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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Tree Fruit IPM Report for April 21, 2020

Evaluating Freeze Damage in Tree Fruit: The subfreezing temperatures on the morning of April 17 Caused injury at varying levels across the state. Lows ranged from 27-30 in southern counties. Much is the damage is now visible. Any physiological damage that is not visible now will appear as the season progresses. A helpful guide for evaluating fruit damage can be in the Intermountain Tree Fruit Production Guide.

Tree Fruit Phenology: Tree Fruit Phenology remains advanced, but development is slowing. In southern counties all peach orchards are late bloom to early Shuck Split. Redhaven was at approximately full bloom on March 30, and was at Petal Fall by April 14. Peach bloom has been very long this year. Plums are past shuck fall. Pears are late bloom/Petal Fall. Red Delicious is pink to 50% bloom. Cherries are at 50% bloom. [Read more…]

Covid-19 and Wholesale Grower Questions

The CDC, FDA and USDA have no reports at this time of human illnesses that suggest coronavirus can be transmitted by food or food packaging.

What should an operation do to protect their workers and themselves? Growers should inform employees concerning the importance of following recommended guidelines for their own health, the protection of co-workers and to keep the farm running.  Anyone getting sick with COVID–19 will have a significant impact on continued operation of the farm!
Transportation
1. Do not pack too many workers in a vehicle. Ideally there should just be two individuals in a pickup. If using buses have one individual per seat.
2. If bringing workers in from another country or another part of the United States, consider quarantining them for up to 14 days. It is especially important if one in the group is showing symptoms.
Labor Housing
1. Social distancing inside labor housing with a common bunk room may be a challenge. Consider installing temporary/permanent screens/walls between bunks, separating bunks as far as space allows, or divide bunks into individual beds if practical/possible.
2. Plan for what would happen if someone contracted Covid-19. There should be a separate area set aside for that individual, whether it is a separate room or in another house. The original camp should be cleaned and sanitized following CDC guidelines before any workers return. [Read more…]

Protect Your Farm Workforce Now!

The threat of COVID-19 infecting one of your employees is real. The impact on your business could be devastating. A news report from North Carolina just confirmed the first case of a seasonal farm worker testing positive for the virus there. It can happen here just as easily, unless you are proactively helping your workers to protect themselves.

While it is not mandatory yet for field and packing house workers to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), common sense suggests supplying and requiring your employees to wear face masks and single-use gloves while working in close proximity to others. Last week, we suggested some basic practices to help with social distancing here. Our https://onfarmfoodsafety.rutgers.edu/covid-19-information/ website has been updated with new fact sheets concerning face masks for field workers, new publications in Spanish, as well as new sections on resources available in French and Creole French.

The health of your workers in the current situation is not only critical to the safe operation of your farm business, but also has potential to impact public perceptions about NJ agriculture. Concerns have been reported about seeing harvest crews picking and packing side-by-side in the field with no face masks. Even if you’ve been closely monitoring their health and none are sick, the drive-by public will only see they are not protected.

Don’t let that be the image they remember about Jersey Fresh produce.

 

COVID-19: PESTICIDE EXAMS CANCELLED **NJDEP ALERTS **

Rutgers is providing you this courtesy announcement regarding pesticide certification exams from the Bureau of Licensing and Registration of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Bureau of Licensing & Registrations. Posted by NJDEP to https://www.state.nj.us/dep/enforcement/pcp/bpo-examschedule.htm. **REVISED ALERT (issued April 14, 2020)** All Pesticide Certification Exams have been CANCELLED due to the ongoing COVID-19 emergency. Applicants […]

New Jersey Statewide Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – Updated

Reminder – updated meeting link

April 15, 2020 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Please join us for this informational event co-hosted by Megan Muehlbauer, Agricultural Extension Agent of Hunterdon County and Hemant Gohil, Agricultural Extension Agent of Gloucester County

See flyer for details Twilight 041520_Final

Meeting Information:
Meeting link: https://rutgers.webex.com/rutgers/j.php?MTID=m9462e629379ff2f781c6a29e3883ae68
To join by phone dial: 173 243 2 68
Enter meeting number (access code): 796 342 632

 

“Ask the Ag Agent” 7:00PM Weekly – Every Wednesday – Farmer Video Conference/Call-In Forum

By, William Bamka, Stephen Komar, Michelle Infante-Casella and Meredith Melendez

“Ask the Ag Agent” weekly 1-hour sessions for farmers will be hosted by Rutgers Agricultural Agents working with commercial farmers, on Wednesday April 15th and continue each Wednesday. The online conferencing/call in events will begin at 7:00PM with an open forum to discuss ag-related questions about production, marketing, regulations and any other topics farmers wish to discuss. All are welcome.

To access via WebEx on a computer go to https://go.rutgers.edu/rc9n3kxt

Join by phone
+1-650-429-3300 USA Toll
Access code: 799 743 872