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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Pesticide Product Management Practices, Proper Disposal Methods, and Container Recycling Options for NJ Farms
Notice of Public Hearing on SADC Rule Proposal Establishing Soil Protection Standards on Preserved Farmland
Proposed rules: PRN_2023-079_SADC_2_76-25
Original Notification of Public Hearing: Notice of public hearing SPS rule proposal
Important information:
DATE: September 27, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m
LOCATION: TEAMS Virtual Meeting
To join the hearing via computer: Click here to join the meeting
To join the hearing via phone: Call (856)338-7074
Conference ID: 268 371 32#
Meeting Link and Call-In information is also available on the SADC website at https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/
NOTE: If you wish to provide oral testimony at the virtual public hearing, you must
register with the SADC no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, September 25, 2023. Participants
may register by emailing Jessica.uttal@ag.nj.gov or calling her at (609) 913-6567.
From original notice:
STATE AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Notice of Public Hearing on SADC Rule Proposal Establishing Soil Protection Standards
on Preserved Farmland
Proposal of new rules, N.J.A.C. 2:76-25, Soil Disturbance on Preserved Farmland; N.J.A.C.
2:76-25A, Supplemental Soil Disturbance Standards
PUBLIC NOTICE
Take notice that the New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC) is holding
a virtual public hearing for the proposed new rules defining what activities on preserved
farmland constitute soil disturbance, establishing a soil disturbance limitation on preserved
farms, allowing for waivers of the soil disturbance limit under certain conditions, providing
preserved farm landowners written notice of and an opportunity to be heard on mapped soil
disturbances, and promulgating technical standards for certain agricultural practices for
compliance with the soil disturbance limitation.
The notice of proposal was published in the New Jersey Register on August 7, 2023, at 55
N.J.R. 8(1).
The SADC will be holding a virtual public hearing on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at
6:00 p.m. through the SADC’s video conferencing software (Microsoft TEAMS).
Registration: If you wish to provide oral testimony at the virtual public hearing, you must
register with the SADC no later than 5:00 p.m. Monday, September 25, 2023. Participants
may register by emailing Jessica.uttal@ag.nj.gov or calling her at (609) 913-6567. Please
provide your name, organization, telephone number, and email address. A verbal or written
confirmation will be provided of your interest to testify at the hearing.
Please note that the SADC will take oral testimony at the hearing by alphabetical order of the
testifying person’s last name, and that this hearing will be recorded.
DATE: September 27, 2023
TIME: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 pm
LOCATION: TEAMS Virtual Meeting
To join the hearing via computer: Click here to join the meeting
To join the hearing via phone: Call (856)338-7074
Conference ID: 268 371 32#
Meeting Link and Call-In information is also available on the SADC website at https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/
The SADC is also accepting written and/or electronic comments on the proposed rule
through October 6, 2023. Please submit electronic comments to SADC@ag.state.nj.us. In
the alternative, comments may be submitted on paper to:
Susan E. Payne, Executive Director
State Agriculture Development Committee
P.O. Box 330
Trenton, NJ 08625-0330
Please refer to the original notice of proposal for detailed information regarding the proposed
rules.
DCPA (Dacthal) Technical Herbicide Product Suspended by EPA
Tree Fruit IPM Report for August 25, 2023
Peach:
Borers: Where mating disruption dispensers are used there should be no need for butt sprays. If mating disruption was not used, the only other options are pyrethroids with a label for the use. The New Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide recommends either Asana or Pounce. Pyrethroids lack a long residual so our recommendation would be a late August/early September butt spray followed by an additional application in mid to late September. Since this would be a labor intensive practice it would be most efficient to give priority younger and most productive orchards. Remember to follow the label as to the maximum allowable amount per season of either material.
Apples and Pears
Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs: Brown Marmorated Stink bugs are nearly absent in orchards statewide, likewise native stinkbug populations have been very low. If stinkbugs are a concern for your orchard, see the NJ Tree Fruit Production guide for effective materials. If treatment is needed for orchards near harvest. Venerate has a +++ rating for stink bugs and a 0 day PHI. In tests conducted by Dr. Neilsen’s lab, Venerate always performed better when applied at half the highest labeled rate.
Codling Moth (CM): Second generation treatments according to the degree day model are now over. Additional treatments should be made if trap captures are over 5 moths/trap. Most orchards have very low CM pressure, however a few orchards have had continuing trap captures above threshold.
Summer Diseases: Disease control is over for early season apple varieties. Mid to late season varieties will need further applications on a two week schedule until mid september for sooty blotch and fly speck.
Lesser Appleworm: In 2022 some orchards in southern counties have had internal worm damage that we think was Lesser Apple Worm. This sporadic pest sometimes shows up in late summer and fall. The damage is similar to codling moth. Larvae complete their life cycle quickly and often by the time damage is seen the larvae is already gone. Typically LAW will feed in the fruit calyx and not go into the flesh, however they may also feed on fruit flesh excavating a small hole under the skin and occasionally tunneling into the fruit. Control options are the same as for codling moth. LAW can be monitored using traps baited with OFM pheromone.
Grape
Bunch Rots: Disease management continues to focus on downy and powdery mildew and also turns to bunch rot management. Refer to the NJ Commercial Grape Production Guide as well as the linked presentation from Dr. Nita in Virginia.
Grape Berry Moth: The timing for the third generation is past. In some hot summers a fourth generation may occur, however no further treatments should be needed, especially where insecticides are being applied for SLF and SWD.
Drosophila’s and Sour Rot: SWD adults are being caught in and around commercial vineyards. As the sugars start to increase in early verities like Chardonnay, be aware of Spotted Wing Drosophila combined with native fruit fly species. These populations increase at this time of year and help spread sour rot. Sour rot will only be pres ent when you also have injured fruit. Fruit splits and various insects can help cause that initial injury. It is thought that the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), because of its saw-like ovipositor, can help cause this initial injury, helping to make the fruit more attractive to native drosophilid species. After injury the fruit serves as a food source for ethanol-producing yeasts and acetic acid producing bacteria, the causal agents of sour rot. This in turn attracts more fruit flies to lay more eggs and spread the decay. Good canopy management for air circulation is useful to reduce sour rot incidence. However, this must be combined with insecticides and antimicrobials. A treatment regime that consists of weekly applications of an insecticide (Mustang Maxx (or other pyrethroid), Malathion, Delegate/Entrust, Verdepryn). Add Oxidate 2.0 if fruit cracking from rain or other causes is observed. Since it is important to rotate insecticide classes when treating this often, growers should use no pyrethroid or other insecticide class more that 2 times in a row. These treatments should be started before the onset of visible sour rot and fruit fly presence.
Spotted Lantern Fly: Spotted lantern fly adults are not yet appearing in vineyards, however they should be soon. When the first adults are observed, border treatments with effective materials should be adequate since most adults will be found on vineyard edges and populations will be low. As we move into September adult migration will increase and at that point growers should apply materials with long residual efficacy (refer to the table from Penn State below.) More information on biology and control can be found from Penn State.
Snyder Farm Twilight Tour & Meeting, Wed. August 23, 2023
Twilight Tour and Meeting*
Fiber Hemp Production
Drones in Agriculture
Agrivoltaics Research
Date/Time:
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location:
Snyder Research and Extension Farm
140 Locust Grove Rd.
Pittstown, NJ 08867
This program is offered to assist producers, and anyone interested in learning more about Fiber Hemp Production and current Agrivoltaics research in NJ.
Topics Include:
- Tour of Rutgers Fiber Hemp Plots
See what the hemp is going on with production and management. Is hemp viable in NJ? - Drone sprayers and ground driven sprayers in agriculture
Learn how drones can be used in agricultural production. Learn the requirements for applying pesticides using drones. - Tour of Rutgers Agrivoltaics Research Plot
Learn about current and planned agrivoltaics research at Rutgers. Are agriculture and solar energy production compatible?
For more information contact: RCE, Sussex County 973-948-3040
*Pesticide credits pending
Soil Fertility from Non-Commercial Nutrient Sources
All essential plant nutrients cycle through the ecosystem of soil, water, air, plant, microbe, and animal. Agronomic information about the composition and beneficial use of waste materials and how the nutrients can be recycled can help growers reduce the need to purchase soil fertility inputs. Many different types of non-commercial nutrient sources are available in New Jersey. Examples include horse manure with bedding, shade tree leaves, lawn clippings, wood chips, food waste, coffee grounds, eggshells, wood ash and more.
With 43,000 horses in New Jersey, there is an abundance of horse manure produced. One horse can produce about 65 pounds of manure plus bedding per day. The quantity of horse manure is substantial on a statewide basis. Unfortunately, sometimes horse manure goes to landfills when it should be used to build and sustain soil fertility.
The Soil Profile Newsletter 2023 issue posted at Rutgers NJAES explains how to build and maintain soil fertility harnessing the nutrient supplying ability of horse manure and many other types of non-commercial materials. The chemical composition and soil fertility value of each material is presented for beneficial use. Available on the web at Rutgers NJAES ‘The Soil Profile’: https://njaes.rutgers.edu/soil-profile/pdfs/sp-v28.pdf