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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September 2, 2021

National Farm Safety and Health Week: September 19-25, 2021

Flyer for NFSHW 2021 Webinars

NFSHW webinars to be held 9/20-9/24/2021. Click here to register.

September precedes one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year in agriculture – fall harvest time. For this reason, National Farm Safety and Health Week (NFSHW) is recognized annually during the third week of September. The theme this year is “Farm Safety Yields Real Results”.

AgriSafe will host two FREE webinars each day during NFSHW to highlight new technology, discuss incident prevention, and inform your decision-making and conversations. The webinars will feature discussion on each of the daily topics. Visit The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety website to register (scroll down to ‘Webinars’). Note that the webinar times are posted for Central Daylight Time.

Take an active role in keeping yourself and others safe this harvest season. Plan to join in on a webinar, encourage others to do the same, and take to social media to spread the message: “Farm Safety Yields Real Results”. Stay tuned to the Rutgers Agriculture and Natural Resources Facebook page for content to share each day during NFSHW!

 

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
September 2, 2021

Food Safety for Flooded Farms

Flood waters can carry microbial and chemical contaminants that can be harmful to humans.  Food crops should be assessed to determine if they have been affected by flooding surface water sources including rivers, lakes, or streams.  These waters are the highest risk for contaminants.  The biggest question to ask is has the edible portion of the crop been exposed to these waters?  There is no way to ensure that food crops that have come in contact with contaminated flood waters are safe to eat.  Food crops that have been exposed to flood waters should be destroyed so they do not enter market channels.  For more information and guidance on how to handle crops and fields that have been flooded visit the Produce Safety Alliance Food Safety for Flooded Farms resource.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
September 1, 2021

Vegetable IPM Update 09/01/21

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 09/01/21 are as follows:

Asbury   1 Hillsborough   1 Sergeantsville   1
Califon   1 Milford   1
Georgetown   1 New Egypt   1

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
September 1, 2021

New Jersey Department of Agriculture Expands Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Zone

New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher announced the Department has added five counties to the spotted lanternfly quarantine zone. The counties new to the list are Morris, Monmouth, Middlesex, Essex, and Union. They join the previously announced quarantine counties of Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Salem, Somerset, and Warren.

Business entities that routinely travel in and out of the quarantine area are required to take, and pass, free training regarding the spotted lanternfly at https://bit.ly/3mDGv2d. Those businesses that interact exclusively in New Jersey’s quarantine zone must comply with the details outlined in the quarantine order. The quarantine also allows access to property for Department, USDA, or USDA contracted agents where the spotted lanternfly is suspected or confirmed so that the property can be evaluated and treated, if necessary.

The full press release from NJDA can be found at: https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/news/press/2021/approved/press210830.html

For additional information on spotted lanternfly, visit:

Rutgers NJAES Spotted Lanternfly Website https://njaes.rutgers.edu/spotted-lanternfly/

NJDA Spotted Lanternfly Business Resources Website: https://www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/pests-diseases/spotted-lanternfly/business-resources/

 

 

 

Filed Under: Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
August 27, 2021

Cucurbit Downy Mildew Alert – Pumpkin – 8/27/21

Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on pumpkin in Morris County, New Jersey. This is the first report of CDM on pumpkin in the state and region this growing season. CDM was confirmed on cucumber and cantaloupe earlier this summer. Growers should scout all cucurbit crops on a daily basis and initiate a preventative fungicide program. Remember, some CDM isolates fall into Clade II which predominately infect cucumber and cantaloupe, where Clade I isolates predominately infect watermelon, pumpkin, and squash.

For more information on CDM, the clades, and CDM control please click here.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
August 25, 2021

Vegetable IPM Update 08/25/21

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

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops