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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Help Evaluate New Farm Safety “Tailgate Trainings”

Injury Prevention

Preview of the “Ground Level Slips, Trips and Falls” Tailgate Training sheet

The Northeast Ag Safety and Health Coalition is looking for farmers willing to field-test and evaluate their new set of “Tailgate Trainings” – short, simple, training sessions that a farm owner or manager can use with a small group of workers. The trainings are designed to be done with small groups, anywhere, and promote retention of material. Topics of the current “tailgate” training sheets include 1) Ground Level Slips, Trips, and Falls, 2) Cattle Handling, and 3) Tractor Side-Overturn.

If you are willing to participate, the Coalition requests that farmers or managers conduct one training session with workers using the provided “tailgate” training sheet. Once the training session is complete, you are asked to fill out a very brief (5 question) evaluation form and mail it back to the Coalition. All material and postage paid/self-addressed return envelopes will be provided (to return the evaluation form).

If you are interested, please email Kate Brown kbrown@njaes.rutgers.edu with the following information by October 1, 2021.

  • Farm Name
  • Mailing Address
  • Requested training sheet(s) [see topics 1, 2, and 3 above]

Your time and participation in this project would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Fruit IPM for 9/15/21

Blueberries:

Putnam Scale: As of the past week, scale crawlers have tailed off. For all practical purposes, treatments for the second generation are done.

Sharpnosed Leafhopper (SNLH): We are calling the second generation trap peak occurring over the last week to 10 days. Therefore it is time to treat this generation if you have not already done so. Use any of the sucking insect materials listed in the 2021 Commercial Blueberry Pest Control Recommendations For New Jersey. Suggested materials include Diazinon, Imidan and any neonicotinoid such as Assail, Actara and Admire. Pyrethroids are also labeled, but are slightly less effective.

Late Season Scale Crawlers and Sharpnosed Leafhopper Adults per Trap
  Week Ending Scale SNLH AC SNLH (BC)
Avg 8/21 1.3
High 8/21 4.0
Avg 8/28 70.16 0.22 0.28
High 8/28 181 3.0 2.0
Avg 9/4 18.42 3 1.5
High 9/4 64 18.0 3.0
Avg 9/11 4.14 2.8 1.5
High 9/11 12.0 14.0 2.0

[Read more…]

Cranberry Update: EPA Bans Use of Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban) On Food Crops

After years of debate, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on August 18, 2021 that this year will be the last that the insecticide chlorpyrifos (the active ingredient in Lorsban) will be allowed for use on food crops, including cranberries. This means that use of chlorpyrifos will no longer be allowed on cranberries in 2022 and thereafter. For more information, please see the press release here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-takes-action-address-risk-chlorpyrifos-and-protect-childrens-health.

In New Jersey, cranberry growers have mainly used chlorpyrifos early in the season to manage blunt-nosed leafhoppers as well as other insect pests such as Sparganothis fruitworm, blackheaded fireworm, and spotted fireworm. Growers can find alternative insecticide options for managing these pests in the Commercial Cranberry Pest Control Recommendations for New Jersey https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/publication.php?pid=E308.

Disease management recommendation for fall planted strawberry plugs

Kathy Demchak, Senior Extension Associate, from Penn State University and Dr. Mengjun Hu, Small Fruit Pathologist, from the University of Maryland have published an excellent article on disease management recommendations for fall planted strawberry plugs. Please click here for more information.

National Farm Safety and Health Week: September 19-25, 2021

Flyer for NFSHW 2021 Webinars

NFSHW webinars to be held 9/20-9/24/2021. Click here to register.

September precedes one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year in agriculture – fall harvest time. For this reason, National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW) is recognized annually during the third week of September. The theme this year is “Farm Safety Yields Real Results”.

AgriSafe will host two FREE webinars each day during NFSHW to highlight new technology, discuss incident prevention, and inform your decision-making and conversations. The webinars will feature discussion on each of the daily topics. Visit The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety website to register (scroll down to ‘Webinars’). Note that the webinar times are posted for Central Daylight Time.

Take an active role in keeping yourself and others safe this harvest season. Plan to join in on a webinar, encourage others to do the same, and take to social media to spread the message: “Farm Safety Yields Real Results”. Stay tuned to the Rutgers Agriculture and Natural Resources Facebook page for content to share each day during NFSHW!

 

Grower and Winemaker Town Hall: Questions from the Field and Cellar

Eastern Viticulture and Enology Forum has planned a virtual meeting on September 7th @ 3:00 PM ET. Here, regional viticulture and enology specialists will present a Grower and Winemaker Town Hall virtual meeting series to give seasonal updates and answer pre-submitted and live questions from grape and wine industry stakeholders.

The structure of these meetings depends on pre-submitted questions. Please email Hemant Gohil at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu if you have any question. Please see below for the topic area suggestions for the September 7th meeting. [Read more…]