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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IPM Update 7/11/18

Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) moth catches in black light traps continue to be very low. There will be no map in this edition due to insufficient catch.  There have been isolated incidents of new feeding in the far south of the state, but generally, the threat to corn should be low until the second flight begins in earnest.  Once plants hit full tassel, any ECB larvae present will move downward on the stalk and re-enter the plant near the area where ears are forming.  This can result in direct injury to the ear.  Growers should consider an insecticide application at the full tassel stage to target ECB larvae as they migrate downward.  This application can eliminate larvae that have escaped any earlier insecticide applications. [Read more…]

IPM Update 7/04/18

Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) moth catches in black light traps remain very low; situation unchanged from last week.  There will be no map in this edition due to insufficient catch.  Incidents of feeding are declining as infested plantings proceed to silk and whorl stage corn has not been exposed to egg laying.  We should be in a period relatively free of whorl infestations now.  The next whorl infesting pest will be fall armyworm (FAW).  As yet, no infestation of this pest have been detected.    [Read more…]

Vegetable Disease Update – 7/3/18

  • Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in southern NJ this week. This is the first report in the state this growing season. All cucumber growers should scout their fields on a regular basis and consider adding a downy mildew specific fungicide to their weekly maintenance sprays.
  • The 2018 FRAC Table for Cucurbit Downy and Powdery Mildew Control in the mid-Atlantic Region can be found and downloaded for FREE here.
  • There have been no new reports of late blight in the region.
  • Basil downy mildew has been reported in retail pots and in fields in southern New Jersey.
  • Bacterial leaf spot and Phytophthora blight have been confirmed in pepper.
  • Cercospora leaf spot was found on fenugreek this past week.
  • The extremely hot, dry weather this past week should help mitigate diseases such as downy mildew. Remember, copper applications when temperatures and relative humidity are above 90 may cause phytotoxicity in some crops.

Cucurbit Downy Mildew ALERT – 7/2/18

Cucurbit downy mildew was confirmed on cucumber near Pedricktown in Salem County, New Jersey on 7/2/18. This is the first report of CDM in New Jersey this growing season. All cucumber growers are encouraged to add downy mildew specific fungicides to their weekly maintenance spray programs. All growers should scout cucumber plantings as well as all other cucurbit crops for symptoms. To track the progress of cucurbit downy mildew in the US through the CDMpipe website through NCSU please click here.

IPM Update 6/27/18

Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) moth catches in black light traps remain very low.  There will be no map in this edition due to insufficient catch.  Incidents of feeding are declining as infested plantings proceed to silk and whorl stage corn has not been exposed to egg laying.  We should be in a period relatively free of whorl infestations now.  The next whorl infesting pest will be fall armyworm (FAW).  As yet, no infestation of this pest have been detected.    [Read more…]

IPM Update 6/20/18

Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) moth catches in black light traps are very low.  The highest activity now in north central areas (see ECB map).   Feeding continues to increase, although infestations are spotty.   [Read more…]