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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May 8, 2019

IPM Update 5/08/19

Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel are currently finishing deployment of the black light trap network in New Jersey.  At present, we are approximately 80% operational and have begun to monitor traps.  To date, no corn earworm (CEW) have been captured.  The low numbers of European corn borer (ECB) moths that have been caught do not allow us to produce a map image.  As numbers increase, look for population maps of ECB, CEW and CEW catches from pheromone traps in this weekly publication.  The Vegetable IPM Program is expanding the use of CEW pheromone traps to include central and northern counties this year.  The resulting full-state maps will include interpretive information.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 5/08/19 are as follows:

Georgetown   1              Woodstown   1

Hillsborough   1

European corn borer egg mass on a pepper leaf.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 3, 2019 and

Are you required to let the public bring their animals onto your retail farm?

An increasing number of customers are bringing animals with them when they visit farm markets, pick your own farms, or agritainment activities. Animals can pose a food safety risk to produce, introduce disease to farm animals, frighten or upset farm animals. Outside animals can also pose a risk to employees and other market customers and farm visitors. Farmers need to consider these occurrences when keeping in compliance with regulations and buyer requirements specific to food safety and biosecurity to protect their farm animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) governs what you are legally allowed to do in regards to customers with service animals visiting your market or on your farm. This fact sheet will cover the specifics of the ADA, animals that are not protected by the ADA regulations, and how to reduce potential risk on your farm from outside animals. States often have regulations that go beyond the federal ADA regulation, information represented in this fact sheet is specific to New Jersey. If you farm in another state please consult the state by state guide linked at the end of this article.Dog resting in the shade

What do the ADA regulations cover?
While many types of animals can provide comfort and emotional support to their owners, only service animals are protected by the ADA, specifically Title II and III. The ADA regulations define “service animal” as dogs, and less commonly miniature ponies, that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding a blind person, alerting people who are deaf, assisting a person in a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post [Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
April 17, 2019

Allium leaf miner update: 09/20/19

Allium Leaf Miner

Allium leaf miner (ALM) feeding/egglaying scars were detected in chives and scallions near Princeton (Mercer Co.), NJ on Friday of this week.  This indicates that the second (fall) flight of these flies is now underway, and damage is occurring.

Allium leafminer oviposition scars on onion

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 the second 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), and pyrethrin materials (Pyganic (OMRI approved)), 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 second adult generation.  We will attempt to identify the end of the second flight so that growers know when the risk of infestation has abated.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
April 10, 2019

Veg IPM Update: Allium leaf miner 04/10/19

Allium Leaf Miner

Allium leaf miner (ALM) feeding was detected in one commercial planting of chives near Lawrenceville, NJ on Tuesday of this week.  Degree-day accumulations at this site were 46.5, base 50 F as of Tuesday.  Sticky traps at this same site yielded no flies.  Additionally, trap and inspection sites at Milford (Hunterdon Co. (garlic)), and Oldwick (Hunterdon Co. (garlic and chives)), had neither feeding signs nor flies on sticky cards.

Allium leafminer oviposition scars on onion

Photo: Sabrina Tirpak. Allium leafminer oviposition scars on onion

Within the week, another monitoring site near Hackettstown (Warren Co.) will be added.    Reasonable spring weather that we are now experiencing is conducive to the development of the first adult generation.  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 the first 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), and pyrethrin materials (Pyganic (OMRI approved)), 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 onset of 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.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , ,
March 1, 2019

Atlantic-Cape Community College Offers DRONE DAY – A Learning Symposium

Covering Public Safety, Engineering and Agriculture
in collaboration with RCE Specialists & Agents
Friday, May 31 – 9am-1pm
Mays Landing campus Student Center
Register at atlanticcapedroneday.eventbrite.com

Drone Day poster

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
February 27, 2019

2019 Mid-Atlantic Field Crop Weed Management Guide

The 2019 updated version of the “Mid-Atlantic Field Crop Weed Management Guide” is available. This guide is collaboratively developed by weed scientists from Penn State, , Univ. of Delaware, Univ. of Maryland, Rutgers University, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia Univ.

The guide covers weed management  for field corn, sorghum, soybean, small grains, and forage and pastures. Information concerning the use,  restrictions, and recommendations of burndown, preemergence, and postemergence herbicides labeled on these crops can be found in the guide, including relative effectiveness data from locally conducted research. Description of the various premixes as well as guidance for  managing troublesome weeds are also part of the guide.

The guide  can be ordered on-line at https://extension.psu.edu/mid-atlantic-field-crop-weed-management-guide. Available on-line are the printed copies for $25; an enhanced pdf copy for use on computers and tablets for $15 or both a hard copy and pdf for $35.

A sample of the guide can be downloaded at the following address https://extension.psu.edu/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/880/

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Vegetable Crops