This week storm Ophelia caused havoc and severe damage on many nurseries. Next Wednesday Teagasc will present The Nursery Stock and Ornamental Seminar. This is a good chance to come together to hear about and discuss the latest challenges hitting the industry. I will deliver a brief overview of damage reported to date from the storms.
Four key speakers will bring us up to date with the latest in pest, disease and weed control for the nursery stock sector.
There will be time during the morning and to get together over coffee and catch up on the latest industry news.
21 IASIS CPE Credits have been allocated for this event – sign the event register on the day to make sure you get your points.
The seminar begins at 9.30 sharp and will be finished at 1pm. Refreshments will be served during the morning. Teagasc Ashtown is 5 minutes from the M50 Blanchardstown junction. Directions to Teagasc Ashtown Research Centre are here and at the bottom of the page.
The event is free and booking is not necessary. t
Speakers
Dr. Heinrich Löesing
Dr. Löesing is currently a senior nursery extension specialist for Chamber of Agriculture (VuB) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany as a specialist in the field of pests and diseases of nursery stock. There he works as an advisor and program leader and has been a member of the International Plant Propagators Society since 1987. His career includes over 30 years’ experience as a nursery production advisor with first hand experience in Germany, Netherlands, UK, Japan and America. He is the author of reference book on pests and disease of woody plants and has contributed to multiple publications and studies. He has been the key organiser for the internationally recognised Nursery Technology Exhibition – Baumschultechnik, held every5-6 years in Germany.
Dr Tom Pope
Tom Pope is a Senior Lecturer at Harper Adams University having previously worked at ADAS based at Boxworth near Cambridge. He completed his PhD at East Malling Research (now NIAB EMR).
At Harper Adams University Tom teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate courses in entomology and integrated pest management (IPM). Tom’s research interests focus on IPM in ornamental as well as soft fruit crops. Current and recent research includes work to develop integrated plant protection strategies in ornamentals where the focus was the control of aphid pests through the use of novel conventional and biopesticide products based plant extracts. Work to improve integrated pest management in strawberry where the focus has been on control of potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) and the performance of aphid parasitoids at low and fluctuating temperatures.
Tom recently completed a review of vine weevil knowledge in order to design best-practice IPM protocols suitable for implementation in UK horticulture together with colleagues from ADAS and the Warwick Crop Centre. Together with the same group of researchers, as well as researchers from the Natural Resources Institute, Tom is currently working to improve vine weevil control in Hardy Nursery Stock. At Harper Adams University this work is focusing on improved monitoring of vine weevil adults. This includes determining the temperatures at which vine weevils can remain active within crops as well as investigating improved approaches to monitor this pest.
Graham Spencer
Graham worked for fifteen years with specialist perennial grower, Croftway Nursery, where he built a detailed knowledge of garden plants, in particular Geranium, Iris and Salvia. During this time he helped to found the Sussex Group of the Hardy Plant Society, and also created and ran more than 50 highly successful plant fairs and garden shows at Parham House, Pashley Manor and West Dean Gardens.
As a result of this experience, Graham has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the UK and European garden plant markets. He also has an extensive network of contacts in specialist and commercial horticulture, as well as journalists, botanists, private collectors and enthusiasts.
Additionally, Graham spent three years obtaining a Post-Graduate Diploma in Marketing which has provided the skills needed to successfully launch PFE. He is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Barry Delany
Barry is head of horticulture and plant health with the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine. He has a vast experience of plant health regulations having spent time working with the EU Commission in Brussels.
Date: 25 October 2017
Event: 9:30am – 1pm
Venue: Teagasc Ashtown, Dublin 15
