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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July 26, 2014

Plastic Pesticide Container Recycling Earns Pesticide Core Credit

The NJ Dept. of Ag, Helena Chemical, and the Cumberland County Solid Waste Complex are offering a series dates for free plastic pesticide container recycling disposal. These are offered to agricultural, professional and commercial applicators holding a NJDEP Pesticide Applicators License. State, county and municipal government agencies may also participate. Spread the word and recruit participants for this free service – we are hoping to exceed last year’s collections.

The NJ Dept. of Ag will be on-site to inspect the containers and issue one Core Credit to license holders who follow the processing guidelines. To receive Credit, participants must bring their Pesticide License and prepare the containers. Core credits will not be issued to participants who do not prepare containers. Dates and locations are listed below.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
July 24, 2014

Late-Season Palmer Amaranth Management: Focus on Stopping Seed Production

A number of calls have come in about options to control large Palmer in full-season soybeans. The beans are 30 to 36 inches tall and the Palmer amaranth plants are poking through the canopy. In most cases the field has been sprayed with glyphosate. There are no good options. Late-season Palmer amaranth management needs to focus on stopping seed production, and chemical choices are likely to be ineffective.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
July 18, 2014

Vegetable Twilight Meeting & Field Tour

Date: Thursday, August 21, 2014 5:30pm
Location: RAREC, 121 Northville Rd, Bridgeton, NJ

Click to View Program

Join Rutgers for a twilight meeting in the field to learn about recent innovations for successful control of key vegetable diseases and weeds. Pesticide credits have been requested.

This is your opportunity to bring plant, insect, disease or weed problem samples for identification. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Ag Specialists and County Agents will be on hand for the field tour of research and demonstration plots on managing diseases of pepper, basil downy mildew, and cucurbit downy mildew. View weed control innovations and get updates on tomato variety development and ethnic African vegetables.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Vegetable Crops
July 18, 2014

Weekly Crop Update: Remove Weeds Before Seeds Mature

This week in U Del Weekly Crop Update:

  • Remove Weeds Before the Seeds Mature
  • Livid Amaranth

Remove Weeds Before the Seeds Mature

Many weeds have started to flower in the past week or two. Weeds, depending on the species, will continue to flower from now until frost. I am often asked how soon after flowering are the seeds mature. We have some ongoing trials looking at this issue, but we have a few preliminary results to share.

First and foremost, seeds are mature shortly after flowering. By this I mean that within two weeks of flowering, the seeds on some plants are capable of germinating and contributing to the weed seedbank. So if you are pulling weeds (or mowing them or spraying them) to stop them from producing seeds, you should physically remove the weeds from the field because they may already have mature seeds.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
July 7, 2014

Weed Control Options for Double Cropped Soybeans

With small grain harvest underway, there are some questions about preplant weed control with double cropped soybeans. This has always been a challenging situation, and with the presence of herbicide-resistant weeds, it has become even more complicated and results are often less than satisfactory. Larger plants that have been cut off or damaged by the combine are going to be less susceptible to herbicides and achieving 100% control will require a lot of environmental factors falling in your favor — the recent dry spell does not work in your favor. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates
July 1, 2014

Farmland Leasing Networking for Landowners and Farmers

Interested in farmland leasing? You’re invited to attend a free farmland leasing networking event for landowners and farmers.
The meeting will be hosted July 24, 2014 from 6 PM to 7:30 PM at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County Office, 2 Academy Drive, Westhampton NJ 08060. 
To sign up for this farmland leasing networking, contact the SADC at (609) 984-2504 or email Hillary Barile at hillary.barile@ag.state.nj.us.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates