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Published on 10/08/13

UGA to host International Plant Propagators' Society Meeting Nov. 2-6

By Merritt Melancon

The University of Georgia Department of Horticulture will host hundreds of nursery operators, ornamental plant breeders, landscape designers and plant scientists Nov. 2-6 at the International Plant Propagators’ Society Southern Region of North America Annual Meeting.

The three and a half-day meeting will include nearly a dozen nursery and garden tours as well as talks on newly released plant varieties bred for the Southeastern climate and best management practices for nursery and floriculture growers.

“This is the premier nursery and floriculture meeting in the southeastern U.S., and it attracts people from across the nation. It is one of the few meetings where researchers and growers co-mingle and is a tremendous opportunity for each group to learn from the other,” said Matthew Chappell, a UGA professor of horticulture and Extension nursery specialist as well as co-organizer of the meeting.

Extension entomologists, plant pathologists and nursery experts from UGA and other Southeastern universities will share their latest research on nursery propagation and plant care. Horticulture experts from HGTV, BASF, Syngenta, Dow AgroSciences and many veteran nursery owners, ornamental plant breeders and green industry personnel will also be present.

These speakers will cover popular topics such as the best new ornamental plants for the U.S., new technologies and practices to increase nursery and floriculture sustainability, propagation of new and difficult plants, and integrated pest management techniques to control new and problematic pests.

The society encourages non-members who work in the green industry and students pursuing degrees in plant sciences to attend. Early registration ends Oct. 15. Those seeking more information can visit www.caes.uga.edu/?tiny=R41Z9K.

Merritt Melancon is a public relations manager with UGA's Terry College of Business and previously served as a public relations coordinator for the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Extension.