In response to the global pandemic COVID-19, and in line with the Mexican government’s call to increase social distancing, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and all U.S. consulates in Mexico will suspend routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services starting March 18, 2020, and until further notice. For farmers this means, H-2A workers and others from Mexico may be prevented from entering the U.S. until further notice. NJ Farm Bureau is researching the subject for more clarification. For now to see more information go to the U.S. Embassy’s website at: 
https://mx.usembassy.gov/status-of-u-s-consular-operations-in-mexico-in-light-of-covid-19/
Tree Fruit Edition
Seasonal updates on insects, diseases, weeds, maturity dates and cultural practices impacting only tree fruit.
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March 17, 2020 Michelle Infante-Casella
Status of U.S. Consular Operations in Mexico in Light of COVID-19
February 22, 2020 Cesar Rodriguez-Saona
WEBINAR: Organic Management of Spotted-Wing Drosophila
Dear Organic Fruit Growers, Pest Management Professionals and other stakeholders:
Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) has emerged as a devastating pest of small and stone fruits worldwide. We have organized a webinar to provide you with the most updated information on everything you need to know for organic management of SWD.
Please register at: https://eorganic.org/node/33992 to attend this webinar.
Date: March 4, 2020 (Wednesday) 2:00-3:30pm Eastern
Presented by: Ash Sial (UGA), Mary Rogers (UMN), Kelly Hamby (UMD), Kent Daane (UC Berkeley), Rufus Isaacs (MSU), Vaughn Walton (OSU), Oscar Liburd (UF), Craig Roubos (UGA), Elena Rhodes (UF) and other members of the SWD OREI project team.
Sponsored by: Award No. 2018-51300-28434 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
February 10, 2020 Hemant Gohil
2020 South Jersey Commercial Tree Fruit Grower Meeting
Date: March 5, 2020
Time: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: RAREC – 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, NJ 08302
Pre-Registration: Required, Contact: Karen Holton (holton@njaes.rutgers.edu) or (856) 455-3100 x 4104
Cost / person: $15.00 (Checks preferred, made out to Rutgers University) Lunch: Included
Pesticide Credits: Requested for – Core, PP2, 10, 1A, 3A and 3B
Program
8:00 am Registration Coffee and pastries
8:25 am Welcome and Opening Remarks
Daniel Ward, Director, Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center
Hemant Gohil, Agriculture Agent, Rutgers Co-op. Extension, Gloucester County
8:30 am Peach Bacterial Spot Management: Comparison of Copper Compounds and Rates
Norm Lalancette, Extension Specialist in Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES
9:15 am Pollinator Stewardship in Orchards
Julianna Wilson, Academic Specialist, Tree Fruit Integrator, Michigan State University
10:00 am Break – Coffee and pastries
10:15 am Integrating Management for Key Orchard Pests
Anne Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Tree Fruit Entomology, Rutgers NJAES
10:45 am Recommendation Updates for Tree Fruit Insect Management w/ Special Attention to Bee Safety.
Dean Polk, Statewide Fruit IPM Agent, Rutgers NJAES
11:15 am Pesticide Regulatory and Safety Update for 2020
George Hamilton, Extension Specialist in Pest Management, Rutgers NJAES
11:45 am Industry Updates and NJ Peach Promotion Council Updates
12 Noon Lunch
1:00 pm Updates on tree fruit soil fertility management in New Jersey
Megan Muehlbauer, Agriculture Agent, Rutgers Co-op. Extension, Hunterdon Co.
1:30 pm Soil Health – A Panel Discussion
Daniel Ward, Extension Specialist, Pomology; Joseph Heckman, Extension Specialist, Soil Health; Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science; Lewis DeEugenio, Fruit Grower, Summit City Farms; Robert Muth, Fruit and Vegetable Grower, Muth Family Farms; Megan Muehlbauer, Agriculture Agent.
2:30 pm Updates on Peach and Nectarine Breeding Program
Joseph Goffreda, Tree Fruit Breeding, Rutgers University
3:00 pm Open Session – Grower Questions and Discussion
Pesticide re-certification credits
Please contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at gohil@njaes.rutgers.edu or 856-224-8029 if you have any questions.
October 10, 2019 Thierry Besancon
Gramoxone/paraquat Mandatory Training Required Before Use
All pesticide certified applicators must successfully complete an EPA-approved training program before mixing, loading, and/or applying paraquat.
Anyone using Gramoxone, Firestorm, Helmquat, Parazone, and other paraquat products must complete an EPA-mandated training before application.
After November 14, 2019, the EPA requires companies to have newly labeled products on the market.
The following are items related to the new label for paraquat products:
- Only certified applicators, who successfully completed the paraquat-specific training, can mix, load or apply paraquat.
- No longer allow application “under the direct supervision” of a certified applicator.
- Restricting the use of all paraquat products to certified applicators only.
- EPA required Online Training – users must create an account with username and password.
- A certificate will be delivered by the end of the training after successful completion of the online exam.
- Applicators must repeat training every three years.
For additional information and FAQs about the paraquat training go to the EPA Paraquat Training website
October 4, 2019 Hemant Gohil
Hilling-Up Demonstration and Post-harvest Vineyard Management
Where – Monday, October 14, 3:30 PM
When – Coia Vineyards – 3650 Oak Rd., Vineland, NJ 08360
- On-farm demonstration of hilling-up and the discussions on hilling-down (Larry Coia and Hemant Gohil)
- Understanding the Cold hardiness (Daniel Ward)
- Post-harvest Disease Management including understanding of trunk diseases (Peter Oudemans)
- Weed Management for hilling-up and for fall and winter (Thierry Besancon)
- Vineyard fertility Management (Gary Pavlis)
There is no registration fees, however please let Joan Medany know if you are planning, by email jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or call 856-224-8030
This site is accessible to the physically impaired. If an additional assistance is needed, please contact Hemant Gohil (Program Organizer) at 856-224-8029 prior to the meeting.
With Support from the New Jersey Center for Wine Research and Education (NJCWRE)
August 27, 2019 Anne Nielsen
Spotted Lanternfly Updates
Spotted lanternfly (SLF) populations are very active in multiple NJ counties such as Hunterdon, where large numbers of adults can be seen feeding. As of last week, the majority of adults were observed feeding on tree of heaven. Where possible, tree of heaven should be treated with either an herbicide and/or an insecticide. PSU has information on treatment here https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven
Based on observations in Pennsylvania, feeding by adult Spotted Lanternfly in grapes can reduce overwintering survival and may have broader impacts to vine health. Spotted lanternfly is a phloem feeding insect that feeds directly on the cordon, not on the fruit. As they feed, they expel the extra sugars from their bodies in the form of honeydew. Honeydew can buildup underneath trees or on plant material beneath vines and can be colonized by sooty mold fungi. In grapes, sooty mold can develop on clusters, significantly reducing quality, although this has not yet been observed in the USA. More importantly in areas with high SLF populations, vine health has deteriorated quickly. In Pennsylvania both a decrease in winter hardiness and vine death has occurred.
Vines should be watched closely to determine if SLF adults are dispersing into the vineyards and feeding. Populations will likely be higher along vineyard edges. If feeding occurs, an insecticide treatment may be warranted. The adults have not started to lay eggs yet so this is a critical time for population management. Multiple insecticide materials are effective against the adult stages. Recommendations from PennState in grapes are:
| Pennsylvania State University Insecticide Recommendations Against Spotted Lanternfly
(*modified for space) |
|||||||||
| Trade Name | Active Ingredient | Class
(IRAC Group) |
Rate per Acre | PHI (days) | REI (hours) | Labeled for SLF on Grape in PA? | Life Stage Tested | Longevity | SLF Activity |
| Brigade 10WSB | bifenthrin | Pyrethroid
(IRAC 3) |
16 oz | 30 | 12 | Yes, 2(ee) | Nymphs Adults | **** | ++++ |
| Actara 25WDG * | thiamethoxam | Neonicitinoid (IRAC 4A) | 3.5 oz | 5 | 12 | Yes, 2(ee) | Nymphs Adults | **** | ++++ |
| Scorpion 35SL * | dinotefuran | Neonicitinoid (IRAC 4A) | 5 fl oz | 1 | 12 | Yes, 2(ee) | Nymphs Adults | *** | ++++ |
| Carbaryl 4L | carbaryl | Carbamate (IRAC 1A) | 2 qt | 7 | 12 | No Note: Sevin XLR has 2(ee) |
Nymphs Adults | *** | ++++ |
| Danitol 2.4EC | fenpropathrin | Pyrethroid
(IRAC 3) |
21.33 fl oz | 21 | 24 | No | Nymphs | ** | ++++ |
| Malathion 8F | malathion | Organophosphate (IRAC 1B) | 1.88 pts | 3 | 12 | Yes, 2(ee) | Nymphs Adults | ** | ++++ |
| Mustang Maxx 0.8EC | zeta- cypermethrin | Pyrethroid
(IRAC 3A) |
4 fl oz | 1 | 12 | Yes, 2(ee) | Nymphs Adults | ** | +++ |
| Avaunt 30DG | indoxacarb | Oxadiazine (IRAC 22) | 6 oz | 7 | 12 | Yes, 2(ee) | Nymphs Adults | * | ++ |
| Assail 30SG * | acetamiprid | Neonicitinoid (IRAC 4A) | 5.2 oz | 3 | 48 | Yes, 2(ee) on nymphs only | Nymphs Adults | * | + |
Always follow the insecticide label for use and application instructions. Please note that there is variation in the residual activity of each material and some materials require a 2(ee) label for use in grapes. BotaniGard is also being evaluated as a biological insecticide by PSU.
New sightings of spotted lanternfly in NJ can be reported, along with a picture and address to slanternfly@njaes.rutgers.edu
