January RCTB will host two free webinars

Filling research gaps to improve the management of Phytophthora root rot

Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. (EST)  

Dr. Gary Chastagner – Washington State University

• Phytophthora life cycle
• Conditions that favor disease development
• Tolerance of trees species
• Preliminary results of fungicide research
• Future research 

Christmas Tree Genetic Improvement Through Identification of Stress Defense Mechanisms

Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Dr Philipp Zerbe – University of California Davis

• Research efforts to develop a comprehensive map of gene targets
• How genomic tools can be used for precision breeding to build stress resistance mechanisms and aroma metabolism
• How this process can reduce Christmas tree variety development to under a decade
• How this can improve productivity, profitability and adaptability to environmental pressures

RCTB Research Project Showcase

This year RCTB invested more than $168,234 in six projects. In the coming weeks, RCTB will share short synopses of each of the research projects.

Evaluating New Herbicides to Manage Resistant Weeds in Christmas Trees — Oregon State University – Dr. Marcelo Moretti

This project aims to expand evaluations of chemical weed control in Christmas trees. In previous studies, both tiafenacil and florpyrauxifen-benzyl demonstrated promising results in managing troublesome weeds in Christmas tree plantations, but further investigation is needed to verify their safety and efficacy and their impact on non-dormant trees. This study will further evaluate tiafenacil and florpyrauxifen-benzyl in Christmas trees and initiate the evaluation of two additional herbicide mixtures: nicosulfuron plus tolpyralate and haluxifen-methul plus florasulam. The goal is to promote optimal use of registered herbicides and to explore new products.

New RCTB Board Members Appointed

The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture has announced the new RCTB board appointments. The four appointments will serve three-year terms from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. The appointments are as follows:

• Region #1 – Western Region Producer: Chris Aldrich, Onalaska, Washington
• Region #1 – Western Region Producer: Sophia Hong Stajduhar, Mossyrock, Washington
• Region #2 – Central Region Producer: Scott Powell, Manton, Michigan
• Region #3 – Eastern Region Producer: Sam Cartner, Newland, North Carolina

RCTB welcomes the new members — Sam Cartner, Scott Powell and Sophia Stajduhar — and congratulates Chris Aldrich who was reappointed to a second term.

RCTB also would like to thank those who are leaving the board — Charles Fowler, Derek Ahl and Mike Jones. Each of these individuals contributed their valuable time and experience to the RCTB board and faithfully served our growers. We wish you the best in your future endeavors and are grateful for your service to our industry.

Simplify Reporting Your Harvest and Paying Assessments with the Secure RCTB Grower Portal

RCTB’s Grower Portal streamlines record-keeping for growers. Once you have created your grower profile, you can report your harvest, pay assessments electronically, review past harvest records and previous season payments. Login to report or Create your producer profile today!