Andy Wyenandt

This is an archive of Dr. Wyenandt's posts on the Plant and Pest Advisory.

April 5, 2016 Andy Wyenandt

Greenhouse Disease Management: Seed Treatment

Hot Water Seed Treatment
Photo: Meg McGrath, Cornell

All seed used in transplant production, as well as any transplants brought into the greenhouse should be certified ‘clean’ or disease-free. Important diseases such as Bacterial leaf spot of tomato and pepper can cause major problems in transplant production if introduced in the greenhouse. Bacterial leaf spot of tomato and pepper can be seed-borne and infested seed can be a major source of inoculum in the greenhouse and cause problems in the field later in the growing season.

As a rule for any crop, any non-certified or untreated seed should be treated, if applicable, with a Clorox treatment, or hot-water seed treatment, or dusted to help minimize bacterial or damping-off diseases. Organic and conventional tomato growers who grow a significant number of heirloom tomatoes should consider using the hot water seed treatment to help reduce the chances for bacterial problems.

For more information on seed treatments and products labeled for use in the greenhouse please see Tables E-13 and E-14 or specific crop sections in the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: seed treatment

April 5, 2016 Andy Wyenandt

Greenhouse Disease Management: Transplant Production

Proper greenhouse sanitation is important for healthy, disease-free vegetable transplant production. Efforts need to be made to keep transplant production greenhouses free of unnecessary plant debris and weeds which may harbor insect pests and disease.

All equipment, benches, flats, plug trays and floors should be properly cleaned and then disinfested prior to use and efforts need to be taken throughout the transplant production season to minimize potential problems.
Any weeds in or around the greenhouse structure should be removed prior to and after any production.
Any transplant brought into the greenhouse from an outside source needs to be certified ‘clean’, as well as visually inspected for potential insects and diseases once it reaches your location.

Remember, disinfestants, such as Clorox, Green-Shield, or hydrogen dioxide products (Zerotol – for commercial greenhouses, garden centers and Oxidate – commercial greenhouse and field), kill only what they come into direct contact with so thorough coverage and/or soaking is necessary. The labels do not specify time intervals for specific uses, only to state that surfaces be ‘thoroughly wetted’. Therefore, labels need to be followed precisely for different use patterns (i.e., disinfesting flats vs. floors or benches) to ensure proper dilution ratios. Hydrogen dioxide products work best when diluted with water containing little or no organic matter and in water with a neutral pH. There are a number conventional and organic products labeled for disease control during transplant production in the greenhouse. Please see Table E-14 in the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Guide.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: greenhouse sanitation

January 15, 2016 Andy Wyenandt and Jack Rabin

2016 NJ Ag Convention & Trade Show

Date: February 9 – 10 – 11, 2016
Location: Harrah’s Resort & Waterfront Conference Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Sponsors: Vegetable Growers’ Association of NJ, New Jersey Blueberry Association, Garden State Wine Growers Association, Rutgers NJ Ag Experiment Station, & NJ Department of Ag

View 2016 Convention Information & Registration
View 2016 Educational Program

Trade show and educational sessions will open on Tuesday, February 9, at the Harrah’s Resort & Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show will feature exhibits and displays from many of the industry’s suppliers and business associates. This year, the educational program features twenty-five sessions, including an all-day Farm Food Safety training session and Basil Workshop Session. Start 2016 off right: learn from the best, touch base with fellow growers, and earn re-certification credits, all in three jam-packed days.

2016 CVPR Daily passes for the trade show and educational sessions are available for $50 a person. NJ Vegetable Grower Association memberships are $100 for 2 people who may attend the trade show and educational sessions all day/every day. Click the Information & Registration link above for more information on hotel and meal reservations. Members receive the comprehensive 2016 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations.

In addition, the 2016 State Agricultural Convention will open with its regular business session on Wednesday, February 10, and continue on Thursday, February 11, 2016. The meeting will focus on developing and setting a policy agenda for the industry over the coming year through the resolutions process. The listening sessions, during which members of the agricultural industry can provide on-the-ground experiences and ideas for policy, will also be an important part of the convention. This year’s listening sessions will highlight Locally Grown, as well as feature an Agricultural Agents Micro Speed Session, where county agents will provide an update on their current projects.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Vegetable Crops

December 28, 2015 Andy Wyenandt

Dickeya (blackleg) White Potato Meeting Jan 7, 2016

Click to View Flyer
Date: Thursday January 7, 2016, 2pm
Location: Salem County Extension Office
51 Cheney Road
Woodstown, NJ 08098

We will review the effect of Dickeya (blackleg pathogen) on the 2015 white potato crop for better decisions regarding your 2016 potato seed orders. Presenter Dr. Steven Johnson, Extension Plant Pathologist at UMaine, has over 20 years of experience with potato diseases.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Vegetable Crops

September 21, 2015 Andy Wyenandt

Sunscald Injury on Cucurbit Fruit

Extended periods of long, hot dry weather can cause pumpkin fruit to seemingly mature quicker (i.e., turn orange). Sunscald injury occurs when cucurbit fruit are suddenly exposed to direct sunlight during the latter stages of fruit ripening during the fall. Sunscald injury often occurs after plants prematurely defoliate due to powdery mildew or downy mildew infection or when vines collapse due to Phytophthora blight or bacterial wilt.

Symptoms of sunscald injury include the collapsing of rind tissue on the side of the fruit which is in direct afternoon sunlight. Sunscald injury often develops as a pinkish-red color on exposed fruit which becomes flat in appearance. Over time fruit tissue may become tan to brown and secondary pathogens often invade the sunscald injured areas of the fruit.

To help reduce the potential for sunscald injury on pumpkin and other winter squash fruit, maintain weekly protectant fungicide programs to help retain foliage for as long as necessary, especially if fruit are going to be left in the field for long periods.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops

September 21, 2015 Andy Wyenandt

Vegetable Disease Briefs – 9/21/15

Downy mildew remains active on all cucurbit crops. All cucurbit growers should include downy as well as powdery mildew specific fungicides in their weekly maintenance sprays. Please remember different modes-of-Action (i.e., FRAC groups) to help manage fungicide resistance develop in both pathogens. To track the progress of CDM in the US please visit http://cdm.ipmpipe.org/
There have been no new reports of late blight in New Jersey. Remember as fall approaches and night temperatures become cooler and light fogs begin to develop conditions for late blight development improve. All abandoned tomato blocks/fields need to be disked under as soon as harvesting is done or sprayed with gramoxone to kill all living foliage. To track late blight in the US please visit http://usablight.org/
Downy mildew was reported on turnip greens this past week. The cool, damp mornings with lingering dew have been ideal for downy mildew development across many crops.
Basil downy mildew remains active.