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 30, 2020

Tips for Renewal of NJDEP Private Pesticide Applicators Licenses

RecieptRutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents have been receiving questions from farmers on what to do with the renewal applications they recently received from NJDEP Pesticide Control Program. The invoice may be somewhat confusing. So here are a few tips to help.

1. The $0.00 Amount Due is correct on the invoice. Farmers with a “Private” applicator licenses do not pay for licenses and renewals. So you do not need to send any payment and in the box where it says “enter the amount of your payment” enter $0.00.

2. The best way to complete this renewal is not to mail in the form, but instead renew online. CLICK HERE to renew your license online. YOU WILL NEED YOUR PAPERWORK WITH YOUR “INVOICE NUMBER”. Do not use the NJEMS Bill ID number, instead find the invoice number above.

It would be a good idea to print the screen with the confirmation that you renewed online, since the system does not send you an email confirmation. The screen also states, “License generation may take a few weeks”. So, please be patient and if you need to use your license number, continue to use the same number on your expired license for recertification credits, as your license number will not change. It also says to not send the paper forms once you did your online submission. See photo to the below for an example of the confirmation screen you will see when renewing online.Website

3. If you must mail the renewal, here are some TIPS:

a. You will need to provide your own envelope and a stamp when mailing back the forms.

b. Also, the form may be confusing since the bottom tab to return says to mail to Treasurer-State of New Jersey, while the “Reminder” section says to mail forms/letters to NJDEP Licensing and Registrations.

c. Do not mail the bottom tab and other information for renewal of your Private Pesticide license to NJDEP. It is to be mailed to the NJ Department of Treasury – as stated on the return portion at the bottom of the first page.

d. Fill out page 2 and check to see if all your information is correct on page 2. Do not forget to sign and date the bottom of page 2 before mailing with your “payment” tab from page 1.

e. It may be best to send these forms in using USPS “Certified Mail” or UPS or FEDEX to track that it was received. Your pesticide license is very important for your business and you would want to verify it was received.

If you need more assistance with pesticide licenses, contact the NJDEP. Contact information in the photo below.Zoom in of a reciept

Best wishes and we hope this information is helpful in renewing your NJDEP Private Pesticide Applicators License.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Nursery, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: ,
September 30, 2020

Vegetable Disease Update – 9/30/20

  • Rhizoctonia root rot and leaf spots have been reported in fall transplanted strawberry. All growers are encouraged to be proactive in controlling these diseases as fall approaches. For more information on controlling important diseases in strawberry please click here.
  • Sand blasting has been reported on a number of leafy green and other crops these past few weeks. Injury from sand blasting predisposes plants to bacterial infections. Remember, all bacteria need a wound or a natural opening, such as a stomata, to gain entry into the plant. Fields with extensive injury need to be scouted regularly, and most likely will need to be sprayed regularly with a copper fungicide or disinfectant-type product to help mitigate infection and spread.
  • With the extremely wet weather coming across New Jersey on a regular basis, all growers are encouraged to scout fields on a regular basis and remain proactive in mitigating foliar diseases in leafy green and other fall planted crops.
  • Downy mildew has been reported on collards and kale.
  • Black rot has been reported on cabbage and broccoli.
  • Cercospora leaf blight has been reported on beet.
  • Alternaria and Cercospora have been reported on spinach.
  • 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.
Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
September 30, 2020

Understanding root rots in fall-seeded and transplanted crops

Damping-off is caused by a number of important vegetable pathogens and is very common at seeding and transplanting in spring and fall. Damping-off can kill seedlings before they break the soil line (pre-emergent damping-off) or kill seedlings soon after they emerge (post-emergent damping-off) or soon after transplanting. Common pathogens that cause damping-off include Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium spp.

It is extremely important to know which pathogen is causing the damping-off problem and which fungicide to properly apply.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
September 30, 2020

Vegetable IPM Update 9/30/20

Note:  Next week (10/07/20) will be the final regular edition of the Vegetable IPM Update for 2020.  We will post alerts should special pest situations arise.

Sweet Corn

Corn earworm (CEW) moth captures continue to decline, although with temporary increases on warm nights.    Growers should consider this pest to still be at moderate population levels in the state, with higher risk during stretches of warmer nights.   The current population poses a significant risk to silking corn.  Green areas on this map (see map at left)   represent a 3-day spray schedule.  However, night temperatures in the 40 to low 50 F range, may permit the extension of that spray interval by a day.  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 9/30/20 are as follows:

Hackettstown   3 Eldora   2 Matawan   1
Allamuchy   2 Sergeantsville   2 Medford   1
Bellemeade   2 Califon   1 Oldwick   1
Clinton   2 Downer   1 South Branch   1

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
September 30, 2020

COVID-19: NJDEP Updates 2020 and 2021 Pesticide Certification & Licensing

[September 28, 2020]. Due to the continued COVID-19 public health emergency, the NJDEP has issued three new or revised alerts on pesticide certification and licensing: 1) paper license delays; 2)  examination resumption ; and 3) online CEU exemptions. These alerts are excerpted in whole below, and have been posted to NJDEP Licensing and Registrations – […]
Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
September 28, 2020

Webinar Tomorrow: “Ask the Ag Agent” Fall Series, Every Other Wednesday at 7:00PM

Farmers and others are welcome to join this bi-weekly teleconference every-other Wednesday night from 7:00pm-8:00pm in September and October. Events are hosted by Rutgers Cooperative Extension Agricultural Agents working with the farming industry.

This call-in or WebEx webinar 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.

Some topics for this Wednesday include:
1. Debate on the New Jersey Law on eliminating plastic bags and other containers
2. Public perception of agriculture with the pandemic
3. Update on the hemp industry and Rutgers hemp research
4. Discussions on winter educational programs with Rutgers Cooperative Extension
5. NJ DEP Pesticide License Testing to be handled by Rutgers OCEP in the future
6. Obtaining pesticide recertification credits next year

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.

To join the “Ask the Ag Agent” forum each week on a computer/tablet/smartphone via the WebEx Videoconference

Click Here to Join or use the link https://go.rutgers.edu/g4v4gy0x

To Join by phone call:
+1-650-429-3300 passcode 1202639477##

For this event and other Rutgers Cooperative Extension events see the NJAES Calendar.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , ,