The Southeastern U.S. is one of the country’s busiest entry points for invasive insects. The warm climate, booming plant nursery industry, and imported plants and products create conditions where new pests can easily arrive and quickly thrive.
Zee Ahmed, an entomologist at Clemson’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center, recently joined scientists from across the country to publish studies about tracking new pest arrivals and noting emerging threats to crops.
The South Carolina Department of Agriculture has been allocated $38 million in federal funding to issue targeted aid to South Carolina farmers and forest landowners who sustained certain losses and damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024.
The South Carolina Disaster Relief Block Grant for Helene, which is expected to roll out in early 2026, is aimed at production losses not covered by other USDA programs or crop insurance. The program will cover four categories of eligible losses: infrastructure damage, market losses, future economic losses, and timber losses.
The purpose of the American Standard for Nursery Stock is to provide buyers and sellers of nursery stock with a common terminology, a “single language,” in order to facilitate commercial transactions involving nursery stock. The Standard establishes common techniques for (a) measuring plants, (b) specifying and stating the size of plants, (c) determining the proper relationship between height and caliper, or height and width, and (d) determining whether a root ball or container is large enough for a particular size plant.
Clemson University’s Cooperative Extension has put together a helpful document on commercial pesticide applicator licenses for commercial licenses (landscapers), non-commercial licenses (municipalities), and private applicators – how to get a license and the certification requirements to keep it current.
The Certified SC Grown program is a cooperative effort between producers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) to promote South Carolina products.
Clemson Extension helps improve the quality of life of all South Carolinians by providing unbiased, research-based information through an array of public outreach programs in youth development; agribusiness; agriculture; food, nutrition, and health; and natural resources.
Through research, technology, and education, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) promotes the professional practice of arboriculture and fosters a greater worldwide awareness of the benefits of trees.
NALP is the national association that advocates for the industry, fosters diversity and professional development, and helps lawn care, landscape, irrigation, and tree care companies excel.
Certification is required for farmers (private applicators) wishing to apply restricted use pesticides to an agricultural commodity.
The South Carolina Certified Landscape Professional (SCCLP) is an online, self-paced certification program that provides high-level horticultural education and training to green industry professionals and operators. SC Green members receive a 20% discount off their registration.
The mission of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) is to promote the health, safety and economic well-being of the public through regulation, licensing, enforcement, training and education.
The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is the state’s lead agency charged with regulating the distribution, sale and use of pesticides in South Carolina.
As a non-profit trade association, the SCTA serves as the voice of the trucking industry in South Carolina since 1933. 79.8% of SC communities depend exclusively on trucks to move their goods.
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