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.
August 7, 2026 Amanda Quadrel and Maria Cramer
Vegetable IPM Update 8/7/26
Greetings from the Veg IPM team! Read more for the latest pest and disease updates.
August 7, 2026 Claudia Gil Arroyo
Farming Twilight Meeting
October 22, 2026
6:00PM – 8:30 PM
Location:
1076 Seahorse Winery
Seashore Road
Cape May NJ 08204
Program
6:00 PM – Registration / Light Refreshments
6:15 PM – Welcome – Claudia Gil Arroyo, County Agent III, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of
Cape May County; Rutgers NJAES
6:20 PM – James Shope, PhD., Assistant Extension Specialist in Climate Services
Department of Environmental Sciences, SEBS, New Brunswick; Rutgers NJAES
6:50 PM – Joseph Heckman, PhD., Extension Specialist – Soil Fertility, Department of Plant Biology, SEBS, New Brunswick; Rutgers NJAES
7:20 PM – David Hlubik, Burlington County Agent III, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of
Burlington County; Rutgers NJAES
7:50 PM – Patrick McMullen, County Agent III, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic
County; Commercial Vegetable Production; Rutgers NJAES
Light refreshments will be served.
The following pesticide recertification credits will be awarded:
Please RSVP by October 20, 2025:
Jocelyn Shillingford 609-465-5115 ext. 3607 or capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu
August 6, 2026 Kate Brown and Pete Nitzsche
Research Twilight Meeting for Vegetable Growers – RSVP by August 10
Join us for a Research Twilight Meeting at the picturesque Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm on Wednesday, August 12, 2026! Attendees will gain practical information on management of corn earworm and cucurbit downy mildew paired with timely reminders on resistance management. We will tour the research plots and share updates on the current research activities underway, including new technology (drones, biodegradable mulch, autonomous robots) and updates on the IR-4 and tomato breeding programs. See the full agenda below.
Pesticide recertification credits have been approved for CORE (1), PP2 (3), 1A (3), and 10 (3).
The meeting will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Arrive on time for a light dinner thanks to sponsorship from the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey. Please note the address of the farm is 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867.
We request that you RSVP by August 10 so we may plan for the meal and the number of wagons needed. To RSVP, please complete this form or contact Ashley Higgins at higgins@somersetcountynj.gov or 908-526-6293.
5:00 PM – Sign-In at Main Building, Load Wagon, Welcome Remarks
5:15 PM – Insecticide Resistance: Recognition and Management (30 min)
- Grayson Tung, Senior Coordinator, Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), Rutgers University
5:45 PM – Corn Earworm Management: Bt Corn Variety Trial & Alternative Insecticides (30 min)
- David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County
- Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
6:15 PM – Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Evaluation in Tomato (15 min)
- David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County
6:30 PM – Drone-Seeded Cover Crops into a Standing Pumpkin Crop (15 min)
- Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County
- Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County
6:45 PM – Cucurbit Downy Mildew: Monitoring and Management (30 min)
- Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
- Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers NJAES
- Stephen Komar, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County
- Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County
7:15 PM – Updates from the Scarlet Sunrise Tomato Breeding Program (15 min)
- Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County
7:30 PM – Organic, Interrow Weed Management in Bell Pepper: An Economic Comparison (15 min)
- Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County
- Meredith Melendez, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County
- Sophie Lee, Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, Rutgers NJAES
- Thierry Besanҫon, Extension Specialist in Weed Science for Specialty Crops, Rutgers NJAES
7:45 PM – Overview of the IR-4 Project and On-Site Trials (15 min)
- Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County
- Jennifer Fisher, Field Research Director, IR-4 Project, Rutgers University
8:00 PM – Return to Main Building, Sign Out, and Depart
August 5, 2026 David Hlubik and William Errickson
Pesticide Credits Assigned- Specialty Crop Twilight Meeting August 20
Pesticide credits have been assigned for this event:
CORE (1), PP2 (1), 1A (1), 10 (1)
Join us at the Rutgers Specialty Crop Research and Extension Station on Thursday August 20, 2026 for a Specialty Crop Twilight Meeting. The event will run from 5:30pm to 7:30pm and will be held at 283 Route 539, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514.
This event will be a great opportunity for growers to see a demonstration of eight biodegradable plastic mulches and various ornamental nursery crops in a field setting. The full agenda is below.
This event is free, but pre-registration is required:
Please RSVP by August 13th to reserve your spot:
Contact Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County
at 732-431-7260 or Catherine.vanBenschoten@co.monmouth.nj.us
5:30 PM – Sign-In, Light Dinner Served
5:55 PM – Welcome Remarks
6:00 PM – Pesticide Safety: Reading the Label and Selecting the Proper Product
David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County
6:30 PM – Biodegradable Plastic Mulch for Tomato Production (Field Tour)
David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County
7:00 PM – Blight Resistant Boxwoods and Alternative Shrubs (Field Tour)
William Errickson, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County
Special thanks to the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey for sponsoring dinner!
August 5, 2026 Meredith Melendez
Introduction to GAP Audit Prep – Online Training
GAPs for fruit and vegetable producers: GAP audit prep and food safety plan writing workshop
Presented by educators from University of Minnesota, Colorado State University, Kansas State University, and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. August 19th 9:30 – 2:30.
Using good food safety practices on your farm can reduce risks of foodborne illness, improve product quality and open new markets. Join national experts and experienced farmers for a deep dive into on-farm food safety practices you can use right now to reduce risks related to your fresh produce. The day will include practical guidance, tips and science-based best practices to ensure your produce is safe, fresh and wholesome. Register online. (registration form will indicate CST zone)
The course consists of two parts:
- The morning is the educational training on GAPs concepts on the farm
- The afternoon is preparing for and passing a GAP audit for your farm.
You can opt to attend just the morning, just the afternoon, or both sessions.
All attendees of the morning session will receive a certificate of attendance.
Morning: 9:30 – 1:30 EST: GAPs for fruit and vegetable farms
-Deep dive into best practices for the production and postharvest handling of fresh fruits and vegetables to reduce potential for contamination with foodborne pathogens
-Topics will include compost/manure use, water testing, safely washing vegetables, sanitizer use and guidelines, packing area designs and ideas, coolers, managing wildlife and pets, low-cost handwashing stands, employee training and more
-Time for questions and discussion about using the practices on your farm
Afternoon: 2:00 – 4:30 EST – Prepare for a GAP audit and write a food safety plan
-Do you want to prepare for and pass a GAP audit to sell your fresh produce to a buyer who requires it?
-The session will help cover the GAP audit process and your food safety plan so that you can pass an audit if needed.
-A farmer and educator from K-State will share what he has learned from years of passing GAP audits on his farm (costs, who to contact, what to expect), how to create a farm map, records, and reviewing the core aspects of a food safety plan. You will have all the information you need to prepare the needed documents for a GAPs audit.
-Note that the workshop will focus on the GAP/GHP audit, and will also provide information on the Harmonized GAP and the Harmonized GAP Plus+ audit.
