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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April 18, 2022

Tree Fruit IPM Report for April 18, 2022

Evaluating Freeze Damage in Tree Fruit: The subfreezing temperatures on the morning of April 18 may have caused some natural thinning across the state. Any physiological damage that is not visible now will appear as the season progresses. A helpful guide for evaluating fruit damage can be found in the Intermountain Tree Fruit Production Guide.

Tree Fruit Phenology: Tree Fruit Phenology remains advanced, but development is slowing. In southern counties all peach orchards are mid to late bloom. Redhaven was at approximately full bloom on April 6, and was at Petal Fall by April 14. Plums are past shuck fall. Pears are full to late bloom. Red Delicious is just past 50% bloom. Sweet cherries are at about 50% bloom. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , , ,
April 11, 2022

North Jersey Tree Fruit And Vegetable Twilight Meeting II Full Program

North Jersey Fruit and Vegetable Twilight Meeting II

April 19, 2022
4:30 PM-7:30 PM
Alstede Farms, Chester, NJ

4:30 PM – Registration / Light Refreshments

4:45 PM – Apple Fruit Rots: Environment, Infection Timing and Fungicide Efficacy
Norm Lalancette, Specialist in Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

5:15 PM – Farm Tour of Fruit and Early Season Vegetable Production
Kurt Alstede, Craig Steely, Hector Ruiz, John Ferrante, Alstede Farms

5:30 PM – Tree Fruit Insect and Disease Update
Dean Polk, Statewide Fruit IPM Agent, Rutgers NJAES

5:45 PM – Disease Control Options for Spring Vegetable Crops
Andy Wyenandt, Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

6:00 PM – Early Season Weed Control Update
Thierry Besancon, Specialist in Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES

6:15 PM – Insect Control for Spring Vegetable Crops
Kris Holmstrom, Vegetable IPM Research Project Coordinator, Rutgers NJAES

6:30 PM – Greenhouse and High Tunnel Considerations for Early Season Vegetable Production
AJ Both, Extension Specialist in Controlled-Environment Engineering, Rutgers NJAES

6:45 PM – Tour of Pesticide Storage and Loading Facility
Kurt Alstede, Craig Steely, Alstede Farms
Patricia Hastings, Extension Pesticide Safety Education Coordinator, Rutgers NJAES

NJ Pesticide Recertification Credits
1 unit CORE, 3 units 1A, 3 units 10, 3 units PP2

Please RSVP for the meetings with a call to Kim Crommelin at
908.788.1338 or
kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Organic Production, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops
April 11, 2022

Pesticide Applicator or Dealer Storage Inventory with Cover Letter Due May 1st to Fire Department

All licensed pesticide applicators, as well as dealers, who store pesticides are required by law to send a copy of their storage inventor(ies) with an explanatory cover letter to the local fire company by May 1st each year. In New Jersey, all licensed pesticide applicators and dealers who store pesticides are required per N.J.A.C. 7:30-9.5 […]
Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
April 7, 2022

April is National Sexual Harassment Awareness Month – Farm Workers at Risk

From MorningAgClips.com posting (4/7/22) <https://www.morningagclips.com/free-training-tools-available-to-address-sexual-harassment-of-farmworkers/> from 4/5/22 press release from Equitable Food Initiative <https://equitablefood.org/latest-news/free-training-tools-available-to-address-sexual-harassment-of-farmworkers/>

Free training tools available to address sexual harassment of farmworkers

Equitable Food Initiative supports awareness initiatives during Harassment Prevention Month

WASHINGTON — Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer advocacy groups, has collaborated with Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (PNASH), a part of the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, to support the development of a worksite training and toolkit, ¡Basta! Preventing Sexual Harassment in Agriculture.

April is National Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention Month, and EFI is using the time to shine a light on this important topic. Several studies have found that 75%-80% of female farmworkers have experienced sexual harassment at work, compared to 50% in non-agricultural office settings as reported by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The EFI website offers statistics, facts and study citations on harassment at work, links to access the ¡Basta! Preventing Sexual Harassment toolkit, which features videos in both English and Spanish, and educational materials that can be used in workplaces (posters, shareable graphics and a detailed fact sheet). The information and resources can be found at equitablefood.org/harassment, and all are provided free of charge.

“Development of the ¡Basta! toolkit was catalyzed by female farmworkers in Eastern Washington who brought the issue of sexual harassment to PNASH,” explained Dr. Jody Early, a professor at University of Washington who worked on the project. “This is the first program created by and for agricultural stakeholders to address the prevention of sexual harassment, and we tailored it to the needs of Latino/a/x farmworkers, growers and supervisors.”

The PNASH team worked for six years and engaged more than 48 different stakeholders in the development – including farmworkers, grower associations, health care advocates, human rights organizations, state and federal agencies, farmworker rights groups, private businesses and nonprofits like Equitable Food Initiative.

“This can be a difficult topic, but it’s essential that we address it industrywide,” said LeAnne Ruzzamenti, director of marketing communications for EFI. “We know that harassment happens more frequently among farmworkers, we know that it goes unreported, and we know that agriculture workplaces include characteristics that make women more vulnerable to it.”

EFI’s certification program goes beyond a simple audit and introduces workforce development solutions along with training in communication, conflict resolution, problem-solving and collaboration. Third-party evaluation studies have found that the program fosters culture shifts on farms that result in respectful and trusting workplaces where women and indigenous workers report reduced harassment and discrimination.

“EFI’s mission is to improve the lives of farmworkers by bringing everyone in the system together to address the fresh produce industry’s most pressing problems,” Ruzzamenti continued. “I can’t think of a more important goal than creating safer and healthier workplaces through a zero-tolerance approach to harassment.”

About EFI
Equitable Food Initiative is a nonprofit certification and skill-building organization that seeks to increase transparency in the food supply chain and improve the lives of farmworkers through a team-based approach to training and continuous improvement practices. EFI brings together growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumers to solve the most pressing issues facing the fresh produce industry. Its unparalleled approach sets standards for labor practices, food safety and pest management while engaging workers at all levels on the farm to produce Responsibly Grown, Farmworker Assured® fruits and vegetables. For more information about Equitable Food Initiative, visit equitablefood.org.

View a list of EFI-certified farms at equitablefood.org/farms.

–Equitable Food Initiative

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , ,
April 5, 2022

Insect Management Options Following the Loss of Chlorpyrifos

This article was written by Ocean Spray, Lindsay Wells-Hansen (Sr. Agricultural Scientist) and Dave Jones (Agricultural Scientist), who were kind enough to share the information with all New Jersey growers. Independent growers should consult their handlers for PHI restrictions and any other limitations before making purchases or applications.

Beginning in 2022, the use of chlorpyrifos (e.g., Lorsban) is no longer allowed in any capacity for either EU or non-EU Qualified fruit. This includes existing stock – NO chlorpyrifos may be used going forward, even if a grower has already acquired the material in a previous season. While the loss of this broad-spectrum material is a challenge, we have several efficacious materials that can be used as a chlorpyrifos replacement for pre-bloom insect control. The list below includes some of these materials and highlights which insect pests can be targeted with each insecticide. We’ll focus on pre-bloom management of two pest groups: (1) Lepidoptera pests (Leps) which are caterpillar species including Sparganothis, fireworm species, spanworms, cutworms, etc. and (2) blunt-nosed leafhoppers (BNLH).

  • Acephate (e.g., Orthene). This material will control both BNLH and Leps. There is historical concern among some growers that acephate used prior to bloom deters pollinator activity and reduces yield. This was investigated by the WI Ag Science team in 1990/1991 and again in 2020/2021 and no significant relationship between pre-bloom acephate and pollinator activity/yield was ever observed.
  • Spinetoram (e.g., Delegate). Spinetoram is a strong material for managing Leps but is NOT effective for controlling BNLH. This material is a valuable rotational material because it is specific in its efficacy, thus preserving beneficial insects.
  • Sulfoxaflor (e.g., Closer). This material is ONLY useful for the control of BNLH. It will NOT work against Leps, but it can be applied in conjunction with a lep-specific chemistry (like Delegate) if control of both pest groups is needed at the same time.
  • Fenpropathrin (e.g., Danitol). Currently ONLY available for use on non-EU Qualified fruit. This pyrethroid insecticide is relatively new to the industry. The pyrethroid class is relatively broad-spectrum and should provide control of both BNLH and Leps.
  • Indoxacarb (e.g., Avaunt). This material should work well on most Leps, but there is some evidence that it provides moderate to poor efficacy against Sparganothis. Its efficacy against BNLH is unknown, but it is not listed as a strong material for leafhoppers in other crops.
  • Methoxyfenozide (e.g., Intrepid), Tebufenozide (e.g., Confirm), and Novaluron (e.g., Rimon). These three materials are insect growth regulators (IGR’s) that ONLY target Leps. None of these materials will provide control of BNLH. Intrepid and Confirm are both minimally toxic to bees and can be applied during bloom, but Rimon should NOT be applied during or immediately prior to the bloom window.
  • Cyclaniliprole (e.g., Verdepryn). Currently ONLY available for use on non-EU Qualified fruit. Verdepryn is another relatively new material to the industry. It is a diamide, which is the same class of insecticide as Altacor and Exirel. The diamides generally provide strong control of Leps. The efficacy of Verdepryn against BNLH is not currently known.
  • Bifenthrin (e.g., Fanfare/Capture). This pyrethroid insecticide is newly available to the cranberry industry in 2022. A 120-day PHI restriction has been placed on the material for EU-Qualified fruit this year. The PHI restriction for non-EU Qualified Fruit is 45 days. This material is also restricted to a single application per season. It will provide control of both BNLH and Leps.

Growers are reminded that the 2022 OSC Code Book should be consulted prior to the application of ANY of these materials. Application timing is particularly critical with the softer chemistries on this list; weekly scouting must be incorporated in order to deploy them effectively. Many of these materials are hard on bees – always consult the label for bee health hazards prior to application.

Filed Under: Cranberry, Fruit
April 5, 2022

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – II

When: April 12 (Tuesday) @ 4 – 7 pm

Where: Summit City Orchards: 500 University Blvd. Glassboro, NJ 08028

Approved Pesticide credits: 1A, PP2, 10 (5 credits each)

Schedule

Field visit (in a bus) to a peach block. Field Demonstration and discussion on different rootstocks (Daniel Ward and Lewis DeEugenio), Comments on Orchard Soil Fumigation (Lewis DeEugenio), Observations of bud development in different peach varieties during frost nights (Hemant Gohil), and Field Observations from the IPM Program (Dave Schmitt).

Return to above address in the bus. Light fare will be served.

Indoor presentations: Fundamentals of Tree Fruit Nutrition and Orchard Soil Fertility (Joseph Heckman), Organic Weed Management in the Orchard (Thierry Besancon), Insect-pests Updates in Orchards (Anne Nielsen), Updates on Early Season Disease Control (Norman Lalancette), Coming Changes in the Structure of Fruit IPM Programming (Dean Polk)

7:00 pm  Pesticide re-certification credits application and Adjourn

Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or call 856-224-8030 if you are planning to attend. If an additional assistance is needed, please contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-224-8029 prior to the meeting.

 

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