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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May 1, 2022

Drought planning. Monitoring real time stream flow

With dry conditions occurring as planting season is underway monitoring real time stream flow is a useful tool.

Non-irrigation users as well as those who rely on irrigation can use this tool to forecast short term and long term conditions that will benefit or impact when and what to plant, when to water, and how precipitation or the lack thereof will help or hurt applications of nitrogen fertilizer and herbicides that require surface moisture for activation.

Here is the link to the USGS real time stream flow readings on the National Water Dashboard for Salem County and surrounding areas. Chose stream level data and aquifer type in the legend box to see streams near your location.

At the end of March, the county was about at an inch and a half deficit for rainfall compared to the 30-year average. Despite the inches received in April, streamflow readings at nine locations in the coastal plain aquifer system of South-Central NJ are much below normal. Ten readings are below normal, and one reading on Mantua Creek in Pitman, NJ is at an all-time low for this day.

If we use the US Drought Monitor comparison slider, we can see that much of Cumberland County and parts of Salem and Gloucester are experiencing drier conditions then this time last year. Gusty winds and below average high temperatures the last three days of April stressed spring seedling flower transplants and annual crop germinations. The duration of wind significantly dried surface soil moisture limiting transplant root expansion and delayed new seeding Adventitious roots from expanding deeper into the soil. Comparing this information to last year’s crop progress and monitoring root development (moisture seeking behavior) can help producer’s estimate crop progress and response to droughty conditions going forward.

The current forecast has a good chance of rain on Wednesday and again on Friday and Saturday. After the rains, revisit the real time stream monitoring site and see if local conditions have changed. If stream discharge improves, this is a good indication sub soil has adequate moisture, and in sandy soils this will help roots to expand deeper into the soil profile.

https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?NJ

 

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
April 29, 2022

The NJ Plastic Bag Ban and Your Retail Farm Market

The NJ plastic bag ban will impact retail farm markets starting May 4th.  Note that enforcement of this ban will vary based on your retail sales location.  Counties and municipalities may use their health or other departments for enforcement along with the DEP. Without specific guidance on how to enforce the ban in farm retail settings there will likely be variations based on location.

Some key pieces of information about the rule that may impact your market are detailed below:

Paper bags are banned only for stores that are identified as a “grocery store”.  If you are not considered a grocery store (see definition below) you may use paper bags.

Grocery stores are defined as “self-service retail establishment that occupies at least 2,500 square feet and that sells household foodstuffs for offsite consumption, including fresh produce, meat, poultry, deli products, dry foods, baked foods, prepared foods.”  We anticipate that enforcement will vary based on local jurisdiction with this definition.  If you are a retail farm market that is over 2,500 square feet, including your outdoor sales areas, it is suggested that you communicate with your municipality or county to determine if you can use paper bags or not.

The state does not define what types of plastic bags can be used for exempted items, and we have had varying guidance from DEP. Questions about the rule can be directed to singleuseplastics@dep.nj.gov Contact your municipality or county to determine how they plan to regulate exempted item bagging. DEP identifies the following items as exempt:

  • Loose items including: fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, grains, baked goods, candy, greeting cards, flowers, small hardware items
  • Uncooked meat, fish, or poultry
  • Food sliced or prepared to order, including soup and hot foods

You cannot sell single use bags at your store, except for pre-packaged bags such as bulk trash bags, pet waste bags, zip-lock bags, etc.

The regulation does not discuss biodegradable single-use bags  that can be decomposed by bacteria and other living organisms in a short period of time. The plastic bag ban is specific to single-use bags made from a synthetic materials. Many biodegradable bags are made from corn-based materials and have improved in their strength since they were first released a number of years ago. Should you plan on purchasing biodegradable bags make sure you can prove what materials they are made of in case of customer or regulatory questioning. The New Jersey Office of Innovation has a listing of companies that sell bags that are allowable under the ban.

Reusable bags ideally should be made of materials that can be easily cleaned and must have handles stitched onto them. Fabrics that can be washed and dried in a machine are preferred since the heat cycle in the dryer will kill any potential human pathogens that find their way onto the bags surface. If purchasing reusable bags to give to your customers be sure to look at the cleaning instructions and communicate proper handling of these bags to your customers. You are not required to provide reusable bags to your customers.

As we better understand this regulation, we will share that information with you.

*article updated on June 15, 2022

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
April 27, 2022

Newly Registered Insecticide: Fanfare

This article has been adapted from an article written by Dr. Christelle Guédot, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and published in the Cranberry Crop Management Journal – Volume 35, Issue 1

Fanfare is a not a new insecticide, having been first registered with EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in 1985, but it is new to the cranberry industry. Fanfare is the second pyrethroid that can be applied to cranberry, with Danitol being the first. Fanfare is registered for use in Wisconsin on several crops including bushberries, caneberries, grapes, pears, and strawberries, yet cranberry is NOT on the label. Fanfare received a supplemental label specifically for cranberry in 2021 and this will expire in December 2024 unless it is renewed by the registrant. Fanfare is marketed by Adama Essentials under the formulations EC or ES with 2 lbs of active ingredient per gallon as an Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) or Suspension Concentrate (ES). Adama will likely work to get cranberry added to the label but in the meantime, every grower that purchased and plans to use Fanfare this season MUST have the supplemental label (in addition to the label) in hand as cranberry is not on the official label.

Mode of action and effect. The active ingredient in Fanfare is bifenthrin. Fanfare is in the class of the pyrethroids (IRAC group 3), which have a mode of action that targets the sodium channels on the axon of the neurons. Pyrethroids cause a prolonged depolarization of the neuron from a prolonged influx of sodium into the neurons, leading to repetitive nerve activity that can result in hyperexcitation, paralysis, and death. Fanfare is an insecticide with foliar activity that is fast acting by contact or ingestion of treated plant surfaces. Affected insects will rapidly stop feeding, become paralyzed, and eventually die.

Fanfare has broad spectrum activity on several insect species, found on the supplemental label for cranberry, including fruitworms, tipworm, fireworms, spanworms, flea beetle and white grub adults. In our trials in NJ, Fanfare was very effective at controlling leafhoppers. Leafhoppers are not specifically mentioned as target pests on the supplemental label; however, in NJ, you are allowed to use products on pests not present on the label, as long as the product is labeled for the crop you are applying it to.

Application restrictions. Fanfare may be applied by ground equipment, chemigation, and air, and specific recommendations are provided for the different application methods regarding direction for use, spray drift requirements, and buffer zones. Buffer zones from aquatic habitats are specifically stated in the label, with a minimum 10-foot wide vegetative strip of grass or other permanent vegetation between the field edge and aquatic habitats. For more information on mixing and spraying, and all other considerations, please see the product label.

Environmental impacts. Fanfare is extremely toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates and cannot be applied directly to water. It must be used with care (see buffer zones restrictions) when applying in areas adjacent to bodies of water. Fanfare is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment or residues on blooming plants. Do not apply Fanfare when bees are foraging and until flowering is complete. The label also emphasizes the risk to endangered species and prohibits the use of bifenthrin in areas that could result in exposure to endangered species.

Recommendations. Overall, Fanfare is recommended against leafhoppers before bloom to target leafhopper nymphs. The reason for this recommendation is that we already have great products to target other insect pests at our disposal that have much lesser impacts on the beneficial insects, including pollinators and natural enemies of these pests. The environmental concerns raised above and the acute toxicity of this compound play an important role in recommending limiting the use of Fanfare to a single pre-bloom application to minimize pesticide residues and environmental impacts. Finally, a 3-day water holding is highly recommended when using this product to allow the product to bind to soil particles and reduce movement of the product in the water system.

Please check with your handlers before using a new product as handlers may have restrictions on certain products for domestic and/or foreign markets. Handlers may extend PHIs beyond the number of days stated on the label to reduce residues, so please always check with your handlers. As of 2022, several handlers have imposed a 120-day PHI on this product. And as always, make sure to read the labels before using any pesticide.

Resources. You can find the labels for Fanfare at the following links:

Fanfare EC Label: http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ldC86005.pdf

Supplemental Label for Fanfare EC for cranberry use: http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ldC86002.pdf

Fanfare ES Label: http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ldB3C005.pdf

Supplemental Label for Fanfare ES for cranberry use: http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ldB3C000.pdf

 

Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit
April 26, 2022

Tree Fruit IPM Report for April 27, 2022

Tree Fruit Phenology: Tree Fruit Phenology is about normal. In southern counties all peach orchards are nearing Shuck Split. Pears are at Petal Fall. Red Delicious is just past Full Bloom. Sweet cherries are at about nearing Petal Fall. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , , ,
April 21, 2022

ATTENTION: Department of Agriculture Allows Controlled Open Burns to Protect Crops

With the state continuing to experience colder spring temperatures, the Department of Environmental Protection has agreed with NJDA Secretary Douglas Fisher’s request to allow farmers to do controlled open burning or use specialized torches known as smudge pots to protect flowering crops from damage beginning today, April 20, through Wednesday, May 4.

Damage from freezing weather now can significantly reduce yields of certain fruits and vegetables that are in the flowering stage.

 

Please see the link below for more information:

NJDA Press Release 4/20/2022

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
April 19, 2022

Wine Grape Twilight – I

When: May 4 (Wed) @ 4 PM

Where: Tomasello Winery: 225 N White Horse Pike, Hammonton, NJ 08037

Frank Salek Memorial Lecture, Sponsored by the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association. Dennis Rak, owner of the Double A Vineyard Nursery will talk on ‘Grapevine Grafting: Fundamentals of Why and How’

Pesticide Recertification Credits: CORE (1 credit), PP2 (5 credit), 1 A (5 credit) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,