Rutgers University | New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station | Pesticide User Responsibility

Commercial Ag Updates + Farm Food Safety

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Ag Agents provide updates on what they see in the field, upcoming events, and other important news that affects your operation, such as developments in on-farm Food Safety. Subscribe if you wish to be notified about workshops, meetings, and upcoming commercial ag events.
 
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September 22, 2023

Corn Tar Spot Found in New Jersey

Corn Tar Spot. Photo Credit: Alyssa A. Collins, Penn State.

The presence of Corn Tar Spot (Phyllachora maydis) has been confirmed in New Jersey. Laboratory examination of a corn sample from New Jersey revealed the presence of tar spot. Tar spot is a foliar disease of corn that commonly occurs throughout Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The disease was identified in the United States for the first time in 2015 in northern Illinois and Indiana. Tar spot is caused by the fungus Phyllachora maydis and can cause severe yield loss on susceptible hybrids. In the Midwest severe tar spot outbreaks have been reported to reduce yield by more than 60 bushels per acre. It has also been observed that stalk rot and lodging are increased when tar spot severity is high. Corn at any developmental stage is susceptible to infection by the tar spot fungus when conditions are favorable. Tar spots appear as small, raised, black spots scattered across the upper and lower leaf surfaces. The pathogen that causes tar spot overwinters on infested corn residue on the soil surface, and it is thought that high relative humidity and prolonged leaf wetness favor disease development. You can diagnose corn tar spot in the field by examining corn leaves for the presence of black, tar-like spots. In the United States tar spot has been observed mostly during mid- to late grain fill (growth stages R3-R6) on leaves below or near the ear leaf.

Understanding and management of this disease in the United States is limited because of its very recent history.  Management practices that may help reduce tar spot development and severity include the following:

Residue Management – In order to reduce over wintering inoculum, tilling and burying residue is recommended to promote decomposition of crop residue.

Crop Rotation–   This helps reduce primary inoculum. We are still learning about the length of time to rotate out of corn.

Variety Selection – Avoid varieties that are or may be susceptible to tar spot.

Fungicides – The use of fungicides is still developing in the management of this disease.  Several fungicides have been identified with efficacy on tar spot. Some of these products have 2ee labels that are not applicable in all states. Data on timing of application, effectiveness and economic returns are still being developed.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , ,
September 18, 2023

Attention Deer Hunters – NJ Fish & Wildlife Forums on Simplified Hunting Regulations

NJ Fish & Wildlife is looking for your input and will be hosting three Deer Hunter Forums to discuss preliminary proposals on simplifying NJ’s deer hunting regulations.

Hunters are asked to attend for discussions of ideas on how to make deer hunting regulations less complicated and less expensive.

Your feedback is crucial to keep deer hunting a treasured tradition and valuable wildlife management tool in the Garden State!

The first Forum for North Jersey took place last week. The remaining two are scheduled as follows:

Source:  https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/news-2023-08-24-upcoming-deer-hunter-forums/

 

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , ,
September 10, 2023

Notice of Public Hearing on SADC Rule Proposal Establishing Soil Protection Standards on Preserved Farmland

Proposed rules: PRN_2023-079_SADC_2_76-25

Original Notification of Public Hearing: Notice of public hearing SPS rule proposal 

 

Important information:

DATE: September 27, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m
LOCATION: TEAMS Virtual Meeting
To join the hearing via computer: Click here to join the meeting

To join the hearing via phone: Call (856)338-7074
Conference ID: 268 371 32#
Meeting Link and Call-In information is also available on the SADC website at https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/

NOTE: If you wish to provide oral testimony at the virtual public hearing, you must
register with the SADC no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, September 25, 2023. Participants
may register by emailing Jessica.uttal@ag.nj.gov or calling her at (609) 913-6567.

 

From original notice:

STATE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Notice of Public Hearing on SADC Rule Proposal Establishing Soil Protection Standards
on Preserved Farmland

Proposal of new rules, N.J.A.C. 2:76-25, Soil Disturbance on Preserved Farmland; N.J.A.C.
2:76-25A, Supplemental Soil Disturbance Standards

PUBLIC NOTICE
Take notice that the New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) is holding
a virtual public hearing for the proposed new rules defining what activities on preserved
farmland constitute soil disturbance, establishing a soil disturbance limitation on preserved
farms, allowing for waivers of the soil disturbance limit under certain conditions, providing
preserved farm landowners written notice of and an opportunity to be heard on mapped soil
disturbances, and promulgating technical standards for certain agricultural practices for
compliance with the soil disturbance limitation.

The notice of proposal was published in the New Jersey Register on August 7, 2023, at 55
N.J.R. 8(1).

The SADC will be holding a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at
6:00 p.m. through the SADC’s video conferencing software (Microsoft TEAMS).
Registration: If you wish to provide oral testimony at the virtual public hearing, you must
register with the SADC no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, September 25, 2023. Participants
may register by emailing Jessica.uttal@ag.nj.gov or calling her at (609) 913-6567. Please
provide your name, organization, telephone number, and email address. A verbal or written
confirmation will be provided of your interest to testify at the hearing.
Please note that the SADC will take oral testimony at the hearing by alphabetical order of the
testifying person’s last name, and that this hearing will be recorded.

DATE: September 27, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 pm
LOCATION: TEAMS Virtual Meeting
To join the hearing via computer: Click here to join the meeting
To join the hearing via phone: Call (856)338-7074
Conference ID: 268 371 32#
Meeting Link and Call-In information is also available on the SADC website at https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/

The SADC is also accepting written and/or electronic comments on the proposed rule
through October 6, 2023. Please submit electronic comments to SADC@ag.state.nj.us. In
the alternative, comments may be submitted on paper to:
Susan E. Payne, Executive Director
State Agriculture Development Committee
P.O. Box 330
Trenton, NJ 08625-0330

Please refer to the original notice of proposal for detailed information regarding the proposed
rules.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, pesticide credits, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
August 21, 2023 and

Snyder Farm Twilight Tour & Meeting, Wed. August 23, 2023

collage of hemp, a drone and agrivoltaic installation at Rutgers Snyder Farm

Twilight Tour and Meeting*
Fiber Hemp Production
Drones in Agriculture
Agrivoltaics Research

Date/Time:
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
6:00 – 8:00 PM

Location:
Snyder Research and Extension Farm
140 Locust Grove Rd.
Pittstown, NJ 08867

This program is offered to assist producers, and anyone interested in learning more about Fiber Hemp Production and current Agrivoltaics research in NJ.

Topics Include:

  • Tour of Rutgers Fiber Hemp Plots
    See what the hemp is going on with production and management. Is hemp viable in NJ?
  • Drone sprayers and ground driven sprayers in agriculture
    Learn how drones can be used in agricultural production. Learn the requirements for applying pesticides using drones.
  • Tour of Rutgers Agrivoltaics Research Plot
    Learn about current and planned agrivoltaics research at Rutgers. Are agriculture and solar energy production compatible?

For more information contact:  RCE, Sussex County  973-948-3040

*Pesticide credits pending

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Nursery, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , ,
August 21, 2023

Soil Fertility from Non-Commercial Nutrient Sources

All essential plant nutrients cycle through the ecosystem of soil, water, air, plant, microbe, and animal.  Agronomic information about the composition and beneficial use of waste materials and how the nutrients can be recycled can help growers reduce the need to purchase soil fertility inputs.  Many different types of non-commercial nutrient sources are available in New Jersey.  Examples include horse manure with bedding, shade tree leaves, lawn clippings, wood chips, food waste, coffee grounds, eggshells, wood ash and more.

With 43,000 horses in New Jersey, there is an abundance of horse manure produced.  One horse can produce about 65 pounds of manure plus bedding per day.  The quantity of horse manure is substantial on a statewide basis.  Unfortunately, sometimes horse manure goes to landfills when it should be used to build and sustain soil fertility.

The Soil Profile Newsletter 2023 issue posted at Rutgers NJAES explains how to build and maintain soil fertility harnessing the nutrient supplying ability of horse manure and many other types of non-commercial materials.  The chemical composition and soil fertility value of each material is presented for beneficial use.  Available on the web at Rutgers NJAES ‘The Soil Profile’: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/soil-profile/pdfs/sp-v28.pdf

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , ,
August 11, 2023 and

Agri-Technology and Vegetable Research Twilight Meeting

Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC)

121 Northville Road, Room 146. Bridgeton, NJ 08302

Wednesday August 16, 2023

5 PM until dark

This meeting is free with no registration required. Refreshments and ice cream will be served.

This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will showcase new agricultural technologies including the newly installed agrivoltaics system established at RAREC. Discussions will include:

  • New technologies for autonomous seeding and weeding.
  • Drone technologies for improving crop production and decision making.
  • Living mulches
  • Production potential of fiber hemp
  • Copper resistance and disease control in bell peppers.
  • Controlling Phytophthora blight.

Note:  The following pesticide credits have been approved: 

 CORE – Basic Safety & Handling – (1 credit),

PP2 – Private applicator – (5 credits),

1A – Agricultural Plant – (5 credits),

11 – Aerial – (1 credit)

10 – Demonstration & Research -(4 credits).

         

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, pesticide credits, Vegetable Crops