Join Northeast SARE grants coordinator Carol Delaney for a lunchtime webinar on Friday, October 10th at Noon regarding Farmer Grants and Partnership Grants. Carol will cover topics ranging from the application process, designing a budget, choosing a technical advisor (for farmer grants) and the review process. There will be plenty of time for Q&A. Register online.

This year, Michelle Infante-Casella takes over the reins from Jack Rabin as Northeast SARE coordinator for New Jersey. Visit NE SARE, New Jersey webpage for information on programs and priorities.

Annie’s Project New Jersey Presents:

Retail Marketing Conference for Farm Women
October 15, 2014 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Bridgeton
$75 includes materials, breakfast, lunch and bus tour to Rutgers Food Innovation Center

• Agritourism
• Social Media
• Marketing Strategies
• Value-Added Enterprises
• How to Set Financial Goals
• Writing Your Marketing Plan
• Networking

Register here!

For no-till fields, a non-selective herbicide needs to be used prior to planting. If grasses or perennial weeds are present, glyphosate is a better choice than paraquat. Fields worked with a vertical tillage implement for residue management, still need a non-selective herbicide. These implements are not weed control tools.

There are few effective herbicides labeled for preemergence applications. Sharpen is labeled for wheat and barley but we have limited data in the region. Valor can be used at 1 to 2 oz with the burndown application, but there must be a 7-day period between application and planting wheat. Valor is not labeled for barley.
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Fall is the best time to treat most perennial weeds because it is the time that plants are best able to move the herbicide to the roots where it will do the most good.

When considering fall weed control the emphasis should be on what the patch of weeds will look like next spring or summer not the amount of dead stems this fall. Also, it is important to consider that a fall application will not eradicate a stand of perennial weeds; the fall application will reduce the stand size or the stand vigor. Fall application of glyphosate is the most flexible treatment for most perennial weeds such as bermudagrass, Canada thistle, common milkweed, common pokeweed, dock, hemp dogbane, horsenettle and johnsongrass. Rates of 1 to 1.25 lb acid per acre are consistently the most economical (or about 1.5X the normal use rate for annual weeds). Dicamba (Banvel) at 2 to 4 pints is also labeled for artichoke, bindweeds, dock, hemp dogbane, horsenettle, milkweeds, pokeweed or Canada thistle. Planting small grains must be delayed after dicamba application 20 days per pint of dicamba applied.

Fall herbicide applications should be made to actively growing plants. It is best to spray prior to mowing the corn stalks and allow plants to recover after harvest. Allow 10 to 14 days after treatment before disturbing the treated plants. If fall applications are delayed, remember weed species differ in their sensitivity to frost; some are easily killed by frost (i.e. horsenettle) others can withstand relatively heavy frosts. Check the weeds prior to application to be sure they are actively growing.

The 2014 Snyder Farm tomato variety observational trial list, with descriptions and seed sourcing information, is now available. The Rutgers NJAES breeding program, variety evaluations, and consumer tastings contribute to improving the quality and competitiveness of New Jersey tomatoes.

Public taste-testing of these tomato varieties will commence at 3 PM on Wednesday, August 27 at the Great Tomato Tasting Event.

Peter Nitzsche cradles tomato seedling.
Photo by J.Pottheiser

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– Born Again: Rebirth of the Jersey Tomato
– Improving Quality and Competitiveness of Jersey Tomatoes