Archives for July 2013

July 4, 2013

Potato Disease Forecasting Report 7-5-13

Potato Disease Forecasting Report 7-5-13 – Click to Download

We will be tracking DSVs for Late blight development and calculating P-days for initiating the first early blight fungicide application.

The first late blight fungicide application is recommended once 18 DSVs accumulate from green row. Green row typically occurs around the first week in May in southern New Jersey. An early season application of a protectant fungicide such as mancozeb (Dithane, Manzate, Penncozeb) or Bravo (chlorothalonil) as soon the field is accessible is suggested. Please be vigilant and keep a look out for suspect late blight infections on young plants. No late blight has been reported in our region to date.

Remember the threshold for P-days is 300!  Once 300 P-days is reached for your location early blight fungicide applications should be initiated. Growers who are interested in using this model should chose the location above that is closest in proximity to their farming operation and should regularly check the Cornell NEWA website (http://newa.cornell.edu/) where this information is compiled from. Click on Pests Forecasts from the menu, select your weather station, and click on tomato diseases, set accumulation start date and a table of daily and total DSVs will be generated.

Filed Under: Disease Forecasting
July 4, 2013

Tomato Disease Forecasting Report 7-5-13

7-5-13 Tomato Report – Click to Download

Disease severity values (DSVs) for early blight, septoria leaf spot, and tomato anthracnose development are determined daily based on leaf wetness (due to rainfall, dew) and air temperature.

On a daily basis DSV values can range from 0 to 4 where 0 = no chance for disease development to 4 = high chance for disease development.
DSVs are accumulated during the production season.

Fungicide applications are based on an individually determined DSV threshold. The first fungicide application for the control of these three diseases is not warranted until 35 DSVs have accumulated from your transplanting date. After that, growers can base fungicide applications on different DSV thresholds.

Filed Under: Disease Forecasting
July 4, 2013

Vegetable Briefs and Updates – 7/4/13

  • Cucurbit downy mildew was reported on cucumber in Salem County on 7/3. This is the first report of CDM in the state this year. All cucurbit growers should scout on a regular basis and add a downy mildew specific fungicide to their regular maintenance program. To track cucurbit downy mildew in the US please visit http://cdm.ipmpipe.org/
  • Late blight was found on potato and processing tomato in Salem county on 7/2. All potato and tomato growers who have not initiated a protectant fungicide program should do so. All growers should consider adding a late blight specific fungicide to their program as long as the current weather pattern sticks around. To track late blight in the US please visit http://usablight.org/
  • Timber rot (AKA white mold) and Botrytis (AKA grey mold) have been reported on field-grown tomato this week. [Read more…]
Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
July 3, 2013

Cucurbit downy mildew found on cucumber in New Jersey – 7/3/13

Cucurbit downy mildew was found in a commercial cucumber field in Salem County in southern New Jersey today. This is the first report of cucurbit downy mildew in the state this growing season. All cucurbit growers should scout their fields on a regular basis and should add a downy mildew specific fungicide to thier weekly fungicide maintenance program.  For current 2013 Cucurbit Downy and Powdery Mildew Management Guidelines please see post from 6/7/13. Additional information on the control of cucurbit downy mildew can be found in the 2013 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations.

Organic growers should scout thier cucurbit plantings on a regular basis and apply an OMRI-approved copper based fungicide or other labeled product to help suppress the development of cucurbit downy mildew. Adequate and repeated spray coverage of the bottom of all leaf surfaces is critical for the control of cucurbit downy mildew in organic cucurbit production. It is important to remember that control of downy mildew begins with planting resistant cucumber varieties when possible. No other cucurbits have resistance to downy mildew.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
July 3, 2013

FSMA Comment Period Ends September 16th

The comment period for both the Proposed Produce Rule and the Proposed Preventive Controls Rule ends on September 16th.  Both of these rules have the potential to impact many farms across NJ.  Your comments are important and can be made online for both the Produce Rule and the Preventive Controls Rule.  (Click on the highlighted rule name to access the comment page.)

Here are a few proposed regulations will be of interest to growers:
Proposed Produce Safety Rule
– How are annual farm sales calculated?
– How often will ag water need to be tested?
– What is the acceptable timing for animal based compost, and why is it not the same as the NOP standards? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Food Safety
July 3, 2013

Fruit IPM Report: Week Ending 7/5/13

Fruit IPM Report 7-5-13 – Click to View | Download | Print

In this report:

  • Peach
  • Apple
  • Grape
  • Scouting Calendar
  • Blueberry
  • Trap Counts
Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape