MIOSHA and Six Green Industry Organizations in Michigan
“We are proud to sign this alliance, which makes worker safety a top priority for the green industry in
The six organizations signing the alliance are: Arboriculture Society of Michigan (ASM), Michigan Green Industry Association (MGIA), Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA), Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF), Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) and Utility Line Clearance Coalition (ULCC).
Alliances enable organizations committed to workplace safety and health to collaborate with
This ground-breaking alliance, involving six partnering organizations, is an outgrowth of that initiative. By forming this collaborative relationship, all partners are pledging to work together to foster the highest standards, good work ethics and safe work practices for all professional sectors of the green industry.
The goals of this alliance include, but are not limited to:
- Reducing injuries and illnesses among
Michigan green industry workers; - Providing training and education activities specific to the green industry and encouraging member participation;
- Developing fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations, “Best Practices” case studies, and a website resource list, to help employers and employees increase their knowledge of safety and health issues and to forge innovative solutions; and
- Coordinating participation in forums, round table discussions, conferences, and reciprocal website links, to assist employers with compliance and the development of safety and health systems.
Green industry employers and employees in Michigan include, but are not limited to, any business engaged in providing: turfgrass maintenance; tree trimming, including around overhead utility lines; landscape care and maintenance services and/or installing trees, shrubs, plants, lawns or gardens; design of landscape plans and/or the construction (i.e. installation) of walkways, retaining walls, decks, fences, ponds, irrigation; and similar activities.
There are many benefits to participating in an alliance with
- Build trusting, cooperative relationships.
- Network with others committed to workplace safety and health.
- Exchange information about best practices.
- Leverage resources to maximize worker safety and health protection.
For more information about forming an alliance or partnership with
Biomass Energy Program
Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Biomass Energy Program, is working to advance the use of bio-based oils, lubricants and bio-fuels as a viable alternative to petroleum products in Michigan’s golf course industry.
MTF is evaluating the use of turf clippings as a source of biomass energy with funding from the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth Biomass Energy Program.
Are you ready for the future of turfgrass management?
Bio-Based Products in the Turf Industry
NEWS RELEASE: IT’S NOT A HUMAN CARCINOGEN
EPA SAYS NO SPECIAL REVIEW OF 2,4-D NEEDED
AFTER YEARS OF RESEARCH DATA PROVE IT’S NOT A HUMAN CARCINOGEN
(Washington, DC, August 9, 2007) – Following its recent decision to reregister 2,4 dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday announced its Decision Not to Initiate a Special Review of 2,4-D, one of the most widely used herbicides in the U.S. and around the world. (Link to the EPA decision)
EPA’s decision states: “Because the Agency has determined that the existing data do not support a conclusion that links human cancer to 2,4-D exposure, it has decided not to initiate a Special Review of 2,4-D, 2,4-DB and 2,4-DP.” EPA first considered Special Review for 2,4-D in 1986, and after more than 21 years of research and reregistration evaluation, the Agency was able to determine that no correlation exists between the proper use of 2,4-D and cancer. |  |
“Based on extensive scientific review of many epidemiology and animal studies, the Agency finds that the weight of the evidence does not support a conclusion that 2,4-D, 2,4-DB and 2,4-DP are likely human carcinogens,” according to a notice released by EPA. The herbicides 2,4-DB and 2,4-DP were also being considered for Special Review based on their similarity to 2,4-D.
“The impact of this decision should not be understated,” said Jack Dutra, executive director of the Industry Task Force II on 2,4-D Research Data. “Today EPA definitively stated that 2,4-D is not a human carcinogen when used according to label directions. This has been one of the most widely used and successful herbicides in history, and growers around the U.S. and the world will continue to use it with confidence.”
2,4-D is commonly applied to a variety of crops such as wheat, corn, rice, soybeans, potatoes, sugar cane, pome fruits, stone fruits and nuts. It controls invasive species in aquatic and federally protected areas, and broadleaf weeds in turf grass. An economic evaluation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (NAPIAP Report 1-PA-96) concluded that the loss of 2,4-D would cost the U.S. economy $1.7 billion annually in higher food production and weed control expenses.
Since 1989, the Industry Task Force II on 2,4-D Research Data developed and submitted to EPA over 300 Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) toxicology, environmental and residue studies which EPA scientists reviewed to assess the herbicide’s safety under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA).
The Industry Task Force II will continue to develop studies required by EPA’s reregistration review of 2,4-D, most of which are being required of all pesticides.
For more information about 2,4-D visit www.24D.org or call 1-800-345-5109.
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MSU Professor Developing Hybrid Superturf
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In the future, people who care for and enjoy using golf courses, sports fields and parks may be able to worry less about how cold weather and drought affect the grass at their favorite recreational areas. With the development of new turfgrass hybrids by Suleiman Bughrara, professor in the Michigan State University (MSU) Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, the turfgrass industry may grow greener and stronger than ever before.
Since beginning his work at MSU in 1999, Bughrara has blazed new trails. Or, sometimes, frozen them. Bughrara completed a comprehensive snow mold study of more than 4,000 cloned varieties of creeping bentgrass by simulating winter for each plant. Twenty bentgrass varieties showed significant resistance to snow mold, one of the most detrimental diseases challenging the turfgrass industry. A follow-up study found six of the 20 snow-mold-resistant clones also showed resistance to dollar spot, the other main turf-troubling disease.
“Bentgrass has all the right characteristics of great turf but shows susceptibility to dollar spot and snow mold,” Bughrara said. “We will continue our work to examine ways of crossbreeding aesthetically pleasing varieties, such as colonial bentgrass, to maximize disease resistance.”
Bughrara and his research team continue making discovery after exciting discovery in turfgrass breeding. His work also includes ryegrass and fescue. Working to unlock the mystery of drought tolerance, Bughrara is integrating Atlas fescue genes (from semiarid regions of Morocco) into the perennial ryegrass genome. The hybrids have shown high drought tolerance in greenhouse research. Field evaluations and molecular mapping are under way.
“This is exciting work,” Bughrara said. “We are the only university in the United States doing this type of genetic work to improve cold and drought tolerance and disease resistance in turfgrass breeding.”
Bughrara sees potential breakthroughs in how all plants are grown, especially food plants.
“With the right location on a gene, we can create hybrids for cold and drought tolerance in other crops as well. Wheat, corn and rice that need less water to thrive? It could change the entire landscape of our food systems,” Bughrara said.
Bughrara’s position and several of his research projects are funded by Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs), Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative housed at MSU.
Founded in 1997, Project GREEEN is a cooperative effort between plant-based commodities and businesses together with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU Extension and the Michigan Department of Agriculture to advance Michigan’s economy through its plant-based agriculture. Its mission is to develop research and educational programs in response to industry needs, ensure and improve food safety, and protect and preserve the quality of the environment.
To learn more about Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU, visit www.greeen.msu.edu.
Contact: Natalie Ebig Scott
517-432-1555, ext. 157
New Invasive Insect Confirmed in Michigan
LANSING - The Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Natural Resources (DNR), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), today announced the confirmation of Sirex Woodwasp in Macomb County. A single specimen was collected from a trap on July 6 and later identified by the USDA.Sirex Woodwasp is a wood-boring insect native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa and is a potentially serious pest of commercially produced pine trees. It was first detected in North America in Oswego, N.Y. in 2004, and has since been found throughout central New York, northern Pennsylvania, and southern Ontario.
The larvae of this exotic pest are responsible for damaging the tree. It severs the trees' conductive tissues, interrupting the transport of water and nutrients. Adult females lay their eggs in two- and three-needled pine trees, including: Austrian, jack, red, and Scotch pines.
"At this point, we don't know whether this is part of an established Michigan infestation," said MDA Director Mitch Irwin. "We don't anticipate this pest to have a major economic impact on the state's nursery, landscape and Christmas tree industries. We will, however, vigorously monitor this exotic pest and its potential to impact our forest systems."
The trap is one of more than 250 trapping locations established throughout Michigan through a cooperative effort that includes the USDA, MDA, DNR, Michigan Technological University and Michigan State University. This work is part of an international effort to delimit the extent of the infestation in North America.
"Since the Sirex find in New York we have been monitoring Michigan's pine resource," said DNR Director Rebecca A. Humphries. "The network of traps and trap trees established across Michigan will provide excellent data. This information will be used by the workgroup to assess and develop a pro-active response."
Sirex Woodwasp is not expected to significantly impact healthy landscape pine trees in the state. Its impact on vigorous, well managed pine plantations in Michigan, while not yet fully defined, is likewise not anticipated to be severe.
Recycling Program
Kudos goes to Karen O'Dell and all those at Turfgrass, Inc. for their work on the Agricultural Container Recycling Program (ACRP). The program started in 2005 with just one collection site and one grind location and expanded last year to three collection sites and two grind locations. With enough participation we could possibly add a third grind location for 2007.
For those of you that are not familiar with the program, here it is in a nutshell:
- You simply sign up to participate - at which time you will order a spray nozzle which is being covered by an MTF grant provided by the MDA.
- You will need to learn how to clean your containers properly.
- Your containers are either picked up at your facility or you may schedule an appointment to drop them off at an approved ACRP grind site.
Our success is based on the "weight of plastic" collected not "how many containers" were collected. In 2005 the Gaylord grind site produced 900 lbs, which is great for the first year of the program. However, by expanding state wide, continuing to promote, educate and train the facilities, we had outstanding growth for 2006 - the Gaylord site had 2535 lbs of small containers and 8608 lbs shipped to St. Louis for the big grinder. The Gaylord grand total of 11,143 lbs ended up being the Number 1 grind site in the state of Michigan!
Statewide (including containers from agriculture) the program continues to grow. In 2005 the state of Michigan had 51,938 lbs produced and the turf industry was responsible for 1.7% of the total. In 2006 the state of Michigan did 60,962 lbs and turf was responsible for 21%!
Google may partner with MSU to digitize its massive Turf Information Center
EAST LANSING, MI — Michigan State University’s Turfgrass Information Center is the world’s leading research collection for the study of turfgrass. It is one of five unique collections from MSU Libraries being considered for inclusion in the Google Book Search project.
MSU is one of 12 Midwest universities that are part of a new agreement with computer search engine giant Google to digitize the most distinctive collections of the universities’ libraries.
As part of the Google Book Search project, the agreement could result in the digitization of as many as 10 million volumes.
The agreement between Google and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) will help preserve and stabilize the libraries’ legacy collections, as well as provide broader and more in-depth access to historically significant print resources.
Turfgrass is a ubiquitous crop supporting a $50 billion per year business in the United States – from golf courses and stadiums to suburban lawns, highway margin ground cover and industrial park landscaping. The MSU Libraries began methodical collecting in this area in the 1960s and hasbenefited from the donation of the personal collections of key turf agronomists such as O. J. Noer and James B. Beard. Materials date back as far as 1790 with expanded holdings in materials published since 1895 and continuing through the present day. The collection includes more than 3,000 bound volumes of serials, representing more than 300 serial titles and some 1,400 monographs. Three quarters of the cataloged titles are unique within the holdings of the combined CIC libraries.
For additional information on MSU Libraries and its distinct collections, visit the Web at www.lib.msu.edu.