Archives for May 2019

May 16, 2019

Hackettstown Livestock Auction Results for May 14, 2019

This auction sells: lambs, sheep, goats, calves, beef cattle, pigs, rabbits, and all types of heavy fowl. Auctions are held every Tuesday with the first sale beginning at 10:30 am and ending at the last sale 5:30 pm. Hay, straw, grain, and firewood are also for sale.

Farm Fresh Eggs available for purchase by the case (30 doz.) or by the flat (2&1/2 doz.) in the main office Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. Also available some Monday’s and Friday’s but please call office first (908)-852-0444.

Click on link for May, 14 sale results:
Hackettstown Livestock Auction May 14, 2019

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock
May 15, 2019

Fruit IPM for 5/15/19

Peach:

Plum Curculio (PC): PC oviposition continues in all areas of the state. We have seen increasing levels of damage, particularly in northern counties with up to 2-3% of fruit injury with egg scars. We have accumulated about 103 DD since petal fall (apple) in southern counties and just over 64 DD in Hunterdon County. The Cornell model calls for insecticides applied up to the 340 DD50 mark. This allows for the last of the PC activity to be covered by the residual from the last insecticide application. Therefore PC is still a primary target and needs to be controlled during the next couple of applications. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape
May 15, 2019

IPM Update 5/15/19

Sweet Corn

Most of the IPM Program black light trap network is now operational in New Jersey.   To date, no corn earworm (CEW) have been captured.  However, low numbers of European corn borer (ECB) moths are now appearing in a number of traps (see map at left).  This is the onset of the first flight of the season.  As yet, most corn is too young to support an infestation, although early plantings grown under plastic will be at risk first.   As numbers increase and corn plantings progress into the whorl stage, growers should begin scouting for injury.  Look for the characteristic “shot-hole” type of feeding (photo below at right) and consider treating when infested plants exceed 12% in a 50 plant sample.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 5/15/19 are as follows:

Downer   2 Cinnaminson   1 Medford   1
Beckett   1 Elm   1 South Branch   1
Bellemeade   1 Georgetown   1 Woodstown   1

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 14, 2019

Vegetable Disease Update – 5/14/19

  • The cool, damp weather the past week has been ideal for downy mildew development on spring crops. Growers are advised to scout fields on a regular basis
  • The heavy rains and damp, cool weather have been ideal conditions for early-season damping off caused by Pythium. Growers should continue to scout on a regular basis and remain proactive in their fungicide programs as long as current weather patterns continue.
  • Sunburn on stems of newly transplanted peppers on black plastic mulch has been reported.
  • Cercospora leaf spot on swiss chard has been reported this past week.
  • Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported as far north as St. Lucie County, Florida.
Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
May 8, 2019

IPM Update 5/08/19

Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel are currently finishing deployment of the black light trap network in New Jersey.  At present, we are approximately 80% operational and have begun to monitor traps.  To date, no corn earworm (CEW) have been captured.  The low numbers of European corn borer (ECB) moths that have been caught do not allow us to produce a map image.  As numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The Vegetable IPM Program is expanding the use of CEW pheromone traps to include central and northern counties this year.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 5/08/19 are as follows:

Georgetown   1              Woodstown   1

Hillsborough   1

European corn borer egg mass on a pepper leaf.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 8, 2019

Insects to Watch Out For in Your Cranberry Bogs

The following insect pests bear special mention for early-season scouting in cranberry bogs:

Blackheaded fireworm – Blackheaded fireworm eggs overwinter on the beds 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 a good idea to look along the edges of beds where vines first begin to grow. Remember: blackheaded fireworm is much easier to control if detected during the early part of the season.

Blackheaded fireworm larva

Spotted fireworm – overwinters as a 2nd instar larva. They complete two generations a year. Larvae feed between uprights they have webbed together. First-generation larvae injure the foliage causing it to turn brown as if burned. In New Jersey, first generation adult moths emerge the first week of June, followed by a second-generation of adult emergence in early August. Eggs are laid in masses on weedy hosts. Larvae from second-generation adults emerge in mid-August, and may feed on fruit. Populations of spotted fireworm are regulated by their natural enemies, in particular Trichogramma wasps that parasitize the eggs.

Sparganothis fruitworm – This insect is a serious pest in most cranberry-growing states. Sparganothis fruitworm completes two generations a year and overwinters as an early-instar larva. Larvae from the 1st generation feed on foliage. In New Jersey, first generation adult moths emerge from mid-June through the first weeks in July; pheromone traps are commonly used to monitor adult flight and population size. Second-generation eggs are laid on cranberry leaves, and larvae will feed on fruit.

Cranberry blossomworm – Adults lay their eggs in October in cranberry beds. The eggs overwinter and hatch over a period of several weeks. Early instars can be found during the first week of May. Larvae go through 6 instars to complete development. Because the first instars feed during the day (and also at night), scouting can be done during the daytime using sweep nets to estimate larval abundance. Larvae turn nocturnal during the later instars. At this time, night sweeping (9 pm – 1 am) is recommended for sampling. Larvae complete their development by June-July. Older instars are very voracious and capable of destroying 100 blossoms within a 3-week period. There is a pre-pupal that lasts until the end of August and a pupal stage that lasts until October. Adults emerge from end of August to end of October.

Blackheaded fireworm larva

Spotted fireworm larva

Lepidopteran Pests Monitoring and Control – Use sweep netting for monitoring early lepidopteran pests (pre-bloom). A sweep set consists of 25 sweeps and 1 sweep set is recommended per acre (this may vary depending the size of bogs). The action threshold for false armyworm, blossomworm, other cutworms, and gypsy moth (we use a combined threshold from adding all these caterpillars per sweep) is an average of 4.5 caterpillars in sets of 25 sweeps. For brown and green spanworms is an average of 18 per sweep set. The action threshold for blackheaded fireworm and Sparganothis fruitworm is an average of 1.5 per sweep set. We recommend the use of the reduced-risk materials Intrepid, Altacor, Exirel, or Delegate if populations exceed action thresholds. These are reduced-risk, softer insecticides that are very effective against lepidopteran pests. More information on these (and other) lepidopteran pests will be provided as the season progresses.

Spotted fireworm larva

Sparganothis fruitworm larva

Leafhoppers –Blunt-nosed leafhoppers transmit cranberry false blossom disease. This leafhopper has one generation a year. Nymphs may be found from the end of May, while adults are found in highest numbers during July. Eggs are laid in August-September. The eggs overwinter and hatch in May or June. The nymphs go through 5 instars to complete development.

Leafhopper Monitoring and Control: Leafhopper nymphs can be sampled using sweep nets (as described above for lepidopteran pests). Nymphs before bloom are small; thus, you may need to freeze the samples (to kill them), and then count the number of nymphs under a microscope or using a magnifying lens. There is no threshold based on sweep net counts, so decisions should be made by comparing current numbers with prior infestation history and/or incidence of false blossom disease on those beds.
In cases of high numbers of blunt-nosed leafhopper nymphs, we recommend application of a broad-spectrum insecticide, such as Diazinon (no aerial applications allowed) or Lorsban (only pre-bloom applications allowed for Ocean Spray growers). Broad-spectrum insecticides will disrupt biological control particularly the natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) of Sparganothis fruitworm, so their use should be restricted only to areas of high leafhopper populations.

Cranberry blossomworm larva

Blunt-nosed leafhopper nymph

Blunt-nosed leafhopper nymph

Cranberry blossomworm larva

Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit