MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SERA-IEG 27
Nursery Crops and Landscape Systems
June 13-15, 2007
Lexington, KY

Participants

ADVISORS: Dewayne Ingram (University of Kentucky, Research)

OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES: Winston Dunwell (Extension, University of Kentucky), Ed Bush (Research, Louisiana State University), Allen Owings (Extension, Louisiana State University), Eugene Blythe (Research, Mississippi State University), Bill Klingeman (Research, UT), Donna Fare (USDA-ARS), Dewayne Ingram (Administrative Advisor, University of Kentucky), and Alex Niemiera (Research, Virginia Tech University).

GUESTS: Rumen Conev (Virginia Tech University), Jeremy Griffith (University of Kentucky).

STATES NOT REPRESENTED: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas

Business Meeting

Introduction, Minutes and Reports

Secretary Allen Owings called the meeting to order in the absence of Chair Michele Scheiber. Minutes of the June 2006 meeting in Poplarville, MS were approved on a motion by Bill Klingeman and second by Alex Niemiera.

The group reviewed current appointments. Several people indicted that Todd West (West Virginia University) has interest in participating. Gene Blythe has replaced Patricia Knight as the Mississippi State University representative. No action has been taken at Auburn University to replace Ken Tilt as the research/extension representative to the group.

Program reports were heard from Kentucky, Tennessee, USDA-ARS, LSU, Mississippi State, and Virginia Tech. Mike Arnold provided a report via email from Texas A&M. No reports were submitted from Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina State, Clemson, and Oklahoma.

Election of Officers

Current officers are Chair – Michele Scheiber, Secretary – Allen Owings, Executive Committee Member – Jim Robbins. The current plant evaluation chairperson is Ed Bush. Alex Niemiera was nominated for the Executive Committee member position, Allen Owings for President and Jim Robbins for Secretary on a motion by Ed Bush and second from Donna Fare. Motion passed unanimously.

Old Business

Ed Bush provided a report from the plant evaluation committee (other members are Win Dunwell and Jon Lindstrom). A review of the previously published articles was discussed. The group decided to pursue publishing in the Southern Nursery Association Proceedings in 2008 an article on the 43 taxa current being evaluated by the group along with a contact person for each plant and a listing of states were each plant is currently being evaluated or has been evaluated.

New Business

Potential plant evaluations for the group to consider during the next few years were discussed. Mike Arnold has bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) selections for evaluation. Donna Fare mentioned the ‘Betsy Ross’ lilac (Syringa) from USDA-NA and the ‘Duet’ beautyberry (Callicarpa dichomata) from USDA-NA. These three taxa were approved for evaluation by group members.

Future meeting sites and plans were discussed. Alex Neimiera committed Virginia Tech to host the 2008 meeting, per last year’s discussion. The meeting will probably be held in Richmond. Little Rock, Arkansas is the tentative site for the 2009 meeting. Georgia was discussed as a possible meeting site for 2010.

Allen Owings announced the 2008 Southern Plant Conference being held in Mobile, AL in September and encouraged attendance.

Dewayne Ingram announced that the proposal for the group’s renewal should be approved at the August meeting of the southern region directors. Official start date will be October 2007 with a 5 year renewal.

Dewayne Ingram thanked Nancy Cox, Associate Dean of Research at University of Kentucky, for providing today’s lunch.

Being no further business the meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted,

Allen Owings, Secretary, SERA-IEG 27