State Ag Department Offers Training on Boxwood Blight

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Boxwood blight is an exotic fungal disease that poses a major threat to Maryland’s nursery industry, which is the state’s second largest agricultural commodity. Because of increasing concern over the spread of boxwood blight, the Maryland Department of Agriculture will host a training seminar on the proper handling of boxwoods, including disease identification and prevention. In addition, the training will cover the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s newly imposed exterior quarantine for boxwood plants entering the state.  This educational seminar will also help fulfill the required training section of the Maryland Boxwood Blight Compliance Agreement–a copy of which, can be found on the department’s website.

The half-day training seminar will be held February 16, 2017, from 8 a.m. to noon, in room 110 at the Maryland Department of Agriculture, 50 Harry S Truman Pkwy, Annapolis. This training is offered free of charge, but will be limited to 50 participants.

A registration form and agenda will be available December 1 on the department’s website.  If you have questions, please contact the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5920 or ppwm.mda@maryland.gov.

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