Syrphid Fly Larvae Attack Woolly Apple Aphids
Photo: Good Fruit GrowerThis week in Fruit IPM
- Peach
- Apple
- Grape
- Blueberry
- Tree Fruit Trap Counts
New Blueberry Fruit IPM Program Associate Amy Raudenbush
Welcome Amy Raudenbush! Amy is now the Fruit IPM Program Associate working in blueberries. A native of New Jersey, Amy joined the Fruit IPM Program this past Tuesday, July 8. After getting a Bachelors degree from Rutgers and working in the Entomology Department, she received an MS in Entomology from Kansas State University, and worked as a research associate in IPM programming.Amy is now visiting with growers and assessing SWD populations, along with other pests. Amy is stationed in the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Offices of Atlantic County, and will be able to be reached at (609)625-0056 or by her cell number at (609)313-2406.
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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Fruit IPM Report July 10, 2014
Post-bloom Insect Pest Control Recommendations
Sparganothis fruitworm adult (photo by Elvira de Lange)
Sparganothis fruitworm (SPARG) – If your farm has high pheromone trap counts, you should consider managing this pest as soon as bees are removed. The timing for this 1st post-pollination spray is at 2 weeks after peak pheromone trap catches, which usually coincides with the second week in July. [Read more…]
Farm Food Safety: Irrigation Water Sampling
Testing irrigation water for generic E. coli is something that every farm should do. Timing and frequency of this testing varies depending on your water source. Here is a cheat sheet: [Read more…]
Audit Ready:
Who Can Accompany You During A Third Party Audit?
Recently, a number of growers have asked:
“Who can accompany me during a third party food safety audit?”
Perhaps you had someone write your farm food safety plan for you or, you have a food safety consultant and you would like them to participate in or attend the audit.
The USDA weighed in on this question and stated:
” There are no written requirements restricting the number of individuals on an audit. We allow the auditor to make that decision as far as how many people they wish to accompany them. A consultant can accompany the auditor and act as an observer but may not act as a participant in the audit.”
If you would like someone to accompany with you during the audit be sure to ask the inspector where they stand on who may attend the audit with you.
Beating the Bugs in the Bogs – Gypsy Moth
Gypsy moth is an occasional pest of cranberries. Gypsy moth caterpillars will readily eat the plants in outbreak years, when they are abundant in the NJ Pinelands, like in 2007. They prefer to feed on oaks, but when they encounter cranberry plants, their presence can have a devastating effect. Fortunately, since 2007, the caterpillars have rarely been seen in the NJ Pinelands. However, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared for their eventual return. Also, studying cranberry resistance against gypsy moth will teach us about the resistance of the plants against other important pests as well.
Gypsy Moth Larva
[Read more…]
Cranberry Insect IPM During Bloom
We are in the middle of bloom. If insects have been effectively managed prior to bloom, we recommend no sprays at this time. A reminder: when bees are present your only choices of insecticides are the Insect Growth Regulators –IGR- (e.g. Confirm and Intrepid) or Bt products (e.g. DiPel). [Read more…]
