Archives for August 2016

Livestock Auction Updates

Below are the latest livestock auction updates from the Hackettstown Livestock Auction.  The Livestock Auction has a sale every Tuesday.  This auction sells lambs, sheep, goats, calves, beef cattle, pigs, rabbits, and all types of heavy fowl.  The auction begins at 10:30 am and ends with the last sale at 5:30 pm.  This auction serves central and northern New Jersey as well as bordering areas of New York and Pennsylvania. (Market Report 8-23-16).

Market Report 8-23-16

 

 

Michael Westendorf    e-mail: michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu

Vegetable Disease Briefs – 8/25/16

  • Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in New Jersey. To date, cucurbit downy mildew has been reported on cucumber and melon in the mid-Atlantic region. All cucumber growers need to add a downy mildew-specific fungicide to their weekly fungicide programs. All cucurbit growers need to scout on a regular basis.
  • Dickeya dianthicola has been confirmed in 16 states to date. All potato growers are encouraged to scout fields and report any suspect plants/tubers. The best method for keeping your potato operation Dickeya-free is to adopt your own 0% Dickeya-tolerance policy.
  • Pepper anthracnose is being reported in southern New Jersey.
  • Cucurbit powdery mildew is active on all cucurbit crops.
  • Late blight was reported on tomato near Blacksburg, Virginia this past week.

Spontaneous Combustion

When environmental temperatures reach the highs they have for much of this summer, there are risks of spontaneous combustion of hay supplies, and of manure piles, especially when moisture levels are elevated.  Recently, a horse manure pile on a farm in New York State burst into flames resulting in smoke and odors impacting nearby neighbors.

The fire started in a large manure pile.  With all of the hot weather in recent days, the interior temperature may have reached several hundred degrees.  And if too wet, it is likely that bacterial activity caused the elevation of temperatures in the core of the pile and resulted in spontaneous combustion of the pile. Please see http://www.wired.com/2016/08/manure-fire-new-york/ for more information.

Normal composting will cause a manure pile to heat.  The excess heat will destroy microbes that are present in the pile and ultimately the temperature will drop.  But if the pile temperature gets too high – probably 180º Fahrenheit or higher, and is exacerbated by elevated environmental temperatures, there is a risk of spontaneous combustion.

When excess heat is expected in the manure pile, it should be turned and distributed into several smaller piles.  The increased surface area will allow greater heat loss from the pile.  This may help to prevent combustion.

The bottom line is that manure piles should be turned regularly when composting, it should be disposed of properly, and manure piles should always be monitored to prevent overheating.

Overheating can also occur when hay is harvested and put up too wet.  Small rectangular bales should have no more than 20% moisture and round bales should have no more that 18% moisture.  Excess moisture can result in overheating of a hay stack, and combustion can result.  Hay storage and barn fires still occur from time to time.

Some precautions can be taken if hay is suspected of being too wet.  First, store hay out of doors, if possible for several weeks until heating risk is passed.  Air movement is important so hay should be stacked loosely to allow space between bales to allow good air circulation and heat dissipation.  More surface area between hay bales will speed drying by increasing the hay surface exposed to air.  There are several preservatives on the market that can be sprayed on hay during the baling process.  These will prevent fungal and bacterial growth, reduce heating, and improve storage value.

Heating of higher moisture hay can lead to loss off feed quality and in extreme circumstances, loss of hay by fires.  Poor management of manure piles can also lead to overheating and combustion.  Managing the processes (microbes) occurring in hay stacks and in manure piles can help to prevent fires such as the one described above.

Steps to Consider When Using Rained-On Hay

  • Remember to always check moisture levels before baling. For accurate results use a microwave, Koster or electronic, moisture tester.
  • Recognize that rained-on hay will be more prone to molding due to the increased exposure to soil-borne fungi.
  • Analyze hay for nutrient content and Relative Feed Value.
  • Consult with your nutritionist and consider using this lower quality hay for livestock with low nutritional demands.
  • Formulate diets based on Relative Feed Value, the nutrient content of the feed and the animal’s needs.
  • Remember that rained-on hay may have toxins associated with spoilage. Never feed spoiled feed to a horse.  This might be OK for feeding some classes of animals, but should be avoided when feeding animals that are reproducing or lactating.
  • When fed it should be only a portion of a balanced diet.
  • Consider utilizing a hay preservative to avoid rained-on hay.

Pioneer Brand Products: Nutritional Insights https://www.pioneer.com/CMRoot/Pioneer/US/products/alfalfa/pdfs/alfalfa_harvest_rainedonhay.pdf

This article take from the New Jersey Farmer, 8-15-2016, (Spontaneous Combustion)

Michael Westendorf    e-mail: michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu

Veg IPM Update: Week Ending 8/24/16

Sweet Corn 

European corn borer (ECB) adult activity has declined to nearly nothing at this time, and no map image is in this edition.  The second flight was extremely low, with fall armyworm injury much more dominant this year.  It is possible that we will have a partial third flight, but as the second was so low, it is not likely that it would be of much consequence. 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 2016 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide for insecticide choices.

The highest nightly ECB catches for the previous week are as follows:

Beckett   1 Lawrencevile   1
Chester   1 Little York   1
Crosswicks   1 Matawan   1
Georgetown   1

 

Fall armyworm (FAW) infestations continue throughout NJ, with high infestation rates now appearing in all parts of the state.  This pest can be devastating to small corn plants, and in fact the worst infestations are currently in shorter whorl stage plantings.  Fields down to seedling stage should be scouted weekly for signs of infestation.  Treat when FAW alone or in combination with ECB damage exceeds 12% plants infested.  FAW do not respond well to pyrethroid insecticides.  The most useful products are those in the IRAC group 28 class (Coragen, Exirel) or the IRAC group 5 class (Radiant, Entrust), or combination products including these classes.  See the 2016 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide for insecticides effective against FAW.

  [Read more…]

Potato | Tomato Disease Forecast 8-23-16

Click to View | Download Report 8-23-16

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 NJ. An early season application of a protectant fungicide such as mancozeb (Dithane, Manzate, Penncozeb) or Bravo (chlorothalonil) as soon as the field is accessible is suggested. Please be vigilant and keep a lookout 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 choose 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.

Reports generated by Ryan Tirrell

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Dickeya dianthicola reported in 4 more states: IN, MO, MI, and TX

Dickeya dianthicola has been reported in four more states (Indiana, Missouri, Michigan, and Texas). Using PCR test results and North American Certified Seed Potato Health Certificates to track Lot no., Dickeya dianthicola has been reported in 16 states (DE, FL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, VA, WV, OH, IN, MO, MI, and TX) on at least nine potato varieties to date in 2016. These varieties include: ‘Reba’, ‘Superior’, ‘Vivaldi’, ‘Norwis’, ‘Snowden’, ‘Yukon Gold’, ‘Beacon Chipper’, ‘Kennebec’, and ‘Atlantic’. Test results and additional information are still forthcoming. Known sources of infested seed have originated from at least two suppliers in Canada and 11 seed suppliers in Maine. In some cases, multiple varieties of Dickeya-infested seed have originated from the same source in Maine. Potato growers, crop consultants, and Extension personnel in states which grow and are still harvesting potatoes from Maine or New Brunswick, Canada should remain vigilant by scouting their fields for Dickeya symptoms, particularly those varieties which have tested positive for Dickeya, on a regular basis and by submitting any suspect samples for diagnostic testing.

Dickeya dianthicola has been detected in the US in the past, and because of this, APHIS just recently announced that the pathogen has been designated as a non-reportable/non-actionable pathogen despite its potential to cause 100% crop loss. A link to the USDA/APHIS website for information on Dickeya dianthicola detection and control can be found here. Importantly, there is no current policy in place designed specifically for regulating and/or controlling Dickeya dianthicola in potato in Maine or Canada.

The best method for keeping your potato operation Dickeya-free is to adopt your own 0% Dickeya-tolerance policy.