Rutgers University | New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station | Pesticide User Responsibility

Archives for February 2021

February 18, 2021

Annual Rutgers Horse Management Seminar is a “Virtual” Success!

Person with a horse

Dr. Carey Williams with her horse Mickie.

Each year, Rutgers hosts a Horse Management Seminar featuring invited speakers from New Jersey and across the U.S. on a wide range of topics in equine health, performance, and management. The seminar has traditionally been held on the second Sunday in February at the Rutgers Cook Campus. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2021 Horse Management Seminar was transitioned to a virtual format.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock Tagged With: , , , ,
February 18, 2021

New Jersey Annual Vegetable Meeting: Hemp Session

Don't Let Your Hemp Profits Go Up MeetingPlease join the Rutgers Hemp Team on Tuesday, February 23 at 9:00 AM
Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Organic Production, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
February 15, 2021

Reminder: Register for the VGA-Nursery/Ornamental sessions by this Wednesday (2/17) for pesticide credits!

Reminder: register here by Wednesday Feb. 17th for pesticide credits!

Please join us at the NEW- Nursery and Ornamentals Track at this year’s virtual VGA

Nursery/Ornamental track is on Monday, February 22nd 

  • Session I:  9:15 – 11:45am
  • Session II:  1:15 – 3:45pm (pesticide recertification credits acquired: 3 Cat 1A; 4 Cat 3A; 4 Cat 8C; 4 Cat 10; 4 PP2)

Click here for additional pesticide credit requirements and instructions (mandatory steps for recertification credits at VGA)

Price options:

  1. One day pass – $60.00
  2. Full 1yr VGA Membership (access to all four days of sessions 2/22-2/25)- $120

Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe. Upon upload, your files will be encrypted and stored to Rutgers Connect. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit; and will not be used for any other purpose. Your files will be deleted within 60 days after the training event.

New Nursery and Ornamental Track at the 2021 VGA

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf
February 15, 2021

Pest Notes: Witches’ Brooms, Pitch Mass Borers and Ants

WITCHES’ BROOMS: The development of witches’ brooms on woody plants and the resulting formation of abnormal growth can cause curiosity and concern to your clients. Typically, the new growth is distorted, and a proliferation of leaves or fruit/cones closely clumped together appears when apical dominance is lost. Witches’ Brooms are created on plants when the transfer of growth hormones is disrupted (perhaps caused from the introduction of a foreign substance). Insects (e.g., aphids), fungi, bacteria, viruses, phytoplasmas, and herbicides have all been implicated in causing the formation of witches’ brooms in many plant species.

Witches' Broom

Witches’ Brooms are plants having stunted foliage & short stem internodes. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Plant Diagnostic Lab
February 12, 2021

Rutgers Online Pesticide Applicator Exam Portal is Open

To streamline NJ’s pesticide exam process, Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education has announced that the new online Pesticide Applicator Certification Exam Registration (PACER) system is available for your use immediately.

pacer.rutgers.edu

How the new system benefits YOU:

  • Online Access: Web-based PACER application is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • No More Snail Mail: Upload your support documents online and eliminate the time and expense required to mail them.
  • Quick Review Turnaround: Your application will be reviewed within 48 business hours and you will be notified of any problems or concerns with your documentation promptly via email.
  • Immediate Exam Scheduling: Online exams are available 24/7. Once in-person exams resume, YOU choose your exam date and location when you register; no more waiting to hear which of your exam date and time choices were available.
  • Fast Exam Results: See your exam grades within 7 business days of exam completion.
  • More Exam Times and Locations: Due to COVID-19, all exams are currently being offered online. When restrictions are lifted, online exams will continue and in-person exams will resume. New facilities will be added around the state to give you more options for added convenience. In-person exams will be administered weekdays, evenings and on Saturdays to better accommodate your schedule.
  • Manage Others’ Exams: Are you responsible for your organization’s employees? Now you can easily track and manage exam applications and scheduling for multiple people in PACER! Set up an account in PACER then provide us with the information listed below so we can upgrade your account to Business Manager. Send information to: pacer@njaes.rutgers.edu. (A commercial pesticide applicator business license number is required to establish a Business Manager account; a business license number begins with “9”).
    • Business Manager Name; Business Manager Email Address
    • Company Name; Company Address; Company Business License #
  • Support: Responsive, courteous help desk support is available Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Phone: 848‐932‐9271, Option 7; Fax: 732‐932‐1187; E‐mail: pacer@njaes.rutgers.edu

Examination Fees are $115 per each Category exam and the Core exam; $50 for the Private licensing exam:

  • Pay online via credit card or e-check, with no extra surcharge
  • Purchase Orders will also be accepted via upload
  • Exam payments are not refundable and online exams have minimum computer requirements detailed on the website

Please note that all exams are CLOSED book and the NJDEP no longer offers any pesticide certification exams.

The PACER website also has step-by-step instructions to create an account before registering for the exam, and user and hardware requirements to successfully complete the exam (Google Chrome internet browser, webcam, wired / Ethernet connection, ample bandwidth for Proctorio download and use, etc.). Also, make sure you choose a quiet and comfortable location to take your exams, as earphones or headphones are not permitted during the exam.

Please Visit the NJDEP website for information regarding pesticide licensing, policies, procedures, credits, and for payment and status of your license. For frequently asked questions regarding pesticide licensing please click here.

Visit PACER today!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
February 11, 2021

Pepper Weevil Management and Research Priorities

Pepper Weevil Management and Research Priorities

March 3, 2021, 1:00 – 3:00 pm

Online Zoom Meeting

Pepper growers/agribusiness professionals/extension personnel are invited to attend a virtual meeting to discuss current pepper weevil management tactics and to set research priorities.

Since 2006, at least one farm each growing season has been infested with pepper weevil.  So far, timely spraying after detection has occasionally been successful in eliminating weevils.  Otherwise, insecticide applications have only suppressed weevil populations.  Pheromone traps are useful in detecting weevils, but often fields are infested before the weevils are trapped.  What else can be done?  What are the priorities in attempting to manage weevils?

Please join the discussion to help develop tactics to reduce the impact of pepper weevil.

To register please go to https://go.rutgers.edu/3bm2r3xl

The registration deadline is March 1, 2021, and you must pre-register to get the zoom link.

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops