Rutgers Cooperative Extension
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 Phenology:
Tree Fruit Phenology remains advanced. In southern counties most varieties are at or near full bloom. Redhaven was at approximately 50% bloom on March 24. Plums are in bloom and Pears are nearing Green Cluster. Red Delicious is at 1/2″green. Plums are in full bloom. Pears are starting to bloom. [Read more…]
The Rutgers Plant Diagnostic and Soil Testing Laboratories are currently closed to the public.
However, lab employees will be processing samples during limited hours and without extra support from student workers.
Instructions for submitting plant samples and questions to the Diagnostic Lab are:
To for submit soil samples and questions to the Soils Testing Lab:
With limited hours and no student workers to assist, please anticipate slower turnaround times. We thank you for your patience.
In an effort to keep the agricultural industry informed with relevant COVID-19 information The Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website will be updated as resources become available. Check back periodically as materials are being updated and developed.
Please reach out to us via email if you have questions, we will do our best to answer them. We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.
Wesley Kline wkline@njaes.rutgers.edu
Meredith Melendez melendez@njaes.rutgers.edu
To learn the status of your Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) office, please visit the County Office tab at njaes.rutgers.edu. Note that the status of office access listed below is subject to change in this current state of emergency. Personnel in most offices are working remotely or in offices with restricted access, but are still available to assist via mail, phone or email.
From RCE Director Dr. Brian Schilling,
“…Cooperative Extension… continue[s] to operate under the directive that all Rutgers Cooperative Extension events, programs, and noncredit classes involving groups larger than 15 participants are to be cancelled through at least April 3. Significant progress is being made with the movement of programs and associate resources into online formats.
“Over the past week, RCE county offices have begun altering their operations to promote social distancing and continue programs/service provision, as is feasible. RCE and county government partners are working to ensure continuity of operations, which in many instances involves remote work arrangements and/or restrictions of the public to county facilities. The [current] operating status of our county offices is as follows:
The COVID-19 posts asking if your business could survive if you, as owner/operator/key manager, got sick reminded me that we never ‘plan to fail, but to often fail to plan’! ReadyAG is an online self-assessment tool that is meant to help you do just that. You can download the entire workbook or use the online versions to conduct your own review of your ability to deal with a disaster, make prioritized lists of items you might need to address, and create contingency plans and contacts to put all essential information into a centralized plan.
Hopefully COVID-19 avoids our farm community, but the ReadyAG workbook can be an eye opener about your farm business’s ability to cope with any disaster.
Tree Fruit Phenology:
Tree Fruit Phenology is advanced. In southern counties some early blooming varieties are at Pink with a few blossoms open. Redhaven was at Bud swell on March 9, and is pre-pink. This is among the earliest observation for this stage over the past 20 years. Only two years were close: 2002 and 2012. In those years full bloom occurred on April 10 and March 27 respectively. This year is more like 2012 than 2002. Plums are in bloom and Pears are nearing Green Cluster. Red Delicious is at Silver Tip while the typically more advanced cultivars such as Granny Smith are at Green Tip. So with that said its time to start applying delayed dormant and blossom protection applications. [Read more…]
