A press release from Purdue University last week was titled Study reveals listeria bacteria can hide inside tissue of romaine lettuce – Common sanitization practices may not be sufficient in killing bacteria. Assistant Professor of Food Science Amanda Deering’s research revealed “that the bacteria could live within lettuce in every stage of the plant growth process, residing inside the plant tissue” [Read more…]
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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March 24, 2017 Andy Wyenandt
Best management practices for managing Dickeya dianthicola in potato – 2017
Using PCR test results and North American Certified Seed Potato Health Certificates to track Lot no., Dickeya dianthicola was reported in 22 states (ME, DE, FL, MD, MA, MN, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, VA, WV, WI, OH, IN, MO, MI, TX, ND, ID, and NM) on at least eleven potato varieties in 2016. Some of these varieties included: ‘Reba’, ‘Superior’, ‘Vivaldi’, ‘Norwis’, ‘Snowden’, ‘Yukon Gold’, ‘Beacon Chipper’, ‘Kennebec’, and ‘Atlantic’. Known sources of infested seed found in potato fields on the East Coast have originated from WI, at least two suppliers in New Brunswick, Canada, and a number of seed suppliers in Maine this past growing season. To better understand the scope and breadth of the pathogen affecting potato production on the East Coast and elsewhere, information on known varieties and lot numbers that tested positive for Dickeya this past summer have been collected. Information on suspect varieties and lot numbers based on FL tests results from this past winter have also been collected. This information is now widely available. Of importance to all NJ potato growers, is that there have been NO CHANGES in the current policy or Blackleg tolerance levels for mitigating Dickeya dianthicola in seed production. All growers are encouraged to follow best management practices for buying seed and best management practices for Dickeya in field production. If you suspect Dickeya dianthicola in potato seed during cutting or planting please contact your county Extension agent or Extension Specialist. All suspect potato samples should be PCR tested to confirm the presence of Dickeya dianthicola.
The best method for keeping your potato operation Dickeya-free is to adopt your own 0% Dickeya-tolerance policy.
March 24, 2017 Andy Wyenandt
Understanding Damping-off Pathogens in Transplant Production
Damping-off is caused by a number of important vegetable pathogens and is very common during transplant production and early-spring. 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). 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.
March 24, 2017 Andy Wyenandt
Greenhouse Disease Management: Transplant Production
Proper greenhouse sanitation is important for healthy, disease-free vegetable transplant production. Efforts need to be made to keep transplant production greenhouses free of unnecessary plant debris and weeds which may harbor insect pests and disease.
- All equipment, benches, flats, plug trays and floors should be properly cleaned and then disinfested prior to use and efforts need to be taken throughout the transplant production season to minimize potential problems.
- Any weeds in or around the greenhouse structure should be removed prior to and after any production.
- Any transplant brought into the greenhouse from an outside source needs to be certified ‘clean’, as well as visually inspected for potential insects and diseases once it reaches your location.
Remember, disinfestants, such as Clorox, Green-Shield, or hydrogen dioxide products (Zerotol – for commercial greenhouses, garden centers and Oxidate – commercial greenhouse and field), kill only what they come into direct contact with so thorough coverage and/or soaking is necessary. The labels do not specify time intervals for specific uses, only to state that surfaces be ‘thoroughly wetted’. Therefore, labels need to be followed precisely for different use patterns (i.e., disinfesting flats vs. floors or benches) to ensure proper dilution ratios. Hydrogen dioxide products work best when diluted with water containing little or no organic matter and in water with a neutral pH. There are a number conventional and organic products labeled for disease control during transplant production in the greenhouse. Please see Table E-14 in the 2016-2017 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Guide.
March 7, 2017 Rick VanVranken
Farm-to-School/Farmers Market Nutrition Survey Looking for Mid-Atlantic Produce Growers
Fruit or vegetable farmers in the Mid-Atlantic region (PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV, and DC) that have participated or have considered participating in:
- Farm to School sales or activities, OR
- Farmers’ Market Nutrition Incentive programs (like FMNP & SNAP matching programs)
are invited to participate in a survey about their choices to participate or not.
Megan Lehnerd, a PhD student at the Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition, is conducting a study to learn more about why farmers choose to participate or not participate in these programs. The survey will take between 20 and 30 minutes to complete.
If you complete the survey, you can choose a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Johnny’s Selected Seeds. For more information or to take the survey, visit: http://sites.tufts.edu/farmersurvey or contact Megan at megan.lehnerd@tufts.edu.
Megan Lehnerd, MS
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Tufts University
February 17, 2017 Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Planning for Pepper Weevil
We have been fortunate in having almost no infested pepper fields since 2014 in southern New Jersey. However, pepper weevil remains a potential threat to our pepper crop. Despite new chemistries, insecticidal control of the weevil is not possible once an infestation is established.
Vegetable processing plants and repackers that bring in southern produce seem to be the primary source of pepper weevils arriving in the state. To help reduce the incidence of pepper weevil infestations, farmers should plant peppers in fields at least 1 ½ miles from a processing facility. If at all possible, no solanaceous crop should be planted within that 1 ½ mile radius since weevils can feed on and spread from tomatoes and eggplant. [Read more…]
