Frost is common in the north-eastern US, however, frost events during bloom, specifically in orchard crops can be economically devastating. Often the cause is a few hours of temperatures below the injury threshold temperature for the developing buds as cooler nights result in the rapid loss of thermal energy. Fortunately, there are several passive methods or low-tech strategies, that can help maintain a slightly higher orchard floor temperature, has the potential to prevent substantial crop loss. [Read more…]
Fruit Crops Edition - Wine Grape Section
Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
Subscription is through the general Fruit feed available via EMAIL and RSS.
April 5, 2021
Evaluate Your Wine Grape Planting Material Before Planting
Spring is the best time to plant new grapevines in New Jersey. You may be receiving ordered grapevines in the coming days or weeks. 1You must ensure that your planting material is healthy enough to avoid problems after planting. While it is a good idea to plant grapevines as soon as they arrive, inspecting the physical attributes of your ordered vines before planting may save you some troubles later. Nurseries send planting material on pre-determined dates hence; you should have enough time for a detailed inspection. [Read more…]
April 1, 2021
Recordings of Webinars – Ask the Expert Series Orchard Edition
Please use the below links to view or listen to the recordings from the first two sessions of Ask the Expert – Orchard Edition.
March 19
Tree Fruit Growers Meeting – I: https://go.rutgers.edu/n7v5agck
- Peach Rootstock Performance in Recent Trial
Dr. James Schupp, Professor of Pomology, Penn State Uni.
Tactics for Improved Weed Management in Orchards
Dr. Thierry Besancon, Extension Specialist, Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES
March 24
Tree Fruit Growers Meeting – II: https://go.rutgers.edu/wu2zgt6y
- 2021 Tree Fruit Diseases to Prepare for.
Dr. Norman Lallancette, Extension Specialist, Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES
Dr. Kari Peters, Tree Fruit Pathologist, Penn State Uni.
March 23, 2021
Grower Input Needed for the Spotted-Wing Drosophila Organic Management Project
Dear Fruit Growers and Industry Professionals:
Please take a few minutes to fill out this spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) survey:
https://ugeorgia.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3NVhWTGnleU3bP7
This multi-state survey aims to help us to evaluate our research and educational efforts. Your participation will help us determine how growers and industry professionals have benefited from this project by asking questions regarding best management practices and satisfaction with the team’s efforts to organically combat the SWD pest.
Your answers will help improve our research and educational efforts to address this pest as well as providing accountability to our funder, the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). All responses are anonymous. No personal information will be collected.
Thank you for your time and interest in our efforts.
Dr. Cesar Rodriguez-Saona (Entomology)
On behalf of The SWD Research and Extension Team
March 5, 2021
Value-Added Producer Grants in New Jersey
Grant.gov applications are due by April 29, 2021 and
paper applications must be postmarked by May 4, 2021
The Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program administered by the USDA’s Rural Development Agency (RD), helps agricultural producers enter into value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products. The goals of this program are to generate new products, create and expand marketing opportunities, and increase producer income. [Read more…]
March 5, 2021
Comparing the Efficacy of Various Integrated Weed Management Tactics
Integrated weed management (IWM) combines various methods to reduce or eliminate the effect of weeds on crop production over time, using a combination of practices that are most effective for solving specific weed issues. These weed management techniques form a “toolbox” in which each “tool” can be integrated into a weed management plan catered to the particular farm and problem. The toolbox includes preventative, biological, chemical, cultural, and mechanical strategies. IWM also considers the weed species present and tailors strategies for these species.
A collaborative effort led by Dr. Michael Flessner with Virginia Tec has been developed to compare the efficacy of various integrated weed management tactics before and after planting at reducing the impact of common troublesome weed species. Other universities of the Mid-Atlantic Region (Rutgers, West Virginia University, Penn State, University of Delaware, and University of Maryland) have also participated to this project.
A poster providing relative effectiveness of various integrated weed management tactics for summer annual crops is now available (https://agweedsci.spes.vt.edu/extension/publications/iwm.html) and will help growers identify the most effective tactics to manage weeds.
