Virginia Evergreen Winter 2018

one's county. However, if the disease has been identified in one's neighbor- hood, then there is a heightened risk of local spread of the disease.

Nursery Permit Fee Now Due

Update on the Boxwood Blight situation in Virginia Recommendations for minimizing disease introduction and spread

If you grow, buy or sell nursery stock or B&B Christmas trees, this is for you Notice: The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) recently mailed invoices for payment of the 2017 annual nursery permit fee. This is a reminder that per- mit fees are due to VDACS by Decem- ber 31, 2016. If you did not receive the 2017 invoice, please contact VDACS’ Office of Plant Industry Services at (804) 786-3515 or email Ms. Shawn Morton at shawn.morton@vdacs.virginia.gov . Fees are $25 for nursery dealers and $75, plus $1.50 for each acre over 50, for nursery stock growers. Checks must be made payable to “Treasurer of Virginia.” The permit fee was initially approved by the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association in 1987, then the Virginia Nurserymen’s Association. VDACS Nursery Inspection Fees - 6/27/87 - A VNA study committee rec- ommended that the fees be set at a flat rate of $75.00 for everyone plus an ad- ditional fee of $1.50 per acre for any acreage over 50 acres. The VDAC has recommended a $50.00 flat fee plus $1.00 per acre with a max- imum fee of $250.00 per nursery. They are planning to send a survey to all reg- istered nurseries in the state on this subject in July. Danny Shreckhise motioned that the Board support the VDAC recommen- dation, if the VDAC did not accept the VNA proposal, and suggested that a Dealer fee be set at $25.00 per estab- lishment. The Board approved.) Danny Shreckhise motioned that the Board support the VDAC recommendation and suggested that a Dealer fee be set at $25.00 per establishment. The Board approved. Provided by Jeff Miller

According to records of the Vir- ginia Boxwood Blight Task Force, to date boxwood blight has been di- agnosed in over 70 locations and approximately 30 counties in Vir- ginia. There are likely additional un- documented incidences of the dis- ease, for example, if no sample was submitted for diagnosis through Vir- ginia Cooperative Extension or the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Although boxwood blight has been diagnosed in many counties in Virginia, there is no indication that it is widespread throughout any Virginia county. This is not unexpected, based on the cur- rent understanding of the biology of the boxwood blight pathogen. Box- wood blight is typically initially in- troduced into a new location on in- fected boxwood or other susceptible plants (e.g. pachysandra and sweet box).

After the initial introduction of boxwood blight-infected boxwood (or pachysandra or sweet box) into a location, neighborhood boxwood plantings are at risk for boxwood blight. There are a number of means by which the sticky spores of the fun- gal pathogen can move through a neighborhood. For example, they can be spread via contaminated pruning tools, spray hoses, equipment, vehi- cles, clothing, shoes, or infested leaves spread by leaf blowers. Wild- life (including birds), insects, domes- tic animals or humans that have been in contact with the spores may also move the infective spores through a neighborhood. Movement of the pathogen by many of these means has been documented in locations in Vir- ginia. To safeguard Virginia boxwood plantings and production, we call for community awareness and ef- forts to avoid accidental introduc- tion of boxwood blight into new lo- cations and prevent local spread of boxwood blight: Specifically, we recommend and stress the following:  Purchase boxwood, pachysandra and sweet box only from a nursery that is listed as a member of the Boxwood Blight Cleanli- ness Program and/or from a re- tailer who sells only boxwood produced by nurseries in the Boxwood Blight Cleanliness Program.

Do You Grow or Use Boxwood in Holiday Greenery? Holiday greenery containing in- fected boxwood can also introduce the disease into a new location. However, boxwood blight is not spread long-distance via wind cur- rents. Therefore, one need not panic even if the disease has been found in

VCTGA News Journal ‒ Winter 2018 VCTGA News Journal – Winter 2018 

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