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This publication identifies best management practices (BMP's) that protect water quality and the environment on Christmas tree farms in North Carolina. Profitable Christmas tree production can go hand-in-hand with sustainable goals that protect land and water resources. Several water quality BMP's described here also have the potential to slow the spread of Phytophthora root rot, a dire soil-borne disease that threatens Christmas tree production. BMP's are identified for road construction, stream buffers, site preparation, scouting-based pesticide decisions, selecting least-toxic pesticides, weed and ground cover management, fertilizer management, pesticide handling and storage, and well head protection. Growers who invest in BMP’s usually show a greater long-term profit because their land is maintained at higher productivity. With a multiple choice question for each BMP, readers can evaluate their level of compliance with each practice.
