Fruit Crops Edition

Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting tree fruit and small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
 
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March 5, 2026

South Jersey Calibration Grower Meeting

March 25, 2026

2:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center                 

121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ

Program

2:30 PM – Registration

3:00 PM – Welcome and Introductions

3:15 PM – Airblast Sprayer Calibration Techniques

Chris Lovenduski, Central Jersey Equipment

4:15 PM – Early season management in peaches

 Anne Nielsen PhD, Professor and Extension Specialist in Entomology

4:45 PM – Light fare & refreshments (pre-registration required)

5:00 PM – Coverage Counts: How to make the most of a pesticide application

Karly Regan PhD, Certis Biologicals

5:30 PM – Pesticide Safety and Regulations for Specialty Crops

Janine Spies PhD, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

6:00 PM – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn

NJDEP Pesticide Recertification Credits are anticipated.

Registration cost per person: $10.

Cash or check (made payable to Rutgers The State University) will be collected at the door.

Pre-register by Thursday March 19.

Click here to register: South Jersey Calibration Event Registration – Fill out form

Program Chair: Janine Spies, Agriculture and Natural Resources County Agent III, Statewide Program Leader in Fruit IPM

If you have any questions please contact Janine Spies: (352) 231-6330, janine.spies@rutgers.edu

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
March 5, 2026

North Jersey Calibration Grower Meeting

March 24, 2026

2:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Clifford E. & Melda C. Snyder Research & Extension Farm                                  

140 Locust Grove Road Pittstown, NJ

Program

2:30 PM – Registration

3:00 PM – Welcome and Introductions

3:15 PM – Airblast Sprayer Calibration Techniques

Chris Lovenduski, Central Jersey Equipment

4:15 PM – Importance of Calibration for Optimal Pest Control and Resistance Management

Kaitlin Quinn, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

4:45 PM – Light fare & refreshments (Pre-registration required)

5:00 PM – Coverage Counts: How to make the most of a pesticide application

Karly Regan PhD, Certis Biologicals

5:30 PM – Pesticide Safety and Regulations for Specialty Crops

Janine Spies PhD, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

6:00 PM – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn

NJDEP Pesticide Recertification Credits are anticipated.

Registration cost per person: $10.

Cash or check (made payable to Rutgers The State University) will be collected at the door.

Click here to register: North Jersey Calibration Event Registration – Fill out form

Pre-register by Wednesday March 18.

If you have any questions please contact Kim Cromelin: (908) 788-1338, kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

Program Chair: Janine Spies, Agriculture and Natural Resources County Agent III, Statewide Program Leader in Fruit IPM

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
February 24, 2026

Change in Location – South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting

Please note that the location of the South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting has been changed.
Location:      254 County House Road, Clarksboro, NJ 08020
Date:          March 5, 2026 (Thu)        
Registration:  Pre-registration required. Please call (856) 224 – 8030 or Email: jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
               $20 per person. Checks only. Payable to Rutgers University.

Pesticide Credits: CORE,PP2, 10, 1A
PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Coffee and pastries
08:50 am   Welcome and Opening Remarks. Hemant Gohil, Rutgers NJAES
09:00 am   Ambrosia Beetle Management in the Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
09:30 am   Woolly Apple Aphid Management in Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
10:00 am   Introducing Dr. Nancy Sharma, new Extension Specialist, Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Uni.

10:15 am   Coffee Break

10:30 am   Industry Updates  
10:45 am   Current Trends in Tree Fruit Pest Management. Janine Spies, Rutgers NJAES
11:15 am   Pesticide Safety Update: Exposure, ​Recordkeeping, and Storage. Kate Brown, Rutgers NJAES.
11:45 pm   From Field to Current – Harnessing Electricity for Sustainable Weed Control. Thierry Besancon, Rutgers NJAES.

12:15 pm   Lunch 

1:00 pm    Mycorrhizae Products that Enhance the Root Systems of Young Apple Trees. Megan Muehlbauer, Rutgers NJAES
1:30 pm    Updates and Recommendations for Scale Management. Anne Nielsen, Rutgers NJAES
2:00 pm    Peach Varieties Comparisons – New and Standard. Hemant Gohil and Daniel Ward, Rutgers NJAES.
2:30 pm    Grower Open Forum and Pesticide recertification credits
           Adjourn 

For questions, please get in touch with Hemant Gohil at 856-418-6538 or email at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu
Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
February 19, 2026 , , and

Produce Safety Rule Training Part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)

When: Tuesday, March 17, 2026, from 9:30-4:30 PM.

Where: Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County, 1440 Parkside Ave., Ewing, NJ 08638

Cost:  $100.00 (lunch included) as part of registration process you will ask to pay by card.  Online ticket Sales end on Friday, March 6, 2026. If paying after the deadline or in person payment must be by check made out to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

 To sign up and information: https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2tP1FhE34sviJv0

Who Should Attend

  • Fruit Growers
  • Vegetable Growers
  • Growers who have farms that fall under the Produce Safety Rule
  • Growers who have farms that do not fall under the rule but will in the future.

 Benefits of Attending the Workshop

Individuals who participate in this course will gain a basic understanding of:

  • Requirements in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and how to meet them.
  • Fulfills the requirement for at least one supervisor from a farm to complete food safety training at least equivalent to the standardized curriculum recognized by the FDA.
  • Microorganisms relevant to produce safety.
  • Where microorganisms may be found on the farm
  • How to identify microbial risks, practices that reduce risks and how to begin implementing produce safety practices on the farm.
  • Parts of a farm food safety plan and how to begin writing one
  • Cleaning and Sanitizing

Areas Covered Under the Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training:

  • Introduction to Produce Safety
  • Worker Health, Hygiene and Training
  • Soil Amendments
  • Wildlife, Domesticated Animals and Land Use
  • Agricultural Water (Part I: Pre Harvest Water; Part II: Postharvest Water)
  • Postharvest Handling and Sanitation
  • How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan

After attending the entire course and submitting the appropriate survey to their trainer at the end of the course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course. This course fulfills the FSMA Produce Safety Rule training requirement for at least one supervisor per farm is trained by an FDA-recognized Produce Safety Alliance curriculum.

Does your farm fall under the FSMA PSR? Find out at the link below.
https://rutgers.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4IagP1mbPyrp42N

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, vegetable, Vegetable Crops
February 18, 2026

North Jersey Commercial Fruit Grower Meeting Program and Registration

NORTH JERSEY COMMERCIAL
FRUIT GROWERS MEETING

March 4, 2026
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Route 12, Bldg. 1
Flemington, NJ
Program

Program Chair
Megan Muehlbauer, PhD
Agriculture and Resource Management Agent
Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon County

8:30 – Registration
Continental breakfast compliments of industry sponsors

8:50 – Welcome and Introductions

9:00 – NJDEP’s Pesticide Safety and Regulations
Spencer Kerkhof, Environmental Specialist Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement NJDEP

10:00 – Ambrosia Beetles: How to Manage Them in Tree Fruit Orchards
Monique Rivera PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell AgriTech

11:00 – Mycorrhizal Fungi Applications and their Effect on Soil Biology and Tree Health
Megan Muehlbauer PhD, Hunterdon County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

11:30 – Update on Farm Service Programs
Laura LaFevre, County Executive Director, Hunterdon / Somerset Office, Farm Service Agency

11:45 – Jersey Fresh Marketing Update
Joe Atchison III, Assistant Secretary, NJ Dept. of Agriculture
Christine Fries, Coordinator of Agricultural Marketing, NJ Dept. of Agriculture

12:00 – LUNCHEON (pre-registration required)

12:50 – What is New from Industry

1:00 – Peach Variety Updates
Hemant Gohil PhD, Gloucester County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

1:30 – Management Strategies for Scale in Tree Fruit
Anne Nielsen PhD, Extension Specialist in Entomology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

2:00 – Season Summary and Updates from the Tree Fruit IPM Program
Janine Spies PhD, Agricultural Agent in Fruit IPM, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

3:00 – The Bitter Reality of Bitter Rot in NJ
Kaitlin Quinn North Jersey Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

3:30 – Disease management strategies in apple and peach orchards
Nancy Sharma PhD, Specialist in Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

4:00 – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn. Attendees must be present for the entire program in order to apply for NJDEP credits.

THE FOLLOWING NJDEP PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS WILL BE AWARDED

4 CAT-10     4 CAT-1A     2 CORE     4 PP2

 

North Jersey Fruit Meeting Registration 2026 then fax or email to:
Fax: (908) 806-4735
E-mail: kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

PRE-REGISTRATION BY February 26, 2026 REQUIRED FOR LUNCH

If you have any questions please call Kim Crommelin: (908)-788-1338

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, pesticide credits, Tree Fruit
February 18, 2026

2026 Grape Expectation – New Jersey Grape and Wine Symposium

Date:    March 12 (Thu)
Venue:   Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Dr, Monroe Township, NJ 08831
Fees:    Please see the details on registration fees and payment methods at the end of the program.
Credits: CORE, 1A, PP2, 10

PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Continental Breakfast
09:00 am   Welcome, Introductions, and Symposium Overview. Dr. Gary C. Pavlis – RCE of Atlantic County
09:10 am   Managing Grape Diseases: What to Watch and What to Do?
           Nancy Sharma, Extension Specialist in Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES.
09:40 am   Beyond the Garden State: How Emerging Wine Regions Overcome Perception, Policy, and Market Barriers.
           Seth Porter, Chief Innovation Officer, Dean of the Kraemer Family Library, Colorado State University.
10:10 am   What’s New from the Industry

10:25 am   COFFEE BREAK

10:45 am   The Evolution of Long Island Viticulture, 1973-present
           Alice Wise, Ag Program Director - Viticulture Research, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
11:30 am   Mystery Wine Challenge

12:00 pm   BUFFET LUNCH FEATURING NJ WINES

01:00 pm   Active Frost Protection in the Vineyard – Panel Discussion.
           The Panel: Larry Sharrott (Sharrott Vineyards), William Heritage (William Heritage Winery), Nick Sharko 
           (Alba Vineyards), Lewis DeEugenio (Summit City Farms and Winery), and Moderator, Hemant Gohil (Rutgers).
01:45 pm   Early Season IPM for NJ Grapevines
           Janine Spies, Statewide Fruit Integrated Pest Management Agent, Rutgers NJAES.

02:15 pm   Coffee Break

02:30 pm   New Weed Management Technology in Grape
           Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES
03:00 pm   NJDEP’s Pesticide Safety and Regulations – CORE Credit
           Spencer Kerkhof, Pesticide Enforcement Officer, NJDEP
03:30 pm   Decreasing Fungicide Sprays with the New PIWI Grape Varieties
           Eric Amberg, Founder, Amberg Grapevines, Clifton Springs, New York  
04:00 pm   Beyond the Bottle: Refining Visitation in Wine
           Susan Dematei, President, WineGlass Marketing
04:30 pm   End of the Session, Pesticide Recertification Credits, Q and A
Registration: Non-Industry members - $110
              Winery Personnel - $110 for the first person and $90 for each additional winery members.
              At the Door registration $130
              Vendors $160
              For online registration and payment, please use the web link https://ce-catalog.rutgers.edu/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=96808 


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