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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EPA Announces New, Earlier Protections for People from Pesticide Spray Drift
Vegetable IPM Update 7/10/24
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) moth catches are very low and scattered among blacklight traps in the northern and central counties. Larvae are absent from whorl and pre-tassel stage plantings. Should numbers rebound later in the summer, they will be reported in table form.
Fall armyworm (FAW) infestations are low and inconsistent in scouted fields north of Burlington County. At this time, field technicians are occasionally encountering small clusters of infested whorl stage plants, indicating that individual moths had entered fields and deposited eggs. Cooperating growers in Cape May County (where FAW is typically heaviest) report that FAW has thus far been largely absent from fields. Moths are showing up in blacklight traps occasionally, with slightly more individuals in coastal county sites. Because FAW moths are highly mobile, and with southerly winds dominating our weather lately, it is important to monitor fields at least weekly for signs of infestation. Whorl stage plants are prime targets for egg laying.
Newly hatched FAW larvae cause holes and scratches on leaves that are similar to ECB feeding, except that they tend to be more concentrated and always lead down into the whorl (see photo at left). As the larvae grow, the feeding becomes more destructive, with large ragged holes and obvious droppings deposited in the whorl (see photo at right). 
We will provide updates on new FAW appearances and severity as reports come in. FAW are resistant to synthetic pyrethroids. Effective sprays should include IRAC grp. 5 (spinosyns) or IRAC grp. 28 (diamides). The carbamate (IRAC grp. 1A) Lannate is also still effective. Sufficient water should be used in the applications to allow the solution to penetrate the layer of droppings that may have formed above the caterpillar.
EPA Announces Update on Atrazine (with editorial note on NJ)
EPA Announces Update on Atrazine (with editorial note on NJDEP 2018 ag use data summary)
Note Changes in Harmonized Audits for 2024
It has come to our attention that growers are using on old self audit checklist for their 2024 audit. According to USDA the old form was not acceptable after April 30, 2024! The USDA released the new Harmonized GAP Standard and Harmonized Plus+ Standard Audits in March to give growers the opportunity to update their plans. There are several changes related to section numbers and deleted numbers so if you have your audit plan setup by section number check to make sure they have not changed. Also, eight questions have been added. Following is a summary of those questions:
- G 2.4 – Approved service provider list required (the grower approves the list)
- G 7.2 – A designated recall team is required
- G 7.3 – Must perform a mock recall exercise annually
- G 11.5 – Must have labels and instructions for any water treatment chemical used
- G 11.8 – Compressed air or other gases contacting food or food contact surfaces must be maintained
- F 6.3 – Must have a procedure for storing and handling growing media (e.g., perlite, peat, rock wool, etc.)
- F 9.4 – Re-used water must be treated with a labeled product
- P 5.2 – A master cleaning schedule with standard operating procedures (SOP) must be established
There are two documents for each audit: Harmonized GAP Standard (v 3.0) or Harmonized GAP Plus+ standard (v 5.0). Each audit has a corresponding checklist “Harmonized GAP Combined Checklist (v6.1)” This is the checklist a grower should be using to their self-audit. Remember an older version will not be accepted which means the audit fails. Go to the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website an look under the USDA Audits tab or go to Harmonized GAP | Agricultural Marketing Service (usda.gov) to download the correct versions.
Vegetable IPM Update 7/03/24
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) moth catches are very low in blacklight traps in the northern and central counties. Feeding signs are largely absent from whorl and pre-tassel stage plantings.
The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 7/03/24 are as follows:
| Clinton 1 | Milltown 1 |
| Dayton 1 | Old Bridge 1 |
| Hillsborough 1 | Oldwick 1 |
The low level fall armyworm (FAW) infestations we had found in some whorl stage corn in central NJ, have been treated and new infestations have not occurred. It is possible that some infestations remain in unmonitored fields. It is important to check short whorl plantings at least weekly for the remainder of the season because early detection and treatment limit irreversible damage to plants.
Newly hatched FAW larvae cause holes and scratches on leaves that are similar to ECB feeding, except that they tend to be more concentrated and always lead down into the whorl (see photo at left). As the larvae grow, the feeding becomes more destructive, with large ragged holes and obvious droppings deposited in the whorl (see photo at right).
We will provide updates on new FAW appearances and severity as reports come in. FAW are resistant to synthetic pyrethroids. Effective sprays should include IRAC grp. 5 (spinosyns) or IRAC grp. 28 (diamides). The carbamate (IRAC grp. 1A) Lannate is also still effective. Sufficient water should be used in the applications to allow the solution to penetrate the layer of droppings that may have formed above the caterpillar.
