white pine weevil, eggs are laid in the terminal leaders of host trees. . . . For pales weevils, the eggs are laid underground in the bark of recently cut stumps, preferably of spruce or pine. . . . For both species, since larvae are feeding in a protected location, chemical control is only practical through insecticides targeted against the adult weevils.”
How Do U.S. Farmers Plan for Retirement? asks Amber Waves online (USDA, April ’05). “In addition to working longer past traditional retirement age, farm operator households tend to have several income sources and different forms of wealth, as compared with the general population. Furthermore, because of the nature of the farm business, farm households have different savings habits and more diverse financial portfolios than most other U.S. households. Farm households’ financial portfolios include more personal savings than those of the typical U.S. household and, in general, farm households are also less dependent on social security income during retirement. . . . While fewer farm operators are covered by employer-sponsored pensions than are nonfarmers, a majority of farm operators save from current income on a regular basis and have accumulated diversified financial portfolios, including individual retirement savings.” Read the complete article at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Amberwaves/April05/Features/FarmRetirement.htm.
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