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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July 7, 2020

Post-Pollination Insect Control

If needed, post-pollination sprays (particularly for Sparganothis fruitworm and spotted fireworm) should be applied as soon as bees are removed; ideally before 11 July. Sparganothis fruitworm is monitored with pheromone traps to assess adult flight pattern and their abundance. If you had high trap counts of this pest and have not used an insecticide treatment yet you should consider treating soon to prevent damage to berries. Your post-pollination options include Diazinon, Exirel, Altacor, or Delegate.

Root-feeding insects and use of Imidacloprid

If your cranberry beds have damage caused by root feeding insects, you should consider treatment with imidacloprid (Admire Pro and other generics) immediately after bees are removed (mid-July). Dead plant patches indicate the presence of root-feeding insects (Figure 1). Pull dead vines and search through the root zone and soil for grubs. Imidacloprid is labeled for the control of rootworm, root grub (Phyllophaga spp.) (Figure 2), and other scarabs in cranberries. This insecticide is a contact and stomach poison that affects the insect nervous system. It is highly systemic and toxic to honey bees; therefore, can be used only as a post-pollination insecticide. This insecticide can be applied by ground or by chemigation. Aerial application of this product is prohibited. Admire Pro has a long residual activity (> 100 days) as long as the insecticide is not directly exposed to the sun and can be used at 7-14 fl oz/acre. A maximum of 14 fl oz of Admire Pro can be used per acre per season. Irrigate target area with 0.1 to 0.3 inches before and after the application of imidacloprid. The pre-harvest interval is 30 days. Most scarab grubs in cranberries have multi-year life cycles; consequently, you may not be able to suppress a population of 2- and 3-year life cycle grubs with a single application. You may have to use imidacloprid two to three years in a row for most effective suppression. For this reason, it is useful to know what species you have before using imidacloprid. See “Cranberry Insects of the Northeast” (authors: Averill and Sylvia) for information on how to identify common grub species in cranberries.

Damage caused by Phyllophaga grubs

Figure 1. Damage caused by Phyllophaga grubs

Phyllophaga grubs

Figure 2. Phyllophaga grubs

Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit
July 2, 2020

Governor Signs Permit Extension Act: NJDEP Water Certifications Extended 1 Year

Commercial irrigation of a field

Governor Murphy signed The Permit Extension Act (A3919/S2346) this week, which extends certain permits during the COVID-19 emergency. Agricultural Certifications issued by the DEP are included in this extension, so any Agricultural Certification which expired on or after March 9, 2020 will be extended.

Any complete new, renewal or modification application already submitted to the DEP will continue to be reviewed and issued for the full five-year term.

Any Certification holder who received the first renewal reminder which contained the pre-filled application form does not need to do anything at this time. The DEP will forward you a new pre-filled application once the extension period is over.

“COVID-19 extension period” means the period beginning March 9, 2020 and continuing for as long as a public health emergency, pursuant to the “Emergency Health Powers Act,” P.L.2005, c.222 (C.26:13-1 et seq.), or a state of emergency, pursuant to P.L.1942, c. 251 (C.App.A.9-33 et seq.), or both, that has been declared by the Governor in response to COVID-19, is in effect.

Please be advised that annual water diversion reports were required to be submitted to the DEP by February 28, 2020 and are not extended due to the passage of this Bill. The DEP is issuing reminders to those who failed to submit this information in accordance with their Certification. Continue to log diversion amounts and submit your reports in accordance with the deadlines in your Certification.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is working very closely with the DEP’s Bureau of Water Allocation & Well Permitting to resolve any ongoing issues and concerns. The Bureau is aware that many renewal applications are awaiting the Ag Agent review and signature. With the extension act, these renewal applications are being extended as mentioned above.

Some RCE Offices remain closed or with minimal access at this time. Call your local Rutgers Cooperative Extension office for specific information. In addition, during the month of July, staff in the NJ Department of Agriculture and the NJ DEP personnel are furloughed, and response times will be slowed, so please be patient during these challenging times.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Organic Production, Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
July 1, 2020

Sparganothis Fruitworm Degree-Day Update: as of July 01, 2020

Based on our degree-day (DD) model for Sparganothis fruitworm, first eggs hatched at about 895 DD (see chart). As of July 01, Sparganothis has accumulated 979 DD (using April15 as biofix). This indicates that eggs have started to hatch, and fruit will become susceptible to infestation. Most beds are close to the end of bloom. Thus, if trap counts have been high, then a post-bloom application might be necessary. Growers should consider treatment early next week (as soon as bees are removed) to prevent damage to berries. Optimal control will be achieved if insecticides are applied before 07 July. Your best post-bloom options are Diazinon, Exirel, Altacor, or Delegate.

Sparganothis fruitworm degree-day model

Sparganothis fruitworm degree-day model

Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit
June 30, 2020

Fruit IPM for 06/30/20

Peach:

Oriental Fruit Moth: We are between generations 1 and 2, with the first insecticide applications having been just applied in southern counties, and in northern counties due by the weekend. The second application will be due the following week. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape
June 23, 2020

Fruit IPM for 6/23/20

Peach:

Oriental Fruit Moth: We are between generations 1 and 2, with the first insecticide applications having been just applied in southern counties, and in northern counties due by the weekend. The second application will be due the following week. See timings below: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape
June 23, 2020

Recorded Webinar Posted – COVID-19 Guidance for Ag Workers/Employers

Cover 5-20-2020 NJ DOH Interim Guidance for Migrant-Seasonal Farmworkers
The webinar for Ag Employers regarding Understanding & Implementing NJ’s COVID-19 Guidance For Migrant & Seasonal Farmworkers, Employers & Housing Providers* held on Tue June 16, 2020 has been posted on the Rutgers NJAES On-Farm Food Safety team’s YouTube page.
 
All NJ agricultural employers are invited to learn directly from NJ Departments of Health, Labor and Agriculture who discussed expectations for implementation of the “NJ COVID-19 Guidance for Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers, Their Employers & Housing Providers” document in a Webex webinar hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
The agenda included introductory remarks by Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher, followed by a detailed overview of the guidance document by Amanda Medina-Forrester, Executive Director of the Office of Minority & Multicultural Health, and Siobhan Pappas, Coordinator of the Childhood Lead Program of the NJ Dept. of Health; Christine Blumauer, Policy Advisor in the Office of the Commissioner of the NJ Dept. of Labor & Workforce Development; along with comments from Michelle Blanchfield, MPH, Zufall Health, and Bridget Hogan, Ocean Health Initiatives representing  Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) charged with assisting farmers with testing and education of farmworkers. Pete Furey and Ben Cassella of NJ Farm Bureau provided follow-up comments after a few questions were discussed.
  • There have been no changes to the document since it was published, but one major point of discussion that you will hear in the recording was a comment made by a presenter that temperature monitoring should use a 99oF threshold instead of the 100.4oF threshold that was published in the guideline. Monique Purcell, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, who had worked closely with the NJDOH and NJDOL reps in development of the guidance document received clarification from them the next day that confirmed that the threshold remains 100.4oF.
  • The other point addressed by several speakers was the need to work with and invite the FQHCs to your farm. They are charged with helping to educate your farm workers to understand this disease, how it spreads, and how to protect themselves (the importance of physical distancing and wearing face masks), as well as to provide testing for all employees on your farm, including the owner and family members working on the farm, free of charge.

*The NJDOH partnered with the NJDA and the NJDOL to create this guidance for agricultural employers focusing on precautions to help protect farm employees from COVID-19 on New Jersey farms and in farm labor housing. This webinar reviews these guidelines.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,