- No reports of Late blight in region. Late blight was reported in tomato and potato in western NY with no immediate threat to New Jersey. To track the progress of Late blight in the US please click here.
- Cucurbit downy mildew remains active on cucumber and cantaloupe in New Jersey. There have been no reports of CDM in other cucurbit crops in the region to date. For a review of CDM control please click here. To track the progress of CDM on your phone or PC please visit the CDM forecasting website.
- Cucurbit powdery mildew (CPM) season continues. Growers should continue regular fungicide programs to help maintain foliage through harvest. For a review of CPM control strategies please click here.
- All cucurbit plantings that are no longer in production should be destroyed immediately after the last harvest by mowing or with herbicide to reduce the risk of harboring of CDM, CPM, and virus.
- Alternaria and Cercospora leaf blights have been reported in carrot plantings.
- Bacterial leaf blight has been reported in collards.
- Pepper anthracnose is still active in southern New Jersey and is a serious problem in all bell and non-bell peppers, especially in fields with a history of the disease. For more information on controlling pepper anthracnose please click here.
- Bacterial leaf spot is still extremely active in in bell and non-bell peppers. For more information on BLS and copper resistance please click here.
- Basil downy mildew (BDM) remains active. All growers are encouraged to initiate preventative fungicide programs on DMR and non-DMR basil. For control options and to follow the progress of BDM in the US on your phone or PC please click here.
- With the on and off again heavy rains we have been getting, all growers should consider applying at-transplanting fungicides for root rot control in fall crops. Please click here to see these articles.
- For more information on the control of the diseases mentioned above please see The 2020/2021 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide which is available for free online! With many county offices running reduced hours or being closed this is the easiest way to obtain the newest recommendations.
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.
Subscriptions are available via EMAIL and RSS.
Quick Links:
NJ Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations
Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.
Vegetable Disease Update – 9/14/20
Ask the Agent Fall Series
“Ask the Ag Agent” was created in spring 2020, when COVID-19 forced a new normal in communications nationwide. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents working with “Ask the Ag Agent” education and outreach are committed to the agriculture industry and all interested in growing plants, raising livestock and essential resources related to agriculture. The program will now continue beginning on Wednesday, September 16th and run every-other Wednesday in September and October.
Farmers and others are welcome to join this bi-weekly teleconference each Wednesday night from 7:00pm-8:00pm. Weekly events are hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents working with the farming industry.
This call-in/WebEx event features updates on farm management, crop conditions, farm industry observations, agricultural agency programs and other topics discussed by farmers, agricultural agents and other agricultural service providers.
Hosted by Agricultural Agents Bill Bamka, Stephen Komar, Michelle Infante-Casella and Meredith Melendez, this bi-weekly communication provides a forum for discussion for farmers and all involved in NJ agriculture, including agricultural agency personnel, non-profit organizations and others.
This event and other events hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension can be found on the Rutgers NJAES Events website.
To join the “Ask the Ag Agent” forum each week on a computer/tablet/smartphone via the WebEx Videoconference use the link:
“Ask the Ag Agent” was created in spring 2020, when COVID-19 forced a new normal in communications nationwide. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents working with “Ask the Ag Agent” education and outreach are committed to the agriculture industry and all interested in growing plants, raising livestock and essential resources related to agriculture. The program will now continue beginning on Wednesday, September 16th and run every-other Wednesday in September and October.
Farmers and others are welcome to join this bi-weekly teleconference each Wednesday night from 7:00pm-8:00pm. Weekly events are hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents working with the farming industry.
This call-in/WebEx event features updates on farm management, crop conditions, farm industry observations, agricultural agency programs and other topics discussed by farmers, agricultural agents and other agricultural service providers.
Hosted by Agricultural Agents Bill Bamka, Stephen Komar, Michelle Infante-Casella and Meredith Melendez, this bi-weekly communication provides a forum for discussion for farmers and all involved in NJ agriculture, including agricultural agency personnel, non-profit organizations and others.
This event and other events hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension can be found on the Rutgers NJAES Events website.
To join the “Ask the Ag Agent” forum each week on a computer/tablet/smartphone via the WebEx Videoconference click here
Join by phone
+1-650-429-3300 passcode 1202639477##
Vegetable IPM Update 9/09/20
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) adults continue to be very low, and no map will appear in this edition.
Fall armyworm (FAW) larval infestations are at fairly low levels. Infestations generally are in the single digits to below 20%, and with few plantings in the whorl stage at this point in the season, FAW shouldn’t become a widespread economic problem. However, growers should be alert to the possibility of infestations on the last of their late plantings. Injury from newly hatched larvae shows up as “window panes” or areas where leaf tissue has been eaten down the the lower epidermis. This injury leads down into the whorl. As larvae gain size, they begin to consume leaf tissue in its’ entirety, creating ragged holes and lots of droppings. FAW can be tough to manage because it is resistant to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides (IRAC 3A) and because larvae are often covered by their own droppings, making contact with the insecticide more difficult. Treat when 12% or more plants exhibit FAW injury alone, or in combination with ECB injury.
Corn earworm (CEW) moth captures have decreased slightly over the past week. This is likely due to several nights with temperatures dropping into the low 60s and even 50s F. The decline is representative of lower adult activity, and growers should consider this pest to still be at moderately high population levels in the state. The current population poses a significant risk to silking corn. The reduction in CEW catch was not enough to substantially change this weeks map from last week (see map at left). Green areas on this map representing a 3-day spray schedule. For further information on CEW activity, see pheromone trap information below.
The highest nightly trap catches of CEW in black light traps for the week ending 9/09/20 are as follows:
Downer 7 | Bellemeade 4 | Chester 3 |
Denville 6 | Green Creek 4 | Crosswicks 3 |
Georgetown 5 | Morristown 4 | Farmingdale 3 |
New Egypt 5 | Sergeantsville 4 | Long Valley 3 |
Vegetable IPM Update 9/02/20
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) adults continue to be very low, and no map will appear in this edition.
Fall armyworm (FAW) larval infestations have declined to fairly low levels. Infestations generally are in the single digits to below 20%, but FAW could increase dramatically with the arrival of storms, resulting in significant injury to whorl and even seedling stage corn. Injury from newly hatched larvae shows up as “window panes” or areas where leaf tissue has been eaten down the the lower epidermis. This injury leads down into the whorl. As larvae gain size, they begin to consume leaf tissue in its’ entirety, creating ragged holes and lots of droppings. FAW can be tough to manage because it is resistant to synthetic pyrethroid insecticides (IRAC 3A) and because larvae are often covered by their own droppings, making contact with the insecticide more difficult. Treat when 12% or more plants exhibit FAW injury alone, or in combination with ECB injury.
Corn earworm (CEW) moth captures increased through late last week, and then declined in the past 4 nights due to cooler temperatures. This decline may be temporary, as we get into warmer weather late this week and into the weekend. The current population poses a significant risk to silking corn. Catches remain somewhat variable (see map at left), with green areas on this map representing a 3-day spray schedule. For further information on CEW activity, see pheromone trap information below.
The highest nightly trap catches of CEW in black light traps for the week ending 9/02/20 are as follows:
Downer 14 | Farmingdale 6 | Medford 4 |
Elm 9 | Haackettstown 6 | New Egypt 4 |
Green Creek 9 | Georgetown 5 | Princeton 4 |
Bellemeade 7 | Sergeantsville 5 | Tabernacle 4 |
Reflex 2SL received a 24(c) SLN label for transplanted peppers and tomatoes
A 24(c) Special Local Needs label has been recently approved for New Jersey for use of Reflex herbicide for Control of Weeds in Transplanted Tomatoes and Transplanted Peppers. The use of Reflex 2SL is legal ONLY if a waiver of liability has been completed on the Syngenta website (https://www.syngenta-us.com/labels/indemnified-label-login).
Reflex is a selective preemergence herbicide for broadleaf weed control with both soil and foliar activity, but it is only labeled for preemergence use in transplanted peppers and tomatoes. The active ingredient in Reflex is fomesafen, a PPO inhibitor and the only herbicide in this family labeled for peppers and tomatoes. Broadleaved weeds are the main targetted species of this herbicide, that also activity on nutsedge. Expect excellent control of pigweed, (including Palmer amaranth), common ragweed, nightshade, and common purslane, acceptable control of common lambsquarters, morningglories and galinsoga, and suppression of field bindweed and nutsedge at the rate labeled for transplanted tomatoes and peppers. Use of a surfactant will improves postemergence control of susceptible annual broadleaf weeds. Note that annual grasses and some annual broadleaf weeds, including spurred anoda or horseweed, will NOT be controlled by Reflex 2SL.
[Read more…]
Reminder: Considerations for Agritourism Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic, last Webinar Tonight
Please join us for the 2nd webinar to discuss our resource, “Considerations for Agritourism Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Time: Sep 1, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
To Join on Zoom:
https://go.rutgers.edu/sfk96jlp
Meeting ID: 912 2343 8378
Password: 636141
Join By Phone
+1-646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 912 2343 8378
If you have any questions, please email the host group:
Michelle Infante-Casella’s email: minfante@njaes.rutgers.edu
Bill Bamka’s email: bamka@njaes.rutgers.edu
Steve Komar’s email: komar@njaes.rutgers.edu
Meredith Melendez’s email: melendez@njaes.rutgers.edu
Rick VanVranken’s email: vanvranken@njaes.rutgers.edu