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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January 30, 2018

Be Counted – 2017 Ag Census Includes Questions On Value-Added Sales & Agritourism

Bruce Eklund, NJ State Statistician for the U.S.D.A’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, shared this reminder to please complete the Census of Agriculture by Feb 5, and

for winery operators, direct marketers and other value-added and agritourism operations, be sure to pay attention to a few special questions:

  • Include wine and other value-added product sales under (Section 24) Practices (Item 2);
  • Other Income From Farm-Related Sources (Section 32) includes Agri-tourism (Item 4); and
  • Production Expenses (Section 30) are important as it shows this contribution from agriculture to the general economy.

With the once every five year census started, your participation is important to accurately represent the New Jersey’s specialty crop industries. USDA/NASS mailed 2017 USDA Census of Agriculture questionnaires to known farmers in December.

If you have any questions regarding the survey, or if you may have been overlooked, please call 1-888-424-78288 or 717-787-3904, or visit https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/, where you you can complete the survey online. Growers who have already completed the survey online format found that it saved time!

Remember that individual responses to the Census of Agriculture are required to be kept confidential by law, and only aggregate data are used for publication. Census results are important in showing the economic impact and significance of agriculture for your County, your Congressional District, and New Jersey. Agricultural advocates will use your combined information to inform decision makers and the public about the importance of agriculture.

More information on the Ag Census is available at:

http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/press/2017/approved/press171206.html

and… https://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Partners/index.php.

Please help by reminding your neighbors and thank you for taking the time to be counted.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
January 26, 2018

2018 NJ State Ag Convention Educational Programs Now Online

The 2018 NJ State Ag Convention and Trade Show will be open February 6-8 at the Harrah’s Resort and Waterfront Convention Center in Atlantic City. The final version of the educational program developed by Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension faculty and staff in conjunction with the Vegetable Growers Association of NJ and the NJ Dept of Ag has now been posted at  njveggies.org/convention. In addition to the agenda of educational sessions and workshops, you will find links to membership/registration and meal reservation information. As in the past, Tuesday and Wednesday programs are chocked full of concurrent sessions mornings and afternoons, followed by a day of more intensive workshops on Thursday. Please pay special attention to that day’s Food Safety and Fumigation Certification workshops that require separate pre-registration. Instructions are detailed in each of those workshop agendas.

A special added feature of this year’s convention will be a produce buyers discussion panel moderated by NJDA Division of Markets Director Tom Beaver in the Trade Show area at 5pm on Tuesday afternoon.

If you will be attending as a delegate to the policy sessions of the State Board of Agriculture, a separate program and registration materials are available from the NJ Department of Agriculture’s website.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
January 9, 2018

Upcoming Event – ACGA Winter Meeting

Event – American Cranberry Growers Association (ACGA) Winter Meeting

Date – Thursday, January 18, 2018

Location– Rutgers EcoComplex, Bordentown NJ

(For more information, please contact Cesar Rodriguez-Saona at crodriguez@aesop.rutgers.edu)

Agenda

8:30-8:45 Welcoming Remarks– Shawn Cutts, President, ACGA
Treasurer’s Report – Shawn Cutts

8:45-9:00 Cranberry Statistics
Bruce Eklund, National Agricultural Statistics Service, Trenton, NJ

9:00-9:25 Cranberry Institute – An Update
John Wilson, Cranberry Institute, Carver, MA

9:25-9:50 Potential New Varieties with Enhanced Fruit Rot Resistance
Jennifer Johnson-Cicalese and Nicholi Vorsa, P.E. Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research & Extension, Rutgers University, Chatsworth, NJ

9:50-10:15 Understanding the Role of Flowers in Fungal Infections Leading to Cranberry Fruit Rot. William S. Haines Senior Research Endowment
Timothy Waller, Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

10:15-10:30 Break

10:30-10:55 Identifying and Implementing Methods for Improving Berry Quality Parameters
Peter Oudemans, Professor, P.E. Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research & Extension, Rutgers University, Chatsworth, NJ

10:55-11:20 Assessing Soil Health using Next-generation Sequencing Technology
James Polashock, Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS; P.E. Marucci Center, Chatsworth, NJ

11:20–11:50 Bio-insecticides and Mating Disruption in Cranberries
Shawn Steffan, Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS; University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:30 BOGS – a Tool for Record Keeping
Brian Wick, Executive Director, Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association

1:30–1:55 Carolina Redroot Control with Pre-emergence Herbicides and Effect on Fruit Yield and Quality
Thierry Besancon, ‎Weed Science Extension Specialist, Rutgers University, P.E. Marucci Center, Chatsworth, NJ

1:55-2:20 Management of Cranberry Insect Pests: Leafhoppers and Toadbugs
Cesar Rodriguez-Saona, Professor, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; Vera Kyryczenko-Roth, and Robert Holdcraft, P.E. Marucci Center, Chatsworth, NJ

2:20-2:50 Farm Safety with Pesticides
George Hamilton, Professor, Department of Entomology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ; Patricia Hastings, Program Associate, Pest Management, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

2:50 Adjournment- ACGA Board of Directors Meeting

Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit
January 8, 2018

Save the Date – 2018 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Meeting

Dear Growers,

The 2018 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Meeting has been scheduled for February 15. The meeting will be held at, Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton NJ.

The meeting will consist of presentations on the horticulture, entomology, and pathology of tree fruits during the morning, followed by an included lunch. The Full program will be published in the upcoming weeks.

Pre-registration is required and a fee will be charged to cover the cost of morning coffee/pastries and lunch.

Pesticide Credits Category: Core (2); 10 (6); 1A (07); 3A (07); 3B (01); & PP2 (07)

For registration call or email:

Susan Bradbury at bradbury@aesop.rutgers.edu or (856) 455-3100 x 4101 or

Joan Medany at jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or (856) 307-6450 x1

For program details contact: Hemant Gohil at 856-418-6538 or email at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
December 27, 2017

New Tax Law’s Impact on Agriculture

Distinguished Professor and Rutgers Cooperative Extension Specialist in Financial Resource Management Dr. Barbara O’Neill spent the last week before the holiday break analyzing the newly passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). In the process, she found some information about the law’s impact on farmers. She says basically there are 4 key impacts for agriculture:

  • Increased (doubled) federal estate tax exemption:  $11.2 million for individuals and $22.4 million for a couple (2018 figures), with proper estate planning.
  • 20% deduction on co-op payments to farmer members.
  • Lower tax rates for pass-through business income (new Section 199A deduction); “pass through” businesses include partnerships, LLCs, S corps, and sole proprietorships.
  • New farm equipment depreciation schedule: five years instead of seven.

Many of these changes are complex so first and foremost, she advises consulting your professional tax advisor to determine how they affect you personally.

There was also much debate among her peers about prepaying state and local taxes in 2017 in case they are eliminated or capped in the new law. The final conclusion is that if your municipality is able to collect property  taxes, prepayments are allowed and will be deductible on your 2017 tax bill. However, state and local income taxes are specifically excluded in the new law, so prepayment of 2018 income taxes are NOT deductible on your 2017 tax bill. Again, consult your professional tax advisor to determine if prepayments will benefit you.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
November 3, 2017

Rutgers Center for Remote Sensing & Spacial Analysis Presents DIY GPS & Drone Workshops

Wondering if/how you can use drones and GPS data on your farms/business? Workshops at Rutgers University Inn/Conference Center in New Brunswick will help you decide if you want to try it yourself –
Dec 11 – Use your Smartphone/Tablet for High-Precision GPS Data Collection
Dec 12 – Learn to Do-it-Yourself – Accurate Drone Mapping Made Easy
Register for one or both days here (preregistration discount ends Nov 15). Detailed agendas are online here or download the Workshop Brochure & Agenda (pdf).

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops