Conference expands to cover production and pest control

This year’s Society of American Florists’ Pest & Production Management Conference, Feb. 24-27 in Orlando, will expand to include seminars on production-related topics in addition to effective insect and disease control options. Sessions on plant growth regulators will focus on improving drought tolerance, branching and height control and application techniques. Several sessions are slated on water-related issues including water-borne pathogens, what’s in your water and nutritional water quality.
Pest control topics to be covered include alternative pest and pathogen controls, biocontrols, disease diagnosis and management and whitefly and thrips control. An optional tour of Hermann Engelmann Greenhouses, Knox Nursery and the University of Fla.’s Mid Florida Research and Education Center is scheduled for Feb. 24.