Our Urban Landscape and Nursery Research and outreach efforts at UT address landscape and ornamental production challenges common across Tennessee and the southeastern U.S.  Since 1999 our research and extension team has completed projects in several areas including insect and weed management, consumer preference and perception, crop fertility and growth, mycorrhizal plant associations, and plant/insect and plant/insect/fungal interactions(see publication list).

Current research studies include:

• Ornamental plant tolerance to select herbicides and strategies for using PRE and POST-emergent weed management in turf, landscape, and nursery settings (Drs. Greg Armel and Jim Brosnan; UT Plant Sciences).
  
• Mechanisms of ornamental host plant resistance to insect pests.;
• Geographic and habitat differentiation in seasonal flight activity of the dogwood borer (Synathedon scitula) (5 state collaboration).
• Studies to better understand the beliefs that landscape and grounds management professionals share about insect- and disease-resistant ornamental plants, in order to help direct Green Industry marketing efforts for new insect- and disease-resistant plant products (TN, FL, GA).
  
  In addition, we continue to work with Dr. Juan-Luis Jurat-Fuentes, his post-doctoral associate Dr. Cris Oppert, and graduate student Jonathan Willis (UT Entomology and Plant Pathology Department) in a large-scale cellulolytic enzyme assay.  To date, we have screened more than 70 insect species from 6 insect orders that feed on wood, leaf, stem or root tissues.  Our long-term objective is to identify unique protein cellulases and to identify genetic sequences that direct cellulase activity.

Recent graduate student projects include:

• Debbie Ketchersid (MS, 2004): host plant preference and resulting fecundity and longevity of whitefringed beetles in field nursery systems (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).
• Chris Vaughn (MS, 2005): seasonal flight activity and trap attraction of clearwing moths to color and commercially-available pheromone lures.
• Wes Powell (MS, 2005): Beauveria bassiana and insect/endophyte interactions within a tomato model crop..
• Drew Jeffers (MS, 2008): perceptions of green industry professionals about nursery liner quality related to bareroot liner price, production region and several physical attributes (in collaboration with Drs. Marco Palma and Charlie Hall, Texas A & M).
• Jason Hansen (PhD, anticipated 2009): phylogenetics and host plant ranges of wood boring insects (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae [esp. Synanthedon]) and (Coleoptera: Buprestidae [esp. Chrysobothris]) (co-advised by Dr. Kevin Moulton,UT Entomology and Plant Pathology Department, in a collaborative project between the Dogwood Research Team, USDA-ARS scientists in Poplarville, MS; Beltsville, MD; and Wooster, OH; and Dr. Jason Oliver’s research team at the TSU Otis Floyd Nursery Crop Research Station in McMinnville, TN).

On-going research interests include:

• Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for common and emerging nursery pests
• Weed/insect interactions
• Efficient and accelerated ornamental plant production
• Consumer preference and perception of ornamental plant products
• Ornamental plant evaluations and host plant resistance to pests and diseases
  
• Consumer preference and perception of ornamental plant products