Archives for September 2015

September 10, 2015

RAREC Variety Trials:
Disease-Resistant Hybrid Bell Pepper ‘Turnpike’

Phytophthora blight (P. capsici) and bacterial leaf spot (BLS) are the two greatest pathogen threats to pepper production in New Jersey. Articles in the Plant & Pest Advisory, such as Phytophthora Control During Wet Weather, Controlling Phytophthora Blight in Pepper, and Bacterial Leaf Spot Update, have talked about why growers are experiencing increasing crop losses due to P. capsici and BLS. Work on mitigating the impact of these pathogens has been on-going for decades at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Among the many pepper varieties evaluated at the farm, the new Seminis hybrid, Turnpike, has generated excitement for its fruit quality, yield potential, and resistance against both Phytophthora blight as well as bacterial leaf spot races 0-5 and 7-9.

Phytophthora blight and bacterial leaf spot are issues for growers; Turnpike has performed well and looked strong in the test field. [Read more in American Vegetable Grower/Growing Produce]

Seminis bell pepper breeder Bill McCarthy discusses disease-resistant pepper Turnpike at RAREC's Vegetable Twilight Meeting & Research Tour.

Boyd Carey, Ph.D. discusses disease-resistant pepper Turnpike
at RAREC’s Vegetable Twilight Meeting & Research Tour.

Seminis Bell Pepper 'Turnpike'

Seminis bell pepper breeder Bill McCarthy has worked for many years to develop Turnpike, seen here in the foreground.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
September 10, 2015

Better Late Than Never

Today’s rain got me thinking about insect damage in turfgrass. Actually I’ve been thinking about insect damage in turf for a week or so, ever since I saw a flock of birds pecking sod webworms out of the bentgrass plots behind the Plant Diagnostic Laboratory.

Flocks of birds on turfgrass are usually up to no good. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

Flocks of birds on turfgrass are usually up to no good. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab
September 9, 2015

Veg IPM Update: Week Ending 9/9/15

Click to View

Click to View

Sweet Corn

The second European corn borer (ECB) generation is lingering at low levels, primarily in central counties (see ECB map).

As always, consider treating when the number of infested plants in a 50 plant sample exceeds 12%. Any planting remaining at or above threshold as it proceeds to full tassel should be treated, as this is the last stage at which ECB larvae will be exposed and vulnerable to insecticidal sprays.

See the 2015 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide for insecticide choices.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
September 4, 2015

Potato | Tomato Disease Forecast 9-4-15

Click to View | Download Report 9-4-15

Potato Disease Forecasting Report

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.

Tomato Disease Forecasting Report

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
September 3, 2015

Late Blight Found on Tomato: Morris County – 9/2/15

Late blight has been found in a small tomato planting near Chester in Morris County. This is the third late blight report this growing season in New Jersey and the first since mid-August. Although the weather around NJ has been hot and dry the past few weeks, morning dews and fogs are slowly starting to roll in with Autumn around the corner. All tomato growers should scout their fields on a regular basis. Early-season plantings that have been abandoned need to remain on your radar screen, especially if they haven’t been mowed off or hit with gramoxone to kill all living plant material. To track late blight in the US please visit http://usablight.org/

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
September 2, 2015

Veg IPM Update: Week Ending 9/2/15

Click to View

Click to View

Sweet Corn

The second European corn borer (ECB) generation continues to be weak. Catches are limited to scattered pockets registering more than one moth per week (see ECB map).

As always, consider treating when the number of infested plants in a 50 plant sample exceeds 12%. Any planting remaining at or above threshold as it proceeds to full tassel should be treated, as this is the last stage at which ECB larvae will be exposed and vulnerable to insecticidal sprays.

See the 2015 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide for insecticide choices.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops