Archives for June 2014

June 5, 2014

Tomato Disease Forecasting Report 6-6-14

6-6-14 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.

Filed Under: Disease Forecasting
June 4, 2014

Veg IPM Update: Week Ending 6/4/14

June 4, 2014 ECB Map

Click Image to View

Vegetable IPM Report 6-4-14 – Click to View | Download | Print

Maps for the Week
–European Corn Borer Population Map
–Pepper Weevil Trap Catch Map

Topics for the Week

  • Sweet Corn
  • Cole Crops
  • Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Pepper Weevil Report
  • BMSB

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
June 3, 2014

Fruit IPM Report June 3, 2014

San Jose Scale

San Jose Scale

This week in Fruit IPM

  • Peach
  • Apple
  • Pear
  • Wine Grapes
  • Scouting Calendar
  • Blueberry
  • Tree Fruit Trap Counts
  • Blueberry Trap Counts

Click to View | Download PDF

Filed Under: Blueberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape
June 3, 2014 and

Why On-Farm Food Safety Will Not Go Away

racoon-tracks-on-plastic

Racoon Tracks on Black Plastic

Cumberland County Ag Agent Dr. Wesley Kline, has been educating farmers statewide about on-farm food safety for over ten years. Most people don’t know that Wes chose this focus not because of a passionate interest in it, but because farmers asked him to do it and he agreed that it represented an important issue confronting growers.

The introduction of third party audits began the need for food safety education on New Jersey farms. Educational demands continue due to increasing produce buyer requirements and establishment of the federal government Food Safety Modernization Act. Meredith Melendez, Senior Program Coordinator of Mercer County and Wes Kline, make up the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team. We are supported by Chris Kleinguenther of the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

We expect to hold 8 to 10 training workshops this coming winter focusing on four tracks:
1) Preparing for a third party audit
2) General food safety training
3) Preparing for the Food Safety Modernization Acts Produce Rule
4) Advanced food safety

Here is a brief overview of food safety related programming offered by the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Program.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Food Safety
June 2, 2014

Potato Disease Forecasting Report 6-3-14

Potato Disease Forecasting Report 6-3-14 – 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
June 2, 2014

Tomato Disease Forecasting Report 6-3-14

6-3-14 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.

Filed Under: Disease Forecasting