Rutgers Cooperative Extension
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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Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) moths are still appearing in several locations, but numbers remain very low, and feeding has only occasionally been reported. ECB population maps will resume if second flight catches rise to high enough numbers.
The highest nightly blacklight trap catches of ECB for the week ending 08/25/21 are as follows:
| Bellemeade 1 | Farmingdale 1 | Hillsborough 1 |
| Centerton 1 | Flanders 1 | Old Bridge 1 |
| Downer 1 | Green Creek 1 | South Branch 1 |
The Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act is now fully implemented. This means that one person from an operation who sells over $25,000 in fresh produce needs to attend a training course. There are some exemptions and modifications to the rule, but the best way to find out is to attend the course. We will have the next online training September 15 and 16 if 10 people register by September 1. The preregistration is required since training material must be sent to each participant prior to the training. Visit our website to register.
Produce Safety Training:
The Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in § 112.22(c) that requires ‘At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under the standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration’. This is the only training recognized by the FDA at this time!
Fruit and vegetables growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management of natural resources and food safety should also attend this training.
What to Expect at the PSA Grower Training Course?
This is approximately a seven-hour course to cover these seven modules:
In addition to learning about produce safety best practices, parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module and are included in the grower manual provided. There is time for questions and discussion, so participants are encouraged to share their experiences and produce safety questions.
Benefits of Attending the Course
The course provides a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management information, FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and details on how to develop a farm food safety plan. Individuals who participate in this course are expected to gain a basic understanding of:
After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive an AFDO certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to the trainers at the end of the course.
Inspections:
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) began inspections for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for operations over $500,000. The other size operations will also be delayed by one year i.e. 2020 for small operations and 2021 for very small operations. The first inspections will be educational with the NJDA evaluating the farming operation. This will give the grower an opportunity to see what the NJDA considers area where improvement may be needed. After the inspection NJDA may do another inspection with possible enforcement in the future.
Powdery mildew, Alternaria and Cercospora are three important fungal foliar pathogens that can cause early defoliation in carrots, thus reducing yields and making harvest difficult. Each pathogen produces distinct symptoms. [Read more…]
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) moths are still appearing in several locations, but numbers remain very low, and feeding has only occasionally been reported. ECB population maps will resume if second flight catches rise to high enough numbers.
The highest nightly blacklight trap catches of ECB for the week ending 08/18/21 are as follows:
| Bellemeade 1 | Milford 1 |
| Downer 1 | New Egypt 1 |
| Medford 1 | Oldwick 1 |
For over a decade, basil downy mildew (BDM) has caused significant losses in basil grown in organic and conventional field and greenhouse production across the United States. At the time of its introduction, there were very few fungicides labeled for its control making it nearly impossible to grow a successful crop in many areas of the country. [Read more…]
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) moths have been captured at more locations over the past week, but numbers remain very low, and feeding has rarely risen to detectable levels. ECB population maps will resume if second flight catches rise to high enough numbers.
The highest nightly blacklight trap catches of ECB for the week ending 08/11/21 are as follows:
| Califon 1 | Jones Island 1 | South Branch 1 |
| Crosswicks 1 | Medford 1 | |
| Downer 1 | New Egypt 1 |
