HIGH potential for Boxwood Blight this Thursday 4/6

There is a potential for boxwood blight infections this WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY throughout much of NJ – especially central regions. Thursday’s high temperatures coupled with prolonged periods of leaf wetness overnight will contribute to the spread of boxwood blight infections.

If BWB is important to your business – Use the USPEST – PUSH Alerts – (click here) – to setup weekly email alerts. Create an account, watch the tutorial, and then set up your subscriptions. You select which locations (as many as you like), days you want to receive emails (pick Sunday/Monday), and what you would like to receive alerts about (BWB and a variety of other pests and diseases). Rutgers is not directly affiliated, however this is an incredible tool. 

• 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:

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 

• Click here for additional BWB research updates
• CLICK HERE FOR A FREE DOWNLOAD – BOXWOOD HEALTH, Best Management Practices Production and Landscape Management (18 pages – Version 3.0)
•  Click here for more BWB initiatives

Background on the pathogen: 

• Click here for more detailed Boxwood blight posts with many other links and background information