With the completion of the staffing of the New York State Integrated Pest Management (NYS IPM) ornamentals program, the program initiated development of productive relationships with Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Educators, Cornell University (CU) faculty, and producers of sod, christmas trees, and nursery and greenhouse crops in order to determine their educational and research needs for integrated pest management (IPM).

The ornamentals team of the NYS IPM was not fully staffed for several years. Elizabeth Lamb, as Coordinator, and Brian Eshenaur, as Western New York educator, arrived in May 2006, to complete the team with Gary Couch, Eastern New York educator. The educational and research needs of the sod, nursery, greenhouse and christmas tree industries, and CCE personnel, needed to be reevaluated in light of the expanded potential of the team.

Team development was based on approximately monthly team meetings, face-to- face whenever possible and by conference call. Meetings with faculty were often in conjunction with Program Work Team meetings, including those for Landscape Horticulture, Greenhouse Horticulture, and Turf IPM. Interaction with CCE educators was through a series of tours organized throughout the state (Hudson Valley, Long Island, Capital District and Western New York), either in conjunction with an educational activity planned by the educators, or specifically organized for the Ornamentals IPM team.
These tours also provided a means for open discussion with producers on their needs for IPM technology or education. The team had other opportunities to interact with producers through Greenhouse Horticulture PWT Advisory Board meetings, NY Flower Industries board meetings, and the annual meeting of the New York Nursery and Landscape Association.

The team met with 16 industry leaders across the crops covered by the program and 13 CCE personnel involved with those industries. The Elements of IPM for Greenhouses in New York were completed, reviewed by the NY Flower Industries Board and several other greenhouse producers, and posted on the NYS IPM website. Improvements and updates to the Nursery and Greenhouse section of the website have begun. A new quarterly electronic newsletter for CCE educators providing a variety of information on IPM ornamentals was initiated. The initial edition was sent to at least 20 CCE personnel and at least one Extension educator out of state, and reached at least 750 subscribers through the Hudson Valley Horticulture newsletter. At least three collaborative grants were written with CU faculty and program team members. Educational impact is evident in the number of requests for presentations (at least 20) on ornamental IPM by team members in 2006 and 2007.

• Gary Couch (NYS IPM/Cornell)
• Brian Eshenaur (NYS IPM/Cornell)