Tree & Shrub Disease: What’s Coming Down the Pike

Tuesday January 14, 2025

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Each year brings new and unexpected challenges in woody plant health care, with emerging diseases and insect pests requiring our professional attention. This presentation will focus on some of the most significant diseases and pests identified through samples submitted to the UMass Plant Diagnostic Laboratory. Topics will include beech leaf disease, needle blight pathogens affecting white pine, hemlock, spruce, and arborvitae, lilac leaf blotch, as well as insect threats like bagworms and the elm zigzag sawfly, among others. We will also explore management strategies designed to reduce disease incidence and severity, providing actionable insights to help protect and preserve the health of shrubs and trees.  

CEU Credits: ISA, MDAR Pesticide

Nick Brazee, Ph.D.
Extension Plant Pathologist
University of Massachusetts
Amherst, MA

Nick Brazee is an Extension Plant Pathologist at the University of Massachusetts. He directs the UMass Plant Diagnostic Lab, providing woody plant disease diagnostics and management support for green industry professionals. In addition, he conducts research on wood-decaying pathogens of urban and landscape trees. Dr. Brazee has a Ph.D. in forest pathology from the University of Massachusetts.