Archives for May 2022

May 24, 2022

Nursery Pests Scouting June – Bagworms, Scales, Borers, RHFB, BWB

Red-headed flea beetle – Adult emergence beginning any day now

Please refer to this timeline of pest development compiled by Tim Waller in communication with Brain Kunkel (Unv. Del) and Danny Lauderdale (NC State)

  • Contains material selection and timing, along with regime information and considerations

Boxwood Blight Alert – Infection Potential (Saturday) 5/27

Boxwood Blight Risk Assessment as of 5/24/2022
Region Location CODE 24-May 25-May 26-May 27-May 28-May 29-May
Southern Upper Deerfield NJ50 Very Low  Very Low  Low  High Risk Very Low  Very Low 
Central Howell / Freehold NJ10 Very Low  Very Low  Low  Infection Risk Very Low  Very Low 
Northern High Point NJ59 Very Low  Very Low  Very Low  Infection Risk Very Low  Low 
Check local boxwood blight risk here (CLICK HERE – input your area code – select closest weather station – check 7-14 prediction – click on graph / table)

 

Refer to the most recent Alert for more information – CLICK HERE

Pest Scouting – Please refer to these documents for a full listing of insects pests for your area corresponding to growing degree-days (GDDs). 

Contact if seeing insects at different times: twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu (or call the Cumberland County Extension Office – 856-451-2800)

The following key groups of pests will be active, vulnerable, or otherwise treatable during the next month throughout most of NJ. Here, bagworms, scale insects and borers with key life stage events during the 350-1500 GDD timeframe are discussed. Note there are many other insect pests present this time of year so please view the pest scouting guides above for your particular needs.

Projected GDD50 accumulation as of 5/24/2022 (USPEST) Note: Growing degree-day values utilize daily average air temperatures with a minimum temperature threshold (a.k.a. ‘base’) of 50F = GDD50 (max. temp. threshold set at 95F). These values are accumulated from a biofix date, such as January or March 1st in the NE USA. Provided GDD50 are scouting ranges and should be truthed.
Region Location Station 24-May 1-Jun 1-Jul
South Upper Deerfield NJ50 488 638 1358
Central Howell / Freehold NJ10 426 551 1203
North High Point NJ59 288 387 909
Forecast: NOAA NCEP Coupled Forecast System model version 2 (CFSv2) forecast system (3.5 months) (USPEST.ORG)

Refer to this post “Obtaining your local growing degree-days” for additional information 

BAGWORMS (600-900 GDD) (Bagworm hatch prediction as of 5/24/22 – now until July 14 (Southern NJ (NJ50)))
Crop type Common Name Scientific Name GDD Min (50F) GDD Max (95F) Reference Developmental / Target Stage
Conifer mostly, many minor hosts Bagworm Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis 600 900 RU Larvae (early instars) –

ONLY CONTROL WINDOW

Refer to this post for additional information on Bagworms

BORER Insect Activity for 350 – 1500 GDD (Now until ~July 1 in Southern NJ (NJ50))
Crop type Common Name Scientific Name GDD Min (50F) GDD Max (95F) Reference Developmental / Target Stage
Malus, Prunus, many Lesser peach tree borer Synanthedon pictipes 350 375 4 Adult flight, egg laying
Dogwood, apple, pecan, elm, hickory, willow Dogwood borer Synanthedon scitula 350 850 4 adults, eggs, caterpillars
Birch Bronze Birch Borer Agrilus anxius 440 880 RU Adults (egg laying)
Malus, Prunus, many Peach Tree Borer Synanthedon sp. 500 600 RU Adults – emerge (1st treatment both types)
Rhododendron Rhododendron borer Synanthedon rhododendri 509 696 RU Adults emerge
Malus, Prunus, many Greater peach tree borer Synanthedon exitiosa 575 710 4 Adult emergence
Many Roundheaded appletree borer Saperda candida 802 1129 RU Adults
Ash Emerald ash borer Agrilus planipennis 1000 1200 4 Peak adult activity
Malus, Prunus, many Peachtree borer Synanthedon sp. 1500 1800 RU Larvae Treatment
Many Roundheaded apple tree borer Saperda candida 1514 1798 5 Typical treatment window
Conifer Nantucket tip moth Rhyacionia frustrana 1514 1917 RU Adults 2nd generation

Click here – “Identifying Clearwing Moth Borers in Pheromone Traps” or “Differentiating the Common Wood Borers of Ash Trees”

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Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 20, 2022

Anthracnose and Botrytis Control in Strawberries for 2022

Dr. Mengjun Hu, University of Maryland, and Kathy Demchak, Penn State University, have written an extensive article on effective strategies for Botrytis and Anthracnose fruit rot control for the 2022 season.

Managing gray mold (Botrytis) on strawberries is increasingly challenging because of fungicide resistance development, plus a new Botrytis species that is less susceptible to fungicides is becoming common in the mid-Atlantic region. Resistance to certain fungicides is also a problem in management of anthracnose fruit rot. This article describes disease management strategies designed to slow further resistance development, while also providing specifics for managing our two most common fruit rots.

The rest of the article can be accessed and downloaded as a PDF file by clicking on the following link: Botrytis and Anthracnose Mgt Strawberries final.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
May 18, 2022

Vegetable IPM Update

Due to subnormal temperatures and storms, there has not been enough pest activity to warrant producing maps.

Sweet corn

European corn borer moths have now been trapped in Gloucester and Salem County blacklights.  This is the beginning of the first, over-wintering generation of moths whose numbers will increase over the next two to three weeks.  The most common strain of corn borers has two generations per year and sometimes a partial third.  Corn borers attack a wide range of crops including potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and others, as well as sweet corn.

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Filed Under: Organic Production, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
May 18, 2022

Tree Fruit IPM Report for May 18, 2022

Peach:

Bacterial Spot: Generally we recommend starting at 0.5 ozs metallic copper and gradually lowering the rate as the season progresses. The rate applied will depend on the formulation. Dr. Lalancette published a chart listing common copper formulations and rates for peach and nectarine applications. Avoid combining copper with captan especially if it has been overcast for several days. Also avoid acidic spray solutions when applying copper. Dr. Lalancette has published a handy guide for copper applications in early covers. Antibiotics such as Mycoshield or Fireline may also be used and may offer slightly more residual activity during long wetting periods. Bacterial leaf spot symptoms were observed in one orchard in Gloucester county this week. Leaf spotting that is very similar to bacterial spot has been observed in many orchards in southern counties. The symptoms, while strongly resembling bacterial spot, are not typical. Growers should continue to manage as they have, and we will know in the next week or two if we have fruit lesions appear. Trees are dropping leaves as they usually do in May as we have finally gotten some heat and the trees are growing. This year, because of the weather extremes and the unusual leaf spotting, more leaves than normal are coming off.

Peach Scab: In addition to Rusty Spot and Bacterial Spot, Peach Scab requires protective applications starting at petal fall. Peach scab cankers (Fig. 2) begin to expand at bloom and by shuck split begin to shed spores during wetting periods. Topsin, Topsin/Captan combinations, Flint Extra, Inspire Super, and especially Quadris Top applied at petal fall are the best materials for blocks that had scab last year. Quadris Top, Flint Extra or Topsin should be used at the high rate to suppress overwintering lesions on the wood. Quadris Top contains azoxystrobin which is phytotoxic to many apple varieties. Phytotoxic residues can remain in the tank for long periods after an application is made, even if a tank cleaner is used. Do not use Quadris Top or Abound in the same sprayer used for apples. Bravo (chlorothalonil) is also a good protectant that may be applied no later than shuck split. Captan is also helpful in cover sprays after shuck split where scab was troublesome last year.

Fig. 2 Peach Scab lesions on peach twig.

 

Oriental Fruit Moth: A biofix point for OFM was set on 4/11 in southern counties, and on 4/14 in northern counties. The first generation timings are past for all regions of the state.

Insecticide Type
County/Region Degree Days by  4/27 base 45 Conventional

170-200, 350-375

 Diamide

100-150, 300-350
Gloucester – Southern 283 1st – past

2nd –past

 1st – past

2nd –past
Middlesex – Northern 231 1st – past

2nd – 5/16-18

 1st – past

2nd –past

 

Green Peach Aphid: GPA colonies begin forming sometime during bloom. Examine trees for the presence of colonies from pink to shuck split. Count the number of colonies on ten trees and use a treatment threshold of 2 colonies/tree at petal fall for peach, and 1 colony/tree for nectarine. The best way to scout for aphids during bloom is with a beating tray. Blossoms may also be collected, opened, and examined for the presence of aphids using a hand lens. This is particularly important for nectarine blocks. Check 10 trees per block with the beating tray. Collect 50 blossoms per block and examine for the presence of aphids. If more than 1 colony of aphids are found in nectarines, or 2-3 colonies are found in peaches, an insecticide for aphids will be needed when all petals are off. See the NJ Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide for recommended materials and rates. Aphid colonies are now visible in southern county orchards.

Plum Curculio; Tarnished Plant Bugs; and Other Catfacing Insects: Plum Curculio start to move into orchards at about 88-100 degree days base 50 after January 1. Applications for PC should be initiated once all petals are off, with a second application made with ovicidal materials at 379-402 DD. Growers can monitor degree day development at their site by finding the nearest weather station and using the degree day development tool at NEWA. Catfacing insects are starting activity but cause little damage at this time of the year. Catfacing insects will become more of an issue as temperatures warm and mowing and other ground cover activities become more common after bloom. Insecticides for catfacing insects are not recommended until after all petals are off. PC activity should be peaking this week and next.

Scale Insects: White peach scale (WPS) crawlers are emerging in southern counties. San Jose scale (SJS) crawlers usually begin emergence about a week or ten days later, usually late May/Early June. If you have scale infestations on your trees, it is important to note if crawlers are present, even if you treated with oil in the early spring. If crawlers are present then treatment options include Esteem, Movento, Centaur, Venerate, and Diazinon. Esteem, Centaur, Venerate and Movento should be applied at the beginning of crawler emergence. Movento requires a penetrant as per the label. Venerate should be be applied at the low rate of 1 qt/A and may need more than one application. Diazinon is labeled for only one post bloom or foliar application on stone fruit (Rec = max. of 2 lb/acre of the 50W). The apple label allows up to 2 foliar applications per year as long as a prebloom application was not made. Foliar applications may cause russet on apples, but has worked in the field for scale crawlers as long as applications are made 1-2 weeks after the start of crawler emergence and again 2 weeks later. Belay and Assail are also effective against scale crawlers but may need more than one application during the emergence which typically lasts about 4 weeks for WPS and 6 weeks for SJS.

Lesser Peach Tree Borer and Peach Tree Borer: Lesser Borer adults began flying this week in in all growing regions. If you haven’t placed mating disruption dispensers yet there is still time to get them out before the greater peach tree borer flight which usually begins in June.

Apples and Pears:

Diseases: Fire Blight, Apple Scab, Rust diseases, and Powdery Mildew are the main targets at this stage. The NEWA apple scab model is estimating about Primary Scab is over in southern NJ with 100% of cumulative ascospores discharged. Northern counties will have less ascospore maturity. Growers can estimate primary scab development using the NEWA scab tool, and estimate fire blight infectionpotential using the Fire Blight tool. Remember to enter your green tip and first blossom date! Primary apple scab spores are released during any substantial infection period. More information can be found in this blogpost from Penn State.

Codling Moth (CM): The first codling moth flight has started. A biofix was set for CM on April 25th in southern counties, and May 6 in Northern counties (Middlesex County). No biofix has yet been set for northern counties.

Codling Moth Degree Day Timing
Application and Insecticide Type
County Area Biofix Rimon:

75-100DD + 14-17 days later

 

 Intrepid

150 + 450 DD

Diamides – Altacor, Voliam mixes: (150-200 DD) + 14-21 days later

 Cyd-X, Madex

250 DD + every 7-9 days during brood hatch (later if first spray is an IGR)

 Standard Insecticides –  Delegate, Avaunt, OP’s, carbamates, pyrethroids

250 DD + 550 DD

 
DD 75 100 150 450 250 250 550
Southern April 25 5/7 5/12 5/15 Too far off 5/21 5/21 Too far off
Northern May 6 5/14 5/16 5/18 Too far off 5/23 5/23

Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM): Tufted Apple Budmoth (TABM): A biofix was set statewide on May 6. The first alternate middle applications for TABM will be on or about June 1 in all counties. This has been considered a minor pest in recent years. With the exception of Assail and and granulosis virus formulations (e.g. Madex), most materials used for Codling Moth will control TABM.

Rosy Apple Aphid:  If a pre-bloom application was not made, monitor for colonies during bloom and use a treatment threshold of 1 colony/tree at petal fall. Some orchards have colonies that require treatment in southern counties.

Tree  Fruit Trap Counts – Southern Counties

Weekending STLM TABM-A CM AM OFM-A DWB OFM-P TABM-P LPTB PTB
4/9/2022 2 0 0
4/16/2022 0 2 3
4/23/2022 11 0 0 28 5 0 0
4/30/2022 5 0 1 31 4 0 0
5/7/2022 5 1 3 50 4 0 0
5/14/2022 8 5 3 19 2 0 0

 

Tree  Fruit Trap Counts – Northern Counties

Weekending STLM TABM-A CM AM OFM-A DWB OFM-P TABM-P LPTB PTB
4/9/2022
4/16/2022 0 0 1
4/23/2022 0 0 2 0
4/30/2022 0 0 2.5 0
5/7/2022 0 1 4 0
5/14/2022 1 2 0 4.5 0 0 0

 

Pest Event or Growth Stage Approximate Date 2022 Observed Date
 Bud Swell (Redhaven)  March 23 +/- 15 Days March 20
1/4″ Green Tip Red Delicious March 31 +/- 13 Days March 21
Pink Peach (Redhaven) April 4 +/- 15 Days March 31
Tight Cluster Red Delicious April 9 +/- 13 Days March 31
Full Bloom Peach (Redhaven) April 9 +/- 14 Days April 10
Pink Apple (Red Delicious) April 14 +/- 12 Days April 14
Full Bloom Apple (Red Delicious) April 22 +/- 11 Days April 21
Petal Fall (Redhaven) April 22 +/- 10 Days April 14
Petal Fall (Red Delicious) April 27 +/- 13 Days May 3
Shuck Split (Redhaven) April 30 +/- 11 Days April 26
Pit Hardening June 15 +/- 9 Days

 

Filed Under: Tree Fruit Tagged With: , , , , , ,
May 17, 2022

Leaf Spot and Melting Out……of Pachysandra?

Last week’s post concerning leaf spot diseases in turfgrass, and a few samples of dead pachysandra in the lab this week, got me thinking about how much I hate pachysandra. Hate might be too strong a word for a plant, but like Neumann and Jerry, this subshrub is my nemesis. Some of you may have heard me tell stories about trying to rid my home garden of pachysandra and finding it impossible to kill, but subsequently planting several hundred plants at my late-mother’s house only to see them all die of disease, so surely you can empathize with my perspective!

Pachysandra can grow in deep-shade areas, so it is well-suited and popular as a ground cover for shade gardens. The most commonly used species is P. terminalis, the Japanese spurge, which is an aggressively spreading evergreen. It is very deer-resistant, which unfortunately, also means that it gets planted into many New Jersey landscapes and gardens for that reason alone.

Deep shade usually means a wet site and that is where the disease issue comes in. Pachysandra, especially P. terminalis, is susceptible to the fungus Pseudonectria pachysandricola, which is the cause of the disease Volutella Leaf and Stem Blight. Leaf and stem blight is the most destructive disease of pachysandra in New Jersey.

Photo 1: Leaf spot phase of Volutella Leaf and Stem Blight. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

Numerous patches of wilting and dying plants in a landscape bed are often the first indication that Volutella blight is in active in the bed. Both leaves and stems are attacked by the causal fungus. Leaves develop irregular tan to brown blotches, often with concentric circles of light and darker zones and sometimes with dark-brown margins. These blotches gradually increase in size until the entire leaf turns brown or black and dies. Stem cankers usually develop and cause whole plants to die back. Stem cankers can appear at any point on the stem and begin as greenish-brown and water-soaked lesions that eventually turn brown or black as the stems shrivel. As the fungus girdles the stem, sizeable parts of the plant beyond or above that point turn brown and die. Plant death from stem infections can be quite extensive, so the planting appears to melt away in a manner very much like turfgrass subjected to leaf spot and melting out.

Photo 2: Stem infection of Volutella Leaf and Stem Blight. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

Photo 3: Melting out of a Pachysandra planting due to Volutella Leaf and Stem Blight. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

During wet, humid weather, affected plant parts can be covered with reddish-orange, cushion-like fungal fruiting bodies, called sporodochia. Conidia (asexual spores) produced in the sporodochia disseminate the fungus within the planting. They are easily spread by rain splashing and wind, or mechanically by people working the bed during wet weather. If blight is suspected, but fruiting bodies are not evident, place suspect plant material in a plastic bag with a moist paper towel. In a day or two fruiting bodies will develop that can be seen with a hand-lens.

Weak or injured plant material is much more susceptible to the disease than healthy tissue, so damage may be very severe when plants have been stressed by excessive sunlight, winter injury, drought, or insect attack. Spread of the fungus is also more rapid in dense plantings, where heavy mulches are used, or in beds with residual leaf debris. Planting beds subject to regular overhead irrigation often have more disease activity.

Photo 4: Winter injury to Pachysandra. Photo: Dr. Ann Gould, NJAES

Photo 5: Euonymus scale on Pachysandra. Photo: Richard Buckley, Rutgers PDL

Normally this disease does little damage to vigorous plants, thus providing good growing conditions is one of the most important control measures. Begin by selecting healthy, disease-free planting materials. Plant in a well-drained soil and on sites with suitable sun/shade exposure.

Control of the disease in an infected planting bed begins with good sanitation. Remove and destroy all of the affected plants and plant debris. Use a regular lawn mower set at a 1 to- 2 inch cutting height to mow the affected area. Catch all of the debris in a bag and discard. Be sure to mow an area well outside of the diseased patch. A little nitrogen fertilizer will help the remaining plants to fill in the mowed area.

Prune trees and shrubs to increase light penetration and air circulation in and around the site to help keep it dry. Avoid overhead irrigation and avoid wet foliage whenever possible. If irrigation is needed to avoid drought stress, then water early in the day, so the foliage can dry as quickly as possible.

On high value landscapes, and after sanitation and moisture management issues are corrected, fungicides may be an effective addition to a management program: make applications of chlorothalonil, copper, mancozeb, myclobutanil, or thiophanate-methyl at the first sign of disease and repeat at label specified intervals and rates.

I’ll leave you with this existential question: are you sure you really want to plant pachysandra? How about a hosta or something instead?

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Turf
May 17, 2022

RSVP NOW: North Jersey Fruit and Vegetable Twilight Meeting III

North Jersey Fruit and Vegetable Twilight Meeting III

May 24, 2022
4:30 PM-7:30 PM
Phillips Farms,
91 Crab Apple Hill Road
Milford, NJ 08848

4:30 PM – Registration / Light Refreshments

4:45 PM – Tree and Small Fruit IPM Updates
Dean Polk, Statewide Fruit IPM Agent, Rutgers NJAES

5:15 PM – Farm Tour of Fruit and Early Season Vegetable Production
Jason Phillips, and Marc Phillips, Phillips Farms

5:45 PM – Use of Plant Growth Regulators for Thinning and Branching of Apples
Win Cowgill, Win Enterprises International, LLC, Professor Emeritus, Rutgers NJAES

6:30 PM – Early/Mid-Season Insect Management in Tree Fruit
Anne Nielsen, Associate Extension Specialist in Entomology, Rutgers NJAES

7:00 PM – The remainder of the meeting will be held at the Phillips Farms Market
Address: 564 Milford Warren Glen Rd, Milford, NJ 08848

7:05 PM – Vegetable and Small Fruit Disease Updates
Andy Wyenandt, Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

7:30 PM – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn

NJ Pesticide Recertification Credits
4 Units Cat. 10 4 Units Cat. 1A 4 Units Cat. PP2

Please RSVP by 4 PM MONDAY MAY 23 for the meetings with a call to Kim Crommelin at 908-788-1338 or kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

Filed Under: Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops