Tree Fruit Edition

Seasonal updates on insects, diseases, weeds, maturity dates and cultural practices impacting only tree fruit.
 
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February 24, 2026

Change in Location – South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting

Please note that the location of the South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting has been changed.
Location:      254 County House Road, Clarksboro, NJ 08020
Date:          March 5, 2026 (Thu)        
Registration:  Pre-registration required. Please call (856) 224 – 8030 or Email: jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
               $20 per person. Checks only. Payable to Rutgers University.

Pesticide Credits: CORE,PP2, 10, 1A
PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Coffee and pastries
08:50 am   Welcome and Opening Remarks. Hemant Gohil, Rutgers NJAES
09:00 am   Ambrosia Beetle Management in the Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
09:30 am   Woolly Apple Aphid Management in Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
10:00 am   Introducing Dr. Nancy Sharma, new Extension Specialist, Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Uni.

10:15 am   Coffee Break

10:30 am   Industry Updates  
10:45 am   Current Trends in Tree Fruit Pest Management. Janine Spies, Rutgers NJAES
11:15 am   Pesticide Safety Update: Exposure, ​Recordkeeping, and Storage. Kate Brown, Rutgers NJAES.
11:45 pm   From Field to Current – Harnessing Electricity for Sustainable Weed Control. Thierry Besancon, Rutgers NJAES.

12:15 pm   Lunch 

1:00 pm    Mycorrhizae Products that Enhance the Root Systems of Young Apple Trees. Megan Muehlbauer, Rutgers NJAES
1:30 pm    Updates and Recommendations for Scale Management. Anne Nielsen, Rutgers NJAES
2:00 pm    Peach Varieties Comparisons – New and Standard. Hemant Gohil and Daniel Ward, Rutgers NJAES.
2:30 pm    Grower Open Forum and Pesticide recertification credits
           Adjourn 

For questions, please get in touch with Hemant Gohil at 856-418-6538 or email at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu
Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,
February 18, 2026

North Jersey Commercial Fruit Grower Meeting Program and Registration

NORTH JERSEY COMMERCIAL
FRUIT GROWERS MEETING

March 4, 2026
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
Hunterdon County Complex
314 State Route 12, Bldg. 1
Flemington, NJ
Program

Program Chair
Megan Muehlbauer, PhD
Agriculture and Resource Management Agent
Cooperative Extension of Hunterdon County

8:30 – Registration
Continental breakfast compliments of industry sponsors

8:50 – Welcome and Introductions

9:00 – NJDEP’s Pesticide Safety and Regulations
Spencer Kerkhof, Environmental Specialist Pesticide Compliance & Enforcement NJDEP

10:00 – Ambrosia Beetles: How to Manage Them in Tree Fruit Orchards
Monique Rivera PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, Cornell AgriTech

11:00 – Mycorrhizal Fungi Applications and their Effect on Soil Biology and Tree Health
Megan Muehlbauer PhD, Hunterdon County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

11:30 – Update on Farm Service Programs
Laura LaFevre, County Executive Director, Hunterdon / Somerset Office, Farm Service Agency

11:45 – Jersey Fresh Marketing Update
Joe Atchison III, Assistant Secretary, NJ Dept. of Agriculture
Christine Fries, Coordinator of Agricultural Marketing, NJ Dept. of Agriculture

12:00 – LUNCHEON (pre-registration required)

12:50 – What is New from Industry

1:00 – Peach Variety Updates
Hemant Gohil PhD, Gloucester County Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

1:30 – Management Strategies for Scale in Tree Fruit
Anne Nielsen PhD, Extension Specialist in Entomology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

2:00 – Season Summary and Updates from the Tree Fruit IPM Program
Janine Spies PhD, Agricultural Agent in Fruit IPM, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

3:00 – The Bitter Reality of Bitter Rot in NJ
Kaitlin Quinn North Jersey Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

3:30 – Disease management strategies in apple and peach orchards
Nancy Sharma PhD, Specialist in Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

4:00 – Pesticide Recertification Credits and Adjourn. Attendees must be present for the entire program in order to apply for NJDEP credits.

THE FOLLOWING NJDEP PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION CREDITS WILL BE AWARDED

4 CAT-10     4 CAT-1A     2 CORE     4 PP2

 

North Jersey Fruit Meeting Registration 2026 then fax or email to:
Fax: (908) 806-4735
E-mail: kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

PRE-REGISTRATION BY February 26, 2026 REQUIRED FOR LUNCH

If you have any questions please call Kim Crommelin: (908)-788-1338

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, pesticide credits, Tree Fruit
February 18, 2026

2026 Grape Expectation – New Jersey Grape and Wine Symposium

Date:    March 12 (Thu)
Venue:   Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Dr, Monroe Township, NJ 08831
Fees:    Please see the details on registration fees and payment methods at the end of the program.
Credits: CORE, 1A, PP2, 10

PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Continental Breakfast
09:00 am   Welcome, Introductions, and Symposium Overview. Dr. Gary C. Pavlis – RCE of Atlantic County
09:10 am   Managing Grape Diseases: What to Watch and What to Do?
           Nancy Sharma, Extension Specialist in Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES.
09:40 am   Beyond the Garden State: How Emerging Wine Regions Overcome Perception, Policy, and Market Barriers.
           Seth Porter, Chief Innovation Officer, Dean of the Kraemer Family Library, Colorado State University.
10:10 am   What’s New from the Industry

10:25 am   COFFEE BREAK

10:45 am   The Evolution of Long Island Viticulture, 1973-present
           Alice Wise, Ag Program Director - Viticulture Research, Cornell Cooperative Extension.
11:30 am   Mystery Wine Challenge

12:00 pm   BUFFET LUNCH FEATURING NJ WINES

01:00 pm   Active Frost Protection in the Vineyard – Panel Discussion.
           The Panel: Larry Sharrott (Sharrott Vineyards), William Heritage (William Heritage Winery), Nick Sharko 
           (Alba Vineyards), Lewis DeEugenio (Summit City Farms and Winery), and Moderator, Hemant Gohil (Rutgers).
01:45 pm   Early Season IPM for NJ Grapevines
           Janine Spies, Statewide Fruit Integrated Pest Management Agent, Rutgers NJAES.

02:15 pm   Coffee Break

02:30 pm   New Weed Management Technology in Grape
           Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES
03:00 pm   NJDEP’s Pesticide Safety and Regulations – CORE Credit
           Spencer Kerkhof, Pesticide Enforcement Officer, NJDEP
03:30 pm   Decreasing Fungicide Sprays with the New PIWI Grape Varieties
           Eric Amberg, Founder, Amberg Grapevines, Clifton Springs, New York  
04:00 pm   Beyond the Bottle: Refining Visitation in Wine
           Susan Dematei, President, WineGlass Marketing
04:30 pm   End of the Session, Pesticide Recertification Credits, Q and A
Registration: Non-Industry members - $110
              Winery Personnel - $110 for the first person and $90 for each additional winery members.
              At the Door registration $130
              Vendors $160
              For online registration and payment, please use the web link https://ce-catalog.rutgers.edu/courseDisplay.cfm?schID=96808 


Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Wine Grape Tagged With: , 
February 16, 2026 
South Jersey Commercial Fruit Growers Meeting


Venue:         RCE of Gloucester County
               254 County House Rd, Clarksboro, NJ 08020
Date:          March 5, 2026 (Thu)        
Registration:  Pre-registration required. Please call (856) 224 – 8030 or Email: jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us
               $20 per person. Checks only. Payable to Rutgers University.

Pesticide Credits: CORE,PP2, 10, 1A


PROGRAM

08:30 am   Registration and Coffee and pastries
08:50 am   Welcome and Opening Remarks. Hemant Gohil, Rutgers NJAES
09:00 am   Ambrosia Beetle Management in the Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
09:30 am   Woolly Apple Aphid Management in Apple. Monique Rivera, Cornell University.
10:00 am   Introducing Dr. Nancy Sharma, new Extension Specialist, Fruit Pathology, Rutgers Uni.

10:15 am   Coffee Break

10:30 am   Industry Updates  
10:45 am   Current Trends in Tree Fruit Pest Management. Janine Spies, Rutgers NJAES
11:15 am   Pesticide Safety Update: Exposure, ​Recordkeeping, and Storage. Kate Brown, Rutgers NJAES.
11:45 pm   From Field to Current – Harnessing Electricity for Sustainable Weed Control. Thierry Besancon, Rutgers NJAES.

12:15 pm   Lunch 

1:00 pm    Mycorrhizae Products that Enhance the Root Systems of Young Apple Trees. Megan Muehlbauer, Rutgers NJAES
1:30 pm    Updates and Recommendations for Scale Management. Anne Nielsen, Rutgers NJAES
2:00 pm    Peach Varieties Comparisons – New and Standard. Hemant Gohil and Daniel Ward, Rutgers NJAES.
2:30 pm    Grower Open Forum and Pesticide recertification credits
           Adjourn 

For questions, please get in touch with Hemant Gohil at 856-418-6538 or email at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu


Filed Under: Blueberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , 
February 13, 2026 
Farm Safety Needs Assessment


The Rutgers Farm Health and Safety Working Group is conducting a survey to evaluate the priority needs of New Jersey farmers for training and resource development related to safety and health.  As a New Jersey farmer, you are invited to complete this survey. Click here to access the survey and learn more.  [Read more…]


Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , 
February 12, 2026 
SAVE THE DATE: Sprayer Equipment Calibration Workshops for Specialty Crop Growers March 24 & 25


 




North Jersey Equipment Calibration Grower Meeting


March 24, 2026


3:00 PM – 6:00 PM


Clifford E. & Melda C. Snyder Research & Extension Farm


New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station


140 Locust Grove Road


Pittstown, NJ


 


South Jersey Equipment Calibration Grower Meeting


March 25, 2026


3:00 PM – 6:00 PM


Rutgers Agricultural Research & Extension Center


121 Northville Road


Bridgeton, NJ


 


Agenda, Registration and Pesticide Credits will be announced shortly.


 




Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, pesticide credits, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape