Archives for May 2014

May 21, 2014 Cesar Rodriguez-Saona

Cranberry Insect Upate

The season has started very slow due to the cold weather. Insect activity is just starting to increase. Thus, growers need to intensify their scouting efforts. The following insect pests bear special mention for early-season scouting:

Blackheaded fireworm – Blackheaded fireworm eggs overwinter on the bed and usually hatch by around mid-May. It is important to catch the first generation, if possible, because the second generation occurs during bloom and is typically much more destructive. Blackheaded fireworm larvae can be detected by sweep net sampling and it is good idea to look along the edges of bed where vines first begin to grow.

Remember: blackheaded fireworm is much easier to control if detected during the early part of the season. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Cranberry

May 21, 2014 Richard Buckley

Golf Turf Disease of the Week: Brown Ring Patch

Moderate spring temperatures and regular rainfall over the last week or two have brought a bunch of brown ring patch (aka: Waitea Patch), which is caused by the fungus Waitea circinata, into Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory.

Brown ring patch on Poa annua. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab Tagged With: brown ring patch

May 20, 2014 Dean Polk, Dave Schmitt, and Atanas Atanassov

Fruit IPM Report May 20, 2014

First Generation OFM:
Larval flagging and bleeding on developing shoot.

This week in Fruit IPM

Peach

Apple

Pear

Blueberry

Scouting Calendar

Trap Counts

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Tree Fruit

May 20, 2014 Richard Buckley

Attention Christmas Tree Growers!

Buds of many confiers, including Douglas-fir, are in the process of breaking around the state. Every spring around this time, the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory starts to get samples with suspect needlecast, and as usual, we have indeed seen our share of needlecast so far this spring.

Needlecast. Photo: Marty McMekin, Mt. Bethel Tree Farm

May 19, 2014 A.Wyenandt, W.Kline, and J.Ingerson-Mahar

Potato Disease Forecasting Report 5-20-14

Potato Disease Forecasting Report 5-20-14 – 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

May 19, 2014 A.Wyenandt, W.Kline, and J.Ingerson-Mahar

Tomato Disease Forecasting Report 5-20-14

5-20-14 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.