Joe’s Journal, Winter Edition: JB Toorish – Southeast Regional Technical Manager
This blog summarizes the field studies JB Toorish and I have conducted over the last 14 years in the Southeast.
JB began his career in the green industry in 1980 working for a landscape company in the Cleveland, Ohio area. JB managed the lawn care and tree & ornamental care departments while developing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. In 1995, JB began working for the Davey Tree Expert Company as a sales and service technician. He graduated from The Davey Institute of Horticultural Sciences and The Davey Institute of Tree Sciences in 1997.
In July of 1997, JB was hired at LESCO/JDL as Manager of Technical Services. There, JB’s duties included daily agronomic and pest control support to internal and external customers. He held pesticide dealer/applicator licenses in over 30 states and routinely conducted educational training presentations for CEU credits.
JB joined the Arborjet team in April of 2009. He is currently living in Orlando, Florida and providing sales and technical support for the southeast region of the United States.
In 2011, JB recognized the impact of spiraling whitefly in gumbo limbo and in palms. An introduced piercing-sucking insect, the whitefly produced copious amounts of honeydew that supported the growth of sooty mold. This invasive quickly spread through south Florida and fed on a broad host range, blackening surfaces as it passed. In 2011, Arborjet set up studies in gumbo limbo in the Florida Keys, then in 2012 on Pine Island in coconut palm. We tested the efficacy of both stem injected IMA-jet and AzaSol. A single application of IMA-jet proved efficacious to protect trees for up to 18 months.
In 2015, Arborjet began studies in Lethal Bronzing (LB) of Sylvester Palms. LB is a phytoplasma (similar to bacteria but lacking a cell wall) vectored by a plant hopper, a piercing sucking insect. When the insect feeds in palm, it transfers the phytoplasma from its saliva to the vascular tissues of the plant. Tested were IMA-jet insecticide (to target the vector), Arbor-OTC antibiotic, PHOSPHO-jet, a systemic fungicide and plant resistance activator, and PALM-jet Mg (a micro-nutrient supplement designed for palm health). These studies, conducted over the course of eight years, became the basis of JB’s program approach to keeping susceptible palms healthy.
A summary of the studies conducted with JB and Arborjet R&D include:
- Red palm mite: 2009-2018, and response to treatments of TREE-äge G4
- Rugose Spiraling Whitefly (RSWF): 2011-2016
- PALM-jet Mg: 2013, micro-nutrient response in palms
- Palm skeletonizer: 2013-2021,and responses to TREE-äge G4 and AzaSol
- Cycad Scale: 2014-2015
- Fusarium wilt: 2014-2022, response to PHOSPHO-jet and Propizol
- HLB study (Citrus Greening): 2014-2021, using reduced risk pesticides and plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB)
- Lethal Bronzing: 2015-2023
- Gall wasp: 2016-2019
JB has been instrumental in developing Arborjet technology in the Southeastern region for over 14 years. It has been a distinct privilege for me to work with a very knowledgeable and expert tech manager!
In addition, JB is an ISA certified arborist. He has created and facilitated chemical applicator re-certification training presentations for many states throughout the US. JB has also written technical information for various industry text books, internal newsletters, websites and a monthly technical column for Lawn and Landscape Magazine.
Join us next week for a holiday topic in what will be our last blog post of 2023!
~ Signing off for now, Joe
