Archives for March 2023

Free webinar – Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices

Did you know that well trained employees have a higher job satisfaction and feel more valued by their employer? Employees satisfied with job training are more committed to their employers and more willing to accept organization goals and values. This is a key component in creating a food safety culture on your farm. Well trained, committed employees are less likely to look for another job, reducing employee turnover on the farm and the turnover costs associated with having to find new employees.

Growers leave training courses with a lot of information, the majority of which needs to be taught to your employees. You are sent home with food safety educational tools such as handouts, knowledge, and binders, but are not given guidance on how to use these resources to train your employees. This webinar will help.

Join us on Wednesday, April 12, 2023 to talk about tips to train employees at our free lunchtime webinar Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices from 12 – 1pm Eastern Time.

This webinar will feature Phil Tocco, Extension Educator at Michigan State University Extension.

At the end of the webinar participants will:

  • Understand how to verify training is working.
  • Discern what training is required for different employees.
  • Develop a process for training folks on your farm.

You can register for the webinar at this link: Webinar: Retraining and Upskilling Workers on Produce Safety Best Practices

Spring Green-up

Rain late last week combined with rising soil temperatures has initiated green-up of some cool-season grasses in central New Jersey. Soil temperatures have been slowing increasing over the last few weeks. Currently, the 24-hour and 5-day rolling averages for soil temperature are 47 degrees F at Hort Farm 2 in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Keep […]

Grass in front of building
  

Some Early Spring Insect Pests of Christmas Trees

The accumulation of heat units (Growing Degree Days (GDD) will soon begin to increase rapidly in New Jersey as we approach the early weeks of April. If past histories or present-day monitoring indicate the need for interventions, then the best control windows for numerous insect/mite pests are beginning to occur. The following is an incomplete listing of a handful of some of our early-season Christmas tree insect pests that may need to be scouted & possibly controlled. Those included in this blog are the European pine sawfly, Eastern spruce gall adelgid, Cooley spruce gall adelgid, Nantucket pine tip moth, Pales weevil, White pine aphid, & Pine bark adelgid.

Christmas trees in field

After many years, these slow growing Colorado blue spruce trees are close to reaching their peak selling growth stage as Christmas trees. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

 

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Immediate potential for Boxwood Blight 3/24 and 3/25 – First infection potentials

There is a potential for new boxwood blight infections this FRIDAY and SATURDAY throughout much of NJ – especially central regions. Increased temperatures and prolonged periods of leaf wetness will contribute to the spread of boxwood blight infections.

  • It is time to begin protective fungicide applications in high value areas if you have not already done so! 

  • Protective fungicide applications should remain in effect or be initiated immediately for Boxwood Blight in “Infection risk or High Risk areas”. 
  • If your area is not listed (throughout all of NJ please visit the USPEST.ORG Boxwood Blight Risk Model – CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR LOCAL PREDICTIONS

Boxwood Blight risk-model information, considerations, and links:

Boxwood Blight Risk Assessment as of 3/22/2023
Region Location CODE 22-Mar 23-Mar 24-Mar 25-Mar 26-Mar 27-Mar NOTES
Southern Upper Deerfield NJ50 Very Low  Low Low  Infection Risk Very Low  Very Low 
Central Howell / Freehold NJ10 Very Low  Low HIGH Risk HIGH Risk Very Low  Very Low  High prob. of first BWB infections
Northern High Point NJ59 Very Low  Very Low   Infection Risk Very Low Very Low  Very Low 
 Please check YOUR LOCAL risk (click here)

(input your area code – select closest weather station – check 7-14 prediction – click on graph / table)

These advisories are general in nature, change rapidly over time, are site-specific…therefore  Someone from your business should be using this risk model daily if boxwood is important to your financial stability– In 30 seconds you can have a better idea of boxwood blight (and other pathogen) activity in your immediate area! Please contact Tim Waller if you need help using this service (twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu), we want to help! 

Fungicides; 

  1. You very well may have these materials already applied as ‘cover-sprays’ – But – be mindful that protectant fungicides loose efficacy the more rain (or overhead irrigation) they are subjected to, and reapplication may be warranted.
  2. ROTATE between Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC codes) to avoid this pathogen becoming resistant to specific chemicals

Format: [FRAC code]: Chemical name (Trade names * no endorsement implied, other options exist)  

  • [M05]: Chlorothalonil (Daconil WS)
  • [M05 + 1] Chlorothalonil + Thiophanate methyl (Spectro 90WDG)
  • [11] Trifloxystrobin + [7] Fluopyram  (Broadform)
  • [11] Trifloxystrobin + [3] Triadimefon (Armada 50WDG)
  • [M03] Mancozeb
  • [12] Fludioxonil (Medallion WDG)
  • [3] Tebuconazole (Torque)BW

DISCLAIMER: The label is the law, always refer to it for allowable host crops, use-restrictions, application rates, reapplication intervals, re-entry intervals (REI), and mix compatibility information. Production and pesticide information on this site are for private/commercial pesticide applicators and landscape professionals only, and are NOT for home gardener use. Provided materials represent examples and do not cover all possible control scenarios. Trade-names listed do not imply endorsement and are used as examples only. Please contact your local agent or chemical sales representative for more information or to discuss additional pest management options.

Resources 

Background on the pathogen: 

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – I

April 6 (Thu) @ 7 PM

Gloucester County Govt. Services Building: 1200 N. Delsea Drive, Bldg. # A, Clayton, NJ 08312

Pesticide credits requested: CORE, 1A, PP2, 10

7 pm: Welcome. Notes from Colorado peach meeting: market updates, etc.
Hemant Gohil, Gloucester County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers NJAES

Pesticide Safety and Regulations Update for 2023 (CORE)
George Hamilton, Extension Specialist in Pest Management, Rutgers NJAES

Field observations from the IPM Program
Dave Schmitt, Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers NJAES

Management of Peach Bacterial Spot: Timing Bactericide Sprays to Rainfall Events
Norman Lalancette, Extension Specialist, Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

Urea Nitrogen Fertilizer and Nickel Nutrition for Orchard Health
Joseph Heckman, Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility, Rutgers NJAES.
Alon Rabinovich, Postdoc Associate, Plant Science Department, Rutgers Uni.

9 pm: Pesticide re-certification credits application and Adjourn

Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany at jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or 856-224-8030 if you plan to attend. If additional assistance is needed, please get in touch with Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-224-8029 before the meeting.

Free Webinar: Marketing Your Farm – Agritourism

Wednesday, March 29, 12-1pm Eastern Time

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is partnering with other New England states to deliver agritourism education. A free webinar will be held to help farmers learn the three essential components of marketing your farm, with a focus on agritourism. Myrna Greenfield is the “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing and the author of Marketing Your Farm: A practical guide to attracting loyal customers and increasing sales. Ellen Parlee is the co-owner of Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, which offers pick-your-own fruit and flowers, along with a farmstand, bakery, ice cream stand, animal petting area, and a food trailer for lunch. Ryan Wilson is the co-owner of DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, New Hampshire, which offers pick-your-own apples/peaches/blueberries/Xmas trees, hayrides, school tours, special events, Cross Country running, and hiking trails and has a full commercial kitchen. The farm plays host to Torey Roderick Performance Horses and every October, the world-famous Haunted Overload. Lisa Chase from University of Vermont Extension will moderate the session.

To register see: https://uvm-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e3WWWaq9SoaQSR8nVkotdQ

This webinar is free, but registration is required.