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.

May 12, 2025

Ornamental IPM – Blight and pest alerts – next IPM Session 5/13/25

  1. Serious potential for Boxwood Blight
  2. Bronze Birch Borer (BBB) approaching adult emergence
  3. Clearwing Borer adult flight – time to monitor
  4. Red-headed flea beetle (RHFB) egg hatch – adult emergence soon
  5. Oomycete material considerations
  6. (click the ‘Read More’ below for complete dates in S-C-Northern NJ per pest)

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

(Join us for the next Session Tuesday 5/13/25)

Note we have Clearwing borer lures and wing or delta traps, scale crawler tape, and yellow sticky cards available to commercial grower program members at our Cumberland (twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu) and Monmouth (william.errickson@njaes.rutgers.edu) RCE offices.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
May 5, 2025

Survey: Novel Weed Management Strategies for Perennial Crop Systems

Take a Quick Survey Regarding your Needs for Novel Weed Management in Perennial Crops!

Dr. Thierry E. Besançon, Associate Extension Weed Science Specialist, Rutgers University

Our interdisciplinary team of weed scientists and sociologists is conducting research under a Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant to understand perennial crop growers’ priorities regarding novel weed control technologies. This survey aims to identify drivers and barriers to implementing robotic weeding systems in your operations.

We seek to understand your:

  • Perspectives on robotic technologies for weed management
  • Specific needs and challenges in weed control
  • Preferences and limitations when considering new technology adoption

This anonymous, voluntary survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. All information collected will be used solely to inform future research questions and outreach activities, and will not be published or distributed. This Friday, May 9th, will be the final day of the survey!

Your participation is invaluable to future developments in the industry regarding new technologies for weed management. We need more inputs from New Jersey perennial crops growers so that they have a say on the direction that weed science research will take in the future!

To contribute, scan the QR code or visit: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqzMrFKtlcDjjgO

If you have questions, comments or concerns contact Dr. Thierry Besançon at thierry.besancon@rutgers.edu.

 

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With:
May 1, 2025 , and

Ornamental, including Christmas Tree – IPM Updates (Week of 5/1)

Some important actual and anticipated pest emergences as of 5/1/25

  1. Boxwood leaf miner emergence in southern NJ – monitor locations now.
  2. Crapemyrtle aphid appearance in southern NJ
  3. Bronze Birch Borer (BBB) approaching adult emergence
  4. Red-headed flea beetle (RHFB) egg hatch – adult treatment with systemic applications
  5. Clearwing Borer adult flight – time to monitor
  6. Conifer scale crawler emergence anticipated
  7. (click the ‘Read More’ below for complete dates in S-C-Northern NJ per pest)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf
April 25, 2025

Ornamental IPM 4/22 Recording Upload – Next session Tuesday 5/13

Sign up here for the NEW 2025 – Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program

Ornamental IPM – next session is Tuesday 5/13/25 

 

Click here for a PDF of April 22, 2025 webinar that can be printed and used as a field guide or similar

Click here for a VIDEO recording of April 22, 2025 webinar

 

5/13/25 sessions topics: 

Conifer Issues:

  • Pine needle scale
  • Cryptomeria scale
  • Elongate hemlock scale
  • Oystershell scale
  • Needle cast diseases
  • Red headed pine sawfly
  • Hemlock woolly adelgid
  • Phytophthora in conifers

Ornamental nursery:

  • Boxwood mites
  • Boxwood psyllid
  • Horned and gouty oak galls
  • Hawthorn lace bug
  • Pythium in nurseries

IPM monitoring:

  • Scale monitoring with double sided tape

2025 Registration includes:

The focus of this program is to provide timely updates on pest, disease, and weeds impacting commercial ornamental producers. The webinars will focus on the most important pests for a 2 week interval, will be recorded, and will be shared shortly thereafter with Spanish overdub (spoken word). The trap packages are in an effort to find grower led solutions for monitoring economically important pests throughout the multiple regions of New Jersey. Please consider joining this program for its inaugural year.

  • Site visit to your ornamental nursery/farm from Rutgers agents
  • Delivered printed IPM resources (Guides, factsheets, bulletins)
  • Free pheromone & sticky trap kit + guidance on setup/monitoring
  • Access to live bi-weekly webinars (Zoom)
  • Every Second and Fourth, Tuesday, April through September
  • Webinars will be recorded – posted later with Spanish overdub

This program is free, however registration is required.

click here to Register

(Next webinar Tu 4/22 at 12PM)

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
April 24, 2025

Need a Manure Spreader? Nutrient Management Assistance Grants – Deadline 6/16/25

New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources is offering the following grant opportunity:

Nutrient Management Assistance Grants
Available Funding: Up to $25,000
Application Deadline: June 16, 2025
Funding Period: Three Years

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA), Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources is pleased to announce a funding opportunity to support manure spreader purchase and maintenance, and to establish a community use program for the manure spreader. This grant aims to advance nutrient management Best Management Practices (BMPs) across New Jersey farms by enabling the shared use of properly maintained equipment.

Eligible Applicants:
• New Jersey-based individuals
• Agricultural businesses
• Cooperatives
• Not-for-profit organizations (NFPs)
• Government agencies

Applicants should demonstrate a strong working relationship with local agricultural producers and must be committed to supporting nutrient management in their communities.

Program Highlights:
• Purchase and maintain a manure spreader
• Establish a community use program for the manure spreader with a minimum of five farms
• Support the implementation of Animal Waste Management Plans (AWMPs) with Nutrient Management Plans or nutrient budgets where the manure spreader will be used
• Implement all funded activities over a three-year period

For application materials and additional information, please visit: https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/grants/njdanutrientmanagementgrants.html

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Organic Production, vegetable, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
April 14, 2025 , and

Ornamental IPM 4/8 Recording Upload – Next session Tuesday 4/22

Ornamental IPM – next session is Tuesday 4/22/25 

Sign up here for the NEW 2025 – Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program.

 

Click here for a PDF of April 08, 2025 webinar that can be printed and used as a field guide or similar

Click here for a VIDEO recording of April 08, 2025 webinar

Next sessions topic: 

  • Updates (GDD, Miticides, Ambrosia Beetle, Boxwood blight alerts) 
  • Boxwood leafminer
  • Holly leaf miner
  • Eastern tent caterpillars
  • Spongy moth
  • Evergreen lacebugs
  • Clearwing Borers (and trapping)
  • Red-headed flea beetle (adult pre-treatment)
  • Diseases: Fire Blight and Rusts

2025 Registration includes:

The focus of this program is to provide timely updates on pest, disease, and weeds impacting commercial ornamental producers. The webinars will focus on the most important pests for a 2 week interval, will be recorded, and will be shared shortly thereafter with Spanish overdub (spoken word). The trap packages are in an effort to find grower led solutions for monitoring economically important pests throughout the multiple regions of New Jersey. Please consider joining this program for its inaugural year.

  • Site visit to your ornamental nursery/farm from Rutgers agents
  • Delivered printed IPM resources (Guides, factsheets, bulletins)
  • Free pheromone & sticky trap kit + guidance on setup/monitoring
  • Access to live bi-weekly webinars (Zoom)
  • Every Second and Fourth, Tuesday, April through September
  • Webinars will be recorded – posted later with Spanish overdub

This program is free, however registration is required.

click here to Register

(Next webinar Tu 4/22 at 12PM)

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: ,