Greetings from the Veg IPM team! Read more for the latest pest and disease updates.
Vegetable Crops Edition
Seasonal updates and alerts on insects, diseases, and weeds impacting vegetable crops. New Jersey Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations updates between annual publication issues are included.
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NJ Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations
Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.
July 3, 2026 Amanda Quadrel and Maria Cramer
Vegetable IPM Update 7/3/26
Greetings from the Veg IPM team! We hope everyone is staying cool in these extreme temperatures as we move into July. Read more for the latest pest and disease updates.
July 1, 2026 Maria Cramer and Amanda Quadrel
Pepper weevil alert 07/01/2026
This week we saw our first pepper weevil of the season in Hammonton NJ. It’s a good idea to be on the lookout for pepper weevil — read more to learn what to look for. [Read more…]
July 1, 2026 Wes Kline
High Temperatures and Effect on Tomato Pollination and Fruit Set
We are in a period of high temperatures which will result in poor pollination, blossom drop or poor fruit set. Day temperatures over 90F and night temperatures over 70F reduce fruit set. In fact, three hours at 104F on two consecutive days will result in poor fruit set. These temperatures may sound high, but if the tomatoes are grown in high tunnels without shade and outside temperatures are in the high 90’s it could be in the 100’s inside the tunnel. Good air flow and shade cloth can help reduce the temperature. The tunnel should have roll up sides and if possible, have the ends open.
Look at the joint just below the flower for a swollen yellow area followed by yellowing to the flower as an indicator of poor pollination. At high temperatures applying a product to encourage pollination will not be beneficial.
July 1, 2026 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease Update – 7/1/26
There have been reports of southern blight caused by Athelia rolfsii (formerly Sclerotium rolfsii) in tomato and pepper in southern New Jersey. For more information on Southern blight and Timber rot please click here.
Phytophthora blight has been reported on multiple crops in New Jersey.
There have been no reports of cucurbit downy mildew in New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic region. CDM has been reported as far north as southern Georgia on cantaloupe and cucumber to date. To follow the progress of CDM in the US please visit the CDMpipe website here.
Bacterial leaf spot in pepper has been reported.
Resistance-breaking strains of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (RB-TSWV) have been reported in southern New Jersey. Please click here for more information on TSWV.
Please follow our weekly Vegetable IPM Updates to stay current on insect pests and vegetable diseases throughout the growing season!
For more information on these diseases and their control please see the NEW 2026/2027 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide.
June 30, 2026 Kate Brown
Dangerous Heat: Actions to Stay Safe
Dangerous heat will impact NJ and the region this week, with maximum air temperatures Wednesday to Saturday forecasted to reach the mid-90s to 105 degrees. The heat index, which factors in relative humidity, is expected to soar as high as 110 degrees. As a result, an Extreme Heat Warning has been issued for the majority of NJ (Wednesday to Saturday) with an Extreme Heat Watch being issued for the counties of Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland (Thursday to Saturday).
Precautions must be taken to prevent heat-related illnesses among the agricultural workforce:
Adjust work schedules and discontinue outdoor work during the hottest parts of the day.
- You can utilize the OSHA/NIOSH Heat Safety Tool (phone app) for site-specific heat indices to aid planning.
- Remember: heat index is measured in the shade and does not factor in the effect of work in direct sunlight.
- Reduce workload intensity by increasing the number of workers per task, rotating jobs, and increasing the frequency of breaks.
- Train everyone on the farm to recognize and respond to signs of heat-related illness in themselves and others.
- Reinforce training with signage such as this informative ‘Prevent Heat Illness at Work’ poster from OSHA which is available in English, as well as Spanish.
- Keep hydrated! Cool water should always be available to everyone. Drink water constantly including before, during, and after work and encourage others to do the same. Sports drinks are generally not necessary when you drink ample water and eat regular meals.
- Select light-colored, breathable clothing and a wide-brimmed hat. Your clothing must allow for rapid evaporation of sweat – the body’s mechanism for cooling.
Take extreme caution over the next several days to safeguard yourself and others from heat-related illnesses. For more resources on preventing heat-related illness among the agricultural workforce, visit our Heat Stress and Agriculture website.
