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

Fruit Crops Edition - Blueberry Section

Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
 
Subscription is through the general Fruit feed available via EMAIL and RSS.

April 21, 2022

ATTENTION: Department of Agriculture Allows Controlled Open Burns to Protect Crops

With the state continuing to experience colder spring temperatures, the Department of Environmental Protection has agreed with NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher’s request to allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect flowering crops from damage beginning today, April 20, through Wednesday, May 4.

Damage from freezing weather now can significantly reduce yields of certain fruits and vegetables that are in the flowering stage.

 

Please see the link below for more information:

NJDA Press Release 4/20/2022

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
April 19, 2022

Wine Grape Twilight – I

When: May 4 (Wed) @ 4 PM

Where: Tomasello Winery: 225 N White Horse Pike, Hammonton, NJ 08037

Frank Salek Memorial Lecture, Sponsored by the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association. Dennis Rak, owner of the Double A Vineyard Nursery will talk on ‘Grapevine Grafting: Fundamentals of Why and How’

Pesticide Recertification Credits: CORE (1 credit), PP2 (5 credit), 1 A (5 credit) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
April 5, 2022

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – II

When: April 12 (Tuesday) @ 4 – 7 pm

Where: Summit City Orchards: 500 University Blvd. Glassboro, NJ 08028

Approved Pesticide credits: 1A, PP2, 10 (5 credits each)

Schedule

Field visit (in a bus) to a peach block. Field Demonstration and discussion on different rootstocks (Daniel Ward and Lewis DeEugenio), Comments on Orchard Soil Fumigation (Lewis DeEugenio), Observations of bud development in different peach varieties during frost nights (Hemant Gohil), and Field Observations from the IPM Program (Dave Schmitt).

Return to above address in the bus. Light fare will be served.

Indoor presentations: Fundamentals of Tree Fruit Nutrition and Orchard Soil Fertility (Joseph Heckman), Organic Weed Management in the Orchard (Thierry Besancon), Insect-pests Updates in Orchards (Anne Nielsen), Updates on Early Season Disease Control (Norman Lalancette), Coming Changes in the Structure of Fruit IPM Programming (Dean Polk)

7:00 pm  Pesticide re-certification credits application and Adjourn

Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or call 856-224-8030 if you are planning to attend. If an additional assistance is needed, please contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-224-8029 prior to the meeting.

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
April 1, 2022

Weed Science Webinar Series

Weed Science Webinar Series

USDA – ARS and the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) are co-hosting 10 webinars on weed science and research. Beginning April 5, presentations will be given by ARS weed science research experts.

The webinars will occur every Tuesday from 2-3p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and include an interactive Q&A session.

Register Here Today!

Two people conducting research in a field

Weed Science Webinar Series Schedule

April 5
ARS Weed Science: Past, Present, and Future: Steve Duke, Principal Scientist at the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi, Steve Young, National Program Leader – Weeds and Invasive Pests, WSSA Representatives and ARS Administrators

Meeting Information:

Zoom Meeting Link

Webinar ID: 831 3320 1055

Passcode: 825921

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

Theme I: Tactics

April 12
Integrated Weed Management in Cropping Systems: Marty Williams, Ecologist at the Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit in Urbana, IL

April 19
Non-Crop Systems: Advancements in Weed Biocontrol Tools: Melissa Smith, Research Ecologist at the Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale, FL

April 26
New Technology for Weed Identification and Control: Steven Mirsky, Research Ecologist at the Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory in Beltsville, MD

Theme II: Mechanisms

May 3
Role of Plant Physiology in Weed-Crop Competition: Dave Horvath, Research Plant Physiologist at the Sunflower and Plant Biology Research Unit in Fargo, ND

May 10
Molecular Basis for Controlling Invasive Plants: Matt Tancos, Research Plant Pathologist at the Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit in Fort Detrick, MD

May 17
Addressing Herbicide Resistance with Alternative Chemistries: Scott Baerson, Molecular Biologist at the Natural Products Utilization Research Unit in Oxford, MS

Theme III: Impacts

May 24
Spread and Distribution of Invasive Plants: John Madsen, Research Biologist at the Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Unit in Albany, CA

May 31
Climate Change Effects on Weeds and Management: Dana Blumenthal, Ecologist at the Rangeland Resources & Systems Research Unit in Fort Collins, CO

June 7
Restoration for Managing Invasive Plants: Roger Sheley, Ecologist at the Range and Meadow Forage Management Research Unit in Burns, OR

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
March 25, 2022

NJ Department of Agriculture Issues Burn Permit for Frost Protection – Thru April 5

New Jersey Department of Agriculture has issued a notice concerning open burning due to colder spring overnight temperatures presently forecasted for areas of New Jersey from March 22 through April 5th, 2022, which could adversely affect fruit, vegetable, and floriculture crops in bloom or near bloom around the state. For details read below the links.

Note: The NJDEP and New Jersey Forest Fire Service caution all farmers and agriculture businesses with respect to the use of open burning in high wind velocity conditions. Please take note that farmers are encouraged to utilize smudge pots is warming as necessary during higher wind conditions. Use of open burning when wind velocity is greater than 5mph is strictly prohibited, may contribute to wildfire risk, and can carry significant penalties. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Nursery, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , , , ,
March 16, 2022

Online Questionnaire on Spotted-Wing Drosophila (SWD)

The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) team on Spotted-Wing Drosophila (SWD) is working on Best Management Practices to effectively manage this pest on small fruit crops in the United States. The research team has developed some technologies which are currently being used by growers and is still researching ways to improve on these technologies.  

The SCRI team is therefore interested in identifying the existing knowledge gaps and current technologies available to you and also your perception on the newly introduced technologies in your area.  

Your participation in the study requires completing an online questionnaire (see link below) that should take about 15 minutes and is completely voluntary. You do not have to answer any questions you do not want to answer, and your personal information will be kept confidential. All data will be reported on an aggregate level and personal identifiers will be removed from the resulting report. 

Link https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4ORBHXrUCMUFqJg 

Your participation will actively contribute to enhancing the response of the SCRI Team to the emerging SWD-related activities in your area, which will potentially benefit your community and the country in the future.  

Thank you. 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Wine Grape