Christmas Trees Edition

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Seasonal pest alerts and news about insects, diseases, and weeds impacting Christmas Tree production including Commercial Ag Updates (meetings and marketing); and Pesticide Program updates from the Rutgers Pest Management Office News Blog.

Companion Website Links:

Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.

Nursery IPM.

Cover Crop Webinar Series Hosted by NECCC

The Northeast Cover Crops Council will host a fall webinar series. The webinars will take place from 12-1 pm on Wednesdays from October 1 to November 5, 2025. Click here to register for the series. [Read more…]

Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project – Info session

The program, “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ” will include four unique field trips and a dynamic, six-part webinar series. The overarching goal of this program is to improve risk management strategies of urban and rural farm business owners by connecting them with interactive educational opportunities, practical resources, and each other. This program is open to all.

Interested participants can attend an upcoming informational session to learn more about the program objectives and activities, the expected benefits for participants, and receive information about program registration. The informational session will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To register for the informational session, please visit go.rutgers.edu/ntrrinfosession. Registration is required.

All questions can be directed to anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.

This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you so much in advance!

Final two Ornamental IPM Webinars 9/9 (Ticks 4 Science) and 9/23 (final pest updates for 2025) + 8/26 webinar upload

Join us for the next session Tuesday 9/9/25 

  • Emily Fontaine​ (Project Manager, Rutgers NJ Ticks 4 Science)

 

Previous webinars:

 

 

 

Spanish Course for Ag Workforce – Registration Open

People shaking hands in a field with the sun setting behind themThe Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education will host a course on ‘Spanish for Ag and Horticulture Workforce’ from January 16-March 6, 2026. This is an online, self-paced course with approximately 21 hours of course content designed to help participants study conversational Spanish and gain technical vocabulary specific to those in the agriculture and horticulture workforce.

There is a registration fee of $825 per person. Register by January 9, 2026 for the early bird registration rate of $795.

For more information and to register, visit https://cpe.rutgers.edu/spanish-for-ag-and-horticulture-workforce.

Ornamental IPM Webinar – Next Session Tuesday 8/26 plus upload from 8/12 RU PDL guest

Still time to Sign up for the remaining 2025 sessions- Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program

Please visit our new –Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program Website (click here)

Join us for the next session Tuesday 8/26/25 

Topics covered:

  • 1.Beneficial insect: Dragonflies​
  • 2. Leafcutter bees                   ​
  • 3. Fleahopper​
  • 4. Nostoc​
  • 5. Nickel deficiency in River Birch​
  • 6. Tulip tree & Magnolia soft scales​
  • 7. Douglas-fir needle midge​
  • 8. Slugs/snails​
  • 9. Banded ash clearwing moth borer​
  • 10. Verticillium wilt

Previous webinars:

 

 

 

Box tree moth confirmed in MD, VA, and expanded quarantines in MI, OH. Plus+ IPM webinar recordings and 8/12 session

Box tree moth has been detected in MD and VA.

Additionally quarantines have been expanded (7/21/25) in counties of Michigan and Ohio: Click here for: APHIS Expands Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis) Quarantines in Michigan and Ohio (July 2025)

Click here for: Maryland BTM confirmed in Washington Co., MD.

Click here for: Virginia BTM confirmed at four sites in Clarke and Loudoun Counties, Va.

Efforts are being made to eradicate the pests at these locations & no additional quarantine information is available at this time. More information to follow.

Box Tree Moth – Resources:


Still time to Sign up for the 2025 – Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program

(Join us for the next Session Tuesday 8/12/25 – Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab – Rich Buckley (Guest Speaker))

Previous webinars:

Please visit our new –Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program Website