Rutgers Cooperative Extension
The FDA Proposed Produce Food Safety Rule Q & A conference call, coordinated by the Produce Safety Alliance, discussed equipment, tools, buildings and sanitation practices that will be affected by the impending Food Safety Modernization Act produce rule.
Here are the questions and answers from that call:
1. Are cats permitted in packing houses? They serve as effective rodent control.
Note white fungal growth and
black sclerotia developing at plant base.
by Mark VanGessel, Extension Weed Specialist; mjv@udel.edu
I have seen a number of corn fields with pokeweed emerging along field edges or in patches. These areas should be sprayed before the plants are 10 to 12 inches tall and as result may require some spot applications before the whole fields need to be treated for summer annual weeds. In addition to glyphosate, other effective postemergence treatments include Callisto, NorthStar, Yukon, dicamba (1 pint/A), or Status (5 oz/A). Also note that NorthStar, Yukon and Status all contain dicamba (Banvel) and take precautions so that sensitive plants will not be affected.
by Mark VanGessel, Extension Weed Specialist; mjv@udel.edu
A number of corn herbicides have label precautions about use of an organo-phosphate insecticide at planting due to potential crop injury. This includes the insecticides Counter (terbufos), Lorsban (chlorpyrifos), and Fortress (chlorethoxyfos). The herbicides include both soil-applied and postemergence herbicides. Some of the common products include Callisto (Halex GT); Resolve (Steadfast, Basis); Accent; or Capreno. Many of the Group 2 (or ALS-inhibiting herbicides) have these precautions. The list of herbicides can be found at http://extension.udel.edu/ag/files/2012/08/CornWeedguide.pdf and go to Table 19. [Read more…]
by Mark VanGessel, Extension Weed Specialist; mjv@udel.edu
If no-till soybean fields have not been sprayed yet, we are facing an uphill battle. Most of the horseweed (or maretail) is now well over 6” tall, and so are a lot of the other winter annual weeds. [Read more…]
This past week there were a few reported cases of bacteria causing problems in tomato transplants, along with an isolated case of pith necrosis from the field as well as bacteria causing issues in strawberry. There have been no reports of late blight or cucurbit downy mildew in the region to date. [Read more…]
