Rutgers NJAES launches website dedicated to COVID-19 resources for commercial agriculture, the food industry, youth, and families.
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.
March 26, 2020 Rick VanVranken
COVID-19 Update – NJ Executive Order 109 Mandatory PPE Inventory Reporting Details
Since you received the alert below yesterday afternoon, new Cumberland County Ag Agent Dr. Tim Waller discovered the following details:
“[Both] inventory reports and donations of PPE can be made at this site:
“What does this mean? It is the current understanding that the state will not take PPE from companies at this time, but that could change in the future if the situation reaches a critical mass. Public health and medical workers may need these devices to provide care for ill COVID-19 patients.
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On March 23, NJ Governor Phil Murphy’s signed Executive Order 109 that includes the following impacting all NJ businesses:
“Inventory of personal protective equipment to be taken: Any business, non-hospital health care facility, or institution of higher learning in possession of PPE, ventilators, respirators, or anesthesia machines not required for the provision of critical health care services shall undertake an inventory of these supplies and send that information to the State by 5:00 pm on Friday, March 27. The Office of Emergency Management shall establish a process for affected entities to submit this information.”
Information on where to submit your inventory will be shared as soon as it is available.
In the meantime, New Jersey State Police working with the NJ Hospital Association has announced that anyone willing to donate PPE equipment should please email ppedonations@njsp.org to assist with this critical need.
From https://njbiz.com/together-want-help-njha-offers-can/, NJHA also suggests these ways to help:
- Support the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, launched by First Lady Tammy Murphy to help New Jersey residents with the economic and social impact of COVID-19.
- Give blood. There is an urgent shortage of blood in our state. Blood donation sites are taking heightened precautions to protect those who give. The American Red Cross-New Jersey helps supply hospitals statewide; call ahead for appointment information.
March 24, 2020 Kris Holmstrom and Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Allium leaf miner update: 03/24/20
Allium Leaf Miner
Allium leaf miner (ALM) feeding/egglaying scars were detected in chives near Princeton (Mercer Co.), NJ on Tuesday of this week. This indicates that the first (spring) flight of these flies has now begun and damage will increase. Additionally, extension personnel at Penn State have reported finding the first feeding scars in several southeastern PA sites within the past few days. It is believed that all of these occurrences are very recent.
Photo: Sabrina Tirpak. Allium leafminer oviposition scars on onion
Growers should consider initiating the control method of their choice at this time. Affected crops include chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks.
Floating row covers, kept on until this flight ends will help minimize access to plants. Insecticide applications targeting adults may be helpful as well, although frequency of applications is uncertain. Spinosyn materials (Radiant, Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (Mustang Maxx, Warrior), neonicotinoids (Scorpion, Venom) and the insect growth regulator Trigard are labeled for miner control.
Adult activity and observations of feeding will be reported on in the IPM Update as they occur. At this time, all growers should respond to the first adult generation. We will attempt to identify the end of the first flight so that growers know when the risk of infestation has abated.
March 23, 2020 Rick VanVranken
Rutgers NJAES Plant Diagnostic and Soil Testing Services Still Processing Samples
The Rutgers Plant Diagnostic and Soil Testing Laboratories are currently closed to the public.
However, lab employees will be processing samples during limited hours and without extra support from student workers.
Instructions for submitting plant samples and questions to the Diagnostic Lab are:
- Samples may be shipped via UPS or FedEx (not via US Postal Service) directly to: Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, Ralph Geiger Turfgrass Ed. Ctr., 20 Indyk-Engel Way, North Brunswick, NJ 08902. Please email us at rutgerspdl@njaes.rutgers.edu to inform us when to expect your sample (please provide tracking information if available).
- Hand deliveries of samples may be left in the hallway at our front door. Please email us at rutgerspdl@njaes.rutgers.edu to inform us that you have dropped off a sample.
- For questions, the best way to reach the lab staff is via email to rutgerspdl@njaes.rutgers.edu as we may have limited access to voicemail.
To for submit soil samples and questions to the Soils Testing Lab:
- Soil samples may be mailed via the US Postal Service or shipped UPS or FedEx to: Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 57 US Highway 1, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8554.
- In-person visits for dropping off samples are not permitted.
- Soil testing kits can be mailed, or for clients without soil testing kits, sampling instructions and the soil test questionnaires are available on the NJAES/soil-testing-lab webpage: How to Have Your Soil Tested. It is important to select the correct kit/questionnaire for the type of soil you are testing and the analysis required.
- For questions, the best way to reach the lab staff is via email to: soiltest@njaes.rutgers.edu as we may have limited coverage of phones.
With limited hours and no student workers to assist, please anticipate slower turnaround times. We thank you for your patience.
March 21, 2020 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease Update – 3/21/20
- Late blight has been reported on tomato in central Florida. This is the first report of Late blight in the US this growing season. To follow Late blight outbreaks in the US please sign up for alerts at the USAblight website by clicking here.
- There have been no reports of cucurbit downy mildew in the US to date. To track, monitor, and receive reports on CDM development in the US please click here. For the current understanding of what is happening with the CDM population in the US and current control recommendations please click here.
- There have been no reports of basil downy mildew in the US to date. To track and receive reports on its whereabouts in the US on the new website please click here. For current BDM control options in the greenhouse and field please click on hyperlinks.
- For the updated list of fungicides for use in the control of important diseases in the greenhouse please click here.
- Commercial growers should consider adding at-transplanting or -seeding controls for Phytophthora and Pythium root rots as we head into the spring especially if soils remain wet. For more information please click here. Organic growers can find more information on controlling important root rot pathogens in early season transplant production here!
- Transplant producers need to remember to vent their structures to reduce relative humidity buildup going into the evenings to help reduce leaf wetness during the overnight.
- With strawberry season just around the corner, please click here for information on controlling important fruit rot pathogens.
- The 2020/2021 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide 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.
- For a quick review on managing fungicide resistance development using tank mixes and fungicide rotations, and in FRAC group 3 and FRAC group 11 fungicides please click on hyperlinks.
- To keep up with Rutgers Extension services please click here. We are here to help!
March 21, 2020 Meredith Melendez
COVID-19 Info for the Agricultural Industry
In an effort to keep the agricultural industry informed with relevant COVID-19 information The Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety website will be updated as resources become available. Check back periodically as materials are being updated and developed.
Please reach out to us via email if you have questions, we will do our best to answer them. We hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.
Wesley Kline wkline@njaes.rutgers.edu
Meredith Melendez melendez@njaes.rutgers.edu
