Consumer Perceptions of Landscape Characteristics, Disease and Pest Problems, and the Value of Powdery Mildew Resistant Dogwood

Transcription

1 Institute of Agriculture Reserch Series Deprtment of Agriculturl Economics November 2001 Consumer Perceptions of Lndscpe Chrcteristics, Disese nd Pest Problems, nd the Vlue of Powdery Mildew Resistnt Dogwood by Willim E. Klingemn 1 John R. Brooker 2 Dvid B. Estwood 2 John B. Riley 2 Bridget K. Behe 3 Ptrici Knight 4 1 Deprtment of Plnt Sciences nd Lndscpe Systems 2 Deprtment of Agriculturl Economics 3 Deprtment of Horticulture, Michign Stte, Est Lnsing 4 Deprtment of Horticulture, Mississippi Stte University Agriculturl Experiment Sttion The University of Tennessee Knoxville

2 Tble of Contents Introduction...1 Objectives...3 Source of Dt...3 Results...4 Demogrphics...4 Lndscpe Chrcteristics...6 Dogwoods in the Lndscpe...6 Pest/Disese Recognition nd Lndscpe Mngement Philosophy...8 Expenditures on Lndscpe nd Home Grden...13 Added-Vlue of Powdery Mildew Resistnce...18 Summry nd Closing Remrks...19 References...20 Appendix...22 Additionl copies of this report my be obtined from: Deprtment of Agriculturl Economics The University of Tennessee 2621 Morgn Circle Knoxville, TN E

3 Consumer Perceptions of Lndscpe Chrcteristics, Disese nd Pest Problems, nd the Vlue of Powdery Mildew Resistnt Dogwood by Willim E. Klingemn, John R. Brooker, Dvid B. Estwood, John B. Riley, Bridget K. Behe, nd Ptrici R. Knight 1 Introduction Flowering dogwoods (Cornus florid L.), which re ntive to estern North Americ, re smll to medium-sized understory trees tht provide importnt hbitt nd food resources for wildlife (Eyde 1988; Mitchell 1988). Since 1988, the emergence nd severity of two destructive plnt diseses hve severely impcted ntive stnds nd lndscpe plntings of flowering dogwoods nd consequently, nursery sles of this ornmentl tree. As nursery product, dogwoods re importnt to Tennessee becuse combined retil nd wholesle sles from Tennessee nurseries ccounted for 23.2 percent of the dogwood trees sold from nurseries in the United Sttes (1998 Census of Horticulturl Specilties). Tennessee nursery producers sell more dogwood trees thn the next two leding sttes, North Crolin nd Oregon, combined. Dogwood nthrcnose (Discul destructiv Red.) ws first observed in southestern New York nd southwestern Connecticut in 1978 nd 1979, respectively (Hibben nd Dughtry 1988). Dogwood nthrcnose ws not discovered in estern Tennessee nd the southern Applchin Mountins until 1988 (Windhm 1989). Forest plot surveys of the Gret Smoky Mountin Ntionl Prk in North Crolin nd Tennessee indicted tht by 1992, n verge of 22 percent of the dogwood trees ws ded (Windhm, et l. 1995). Estimtes mde in 1996 suggested tht between 75 nd 85 percent of the remining dogwoods were infected with nthrcnose nd mny were ded or dying (Windhm, unpublished dt). In the nursery, however, nthrcnose cn be controlled using fungicide sprys. Trees subsequently plnted in sunny, iry sites re t less risk from dogwood nthrcnose. Spred of nthrcnose through commercil mrkets hs lso been controlled with thorough plnt inspections. Reserch efforts hve further reveled 'Applchin Spring' to be n nthrcnose-resistnt flowering dogwood cultivr (Windhm, et l. 1998). Since 1994, flowering dogwoods hve been under ssult from powdery mildew, cused by Microspher pulchr (Klein, et l. 1998; Rnney et l. 1995). Dogwood powdery mildew hs been known for mny yers (Burrill nd Erle 1887). Its development s lrge-scle production problem is mnifested by reduced seedling vigor, virtully hlting cultivr production budding of infected trees, limited growth nd reproduction mong more mture dogwoods (Windhm 1996), nd the deth of some smll trees (Windhm, unpublished dt). Reserch efforts by the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture's Dogwood Reserch nd Breeding Tem hve resulted in the identifiction of powdery mildew-resistnt flowering dogwood seedlings (Windhm 1996; Windhm nd Witte 1998). Plnt ptent pplictions for the three most promising clones re pending s the Applchin series of dogwoods (Witte et l. 1999). 1 Klingemn is n ssistnt professor in the Deprtment of Plnt Sciences nd Lndscpe Systems, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Brooker, Estwood nd Riley re professors in the Deprtment of Agriculturl Economics, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Behe is n ssocite professor in the Deprtment of Horticulture, Michign Stte University, Est Lnsing. Knight is n ssocite horticulturlist, Costl Reserch nd Extension Center, Mississippi Stte University, Poplrville.

4 Tennessee ornmentl producers re dversely ffected by the incresed cost of dogwood production. In 1984, the estimted cost of pest nd disese control incurred in producing one cre of budded flowering dogwoods ws pproximtely $290 over 3-yer period (Bdenhop, et l. 1985). Recent estimtes plce this figure closer to $1,075 per cre, nd the increse is ttributed lrgely to the emergence of powdery mildew (Trigino, personl communiction). Despite gins in controlling the disese nd the discovery of disese-resistnt flowering dogwoods, demnd for dogwoods hs been dversely impcted due to the incresed likelihood of tree loss nd cost of disese control. Awreness of the problem hs spred vi rticles from populr press nd news sources tht present only blek predictions of the future lndscpe potentil for these trees (Dvis 1997; Englnder 1997). The discovery, development, nd successful mrketing of disese-resistnt flowering dogwoods should stimulte renewed interest nd confidence mong consumers nd nursery producers in this vluble ornmentl crop. To dte, there hs been little reserch to estimte consumer vlutions of ptented disese-resistnt plnt mterils. Nursery producers hve little guidnce by which they cn estblish the wholesle or retil vlues of pest or disese resistnt plnt mterils such s the powdery mildew resistnt dogwoods. Therefore, nursery producers nd ornmentl reserchers will benefit from greter wreness of consumer comprehension of integrted pest mngement concepts. Moreover, consumer willingness to incur economic nd esthetic costs in order to limit pesticide use in their lndscpes cn become n importnt fctor in future development, mrketing, nd pricing of pest nd disese resistnt ornmentl plnt mterils. Annully, from 1979 to 1993, U.S. griculturl, industril/commercil/governmentl, nd home nd grden demogrphic sectors pplied more thn 906 million pounds of ctive ingredients to control rthropod pests nd plnt diseses (Aspelin 1994). In response to hevy pesticide relince by these sectors, the U.S. Deprtment of Agriculture, U.S. Environmentl Protection Agency, nd Food nd Drug Administrtion lunched joint inititive in 1993 to develop nd deliver Integrted Pest Mngement (IPM) methods to 75 percent of U.S. crop crege by the yer IPM hs gined widespred ttention s multi-fceted pproch to regulting pest nd disese occurrence below levels tht cuse economic nd esthetic crop losses nd hs the cpbility of reducing relince on chemicl pesticides. Fr from excluding pesticide controls, IPM incorportes pesticide chemistry into n rry of pest mngement options, which my be selected individully or in combintion. In ddition to pesticide controls, mngement strtegies include culturl, mechnicl, physicl controls, nd host-plnt resistnce for regulting rthropod, weed, nd disese popultions. These IPM prctices re widely pplicble to crop production nd lndscpe mngement progrms nd cn be redily dopted by diverse end-users including griculturl nd horticulturl crop producers; lndscpe, forest, nd golf course mngers; nd privte homeowners. Culturl control strtegies often comprise the "first line of defense" in successful pest popultion mngement. Culturl mngement tctics include proper plnt nd site selection, weed nd volunteer elimintion, crop rottion, effective nutrition nd wter mngement, nd snittion. Despite the reltive ese of mny of these options, only 36 nd 33 percent of surveyed greenhouse nd nursery opertions, respectively, identified these tctics s strtegies tht they employed for pest mngement (Oetting nd Allison 1994). However, these sttistics my not ccurtely reflect consumer, grower, nd lndscpe mnger use of these strtegies. Survey respondents frequently fil to recognize tht the control prctices 2

5 they ctively employ re considered "culturl". In relity, the need to educte consumers, growers, nd lndscpe mngers bout IPM procedures is frequently cited s n re of criticl need (Ltimer, et l. 1996; Rupp, et l. 1989; Wering 1988). Further, ornmentl growers nd lndscpe mngers cite lck of sufficient eductionl nd resource informtion bout IPM s well s limittions in economic incentives for implementing IPM prctices or developing pest resistnt plnt mterils (Ltimer, et l. 1996). In n urbn lndscpe, pproprite selection nd plcement of plnt mterils cn lower the probbility of pest nd disese outbreks. This, in turn, reduces the need for pesticide pplictions nd increses homeowner or client stisfction with the esthetic qulity of their lndscpe surroundings. Within ornmentl production systems, stedy consumer demnd for plnt cultivrs nd species resistnt to rthropod pests nd diseses will likewise reduce the need for pesticide pplictions to nursery nd greenhouse stock. However, chllenges remin to find effective eductionl outlets nd efficient pths for informtion trnsfer, such s the use of grden writers nd lndscpe rchitects (Grber nd Bondri 1992; 1998). Once effective outlets for informtion exchnge re identified, they cn be used to generte consumer nd client wreness of disese nd pest resistnt plnt mterils nd to stimulte desire to include these plnts in their lndscpes. Objectives The generl purpose of this study ws to identify fctors ffecting consumer demnd for lndscpe nursery products nd services, to determine level of consumer recognition nd understnding of integrted pest mngement terminology nd prctices, nd to ssess consumer willingness to py price differentil for flowering dogwood tree resistnt to powdery mildew. Specific objectives were to determine: 1. selected chrcteristics bout homeowners nd their lndscpes, 2. the importnce of ornmentl chrcteristics used by homeowners in selection of trees, shrubs, perennils, or nnuls for their lndscpes, 3. dded vlue retil consumers re willing to py for ptented dogwood trees resistnt to powdery mildew, nd 4. consumer perceptions of dogwood pest/disese problems nd consumers fmilirity with terms nd concepts relted to integrted pest mngement. Source of Dt In the spring of 2000, survey questionnire nd disply were creted for use t home nd grden shows. The disply presented pictures of identicl dogwoods, except one ws infected with powdery mildew. Pictures of helthy nd disesed leves were included. Brief sttements bout the disese in esyto-red lnguge nd print were prt of the disply. As individuls pssed by the disply, they were sked to prticipte in this eductionl, dt collection effort. Given this setting, respondents were individuls who were interested in lndscpes, nd consequently, were more pt to be knowledgeble bout diseses, IPM, importnt tree nd shrub ttributes, nd lndscpes in generl. Furthermore, those who nswered the questionnire comprised group tht ws more likely to purchse ornmentl trees nd shrubs. A copy of the questionnire is in the Appendix. 3

6 Results Survey prticipnts returned 147 completed questionnires t the Dogwood Arts Festivl Home nd Grden Show in Knoxville, Tennessee. Respondents t the Lwn nd Grden Show in Nshville, Tennessee returned 269 completed surveys nd "Bloomfest", home nd grden show in Detroit, Michign generted 132 completed questionnires. In Jckson, Mississippi, 62 questionnires were completed by visitors to the Grden nd Ptio Show. Chi squre sttistics re used to drw inferences bout the ssocition between respondents nswers cross the four survey loctions nd the vrious demogrphic, behviorl, nd ttitudinl ctegories. Whenever the computed chi squres reported in the following tbles exceed the respective criticl vlues, the conclusions re tht the differences in response ptterns for the listed ctegories do in fct differ by urbn loction. Demogrphics The rtio of femle to mle respondents ws roughly 1 to 1 in Knoxville nd 3 to 2 in Nshville (Tble 1). Significntly more survey prticipnts in Detroit nd Jckson were likely to be femle, where the femles to mle rtios were 4 to1 nd 7 to 3, respectively. Tble 1. Gender of Survey Prticipnts Knoxville (n=127) Nshville (n=256) Detroit (n=118) Jckson (n=61) percent Femle Mle Totl * Significnt t.05 level. Chi-squre 28.85* The ge distributions of respondents were comprble cross venues except for the 65 nd over group which hd proportiontely more Detroit respondents (Tble 2). Roughly 75 percent of respondents were between 35 nd 64 yers old. Only 10 percent or fewer prticipnts who completed questionnires were younger thn 35. Senior citizens ged 65 yers or older, represented 10 percent of the Jckson respondents, 12 percent of the Tennessee prticipnts, nd 20 percent of the Detroit respondents. Tble 2. Age of Survey Prticipnts Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=130) (n=261) (n=127) (n=52) percent nd under nd over Totl

7 Respondents were sked to identify their before tx income ctegories for the previous yer (Tble 3). In ll four loctions, 75 percent or more of the respondents were willing to provide this informtion. The mjority of survey prticipnts indicted moderte household income. Thirty percent or fewer of those who completed the forms identified household incomes tht were greter thn $100,000. At ech loction, incomes of less thn 50 percent of the prticipnts did not exceed $75,000. Higher income respondents were expected due to the prevlence of homeowners visiting the home nd grden shows. Tble 3. Income of Survey Prticipnts Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=110) (n=228) (n=108) (n=44) percent Less thn $50, $50,000 - $74, $75,000 - $99, $100,000 nd over Totl Bsed upon the distributions of the income ctegories, medin incomes of the prticipnts were estimted (Tble 4). Respondents in Detroit hd the highest medin income of $69,048, nd Knoxville ws t the low end with clculted medin income of $60,417. Tble 4. Medin Income of Survey Prticipnts Knoxville (n=110) Nshville (n=228) Detroit (n=108) Jckson (n=44 ) Clculted Medin Income $60,417 $67,466 $69,048 $63,500 In ll four cities, current home-ownership rnged from 92 percent mong survey prticipnts in Knoxville to 98 percent in Jckson (Tble 5). While not shown in the tble, few renters completed questionnire in ech loction; however, most renters, excluding Detroit, indicted they intended to purchse home. Detroit ws unique becuse none of the respondents indicted n intention to purchse home. Tble 5. Home Ownership Knoxville (n=144) Nshville (n=264) Detroit (n=131) Jckson (n=61) percent Own home Rent/Pln to Own Totl Chi-squre

8 Lndscpe Chrcteristics In Jckson, 56 percent of the respondents owned homes on 1 cre or lrger lots (Tble 6). By contrst, 60 percent of Detroit prticipnts lived on lots smller thn one-hlf cre. In Knoxville, 50 percent of prticipnts owned homes situted on lots smller thn three-fourths of n cre. This vrition in distribution of respondents lot size mong cities ws sttisticlly significnt. Tble 6. Averge Homeowner Lot Size Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=137) (n=248) (n=110) (n=57) percent cres or less cres cres * cres cre nd over Totl * Significnt t.05 level. A grss lwn ws common lndscpe feture for more thn 80 percent of the survey prticipnts (Tble 7). Significntly fewer Detroit respondents hd wooded lots, which is consistent with their smller lot size. Smll size is the likely reson these respondents were more pt to hve perennils nd sprinkler systems, nd less likely to hve mostly open yrds. Detroit respondents greter use of continer plntings my reflect the colder climte homeowners likelihood of tking some plntings inside during cold periods. Regrdless of loction, roughly one-hlf of the survey respondents hd yrds with lndscped borders. Annul beds were present in more thn 50 percent of lndscpes, nd 58 percent or more of the respondents incorported perennil plnts into their ornmentl fetures. Slightly fewer thn hlf of those surveyed reported the inclusion of vegetble or herb grden into their lndscpes. Detroit lndscpes were twice s likely to include sprinkler system thn either city in Tennessee. With the exception of Detroit, the mjority of respondents were discontent with the lndscpes they mnged (Tble 8). The gretest degree of discontent ws evident mong Knoxville prticipnts, for whom 68 percent sw room for improvement. Only 41 nd 43 percent of Nshville nd Jckson prticipnts were content with their lndscpes. In Detroit, slight mjority of survey prticipnts were content with the ppernce of their lndscpes. Dogwoods in the Lndscpe Among Tennessee prticipnts, dogwood trees were n ornmentl stple with 80 percent or more homes feturing dogwood in the lndscpe (Tble 9). By contrst, 53 percent mjority of Detroit respondents did not hve dogwood in their lndscpe. The significnt differences in proportion hving dogwoods is not surprising due to the Michign climte being less suitble for the tree. Respondents with dogwood trees in their lndscpe mintined the mjority of them under full or prtil shde (Tble 10). Jckson residents were the most likely to hve dogwood locted in full 6

9 Tble 7. Chrcteristics of Homeowner Lndscpe Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=147) (n=169 ) (n=132 ) (n=62 ) percent Wooded Lot * Perennils * Mostly Open Yrd * Vegetble/Herb Grden Annul Beds Grss Lwn Continer Plntings * Lndscped Borders Sprinkler System * Respondents could chose more thn one chrcteristic. *Significnt t.05 level. Tble 8. Homeowners Contentment with Lndscpe Appernce Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=143) (n=261) (n=124) (n=61) percent Yes No * Totl * Significnt t.05 level. Tble 9. Hve Dogwood in the Lndscpe Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=147) (n=267) (n=131) (n=61) percent Yes No * Totl * Significnt t.05 level. Tble 10. Loction of Dogwoods in the Respondent's Lndscpe Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=126) (n=212) (n=60) (n=44) percent Sun Shde / Prtil Shde * Totl * Significnt t.05 level. 7

10 or prtil shde, which differed significntly from the distribution in Knoxville where the response ws close to being equl. Nshville residents who hve dogwoods in their lndscpe reported the presence of powdery mildew on 35 percent of their dogwoods (Tble 11). For Jckson, 23 percent of the respondents identified powdery mildew s concern. For Knoxville nd Detroit respondents, 18 nd 15 percent, respectively, reported powdery mildew s problem. Drought injury ws significntly lower with the Detroit respondents (11 percent) thn the 26 to 34 percent obtined in the other three cities. Trunk crcks or splits were noted s problem by lrger shre of respondents in Nshville (33 percent) nd lower shre in Detroit (21 percent). Responses regrding nthrcnose lef spots were significntly different mong the four cities, rnging from high of 20 percent in Knoxville to only 2 percent in Jckson. Among ll cities, 9 percent or less identified borers s concern, nd 2 percent or fewer respondents indicted problems with dogwood twig gll midge. According to the respondents who mnged dogwood in their lndscpes, nerly one-fourth to one-third were unble to comment on possible pest or disese problems. Tble 11. Dogwoods in the Lndscpe Hving Pest/Disese Problems Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=127) (n=214) (n=61) (n=44) percent Powdery Mildew * Drought Injury (Brown Lef Tips) * Trunk Crcks or Splits Anthrcnose Lef Spots * Borers Dogwood Twig Gll Midge Don't Know Only mong respondents who reported hving dogwood in their lndscpe. Respondents could check ll tht pplied. * Significnt t.05 level. Pest/Disese Recognition nd Lndscpe Mngement Philosophy Self-dignosis of pest nd disese problems rnged from low of 73 percent in Knoxville to high of 84 percent in Nshville (Tble 12). Friends were more frequently identified s pest or disese dignosticins thn were university Extension personnel who did not give ssistnce to more thn15 percent of the respondents in ny city. Detroit nd Jckson respondents were significntly more likely to consult nursery or grden center to identify pest nd disese problems thn were their Tennessee counterprts. Where pest nd disese problems required pesticide mngement, significntly more Tennessee nd Jckson respondents pplied chemicl controls themselves thn Detroit respondents (Tble 13). Less thn one-fourth used commercil ppliction firms. The distributions of responses reflecting the pproximte levels of plnt injury tht were tolerble in order to limit pesticide use in the lndscpe were similr (Tble 14). Fewer thn 10 percent were willing to ccept high levels of injury on lndscpe plnts. Similrly, 10 percent or less fvored strict pesticide use to mintin pristine lndscpe. Respondents were concentrted in the medium nd low cceptble levels of injury. 8

11 Tble 12. How Pest/Disese Problems Are Identified Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=147) (n=269) (n=132) (n=62) percent Self Dignosed Commercil Service * Extension Friend Nursery/Grden Center * Other b nc Respondents checked ll tht pplied, thus columns do not sum to 100 percent. b "Other" responses included mgzine rticles, the Internet, nd grdening television shows. * Significnt t.05 level. nc=not computed. Tble 13. How Pesticides Applied Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=147) (n=269) (n=132) (n=62) percent Self * Commercil Service * Left Uncontrolled nc Respondents who provided no nswer re ssumed to hve left the problem uncontrolled. Columns do not sum to 100 becuse respondents could hve checked both self nd commercil service. * Significnt t.05 level. nc= not clculted. Tble 14. Level of Plnt Injury Acceptble in the Absence of Pesticide Use Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=129) (n=259) (n=122) (n=51) percent High Injury Medium Injury Low Injury No Injury Tolerted Totl Responses bout grdening nd grower mgzine redership were vried (Tble 15). Significntly more Detroit prticipnts indicted tht they regulrly red grdening mgzines. By contrst, only onethird of Nshville prticipnts indicted similr redership. Knoxville respondents were lmost evenly split. The list of mgzine titles most frequently identified by the respondents included: 1) Better Homes nd Grdens, 2) Orgnic Grdening, 3) Southern Living Mgzine, 4) Grden Gte, nd 5) Horticulture (Tble 16). The diversity of mgzine selection suggests brod rnge of reder interest. 9

12 Tble 15. Regulr Redership of Grden/Grower Mgzines Knoxville (n=142) Nshville (n=266) Detroit (n=128) Jckson (n=62) Chisqure percent Red Grden Mgzines Do Not Red Grden Mgzines * Totls * Significnt t.05 level. Tble 16. Mgzines Attrcting Respondent Redership Knoxville (n=76) Nshville (n=177) Detroit (n=95) Jckson (n=43) Combined (n=391) number Better Homes nd Grdens Orgnic Grdening Southern Living Grden Gte Horticulture Fine Grdening Birds nd Blooms Country Grdener Americn Grdener Country Living Ntionl Grdener Home Grdening Mrth Stewrt's Living Michign Grdener Rebecc's Grden English Grden Cndin Grdener Other Includes ll other titles listed only once by respondent in the combined four loctions. Respondents were sked to indicte their fmilirity with eleven IPM terms by use of the following choices: never herd, sounds fmilir, I know little, nd I cn explin (Tble 17). The proportion of respondents who reported knowing little or being ble to explin the mening of term were combined. Unless response ws mrked on the questionnire, the ssumption ws tht the respondent did not know the mening of the term. Of the eleven terms, there were only three where the differences mong the cities were significnt - pest scouting, pest tolernce, nd orgnic frming. For these three terms, the lowest percentges of fmilirity were reported for Knoxville. With respect to orgnic frming, respondents in Nshville nd Detroit were significntly more fmilir with the term thn respondents in Knoxville nd Jckson. Respondents were lest fmilir with the terms mycorrhizl fungi, pheromone 10

13 trpping, beneficil insects, nd IPM. Overll, Nshville nd Detroit seemed to hve the more knowledgeble respondents since the percentge of fmilirity ws highest in Nshville for six of the 11 terms nd highest in Detroit for the other five terms. Tble 17.- Fmilirity with Integrted-Pest-Mngement (IPM) terms Terms in sme order s listed on questionnire Knoxville (n=147) Nshville (n=269) Detroit (n=132) Jckson (n=62) Chi-squre -----percent who reported knowing little or being ble to explin ---- Pest tolernce * Biologicl control Mycorrhizl fungi Insecticide resistence IMP Beneficil insects Pest scouting * Urbn lndscpe Lnd stewrdship Orgnic frming * Pheromone trpping The respondents in this tble reported knowing little or being ble to explin the mening of term nd were combined. Respondents indicting tht they never herd of term or tht it sounds fmilir were excluded. Survey prticipnts were sked to indicte where they purchse plnts (Tble 18). Retil chins nd independent grden centers were identified by 50 percent or more of respondents in ll four cities s their source of plnts. Third in overll frequency were nurseries, s 40 to 55 percent of the respondents reported purchsing their lndscpe plnts directly from the nursery grower. Less thn 25 percent of Tennessee respondents identified frm mrket or truck stnd s plce they shopped, while third of Detroit respondents ptronized this mrket segment. Nerly hlf of Nshville nd Detroit respondents purchsed plnts by mil order, which ws significntly higher proportion of purchses thn by respondents in Nshville nd Jckson. Grocery stores were identified s source of plnts by fewer thn 10 percent of ll respondents, regrdless of surveyed city. Only 11 to 25 percent of respondents employed lndscper or contrctor to supply their lndscpe plnts. Prticipnts were lso sked to rte the qulity of plnts tht they purchsed for their lndscpes (Tble 19). While only five percent of Nshville residents were unsure of the qulity of plnt mterils tht they hd purchsed, significntly lrger 23 percent of respondents in Jckson were not sure. About 16 percent of Tennessee respondents nd hlf s mny Detroit nd Jckson prticipnts indicted tht their purchsed plnts were "Poor"or "Mediocre" in qulity. Similrly, 15 percent or fewer of ll respondents rted their plnts s being of excellent qulity. The mjority of respondents, from 63 percent in Jckson to 70 percent of Nshville prticipnts, ssessed the qulity of the plnts they purchsed s "Good". 11

14 Tble 18. Type of Outlet for Lndscpe Plnt Purchses Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=147) (n=269) (n=132) (n=62) percent Independent Grden Center Retil Chin * Nursery Mil Order * Frm Mrket/Truck Stnd * Lndscper/Contrctor Grocery Respondents could check ll tht pplied. * Significnt t.05 level. Tble 19. Perception of the Qulity of Lndscpe Plnts Purchsed Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Chi-squre (n=147) (n=269) (n=132) (n=62) percent Not Sure Poor nd Mediocre Good * Excellent Totl Poor nd mediocre were combined. * Significnt t.05 level. While the number of combined respondents who purchsed plnts from the seven different mrket outlets presented in the questionnire rnged from 385 (retil chins) down to 48 (grocery stores), the reltive distributions of these responses mong the four qulity options were remrkbly similr (Tble 20). For every outlet, t lest 80 percent of the respondents reported tht they thought the qulity of plnts ws good or excellent. Tble 20. Respondents Perception of Plnt Qulity by Type of Outlet Retil chin (n=385) Grden center (n=372) Nursery (n=306) Mil order (n=258) Frm mrket (n=140) Lndscper (n=135) Grocery store (n=48) percent Not sure Poor/Mediocre Good Excellent Totl

15 The reltionship between income nd choice of outlet s source for plnt mteril ws firly similr cross ll outlets (Tble 21). The only notble point is tht reltively higher percentge of respondents in the top income ctegory nd reltively smller percentge in the lowest income ctegory obtined plnt mteril from lndscpers. Tble 21. Respondents Source of Plnt Mteril by Income Income rnge (n=490) Retil chin (n=330) Grden center (n=319) Nursery (n=257) Mil order (n=228) Frm mrket (n=117) Lndscper (n=114) Grocery store (n=38) percent $49,999 or less $50,000-74, $75,000-99, $100,000 or more Totl Expenditures on Lndscpe nd Home Grden In ddition to direct plnt purchses, home, lwn, nd grden show ttendees in ech city were sked to estimte their nnul expenditures on lndscpe-relted items nd services (Tble 22). Expenses reported by ll survey prticipnts were reltively consistent Averge nnul expenditures were clculted in two wys. First, respondents who left ll prts of this question blnk were ssumed to hve mde no expenditures in Even with this inclusion of expenditures for 10 to 24 percent of the respondents in four loctions, verge expenditures rnged from $418 in Jckson to $916 in Nshville. Second, when only respondents who entered vlue for t lest one expenditure ctegory were considered, verge nnul expenditures rnged from $552 in Jckson to $1,058 in Nshville. Vlues regrding verge expenditures per ctegory were bsed on the respondents who spent money on the ctegory in For ech city, more respondents reported purchsing nnuls nd perennils thn ny other ctegory. Percentges of respondents who purchsed tree in 1999 were equl (27 percent) for Knoxville, Nshville, nd Detroit, nd dropped to 21 percent for Jckson. Detroit respondents spent the most for trees with n verge of $474. Nshville respondents who purchsed equipment verged $646 mong the 36 percent of the respondents who nswered this question, compred to low of only $201 per respondent mong the 48 percent of respondents who nswered in Detroit. Also noteworthy is the much higher percentge of respondents in Detroit who used spry service. Both Knoxville nd Detroit respondents spent considerbly more on the other ctegory thn those in Nshville or Jckson. This other ctegory includes hrdscpe, decortive ornmentls, nd wter grden fetures. Prticipnts were sked to rnk the top five fctors they used when purchsing trees nd shrubs for their lndscpes (Tble 23). Becuse of the lrge number of respondents who simply checked fctor on the questionnire insted of rnking five items from 1 through 5, ll responses with number or check mrk were considered to be n indiction tht the fctor ws importnt. 13

16 Tble 22. Averge Expenditures on Lndscpe nd Home Grden in 1999 Knoxville Nshville Detroit Jckson Averge expenditure: entire smple (number of respondents) $699 (n=147) $916 (n=269) $869 (n=131) $418 (n=62) Averge expenditure mong those listing expenses: (percent of respondents) b $886 (79) $1,058 (87) $973 (90) $552 (76) Averge expenditures by ctegory: (n=116) (n=234) (n=118) (n=47) Annuls nd perennils (percent of respondents) c $155 (72) $185 (81) $174 (91) $139 (79) Shrubs $231 (34) Trees $388 (27) Equipment $481 (44) Mulch $127 (58) Seeds $37 (47) Spry service $249 (8) Fertilizer $49 (63) Pesticides $36 ( 41) Mowing nd mintennce $355 (29) $388 (42) $340 (27) $646 (36) $177 (64) $47 (45) $290 (11) $72 (57) $52 ( 37) $355 (30) $523 (37) $474 (27) $201 (48) $118 (46) $50 (39) $189 (23) $75 (60) $68 ( 25) $326 ( 26) $221 (45) $225 (21) $371 (21) $160 (40) $59 (36) $188 (13) $62 (62) $73 (42) $137 (17) Other d $981 $405 $ 1,185 $217 (12) (15) (11) (6) Averges clculted mong ll survey prticipnts within city. Respondents with no vlues entered for this question were ssumed to be zero for this clcultion. b Includes ll respondents who entered dollr vlue for t lest one ctegory. c Number of respondents for ech ctegory divided by the totl number of respondents who provided n nswer to this question. d "Other" items listed by respondents included hrdscpe components, soil nd sod, decortive ornments, nd wter grden fetures. 14

17 Tble 23. Resons to Select Trees for Lndscpe Use Fctor Knoxville (n=147) Nshville (n=269) Detroit (n=132) Jckson (n=62) Combined (n=610) percent Size/Shpe Ese of Mintennce Attrcts Birds/Animls Flower Color Flowering Seson Lef Color Sun/Shde Preference of Tree To Crete Shde Avilbility Disese Resistnce Longevity Winter Appernce Ntive Butterflies/Beneficil Insects Growth Rte Wter Needs Length of Flowering Period Fmilirity Soil Preferences Fruit Insect/Mite Resistnce University Tested Other Fctors (< 2% ech) The only fctor with significnt chi-squre t the.05 level (8.67). Key considertions when purchsing trees were mostly consistent mong cities. Size nd Shpe ws the only fctor with significnt chi-squre vlue, nd it ws lso the leding fctor in every city, rnging from 40 percent in Jckson to 61 percent in Detroit. The next five, with only slight vrition mong the loctions, included "Ese of Mintennce", "Attrctiveness to Birds nd Animls", nd "Flower Color", Flowering Seson, nd Lef Color. Respondents of ech city were uniform in their opinions tht "University Tested" ws the lest importnt considertion. In ll cities, "Insect/Mite Resistnce" nd Fruit" filed to rnk mong the top 15 resons why consumers selected trees for their lndscpes. In ddition to considertions tht consumers deem importnt when purchsing trees, respondents were sked to identify the key criteri used for selecting shrubs, perennils, nd nnuls for lndscpe use (Tble 24). "Flowering Seson", "Sun/Shde Requirements", "Length of Flowering Period", "Size nd Shpe", "Ese of Mintennce", nd "Attrctiveness to Birds nd Animls" were the leding fctors in ll four cities. In ddition, "Butterfly nd Beneficil Insect Attrction" ws seventh mong Nshville nd Detroit respondents. As with trees, "Insect/Mite 15

18 Tble 24. Resons to Select Shrubs/Perennils/Annuls for Lndscpe Use Fctor Knoxville (n=147) Nshville (n=269) Detroit (n=132) Jckson (n=62) Combined (n=610) percent Flowering Seson Sun/Shde Requirements Length of Flowering Period Size/Shpe Ese of Mintennce Attrcts Birds/Animls Butterflies/Beneficil Insects To Try New Plnt b Longevity Plnt Qulity Wter Needs Lef Color Disese Resistnce Winter Appernce Avilbility Ntive Fmilirity Insect/Mite Resistnce Soil Preferences University Tested Other Fctors ( < 2 % ech) Significnt chi-squre t the.05 level (8.96). b Significnt chi-squre t the.05 level (10.94). Resistnce", "Soil Preferences", nd University Tested were never rnked mong the top 15 considertions. Size nd Shpe demonstrted significnt vrition mong the cities. Jckson respondents rnked it eighth insted of fourth s in the other three cities. One other fctor, To Try New Plnt hd significnt Chi-squre vlue indicting sttisticl vrition mong the responses. The percentge of respondents in Detroit noting this fctor s importnt ws lmost twice s high s the respondents in Knoxville, 31 to 16 percent, respectively. Though respondents identified severl orgnisms s beneficil or environmentlly helpful, three insects emerged tht were redily recognized in ll cities: ldybug(s), the prying mntis, nd [honey]bees (Tble 25). When sked to nme beneficil or environmentlly helpful bird, purple mrtins, bluebirds, hummingbirds, nd robins were the most frequently identified when summed mong cities (Tble 26). Prticipnts lso listed bts in this ctegory. Respondents mong the surveyed cities were less uniform in the beneficil or environmentlly helpful plnts tht they nmed (Tble 27). Still, mrigolds nd butterfly bush were the most frequently identified beneficil plnts. 16

19 Tble 25. Nme Beneficil (Environmentlly Helpful) Insect Knoxville (n=94) Nshville (n=200) Detroit (n=97) Jckson (n=37) Combined (n=428) number Ldybug(s) Prying Mntis Bee(s) Spider Butterfly Beetles Erthworm Lcewing Drgonfly Nemtode Syrphid Fly Other Respondents identified n orgnism tht is not n insect. Tble 26. Nme Beneficil (Environmentlly Helpful) Bird Knoxville (n=71) Nshville (n=173) Detroit (n=72) Jckson (n=30) Combined (n=346) number Purple Mrtin Bluebird Hummingbird Robin(s) Woodpecker Swllow All Mockingbird Bt Crdinl Vulture(s) Owl(s) Blue Jy Finch Wren Chickdee Guine Hen Nuthtch Strling Cedr Wxwing Other Respondents identified n orgnism tht is not bird. 17

20 Tble 27. Nme Beneficil (Environmentlly Helpful) Plnt Knoxville (n=61) Nshville (n=137) Detroit (n=74) Jckson (n=25) Combined (n=297) number Mrigold(s) Butterfly Bush All Clover(s) Echince/Purple Coneflower Gernium Ok Aloe Milkweed Sunflower Bee Blm Dogwood Grss / Fescue Grlic Cttils Foxglove Citronell (Mosquito Plnt) Honeysuckle Other Added-Vlue of Powdery Mildew Resistnce Survey respondents were sked to review photogrphic disply tht fetured lrge flowering dogwood in full flower, powdery mildew-infected folige, nd clen folige. Cptions explined wht the viewers were observing nd described the symptoms nd influence of powdery mildew on tree performnce. After viewing the disply, prticipnts were sked "How much more they would be willing to py" for 5-foot tll flowering dogwood with 1-inch trunk cliper sold in 5-gllon continer, which ws resistnt to powdery mildew. Added-vlue of powdery mildew resistnt dogwood tree rnged from $11.87 in Jckson to $16.38 in Detroit (Tble 28). Note tht the perceived dded vlue of the mildew resistnce response prllels the verge expenditure for trees vlues presented in Tble 22. Tble 28. Added Vlue of Powdery Mildew Resistnt Dogwood to Respondents Additionl dollrs willing to py Knoxville (n=135) Nshville (n=252) Detroit (n=124) Jckson (n=54) dollrs Averge dded vlue Stndrd devition Additionl mount respondents stted they would be willing to py for 5 foot tll flowering dogwood tht is resistnt to powdery mildew with 1-inch trunk cliper in 5-gllon continer. 18

21 Summry nd Closing Remrks The initil focus of this study ws to obtin insight regrding the dditionl mount tht customers would be willing to py for ptented dogwood cultivr resistnt to powdery mildew. After determining tht it would be suitble to collect dt from visitors to "home nd/or grden" shows in metropolitn loctions, it seemed resonble to use the opportunity to lso collect informtion from respondents regrding their preferences nd perceptions bout severl relted topics. A totl of 562 questionnires were completed by visitors to such shows in Knoxville nd Nshville, Tennessee; Detroit, Michign; nd Jckson, Mississippi. Among the four cities, significntly higher percentge of respondents in Nshville (29%) reported hving powdery mildew s problem with their dogwood trees. As nticipted, the percentge of dogwood diseses identified by respondents ws lowest in Detroit becuse less thn hlf of the respondents indicted tht they hve dogwood in their lndscpe, while in the other three cities 72 percent or more reported hving dogwood tree. Most respondents in ll four cities reported tht they dignosed pest/disese problems themselves. The highest percentge of respondents using commercil service to dignose problems ws reported in Jckson (19%); however, only 5 percent reported using commercil service to pply pesticides. Nerly one-fourth of Detroit's respondents employed commercil service to pply pesticides. Most respondents in ll four loctions were willing to ccept low or medium levels of plnt injury to void ppliction of pesticides. Percent of respondents who indicted "they know little bout" or "could explin" integrted-pestmngement (IPM) rnged from 24 percent of the respondents in Jckson to 40 percent in Detroit. For respondents in ll four loctions, the highest percentges ssocited with knowledge of IPM terms occurred with orgnic frming nd pest scouting. The lowest levels of fmilirity were with the terms mycorrhizl fungi nd pheromone trpping, nd responses mong the four loctions were not significntly different. Retil chins nd independent grden centers were identified in ll four cities s the mjor sources of plnts by 50 percent or more of respondents. Third in overll frequency were nurseries, s 40 to 55 percent of the respondents reported purchsing their lndscpe plnts directly from the nursery grower. Only 11 to 25 percent of respondents employed lndscper or contrctor to supply their lndscpe plnts. The mjority of respondents, rnging from 63 percent in Jckson to 70 percent of Nshville prticipnts, ssessed qulity of the plnts they purchsed s "Good". Annul expenditures on lndscpe-relted items nd services rnged from $522 in Jckson to $1,058 in Nshville. For ech city, more respondents reported purchsing nnuls nd perennils thn inputs in ny other ctegory. Detroit respondents spent the most for trees with n verge nnul expenditure vlue of $474. Key considertions when purchsing trees were "Size nd Shpe", "Ese of Mintennce", "Attrctivenenss to Birds nd Animls", "Flower Color", "Flowering Seson", nd "Lef Color". When sked to nme beneficil or environmentlly helpful bird, purple mrtins, bluebirds, hummingbirds, nd robins were the most frequently indentified. How much more shopper would be willing to py for powdery mildew resistnt dogwood, ws rther consistent cross ll four loctions. Averge vlues rnged from low of $11.87 in Jckson, MS, to high verge of $16.38 in Detroit, MI. The uniformity would seem to support the proposition tht customers re willing to py substntilly higher price to purchse product tht will mintin helthier ppernce without the use of chemicl sprys. 19

22 References Aspelin, A. L Pesticide Industry Sles nd Usge: 1992 nd 1993 Mrket Estimtes. Office of Pesticide Progrms. USEPA, Wshington, DC. Bdenhop, M.B., W. T. Witte, nd T. E. Glsgow Production Systems nd Costs for Producing Blled nd Burlpped Trees of Dogwood Cultivrs, Tennessee, 1984, TN Agr. Exp. St. Bul Burrill, T. J., nd F. S. Erle Prsitic Fungi of Illinois. Prt II. Bulletin of the Illinois Stte Lbortory of Nturl History. J. W. Frnks & Sons, Peori, IL. 429 p. Dvis, M "Trees Still Dying - Hlf of Smokies' Dogwoods Gone." Knoxville News Sentinel, Feb. 23, p. 25. Englnder, L "Dogwood Blight." Amer. Nurserymn 172(11): 89. Eyde, R. H "Comprehending Cornus: Puzzles nd Progress in the Systemtics of the Dogwoods." Bot. Rev. 54: Grber, M. P. nd K. Bondri "Lndscpe Architects s Relted to the Lndscpe/ Nursery Industry: I. Impct on Demnd for Plnt Mteril." J. Environ. Hort. 10: Grber, M. P. nd K. Bondri "Chrcteristics of Grden Writers nd Their Informtion Sources." J. Environ. Hort. 16: Hibben, C. R., nd M. L. Dughtrey "Dogwood Anthrcnose in Northestern United Sttes." Pl. Dis. 72: Klein, L. A., M. T. Windhm, nd R. N. Trigino "Nturl Occurrence of Microspher pulchr nd Phyllctini guttt on Two Cornus Species." Plnt Dis. 82: Ltimer, J. G., R. D. Oetting, P. A. Thoms, D.L. Olson, J. R. Allison, S. K. Brmn, J. M Ruter, R. B. Beverly, W. Florkowski, C. D. Robcker, J. T. Wlker, M. P. Grber, O. M. Lindstrom, nd W. G. Hudson "Reducing the Pollution Potentil of Pesticides nd Fertilizers in the Environmentl Horticulture Industry: I. Greenhouse, Nursery, nd Sod Production." HortTechnology 6: Mitchell, W. A., P. A. Gibbs, nd C. O. Mrtin "Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florid): Section 7.5.9," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wildlife Resources Mngement Mnul. Technicl Report EL U.S. Army Engineer Wterwys Exp. Sttion, Vicksburg, MS. 20

23 Oetting, R. D. nd J. R. Allison The Biologic nd Economic Assessment of Chlorpyrifos nd Dizinon in Ornmentls nd Sod Production. USDA, Coop. Ext. Sys., Ntl. Agric. Pesticide Impct Assessment Prog., Tech. Bull Rnney, T. G., L. F. Grnd, nd J. L. Knighten "Susceptibility of Cultivrs nd Hybrids of Kous to Dogwood Anthrcnose nd Powdery Mildew." J. Arboric. 21: Rupp, M. J., M. F. Smith, nd J. A. Dvidson "Eductionl, Environmentl, nd Economic Impcts of Integrted Mngement Progrms for Lndscpe Pests," p In: A. R. Leslie nd R. L. Metclf (eds.). Integrted Pest Mngement for Turfgrss nd Ornmentls. USEPA, Wshington, DC. U.S. Deprtment of Agriculture, 1998 Census of Horticulturl Specilties, Wshington, DC. Wering, C. H "Evluting the IPM Implementtions Process." Annu. Rev. Entomol. 33: Windhm, M. T "Epidemiology of Dogwood Anthrcnose in Cherokee Ntionl Forest of Southestern Tennessee". Phytopthology 79: Windhm, M. T "Resistnce to Powdery Mildew in Flowering Dogwood." Proc. SNA Res. Conf. 41: Windhm, M. T., M. Montgomery-Dee, nd J. M. Prhm "Fctors Associted with Dogwood Anthrcnose Incidence nd Severity." Tennessee AgriScience 175: Windhm, M. T., E. T. Grhm, W. T. Witte, J. L. Knighten, nd R. N. Trigino "Cornus florid 'Applchin Spring': A White Flowering Dogwood Resistnt to Dogwood Anthrcnose." HortScience 33: Windhm, M. T., nd W. T. Witte "Nturlly Ooccurring Resistnce to Powdery Mildew in Sseedlings of Cornus florid." J. Environ. Hort. 16: Witte, W. T., M. T. Windhm, R. N. Trigino, J. A. Skinner, W. E. Klingemn, J. F. Grnt, E. T. Grhm, P. C. Flngn, nd R. M. Augé The Dogwood Improvement Progrm t the University of Tennessee. Comb. Intl. Pl. Prop. Soc. 49:

24 Appendix University of Tennessee Lndscpe Plnt Survey All responses re voluntry nd will remin nonymous After viewing the poster on disply nd reding the informtion, ssume your fvorite retiler is selling dogwood trees (Cornus florid) tht re 5 feet tll, hve 1-inch trunk dimeter, re sold in 5-gllon continer, which re the typicl size produced for consumers t grden centers nd mss merchndisers. 1. How much more would you be willing to py for n identiclly sized flowering dogwood tht is resistnt to powdery mildew? $0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 2. Do you presently: [ ] own home, [ ] rent home or prtment, [ ] pln to buy home within 2 yers? 3. Do you currently hve dogwood in your lndscpe? [ ] Yes, [ ] No If yes, re the mjority of your dogwoods in [ ] SUN; [ ] PART SHADE; [ ] SHADE Do ny of your dogwoods hve (check ll tht pply): powdery mildew nthrcnose (lef spots) dogwood borer injury dogwood twig gll midge trunk crcks/splits drought injury (brown lef edges) don't know 4. Approximtely how much did you spend lst yer (1999) in your home grden nd lndscpe on: $ nnuls & perennils; $ shrubs; $ trees; $ seeds; $ mulch; $ spry service; $ fertilizer; $ equipment; $ mowing / mintennce; $ pesticides; $ other 5. Describe your yrd (check ll tht pply). Estimte its size in Acres or Sq. Ft. [ ] wooded lot, [ ] mostly open yrd, [ ] perennil beds, [ ] vegetble or herb grden [ ] lndscped borders, [ ] nnul beds, [ ] grss lwn, [ ] continer plntings. 22