Rutgers Cooperative Extension
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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Pepper Anthracnose
Pepper anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. has become a significant problem on some farms in southern New Jersey.
Unlike in tomato, where symptoms are only present in mature (red) fruit, pepper anthracnose can infect pepper fruit at any growth stage. Currently, there are no commercially-available bell or non-bell peppers with known resistance to anthracnose. [Read more…]
Anthracnose and Alternaria leaf blight can become problematic in cucurbit crops during long periods of wet, humid weather. Both can cause significant losses if not controlled properly. With the production season in full swing, now is a good time to review a few of these important diseases. [Read more…]
In 2004, cucurbit downy mildew re-emerged in the US with a vengeance causing significant losses in cucurbit production. In most years prior to this, concern for CDM control was minimal, since the pathogen arrived late in the growing season (in more northern regions), or the pathogen caused little damage, or never appeared. After 2004, with significant losses at stake, and with very few fungicides labeled for its proper control, CDM became a serious threat to cucurbit production. Importantly, at the time, cucumber varieties with very good levels of CDM resistance were no longer resistant, suggesting a major shift in the pathogen population. Research done over the past 19 years has led to a better understanding of the pathogen. Recent research has determined that the CDM falls into two separate clades: Clade I and Clade II. [Read more…]
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) moth captures are fairly steady at low levels in northern and central county light traps. Feeding has been detected in some whorl and pretassel stage plantings where scouting is occurring. Thus far, feeding has been mostly in single digit percentages, although one planting in Somerset County approached 20% plants infested. Feeding may be expected to rise modestly over the next two weeks. Whorl corn is the primary target for egg laying. Feeding may be present at higher numbers in the southern counties.
Look for the characteristic “shot-hole” type of feeding (photo below at right) and consider treating when infested plants exceed 12% in a 50 plant sample. As plantings proceed to the pre-tassel stage, ECB larvae may be found in emerging tassels (see photo at left). It is a good idea to treat individual plantings as they move into the full tassel/first silk stage one time. This eliminates any ECB larvae that have emerged with the tassels as they begin to move down the stalk to re-enter near developing ears.
Useful insecticides for this particular application include synthetic 
pyrethroids (IRAC Grp 3), spinosyns (including OMRI approved Entrust) IRAC Grp 5), and diamides such as Coragen or Vantacor (IRAC Grp 28) or materials such as Besiege which include the active ingredient in Coragen. It should be noted that Coragen or Vantacor, used alone, are not toxic to bees that may be visiting corn tassels during this stage. Synthetic pyrethroids alone should NOT be used for corn earworm (CEW) protection on silking corn. Control with these materials is very inconsistent.
The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 6/05/24 are as follows:
| Asbury 1 | Lawrenceville 1 |
| Clinton 1 | Milford 1 |
| Dayton 1 | Oldwick 1 |
| Georgetown 1 | Princeton 1 |
| Hillsborough 1 | South Branch 1 |
Cucurbit powdery mildew (CPM), caused by Podosphaera xanthii, is one the most important diseases of cucurbit crops throughout the world. The pathogen is an obligate parasite, just like cucurbit downy mildew, meaning it needs a living host in order to survive. In northern regions that have a killing frost in the fall the pathogen will die out when the crop freezes. Not being able to overwinter, the pathogen must be re-introduced each spring or summer in the mid-Atlantic region. The pathogen accomplishes this by re-infecting cucurbit crops in the spring as they are planted up the east coast starting in Florida, then the Carolina’s, Virginia, and so forth. By late May, as soon as cucurbit crops begin to germinate in the mid-Atlantic region, the potential threat for potential powdery mildew infections begin. [Read more…]
Asparagus growers should consider scouting their fields regularly during the summer months for foliar disease development. Important pathogens that growers need to scout for on a regular basis include Purple spot, Cercospora, and Rust. [Read more…]
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