Rutgers University | New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station | Pesticide User Responsibility

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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June 27, 2021

Sparganothis Fruitworm Degree-Day Update: as of June 27, 2021

Based on our degree-day (DD) model for Sparganothis fruitworm, first eggs hatch at about 895 DD (see chart). As of June 27, Sparganothis has accumulated 991.5 DD (using April 15 as biofix). This indicates that eggs have started to hatch, and fruit will become susceptible to infestation since larval injury to fruit usually begins after the eggs hatch. According to our model, peak flight should have occurred about a week ago (around June 20). Insecticide applications are usually recommended 10-14 days after peak flight (i.e., June 30-July 4). Most beds should be close to the end of bloom. If trap counts have been high, growers should consider treatment by the end of next week (depending on the variety and time of winter flood removal) to prevent damage to berries. If spraying when bees are present, your option is to use an insect growth regulator (IGR), such as Confirm or Intrepid, or the diamide Altacor. Our “standard” recommendation has been, however, to wait until bees are removed to apply an insecticide. Your post-bloom options include the organophosphate Diazinon, the diamides Altacor, Verdepryn, or Exirel, the spinosyn Delegate, or the IGR Intrepid. Timing of insecticide application is critical; so, if needed, do not wait too long to manage this pest.

Degree-day model for Sparganothis fruitworm

Degree-day model for Sparganothis fruitworm

Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit
June 25, 2021

Additional Vaccination Opportunities Across the State This Weekend

Last Friday, Governor Murphy announced that the State has reached the goal of having 70% adults fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, many areas across New Jersey still see vaccination rate below 70%. In addition to the Atlantic City rodeo event announced yesterday, the NJ Dept of Health shared these additional vaccination events/sites that will occur throughout the state this weekend:

  • The Mobile Command Center (vaccination van) will be in Irvington on Saturday 6/26, at Irvington Park, Lyons Avenue and Grove Street, from 10:30AM to 1:30PM
  • In Trenton on Saturday 6/26 there will be COVID-19 vaccines, music, giveaways, and a lot of fun at 416 Bellevue Avenue, Trenton, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Vaccine clinic at Rodeo in Atlantic City on Sunday 6/27 at Surf Stadium, 545 North Albany Avenue, Atlantic City, 3PM to 7PM.

Additionally, this weekend and early next week, there will be pop-up vaccination sites in Trenton, Camden, Ewing, Woodbridge, Long Branch, Lakewood, Hackensack, and Paterson.

Saturday 6/26, Grateful for the Shot pop-up clinics –

  • Ewing Township, 10am to 1pm – Faith Deliverance Cathedral Church, 15 Keswick Ave, Ewing Township, NJ 08638
  • Woodbridge Township, 1pm-4pm – Muslim Community of New Jersey, 15 South Second Street Fords, NJ 08863
  • Long Branch City, 10am-12pm – St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, 800 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740
  • Lakewood, 9am-5pm – Lakewood Town Square, Clifton Avenue & Third Street, Lakewood, NJ 08701

Sunday 6/27, Grateful for the Shot pop-up clinics –

  • Trenton, 9am to 11am – Parish of Our Lady of the Angels, 540 Chestnut Ave Trenton, NJ 08611
  • Hackensack, 2pm to 5pm – Redeemed Christian Church of God The King’s Court, 81 Trinity Pl, Hackensack, NJ 07601
  • Orange Township, 11am to 3 pm – First Shiloh Baptist Church, 424 Main St, City of Orange, NJ 07050

Monday 6/28, Grateful for the Shot pop-up clinics –

  • Paterson City, 4pm to 7pm – Templo Shalom, 586 Main St, Paterson, NJ 07503

Tuesday 6/29, Grateful for the Shot pop-up clinics –

  • Paterson City, 3pm to 6pm – Calvary Baptist Church, 575 E 18th St, Paterson, NJ 07514
Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
June 24, 2021

Free Vaccinations at Atlantic City Rodeo Event – Sunday, June 27

On Sunday, June 27, there will be a free COVID-19 vaccination event during a rodeo being held at the Surf Stadium (545 North Albany Ave, Atlantic City). No appointments are needed and walk-ups are welcome. Both Pfizer for those ages 12 and older (1st and 2nd doses) and J&J for those 18 and older will be available. No ID documentation is required and there will be no impact on immigration status. More details are available in the attached flyers (in English and Spanish) that can be printed, posted and/or handed out for you, your family and farm employees.

COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and free. Get vaccinated!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , ,
June 24, 2021

New Jersey Farmland Preservation Seeking New Applications for State Acquisition Program

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher recently announced that the New Jersey Farmland Preservation Program is accepting new applications for farm owners wishing to permanently preserve their land. The State Agriculture Development Committee (SADC), the agency that administers the program, is accepting new applications through its State Acquisition Program in which landowners coordinate directly with the SADC office to preserve their farms.

If you are interested in exploring preservation, the SADC acquisition regional coordinators are ready to help.

  • Stefanie Miller (covers Hunterdon county) stefanie.miller@ag.nj.gov
  • Amy Mandelbaum (covers Atlantic, Cape May, Burlington, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Camden, Gloucester counties) amy.mandelbaum@ag.nj.gov
  • Katie Mazzella (covers Salem, Cumberland counties) katie.mazzella@ag.nj.gov
  • Rachel DeFlumeri (covers Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Warren counties) rachel.deflumeri@ag.nj.gov.

You may also call the SADC’s main number at 609-984-2504 or visit the SADC’s website at www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/farmpreserve/.

 

Click to access 2021.6.21SADCAnnouncesSeekingDirectEasementApplicationsFINAL.pdf

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
June 23, 2021

COVID Delta Variant and NJ Agriculture

As the farming season progresses so does concern for the increased prevalence of the COVID Delta variant in the region.  We asked Don Schaffner, Extension Specialist, about the Delta variant and if we should be concerned about it.  If you or your farm workers are in need of a vaccine please email njfarmvax@njaes.rutgers.edu and an Extension team member will assist you with finding local vaccination locations and/or determine if an on-farm vaccine clinic is possible for your workers.  If you have questions about the vaccine visit the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Vaccine Education for Growers website for information in multiple languages.

Meredith Melendez: Are we seeing an increase in cases of the COVID Delta variant in New Jersey or the region?

Don Schaffner: Yes. According to CDC, Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) had only 3.1% of all infections due to the Delta variant for the week ending 5/22/21. This percentage had jumped to 17.7% week for the week ending 6/5/21. There are not further updates at this time.

Also according to the CDC in NJ 3.4% all infections were due to the Delta variant for the week ending 5/22/21. No further New Jersey specific updates are available at this time.

MM: How is the Delta variant different than the COVID cases we saw over the past year?

DS: There are a number of reasons why there is increased concern over the Delta variant. Epidemiological data shows that the variant has increased transmissibility (i.e. it is more easily spread from person to person) than the original strain. Estimates indicate that it is about 60% more transmissible. This means that for every one person infected by the original virus, on average for the same conditions the Delta variant would spread to about 1.6 people.

One of the ways of combating the virus once someone is infected is with monoclonal antibody treatments. There is evidence that the Delta variant is more resistant to this important treatment.

There is also evidence that the Delta virus is not as readily neutralized by post-vaccination sera. Sera contain the antibodies in people that are vaccinated.

MM: Are the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines as effective against the Delta variant?

DS: Yes.  The Johnson & Johnson vaccine appears to be about 60% effective against the delta variant. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are about 88% effective after the second dose (vs. over 90% for other variants). So while the vaccines are less effective against the Delta variant, it is still much better to be vaccinated than not.

MM: Why should someone get vaccinated now if they haven’t already?

DS: Unvaccinated individuals are vulnerable to all variants of the virus. These variants arise through the natural evolution when the virus replicates inside a sick person. Since the vaccines can stop some people from getting infected, the more people that are vaccinated the better control we will have over these variants and stop new variants from evolving.

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Vegetable Crops
June 22, 2021

Fruit IPM for 6/22/21

Peach:

Oriental Fruit Moth: Growers who have used mating disruption for OFM should continue to focus on PC; GPA; and catfacing insect pests as described below. For those growers using insecticides, the first of 2 applications in northern counties is due this week, and the second of 2 applications in southern counties is due next week. This is particularly important where the moth flight is exceeding the treatment threshold of 8 moths per trap. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape