Real Christmas Tree Board 2026 Winter Webinar Series
January 20, 2026 11:00AM - 12:00PM
Online
Contact: Bill Lindberg at lindbe35@msu.edu or 616-438-2738
Real Christmas Tree Board 2026 Winter Webinar Series
Jan. 20 and Jan. 22, 2026
11 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET
The Real Christmas Tree Board is excited to announce the 2026 winter webinar series featuring research projects funded by the Board and other topics important to Christmas tree growers.
The webinar series will be held on January 20th and 22nd, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET.
There is no cost to register, but registration is required to view live webinars. Recordings will be emailed to all registrants and will be posted on the Real Christmas Tree Board webpage. RUP credits applications have been made for numerous states.
Agenda
Jan 20, 2026
Title: Filling research gaps to improve the management of Phytophthora root rot
Presenter: Dr. Gary Chastagner- Washington State University
Phytophthora root rot (PRR) can be a devastating disease for Christmas tree production resulting in high mortality rates of trees during any stage of production. Dr. Gary Chastagner presentation will provide information on the PRR life cycle, environmental conditions that favor disease development, damage that this disease causes to Christmas trees and discuss the tolerance of different tree species to PRR. Finally, Dr. Chastagner will provide preliminary results of fungicide research trials into prevention of PRR and future research options. Information presented will highlight research that has been supported by the Real Christmas Tree Board.
Jan 22, 2026
Title: Christmas Tree Genetic Improvement Through Identification of Stress Defense Mechanisms
Presenter: Dr. Philipp Zerbe -University of California Davis
Dr. Zerbe will present his research developing a comprehensive map of gene targets to enable precision breeding to build stress resistance mechanisms and aroma metabolism in fir trees. By integrating these genomic tools into breeding programs, the time required to develop improved Christmas tree varieties can be reduced from 25–30 years to under a decade, significantly improving productivity and profitability for U.S. growers while helping the industry adapt to future environmental pressures.
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