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.

March 20, 2024

NJ DEP issues Open Burn Permit through Tuesday, March 26, 2024

To Agriculture and Agribusiness Representatives:

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is issuing this notice concerning open burning due to colder spring overnight temperatures presently forecasted for areas of New Jersey from Tuesday, March 19, through Tuesday, March 26, 2024, which could adversely affect fruit, vegetable, and floriculture crops in bloom or near bloom around the state. The DEP intends to exercise its authority and discretion under the Air Pollution Control Code, N.J.A.C. 7:27, et seq., and other applicable authorities to permit the following procedure for open burning or the use of smudge pots to assist farmers to protect their crops in low temperatures. These cold events could adversely affect some of the fruit, vegetable, and floriculture crops. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
March 11, 2024

Endangered Species Act: What will soon change for pesticide labelling and uses?

Endangered Species Act and Pesticides: How will pesticide labels change to protect endangered species?

Wednesday, March 20 at 11 a.m – Webinar

Enacted in 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires all federal agencies to consider the impact to threatened and endangered species and their critical habitat when making decisions. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has faced numerous lawsuits for its failure to consider the Act when issuing pesticide registrations—resulting in a 2023 commitment from the Agency’s Office of Pesticide Programs that puts the ESA at the forefront of all future registrations and some registration renewals.

The NYS IPM program at Cornell will be hosting Dr. Bill Chism, Chair of the Endangered Species Act Committee for the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), to give a webinar on March 20th (at 11 a.m.) with the following objectives:

  • • Inform us about the history of Endangered Species Act (ESA),
  • Discuss the requirements of all Federal agencies to comply with the ESA,
  • Describe the EPA’s current workplan (including the proposed Herbicide Strategy) to meet their statutory obligations,
  • Explains what this might mean for future pesticide labeling efforts.

Registration: Endangered Species Act and Pesticides: An Example | CALS (cornell.edu)

About the Speaker


Bill Chism is the chair of the Endangered Species Act Committee of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA). He retired after more than two decades with the EPA, where he conducted assessments on the benefits of pesticides to farmers as part of the registration review process. Bill grew up working on a vegetable farm in the Salinas Valley of California. He worked in extension researching weed control research on vegetable crops before earning his PhD in Weed Science from Virginia Tech and spent 10 years working for a pesticide registrant.

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, pesticide credits, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
March 6, 2024

Take a quick survey to help with Field Equipment Sanitation Research!

In a Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant designed to guide future solution and resources centered around field equipment sanitation, collaborative team comprising pathologists, weed scientists, agronomists, and experts in agricultural equipment sanitation has crafted a questionnaire. This questionnaire is designed to gather growers’ input on their current practices and determine the necessity for implementing new ones.

The research will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges associated with field equipment sanitation and work toward developing solutions that are effective, implementable and sustainable.

To introduce the survey and forthcoming research effort, Dr. Matt Grieshop, lead PI on this project indicates that “We are a group of agricultural research and extension professionals from across the United States that are curious about grower and agricultural professional perceptions about the importance of field equipment sanitation to mitigate the spread of organisms that pose human health, weed, plant pathogen or other risks.

Agricultural field equipment includes tillage implements, tractors, harvesters, cultivation equipment, trucks, trailers, sprayers, mowers, or any other piece of equipment that is shared across fields.

This information will be solely used to help frame future research questions and outreach activities.  It will not be published or distributed in any form. Answering should take 5 minutes or less and is completely voluntary and anonymous.

Your participation is invaluable to future developments in the industry regarding food safety and equipment sanitation. We need more inputs from New Jersey specialty crops growers so that they have a say on the direction that field equipment sanitation research will take in the future!

To contribute, visit here or scan the QR code below.


If you have questions, comments or concerns contact Dr. Matt Grieshop at mgriesho@calpoly.edu or Dr. Thierry Besancon at thierry.besancon@rutgers.edu.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
February 20, 2024

2024 South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting

Date:                           March 12, 2024 (Tue)
Location:                    Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Pre-Registration:       Required, by March 11th.  Contact Joan Medany at (856) 224 – 8030 or  jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
                                    $20.00 (Checks only, made out to Rutgers University). Lunch, Coffee and Pastries Included
Pesticide Credits:      Requested for – CORE, PP2, 10, 1A [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , ,
February 12, 2024

2024 Grape Expectation – New Jersey Viticulture and Enology Symposium

The 2024 Grape Expectation symposium is a daylong series of lectures by professionals in viticulture (grape growing), enology (winemaking), and marketing. Lectures are designed to present new and relevant information to professionals and amateurs involved with grape growing or the wine industry. Pesticide recertification credits will be provided. Multiple tastings will be conducted during the symposium. Award-winning wines will be available for sampling in the N.J. Wine Showcase immediately following the symposium. This is the thirty-ninth year of the symposium. Come, learn, and spend time with your fellow N.J. wine professionals. Fore registration, please follow the instruction under the program detail.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , , ,
January 18, 2024

Spotted-wing Drosophila National Impact Survey

Help us Protect your Crops Against Spotted-wing Drosophila.

What are we doing?

We are conducting a national survey to better understand the impact of research conducted by land-grant university faculty on spotted wing drosophila (SWD) mitigation across the United States.

Why are we doing this?

To advance research efforts focused on developing more effective and efficient SWD management tools to meet your needs.

How do you participate?

By clicking the link

https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9B5kHcjLIRgW9gO

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Wine Grape