On Thursday, August 20th at 7pm, a free webinar entitled “Farmland Assessment on Woodlands: Multiple Benefit Activities” will be presented as part of the “Backyard Forestry in 90 Minutes” online program. The presenter, Andrew Kimm, is the President of New Jersey Forestry Association (NJFA). This session discusses the implementation of Farmland Assessment on woodlands and the many benefits derived from the active devotion practiced on those lands. [Read more…]
Archives for August 2020
August 6, 2020 Tim Waller
Register for the August Nursery Twilight Meeting (credit-bearing online webinar)
Thursday, August 27, 2020
6:00-7:00 pm
Click here to register for the twilight meeting
Registration password: nursery20
Please join us for presentations on pest management topics from our two nursery agents Tim Waller and Bill Errickson, Spotted Lanternfly updates from Steve Rettke, and water related updates from Sal Mangiafico. Given the current state of in-person meetings we are aiming to make this as educational and painless as possible. We would like everyone to feel comfortable with this online format for future meetings. We plan to have a longer meeting in late September (+2hr) to hear from more nursery specialists and provide another opportunity to obtain pesticide credits.
August 27th Agenda
(5:30pm) Webinar platform opens to registrants; Photo ID Check, Welcome Remarks
__(recording begins)__
(6:00pm) Effective IPM approaches Using Degree-days and Other Predictive Models– Timothy Waller, RCE (Cumberland)
(6:15pm) Reduction of Pesticide Usage Through Cultural Practices- Bill Errickson, RCE (Monmouth)
(6:30pm) Spotted Lanternfly Update & Review of Current Information Concerning This Invasive Insect- Steve Rettke, Ornamental IPM Program
(6:45pm) Harmful Algae Blooms in NJ Lakes and Ponds and Their Effects on Agriculture- Sal Mangiafico, RCE (Cumberland & Salem)
__(recording ends)__
(7:00pm) Additional questions; Photo ID Check, Adjourn
NJ Pesticide License Recertification credits obtained: PP2 (1); 3A (1); 3B (1); 10 (1)
In cooperation with the NJNLA, NJLCA, and NJCTGA
Instructions:
- Register for event at the above link
- Include your pesticide license number if you would like recertification credits
- After registration you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the actual twilight meeting.
- Registered guests will receive a reminder 1 week prior to the event with more specific instructions.
- Day-of: click the link in the registration confirmation email and select “join by browser-New” (if you do not currently have a WebEx app on your computer or video-enabled smartphone.
- Day-of: Have your photo ID ready if you wish to obtain credits
Additional requirements for those seeking credits:
- Licensed applicators with a recertification period expiring October 31, 2020 will be given an exemption from the NJDEP online credit cap of 25% and are eligible for all credits, otherwise this exemption does not apply.
- Government issued photo ID is required and will be verified prior or immediately after the meeting (i.e. will not be video recorded)
- Attendees must be visible throughout the entire session (with live video on) and must stay to the end.
- Polls will be randomly scheduled, & attendance will be visually monitored by a moderator.
- Call-ins (audio only) are not eligible for pesticide recertification credits as of now; you need a computer/phone/tablet with *live* video capability.
We are here to help you connect, please contact Tim Waller (twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu) with any questions or concerns. Thank you very much for your willingness to cooperate within our online space!
Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit. Any information will be deleted after 60 days.
August 5, 2020 Tim Waller
Early August Nursery Update (2nd generation scale hatch and boxwood blight considerations)
This PPA has four updates:
- Growing Degree-day Update GDD50
- 2nd generation scale insect hatch / crawler growing degree-day targets
- Tuliptree and Magnolia scale insect activity and notes on treatment
- Late summer boxwood blight considerations
(1) Growing Degree-days as of 8/5/2020
(Weather station selected for each location. Ex: NJ50 = Upper Deerfield)
Upper Deerfield (NJ50)= 2242 GDD50 Howell/Freehold (NJ10) = 1946 GDD50 Pequest (NJ58) = 1901 GDD50
If you need help getting your Growing Degree-day models set up, please contact (twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu)
(2) 2nd generation scale insect hatch / crawler GDD50 targets
A second generation of scale insects will be hatching soon. Scout for crawlers and treat as needed.
format: scale insect species – (growing degree day GDD50 targets)
- Maskell scale – (2035)
- Euonymus scale – (2235)
- Japanese maple scale – (2508)
Please refer to Tim Waller’s summer scale insect treatments PPA for additional information.
(3) Tuliptree and Magnolia scale egg hatch and crawler activity
Magnolia Scale & Maturing Females Photo- Steven Rettke of RCE
Tuliptree Scale With Honeydew & Sooty Mold Photo- Steven Rettke of RCE
Tuliptree scale and Magnolia scale insects begin hatching around ~2000 GDD50 but continue to emerge through the month of September (+6 week period). Therefor scouting for 1st and 2nd instar nymphs (crawlers) is critical to controlling these pests. Treatments will be ineffective if made too early in the season, as many of the un-hatched eggs will still be viable and lead to infestation and damages later.
Given this wide window of emergence, three treatment strategies can be deployed
- Delay pesticide applications for these pests until mid-October as the females will be dead and not harming the trees, all of the eggs will have hatched, and all of the crawlers will be vulnerable to appropriate materials (best approach)
- Apply multiple suppressive sprays at the first sign of emergence (time consuming, labor intensive, costly)
- Root or trunk applied systemic insecticides (often for very large trees)
Please refer to Steve Rettke’s Magnolia and Tuliptree scale insect PPA for additional information.
(4) Late summer boxwood blight considerations
As we enter into a period of cooler nighttime temperatures (< 77F) and frequent rain events, boxwood blight preventative sprays should be considered if you have not been making regularly scheduled applications. Boxwood blight is typically not as active during the heat of the summer, however, when cooler temperatures are coupled with prolonged periods of leaf-wetness the pathogen can infect.
Please refer to Tim Waller’s boxwood blight post for additional information and links to many other resources including numerous post from Rich Buckley of the Plant Diagnostic Lab.
Please take the 2020 Nursery Industry Survey: https://forms.gle/dUjLxaiu6qDQYYsRA
August 5, 2020 Kris Holmstrom and Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Vegetable IPM Update 8/05/20
Note: Due to the disruption caused by tropical storm Isaias, IPM technicians were unable to reach a number of blacklight and pheromone traps in the southern counties. Maps in this edition are representations of data from contributing traps.
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) adults remain very low, with only a few traps in the southern counties catching individuals consistently. Numbers are low and isolated such that no map will appear in this edition.
The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 8/05/20 are as follows:
| Cinnaminson 1 | Medford 1 |
| Downer 1 | South Branch 1 |
| Green Creek 1 |
Fall armyworm (FAW) larval infestations are persisting at generally low levels around the state. FAW could increase dramatically in the late summer, resulting in significant injury to whorl and even seedling stage corn. Injury from newly hatched larvae shows up as “window panes” or areas where leaf tissue has been eaten down the the lower epidermis (see photo at far left). This injury leads down into the whorl. As larvae gain size, they begin to consume leaf tissue in its’ entirety, creating ragged holes and lots of droppings (see photo at near left). FAW can be tough to manage because it is resistant to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides (IRAC 3A) and because larvae are often covered by their own droppings, making contact with the insecticide more difficult. Treat when 12% or more plants exhibit FAW injury alone, or in combination with ECB injury.
Corn earworm (CEW) moth captures have remained steady in blacklight traps this past week. This moderate mid-Summer population poses a significant risk to silking corn. Blacklight catches were highest overall along the Atlantic coast (see map at left), with blue areas on this map representing a 4-5 day spray schedule.
The highest nightly trap catches of CEW in black light traps for the week ending 8/05/20 are as follows:
| Allamuchy 2 | Downer 1 | Georgetown 1 |
| Bellemeade 1 | East Vineland 1 | Green Creek 1 |
| Crosswicks 1 | Farmingdale 1 | Hillsborough 1 |
| Denville 1 | Flanders 1 | Matawan 1 |
August 5, 2020 Dean Polk, Dave Schmitt, Atanas Atanassov, Carrie Denson
Fruit IPM for 8/4/2020
Grapes:
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD): The spotted wing drosophila is an invasive fruit fly which can infest sound ripe thin-skinned fruit. The SWD female has a saw-like ovipositor which she uses to literally saw through healthy skin and deposit her eggs, which develop into small maggots. At this time of year each generation takes slightly over 1 week to complete. Each female can lay about 300 eggs over her lifetime, and given the time of year it is, we will probably see 3-5 more generations by the time grapes are harvested. Over the past several years we have monitored SWD in vineyards during August through September. A well-known link exists between high populations of native fruit flies and the prevalence of late season sour rot in grapes. What we don’t know is how the prevalence of SWD might be able to aggravate or help increase the late season populations of native fruit flies, or if the total fruit fly complex (native and invasives) is higher because of the presence of SWD. [Read more…]
August 3, 2020 Norman Lalancette
The 2020 Hurricane Season: A Phytophthora Epidemic on Tree Fruit?
You’ve probably heard it by now. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season for 2020. NOAA predicts “a 60% chance of an above-normal season, a 30% chance of a near-normal season and only a 10% chance of a below-normal season.” This translates to 6-10 hurricanes (>= 74 mph winds), including 3-6 major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or greater.
What does this forecast have to do with tree fruit production? These high winds may cause tree fruit roots to crack and split. Wounds created by this activity allows for entrance of the Phytophthora root rot pathogen. Flooding also facilitates movement of pathogen spores through the soil. Once infected, cankers and root rot develop during subsequent months, leading to tree death this fall or next spring and summer.
Although Isaias is only a tropical storm, winds may get high enough to cause some damage to anchoring roots. Nevertheless, we still have four more months of the Atlantic hurricane season remaining, which runs from June 1 through November 30. Given the potential for loss and the above normal risk for hurricane development, it is probably prudent to review some basic information on disease development and control.
Peach and apple trees at 3 to 5 years of age are most susceptible to wind injury and subsequent infection by Phytophthora species. If trees are leaning to one side, or there is open space around the collar, this is a good indication of “tree whipping” and therefore root injury. Younger trees tend to be more flexible and therefore less likely to be damaged, especially when the soil is softened by excessive rainfall. Older trees with large, well-developed root systems are more likely to fend off the wind; limb breakage and fruit loss may be a bigger concern on these trees. Of course, wind speed plays an important role in the severity of damage across all age groups.
If injury is thought to have occurred, fungicide application should be considered immediately after the storm subsides to limit Phytophthora root and crown rot development. Ridomil Gold, applied to the soil, is the recommended fungicide. Foliar applications of a phosphorous acid material, such as Aliette, Agri-Fos, Phostrol, etc… are alternative controls. If damage is severe across all age groups, one approach would be to apply Ridomil to 3-5 year old trees and a phosphorous material to young and old trees.
If time and weather permits, application of root or foliar fungicide prior to the hurricane may help “immunize” the trees before infection can occur. Both types of fungicides are highly systemic. However, one needs to allow time for the Ridomil to move through the soil and be absorbed by the roots. Excessive storm flooding could wash away the fungicide before it has a chance for root absorption. Of course, once these materials are applied, the hurricane will most likely change course! Hence, the disadvantage of applying before the storm.
For details on application and rates of Ridomil Gold and Aliette, see the NJ Tree Fruit Production Guide (2016 issue) and product labels.
