Rutgers Cooperative Extension
It’s time to consider sanitation practices that can help reduce over wintering scab inoculum. These practices should be considered an essential part of apple IPM programs.
Apple Scab Control with Urea.
Video link: http://youtu.be/8g0WyVi68GM
For a refresher we’ve linked a short video explaining this approach.
Comments on the revisions made to the produce safety rule are due on December 15th. Regular posts will be made to the Plant and Pest Advisory focusing on the changes that have been made. Please consider commenting on the produce rule!
The previous version of the produce rule set compliance thresholds based on total food sales values for a farm operation. This included all human and animal foods sold at the farm. The revised rule states that compliance threshold values will be determined by “average annual monetary value of produce.” This change was made as a result of many comments on the subject and will reduce the number of farms in New Jersey that will be required to comply with FSMA.
Late blight was confirmed in a homeowner garden today near Clementon, NJ (Camden County) and here at the Rutgers research station near Bridgeton, NJ (Cumberland County). This is a good reminder that as long as weather conditions are conducive, the threat of late blight in the state and region will continue until the first killing frost.
All abandoned tomato fields need to be destroyed either by mowing, discing under, or sprayed with a herbicide such as gramoxone to kill all living foliage. This is especially important if protectant fungicide programs have been discontinued. Homeowners can simply pull plants and put in their compost pile or discard in the trash.
A fresh market tomato from a home owner garden was dropped off the other day with some strange internal rot. The internal rot (photo 1) was most likely caused by water accumulating in areas immediately around the stem and as the fruit developed growth cracks (photo 2). This allowed for opportunistic fungi and bacteria into infect the fruit causing the internal rot. As it turned out the home owner was using sprinklers to water their garden.
As the season continues into the late fall, it might be worthwhile to slice up one or more of your tomato varieties that are prone to growth cracks around the stem just to check if this is happening in your operation – especially with heavy dews and the wet weather we have had recently.
Photo 1: Internal Fruit Rot
Photo 2: Growth Cracks
During my field visits to Mercer County organic farms, growers often express concerns about negative soil health impacts from copper based fungicides. In an effort to evaluate soil copper use and the resulting soil copper levels, soil was sampled at fifteen farms throughout the state.
Soils sampled for copper levels.
Both conventional and organic farms participated in this study which was funded by The Phillip Alampi Fund. Two composite samples were taken from each farm, one where copper fungicides had been applied and one where copper fungicides had never been used. Total and soluble copper levels were higher on copper applied soils compared to the non-copper applied soils. Even though copper levels were higher in these soils, the levels were not high enough to cause plant toxicity symptoms, reduce plant growth, nor were the soils showing signs of reduced microbial activity.
Best management practices developed for copper based fungicides use:
Springtime 2014 seemed like it would go on forever. Temperatures remained cool for an extended period and we had plenty of moisture, which are the conditions that always result in shade tree leaf diseases. Here are a few we saw…
Ash rust, caused by Puccinia sparganioides. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL
