TNLA Working For You: January 14, 2022

TNLA

TNLA WORKING FOR YOU E-NEWSLETTER JANUARY 14, 2022

Working for You

TABLE OF CONTENTS

03 05 07 09 16 17

Discovery and confirmation of New Crapemyrtle Bark Scale Hosts (Spiraea and Callicarpa) through DNA Barcoding In Memory of Anne Muscat: 1943 - 2021

TNLA and Legislative & Regulatory Updates

Recap From the 2022 TNLA Lone Star Hort Forum

TNLA Career Center New Job Postings

TNLA Tailgate Topics: Pruning Specific Plants

AD INDEX Inside Front Cover: OHP, Inc.

Inside Back Cover: Hotchkiss Insurance

08: Horizon

Back Cover: RepairSmith, Inc.

2

Discovery and confirmation of New Crapemyrtle Bark Scale Hosts (Spiraea and Callicarpa) through DNA Barcoding

Runshi Xie fushe001@email.tamu.edu and Bin Wu bin.wu@tamu.edu, Ph.D. candidates, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Dr. Mengmeng Gu, Professor/Extension Specialist, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, mgu@tamu.edu, Dr. Hongmin Qin, Associate Professor, Department of Biology, hqin@tamu.edu

Crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS; Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae Kuwana), a new emerging sap-sucking pest from East Asia, poses a unique risk to the green industry. The polyphagous feeding habit of Crapemyrtle bark scale has allowed it to attack a wide range of plant species, including soybean, apple, and pomegranate. The news of this insect spreading beyond its primary host, crapemyrtle, is worrisome to the industry and the scientific community, as the implication of a fast-spreading invasive insect to the ecosystem is enormous.

Recently, reports of naturally occurring CMBS infestations on alternative hosts. For instance, American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana, Fig. 1A) and Hypericum kalmianum L. (St. Johnswort), both native species in the United States, were found to be infested with CMBS in the field (Schultz & Szalanski, 2019; Wang et al., 2016). In 2019, a scale infestation (suspected to be a CMBS infestation) observed on Spiraea japonica (Fig. 1B) at University of Arkansas (Little Rock, AR 72204). Again, later in 2020, another incident of unknown scale infestation, later identified as CMBS, was reported in Concord, North Coralina, USA.

The infested plant was identified as Spiraea thunbergia (Fig. 1C), which was planted sometimes between 1953 and 2016, and for long time without scale infestation. The scale infestation was believed to be initiated after two CMBS infested crapemyrtle that were accidentally planted nearby.

Fig. 1. Severe infestation of Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae on alternative hosts. (A) Callicarpa americana (red arrows: female ovisacs; blue arrows: male sacs). (B) Nymphs (red arrows) on Spiraea japonica. (C) Live nymphs (red arrows) collected from infested S. thunbergia for DNA extraction (yellow arrows: broken ovisacs).

Fig 2. New CMBS alternative hosts (Spiraea and Callicarpa) discovered in the United States. .

3

Fig 3. Confirmed CMBS alternative hosts in Rosaceae (upper images) and other economic important crops (bottom images) in Rosaceae.

All the scale insect samples were collected and sent to our laboratory for further analysis and species identification, using morphology and DNA barcoding techniques. Naturally occurring CMBS infestations were confirmed on American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana L.), a native plant species in the United States, and spirea (Spiraea L.) (Fig 2).

We also studied the genetic relationships between CMBS specimens and their hosts from different geographic locations using molecular approaches. The new infestation of CMBS found on Spiraea raises the alarm that other economically important crops in the Amygdaloideae subfamily (subfamily under Rosaceae) might be susceptible to CMBS attacks.

According to the latest phylogeny study of Rosaceae, Chaenomeles, Malus, and Spiraea (confirmed CMBS host genera) were grouped under subfamily of Amygdaloideae (Xiang et al., 2017), in which at least 54 other genera were reported (Potter et al., 2007).

Furthermore, Amygdaloideae includes many economically important crops such as apricot, almond, cherry, plum, and peach (Xiang et al., 2017)(Fig 3).

Therefore, further investigations are needed to evaluate the potential threat of CMBS to other valuable crops in the Rosaceae family, especially in the subfamily of Amygdaloideae.

Potter, D., Eriksson, T., Evans, R. C., Oh, S., Smedmark, J., Morgan, D. R., Kerr, M., Robertson, K. R., Arsenault, M., & Dickinson, T. A. (2007). Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 266(1), 5-43.

Schultz, P. B., & Szalanski, A. L. (2019). Hypericum kalmianum (St. Johnswort) Confirmed as a New Host of the Crapemyrtle Bark Scale in Virginia, USA. Journal of Agricultural Urban Entomology, 35(1), 12-15.

Wang, Z., Chen, Y., Gu, M., Vafaie, E., Merchant, M., & Diaz, R. (2016). Crapemyrtle Bark Scale: A New Threat for Crapemyrtles, a Popular Landscape Plant in the U.S. Insects, 7(4), 78. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects7040078 Xiang, Y., Huang, C.-H., Hu, Y., Wen, J., Li, S., Yi, T., Chen, H., Xiang, J., & Ma, H. (2017). Evolution of Rosaceae fruit types based on nuclear phylogeny in the context of geological times and genome duplication. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 34(2), 262-281.

4

IN MEMORY OF ANNE MUSCAT Anne Claire Currie Muscat age 78, of Beach City, Texas, passed away December 23, 2021, surrounded by her loving family. Survived by her son Dr. J.O. (Jay) Muscat, IV, his wife Elgene and their children Brennan and Jenna; son Tony Muscat, his wife Laura and their children Connor (and wife Jordyn), Carson and Chandler; son David Muscat, his wife Cathy and their children Emily and Joseph; brother Leslie Currie and family; brother-inlaw Kenny Muscat and wife Martha; brotherin-law T. Lee Robinson; numerous nieces, nephews and lifelong friends.

Anne was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Joseph O. Muscat, III, parents Floyd and Loraine Currie, and infant brother Joseph. Anne was born in Mobile, Alabama.

She attended school at The Convent of Mercy in Mobile, Alabama and went on to attend college at St. Mary's Dominican College in New Orleans, Louisiana. Anne and Joe moved from Mobile in 1966 and raised their family in Pasadena, Texas. Anne founded and ran her own retail nursery and landscape business called Blooming Ideas & More, for almost 40 years.

Anne was a dear friend to many and a valuable member to TNLA. She was always the first to volunteer to help the Association and Nursery/Landscape EXPO grow stronger.

For over 29 years Anne led the Parks and Patio Task Force which brings the vision and theme of EXPO to life by working with students from local universities to transform the entrance of the trade show into an eyecatching and beautiful garden feature like no other.

Her work with the Parks and Patio Task Force team and numerous volunteer hours with EXPO will always be cherished. She sparked inspiration among all of us through her vision and leadership. Anne always continued to volunteer selflessly to help the association and the industry by serving on a variety of TNLA committees such as Education, Hospitality, Finance, Membership, she was on the TNLA Foundation Board of Trustees and was also a member of TNLA’s Political Action Committee. In addition, TNLA’s Region II named a scholarship after her, the Anne C. Muscat Region II Endowed Scholarship.

Anne was a trailblazer as a woman professional in the Green Industry, being the second female in TNLA history to serve as Chairman of the State Board of Directors. In 1993, she was the TAN Staff Award winner. In 1996, she became the second female to be awarded with TNLA’s Arp Award, which is presented to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the industry and the Association. In addition, Anne has also been the recipient of TNLA’s Honorary Lifetime Membership Award, which is provided to an individual who has dedicated their career, hard work and valiant service to TNLA and the Green Industry.

For TNLA and its members, Anne Muscat will always be remembered and never forgotten.

5

1943-2021

6

TNLA UPDATES

LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY UPDATES

TNLA FOUNDATION EXTENDS THE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE TO JANUARY 31, 2022

Supreme Court Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Private Employers

Help spread the word out to graduating seniors and current college students who are pursuing a degree in the nursery and landscape industry to submit their application for a chance to win a scholarship through the TNLA Foundation. To apply Click Here.

On Thursday, the US Supreme Court blocked the OSHA emergency rule mandating for vaccine-or-test on private employers. This OSHA rule was the result of an Executive Order from the President urging the agency to create the mandate for "large employers" being those with 100 employees or more

GRAB YOUR BOOTH FOR EXPO BEFORE THE BUSY SPRING SEASON HITS

Join TNLA, NALP, & Landscapers Across the Country in Flying to D.C.

Planning for the 2022 Nursery/Landscape EXPO is ramping up and will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, August 10-12, 2022 in San Antonio, TX. Be sure to secure your exhibit booth space NOW before the hectic Spring Season hits! You can reserve online by clicking here or contact expo@nurserylandscapeexpo.org.

TNLA in partnership with NALP is encouraging green industry companies to join a nationwide fly in on February 15-16th to advocate on behalf of landscape issues. Labor, pesticide regulation, and the emerging mandates banning gas powered landscape equipment will all be priority issues. Register today to get the best price for this event, click here.

7

RECAP FROM THE 2022 TNLA LONE STAR HORT FORUM

This week over 150 TNLA Participants took part in getting a jump start on their New Year by participating in the TNLA Lone Star Hort Forum held in College Station, Texas, January 10-12, 2022. From day one to day three, attendees' spirits were high and they welcomed the opportunity to grow, connect and learn.

Day three ended with the Hort Forum’s Closing Session which celebrated the graduates of this year's TNLA Foundation's Leadership Bootcamp which was held in conjunction with the Keynote Presentation with Bryan Dodge who discussed Take Ownership of Leadership. Participants were also able to take part in the Grower Trends Sessions!

Day one kicked off with a morning session with Dr. Charlie Hall who talked with us about Economic Recovery in a Post-COVID Environment. Then participants broke out into over 15 education sessions and they also had the opportunity to take part in the Academic Master Class Sessions conducted by local universities. In addition, there was a Student Competition where winners were awarded a scholarship for first, second, and third place from the TNLA Foundation. Participants throughout the event were also able to visit with exhibitors and get their product and supply questions answered.

On day two the attendees launched into a Group Deep Dive with Lisa Blanton who talked about Managing Change Through Stressful Times - A Deep Dive into Work-Life Balance. Then those that were registered, attended the SOLD OUT Grower Tour that was sponsored by Billy Long Enterprises, LLC. The tour took around 109 participants to Magnolia Gardens Nursery, Spring Creek Gardens, Creekside Nursery, and King Ranch Turfgrass Brazos River Farm.

The day ended at the TNLA Award Festival with attendees shining a light on the Texas Green Industry winners from this year’s Texas Excellence in Landscaping Awards, Texas Garden Retailer Awards and this year’s Honorary Lifetime Membership Award Winners.

9

Revealed only at the TNLA Awards Festival TEXAS EXCELLENCE IN LANDSCAPING (TEIL) : BEST OF SHOW

TEXAS GARDEN RETAILER AWARD (TGRA) RETAILER OF THE YEAR

BrightView Landscape Development, AT&T Discovery District, Commercial Installation over $500,000

Over 1 Million in Yearly Revenue Category is…Alldredge Gardens, Midland, TX

Absolute Accents, Inc. for the Residence, Special Projects Category

Under 1 Million in Yearly Revenue Category…

Gardens at the Ridge, Kerrville, TX.

Dunn

TNLA Awards Festival was Sponsored by:

10

TNLA Honorary Lifetime Membership Award Winners JACK DAVIS

JAMES WILHITE, TCLP

BOB CARTWRIGHT

MARK HARRIS, TCLP

DR. BRENT PEMBERTON

11

TNLA GROWER TOUR: Sponsored by Billy Long Enterprises, LLC

LOOKING BACK AT THE 2022 TNLA LONE STAR HORT FORUM

12

PARTICIPANTS CONNECTED WITH OLD FRIENDS AND MADE NEW ONES!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TNLA FOUNDATION 2021-2022 LEADERSHIP BOOTCAMP GRADUATING CLASS

13

14

15

TNLA CAREER CENTER NEW JOB POSTINGS Part-Time Office Coordinator Fannin Tree Farm Frisco, Texas Second Assistant Golf Course Superintendent The University of Texas Golf Club Austin, Texas Landscape Designer Colorful Impressions, LTD Dallas, Texas Nursery Canning Supervisor Everde Growers Glen Flora, Texas Landscaping Supervisor Medxcel Austin, TX Landscape Services Supervisor Sam Houston State University Huntsville, Texas Assistant Supervisor – Landscape Maintenance Sam Houston State University Huntsville, Texas

For additional information or to post a job, visit https://careers.tnlaonline.org/

16

TNLA TAILGATE TOPICS: PRUNING SPECIFIC PLANTS

Objective: Participants will be able to correctly identify how and when specific plants should be pruned.

APPLICATION: The following pruning practices cover commonly pruned shrubs and trees.

Quiz participants on how and when each of these methods should be used. Use examples when describing methods by taking participants out to see each of these pruning techniques done correctly and incorrectly.

Boxwood: Shoots should be pruned at their junction with a larger branch. When removing large branches make clean, close cuts.

How: Cut out unsightly limbs When: Before new growth in spring How: Tip prune new growth When: Summer How: Across the top When: Only when very specialized, contemporary planting

Large Growing Hollies: proper plant placement will keep pruning needs minimal. This includes American, Japanese, and Chinese varieties.

How: Remove individual branches, shaping When: Later winter is best How: Clip stray shoots When: For compact growth of holly hedges How: Pruned while in bloom When: To prevent cutting away berry-forming flowers on espaliers

Narrow Leaf Evergreens: Heavy pruning can kill, therefore should be planted in an unrestricted area. Prune so that overlapping leaves and branches hide wounds.

How: Tip pruned When: Spring, when plants are young Crepe Myrtle: Pruning methods depend on the landscape use of the plant. Heavy pruning in the winter will encourage flushes of growth at the pruning cut.

How: Tip pruning When: To encourage new growth and flowering How: Bloom removal When: All summer long How: Remove basal and water sprouts When: Midsummer

17