Peach:
Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM): The 3rd OFM flight is well underway in all counties. These adults produce 3rd brood of larvae, which primarily infest the fruit.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
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Peach:
Oriental Fruit Moth (OFM): The 3rd OFM flight is well underway in all counties. These adults produce 3rd brood of larvae, which primarily infest the fruit.
Have you seen this Insect?
Some people may think it is a moth but it’s really a plant hopper known as the spotted lanternfly, Lycorma deliculata (White) and is a member of the order Hemiptera, family Fulgoridae.
Spotted Lanternfly adult. Adults are about 1″ long
Its normal distribution is in eastern Asia, China, India, and Vietnam and has been found in Japan and South Korea. The adults are large (~1” long) and quite colorful with a black head, grayish black spotted forewings and reddish black spotted hind wings.
Young juveniles are black with white spots and as they get older they become red and black with white spots.
Spotted lanterfly nymph. Nymphs are black with red markings and white dots. Do not confuse them with BMSB nymphs which do not have spots and have white banding on the antennae.
Egg masses are brownish grey and generally laid on bark in early fall and appear like a smudge of mud. Egg masses are 1-1.5” long and ½ – ¾ “ wide and survive the winter.
The spotted lanternfly is known to feed on more than 70 plant species including cultivated grapes, fruit trees, and hardwood trees. One tree of particular importance is Ailatus altissima (P. Mill) or the “Tree of Heaven”.
Tree of Heaven
Tree of Heaven typically grows in sunny areas along highways or disturbed habitat in clumps such as along farm edges. The Spotted Lanternfly must feed on Tree of Heaven to survive. Spotted Lanternfly has a sucking mouthpart and produces significant amounts of excess sugar from the plant sap, known as “honey dew”, during feeding. Honeydew can block sunlight absorption and reduce plant growth. We are concerned about this insect becoming established in New Jersey grape vineyards. In grapes, the honeydew produced during feeding is difficult to wash off and can reduce grape quality and perhaps growth. A 2015 and 2016 of 9 vineyards within southern New Jersey by the fruit entomology lab did not observe any spotted lanternfly adults or nymphs. However, in Pennsylvania, adults and nymphs were found in commercial vineyards in 2016 in Chardonnay, Concord, and Niagara plantings, although populations were low. Vineyard rows neighboring forested edges are at highest risk.
Egg mass
Additional information regarding this insect can be found at:
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
If you think you seen or collected a spotted lanternfly please report it the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the Department of Entomology at the Rutgers University School of Environmental and Biological Sciences by emailing slanternfly@njaes.rutgers.edu. This post was written by Anne L Nielsen and George C. Hamilton from the Department of Entomology.
Picture 1 – Virginia creeper vine
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a perennial woody vine that climbs on other objects or trails along the ground. It is a common weed of orchards, vineyards and blueberry plantation. It is best identified by the typical palmate leaf with 5 leaflets that originate from the same point (picture 1). Virginia creeper will produce many tendrils with adhesive disks at their tips that will allow the vine to climb upward and to attach to any support. It can grow under a wide range of conditions including dry sandy or moist organic soils, sunny or shady sites, and is tolerant to high salinity. Plants will often establish through seeds dropped by birds who consumed the small blue berries in fall, but also by the spread of crawling stems that will produce new roots in contact with soil (picture 2). Virginia creeper is often confused with Poison-Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). However, poison-ivy has 3 leaflets instead of 5 for Virginia creeper and lacks the tendrils and adhesive disks.
As a perennial weed, Virginia creeper will be tough to control as it can easily regrow after foliar injury from its extensive underground root system. When established, Virginia creeper will most often not be controlled with a single herbicide application, and multiple applications will be necessary to achieve acceptable control. Only nonselective postemergence herbicide (glyphosate) must be used to suppress or control this weed. In order to increase the efficiency of postemergence applications during the growing season, remove the vine from their support during winter pruning and lay it on the ground or plan a “cut stump” treatment during the growing season. Do NOT “prune out” the vine during the dormant season.
Picture 2 – Virginia creeper rooting stem
Spot treatment. Glyphosate may be applied in mid- to late summer after vine flowers in early July until the first signs of fall color appear in the foliage. Good growth and maximum leaf area is needed at the time of herbicide application during the summer. Wet a minimum of 50 percent of the weed foliage with a 1% glyphosate solution (1.25 oz of 4.5lb acid material per gallon of water) for effective control. For best control, don’t apply on stressed/wilted weeds.
Cut stump treatment. Best results are often obtained in late summer and early fall, but before fall color is observed in the foliage. Apply a 1% glyphosate solution to the cambial areas (inner bark area) of the stump of woody plants IMMEDIATELY after cutting. Cut and treat stumps only when the Virginia creeper is actively growing and not under stress.
WARNING. Injury due to root grafting may occur in adjacent plants. Do not treat cut stumps if there is a possibility of root grafting to desirable vegetation. Do NOT allow contact with green bark, trunk wounds, leaves, or root suckers of blueberry bushes.
The mention of trade names and rates is for educational purposes and does not imply endorsement by the author or the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. Always defer to the product label for instructions on properly applying an herbicide.
Grape:
Grape Berry Moth (GBM): The timing for second generation treatments in Gloucester County and surrounding areas will be on 6/21 to 6/22. Grape berry moth is the most common insect in NJ vineyards that will directly damage the fruit (See Figure 1.) This timing is for the use of Intrepid, Altacor, and Delegate. If you are using other products like Danitol, Baythroid, Brigade, or Imidan, then you can make the application a few days later. This timing is calculated for 810 degree days (base 47) after wild grape bloom, which was May 16.
North Jersey: May 23, 5:30 PM @ Terhune Orchard Winery, 330 Cold Soil Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540
South Jersey: May 24, 5:30 PM @ White Horse Winery, 106 Hall St, Hammonton, NJ 08037 [Read more…]
The NJ Dept. of Ag, Rutgers NJAES, Allied Recycling, and the Cumberland County Solid Waste Complex are offering October dates for free plastic pesticide container recycling disposal. These are offered to agricultural, professional, and commercial applicators holding a NJDEP Pesticide Applicators License. State, county and municipal government agencies may also participate.
Dates and locations are listed below. Questions? Contact:
Roberta C. Lang, New Jersey Department of Agriculture
Div. of Ag and Natural Resources, Phone: 609.292.2242
[Read more…]