Organic Farm Advisory

The Plant & Pest Advisory serves NJ growers by reporting on important pests and recommending responses that are grounded in reproducible trials.

Articles in this section contain information helpful to the NJ commercial organic grower.

Sharing organic practice trial results between land-grant universities is a cost effective way to create a common knowledge base built on the strengths of individual programs. In the sidebar, find institutions with programs in organic agriculture which augment knowledge developed at the Rutgers New Jersey Ag Experiment Station.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension Field Guides: These concise guides help with decision making from pre-planting to harvest. For each crop listed, learn what pests to proactively look for as the season progresses, how to look for them, and when to take action.

Field Guide List

May 14, 2021

3rd Agritourism Webinar: Visitor Incidents and Media Communication

Kids riding in a tractorRutgers Cooperative Extension is working with other extension professionals in the northeastern states to deliver weekly, one-hour webinar programming for agritourism and on-farm direct market operators. The 3rd session will focus on what to do in the event of an confrontation, accident, or injury, and how to communicate with the media in a crisis. Registration is being handled through the University of Vermont. See information below to join the webinars. There are separate registrations for each event. 

Session 3: What to Do when Something Goes Wrong, Incident Response and Media Relations, When: May 18, 2021 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time. Presenters: Bill Bamka, Stephen Komar, Bill Hlubik, Rutgers Cooperative Extension – Register HERE

Session 4: Liability Insurance, When: May 25, 2021 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern Time. Presenter will be an insurance agent from VT:  – Register HERE

Recorded past sessions will be posted to this website if you missed any sessions: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/vtagritourism/safety-and-liability-farms-during-covid-19

To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Christi Sherlock at 802-476-2003 or Christi.Sherlock@uvm.edu for assistance.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Organic Production, Strawberry, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
May 12, 2021

Vegetable IPM Update 5/12/21

Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel have re-established the black light trap network in New Jersey.  With very cool evening temperatures, no corn earworm (CEW) and very few European corn borer (ECB) moths have been captured.  As numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 5/12/21 are as follows:

Jones Island   1

Milltown   1

Woodstown   1

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 11, 2021

Resuming In-Person RCE Programming – A Guide for Attendees

Rutgers Cooperative Extension has announced the resumption of in-person programming beginning this month. Extension professionals across all program areas have the option to offer in-person programming, limited at this time to outdoor events with no more than 25 total in attendance. This includes farm and field visits, twilight meetings, and pesticide applicator recertification events. Resuming in-person events doesn’t mean that online or hybrid events will end; both are essential tools for successful RCE programming.

These RCE guidelines and expectations are for all participants to follow to attend these events:

Voluntary Participation – Participation at in-person RCE activities is completely voluntary – there is no requirement for attendance.

Health Screening Form – Attendees will be required to bring a completed RCE Health Screening Form, which can be be accessed at https://go.rutgers.edu/RCE.healthform. Once completed, please take a screenshot of the big green checkmark or print out a copy to show when you arrive before being allowed to attend.

Face Masks – Every participant will be required to wear a face mask / covering over their mouth and nose at all times. Arrive wearing your mask, and make sure to keep it in place during the entire event.

Physical Distancing – Everyone will be required to practice physical distancing, staying at least 6 feet apart.

Hygiene & Sanitation – Everyone who attends is expected to practice good hygiene habits. Participants should wash or sanitize their hands when they arrive and before they leave, and as needed throughout the activity. You are encouraged to bring your own hand sanitizer to limit shared surfaces.

What to Bring With You – Food will not be provided and sharing food is not permitted. Make sure to bring your own refreshments, filled water bottle, tools/equipment, notebook and writing tool, camp chair, etc. depending on the event you’re attending.

All participants are expected to follow these rules and procedures to help make every RCE in-person event safe and enjoyable for everyone. Please be sure to check the NJAES Calendar of Events and the RCE office in your county for upcoming events.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
May 5, 2021

IPM Update 5/05/21

Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel are currently finishing deployment of the black light trap network in New Jersey.  At present, we are approximately 80% operational and will begin to monitor traps by the end of this week.  We do not anticipate corn earworm (CEW) or  European corn borer (ECB) moths for some time yet, but as numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
April 27, 2021

Agritourism and On-Farm Direct Marketing Webinar Series Begins Tuesday, May 4th

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is working with other extension professionals in the northeastern states to deliver weekly, one-hour webinar programming for agritourism and on-farm direct market operators each Tuesday in May until the first week in June. We are announcing the first session and will post the registration information for more sessions soon. Registration is being handled through the University of Vermont. See information below to join the first webinar. 

Session 1: Getting Ready for Pick-Your-Own — Do’s and Don’ts for the Upcoming Season
Tuesday, May 4, 4:00-5:00pm Eastern time
No charge but you must register in advance.
Register for FREE HERE
People picking berries
Join growers and ag service providers from the Northeast for an interactive discussion about what is working and what is not as we prepare to open our farms to visitors for the upcoming pick-your-own season. The berries are ripening and the Covid-19 pandemic is evolving – what does that mean for PYO visitor management this season? What did you do last year that you’ll continue and what will be different this season?

Featuring:
-Deb Colitas from Valley Fruits & Veggies in the Lehigh Valley of PA
-Claudia Schmidt from Penn State Extension
-Lisa Chase from University of Vermont Extension
-And YOU! Come ready to share your PYO questions and experiences managing visitors.

This is the first agritourism/on-farm direct marketing zoom session in a series that will cover several topics for farms open to visitors through the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Other sessions will be held on consecutive Tuesdays on May 11, 18, 25, and June 1. For more programs and information see the Rutgers NJAES Events Calendar. 

Session 2: Agritourism Operation Checklists and Self-Assessment During the Pandemic, When: May 11, 2021 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time – Register HERE

Session 3: What to Do when Something Goes Wrong, Incident Response and Media Relations, When: May 18, 2021 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time – Register HERE

Session 4: Liability Insurance, When: May 25, 2021 12:00-1:00 PM Eastern Time – Register HERE

To request a disability-related accommodation to participate in this program, please contact Christi Sherlock at 802-476-2003 or Christi.Sherlock@uvm.edu for assistance.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
April 21, 2021

Allium leaf miner update: 04/21/21

Allium Leaf Miner

Allium leaf miner (ALM) feeding/egg laying scars continue to increase in chive plantings near Milford, Hunterdon County and Lawrenceville, Mercer County as of this Tuesday.  Chives in home gardens in central Morris County and southern Cape May County were also found to be infested this past weekend, with adults actively flying in plants.  The first (spring) flight of these flies appears well underway.  Yellow sticky cards have captured low, but consistent (range 1-5/card/week) numbers of adults in Hunterdon and Mercer County plantings.  Foliar insecticide applications temporarily suppress catches on the cards.  Growers throughout the state should assume there is egg laying activity in their area currently.

Damaged plantGrowers should consider initiating (continuing) the control method of their choice at this time.  Affected crops include chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks.  Look for neat rows of white spots descending from the upper tips of allium leaves (see photo at left).  Initial injury often occurs on the tallest leaves.  Under warmer, less breezy conditions, adults may be seen near the tips of leaves (see photo of adults at lower right).  Click on photos to enlarge the images.

Floating row covers, kept on until this flight ends will help minimize access to plants.  Insecticide applications targeting adults may be helpful as well, although weekly sprays have not stopped foliar injury.  Spinosyn materials (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Warrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom), the diamide Exirel (section 2ee recommendation) and the insect growth regulator Trigard are labeled for  leaf miner control.Damaged plant

Adult activity and observations of feeding will be reported on in the IPM Update as they occur.  At this time, all growers should continue to respond to the first adult generation.  We will attempt to identify the end of the first flight so that growers know when the risk of infestation has abated.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,