- Late blight (US-23) was reported on tomato in Chester County in Southeastern PA this week. US-23 is active on both tomato and potato. All NJ tomato and potato growers are encouraged to scout their fields on a daily basis. Late blight has not been reported in NJ to date. If you suspect Late blight on your farm please contact your county Extension agent. To track the progress of Late blight in the US please visit USAblight.
- Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) on cucumber continues to be reported throughout the region. All cucumber growers should add downy mildew specific products to their regular maintenance programs. CDM has also been reported cantaloupe and Butternut squash in PA. CDM has also been reported in pumpkin as far north as North Carolina. To track CDM movement in the US please visit the North Carolina State University’s CDM Forecasting Website.
- Bacterial canker and bacterial leaf spot in tomato are being reported. Bacterial leaf spot is also being reported in pepper.
- Pepper anthracnose has been reported in the past week.
- Dickeya dianthicola has been reported in 6 states and in 9 potato varieties to date including Dark Red Norland, Red Pontiac, Silverton, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Norwis, Superior, Marcy, and Vivaldi.
- Surveying for Dickeya dianthicola in potato fields and irrigation sources in NJ is currently on-going. If you suspect Dickeya, please contact your county agent. The best method for controlling Dickeya dianthicola in your operation is to adopt a zero-tolerance policy.
- Want more information of what is going on around the mid-Atlantic region? Just click on the links to articles written by Extension personnel from PA, DE, VA, and WV on the right side of the page! You can also sign-up with and have information sent directly to you just like the NJ – Plant and Pest Advisory.
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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August 10, 2017 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease Update – 8/10/17
August 2, 2017 Meredith Melendez
Basil: Upcoming Ultra-Niche Crops Series Workshop
Rutgers Cooperative Extension is continuing its Ultra-Niche Crop Series with the upcoming workshop “Farming Basil.” This workshop, the fifth class in the Ultra-Niche educational series for farmers seeking new crop opportunities, will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., simultaneously in Cape May Court House, Bordentown and Bridgewater, New Jersey.
Ultra-Niche Crops are defined as exceptionally high-value crops that can provide a significant source of income to the farmer while using a minimal amount of land. In this session, farmers will learn how to grow, market and sell basil [Read more…]
July 25, 2017 Wes Kline
Packinghouse Layout, Cleaning and Sanitation
Many packinghouses in New Jersey have not been updated in many years. If you haven’t, now is the time to be thinking about what changes will be needed to comply with a third-party audit or the Food Safety Modernization Act. Analyzing your packinghouse may also save money. Any time saved during packing will save money. If your produce moves quickly through the packing process it will maintain higher quality and be fresher.
Start by making a drawing of your packinghouse showing how the product comes from the field to the point it is loaded on the truck. Make sure to include how the produce is received, where the produce is dumped on the line or grading table, whether it goes through a washer, holding area after packing, the cold room, if applicable, and the [Read more…]
July 25, 2017 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease Update – 7/26/17
- Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) on cucumber continues to be reported throughout the region. All cucumber growers should add downy mildew specific products to their regular maintenance programs. CDM has been reported cantaloupe and Butternut squash in PA.
- Bacterial canker in tomato is being reported.
- Pepper anthracnose has been reported in the past week.
- There have been no new reports of Late blight on tomato or potato in our region in the past week.
- Dickeya dianthicola has been reported in 6 states and in 9 potato varieties to date including Dark Red Norland, Red Pontiac, Silverton, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Norwis, Superior, Marcy, and Vivaldi.
- Surveying for Dickeya dianthicola in potato fields and irrigation sources in NJ is currently on-going. If you suspect Dickeya, please contact your county agent. The best method for controlling Dickeya dianthicola in your operation is to adopt a zero-tolerance policy.
July 19, 2017 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease Update – 7/19/17
- Cucurbit downy mildew (CDM) has been confirmed on cucumber in northern and southern New Jersey. All cucumber growers should consider adding downy mildew specific products to their regular maintenance programs. CDM has been reported cantaloupe and Butternut squash in PA.
- Basil downy mildew has been reported in New Jersey.
- There have been no new reports of Late blight on tomato or potato in our region in the past week.
- Dickeya dianthicola has been reported in 6 states and in 9 potato varieties to date including Dark Red Norland, Red Pontiac, Silverton, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Norwis, Superior, Marcy, and Vivaldi.
- Surveying for Dickeya dianthicola in potato fields and irrigation sources in NJ is currently on-going. If you suspect Dickeya, please contact your county agent. The best method for controlling Dickeya dianthicola in your operation is to adopt a zero-tolerance policy.
July 17, 2017 Kris Holmstrom
Cucurbit Downy Mildew ALERT – 7/17/17
Cucurbit downy mildew was confirmed on cucumber in northern New Jersey (Hunterdon County) today in the cucurbit downy mildew sentinel plot at the Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Pittstown. This is the fourth report of CDM on cucumber in New Jersey this growing season. No other cucurbit crops were affected. All cucumber growers in NJ are encouraged to add downy mildew specific fungicides to their weekly maintenance spray programs. All growers should scout cucumber plantings as well as all other cucurbit crops for symptoms. CDM has also been reported on cucumber in MD, DE, and PA. To track the progress of cucurbit downy mildew in the US through the CDMpipe website through NCSU please click here.
