Dr. Meg McGrath, vegetable pathologist with Cornell University on Long Island has published her 2016 cucurbit powdery mildew control report. The report contains useful information for conventional and organic growers. Please click here to see report. For more information on controlling cucurbit powdery mildew, please see the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide.
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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July 19, 2016 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease Briefs – 7/19/16
- Asparagus rust has been reported. All growers with nursery, 1-, or 2 yr-old plantings should scout regularly and apply a protectant fungicide if one hasn’t initiated fungicide program to date.
- Bacterial leaf spot in pepper has been reported in southern New Jersey.
- Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in New Jersey. All cucurbit growers need to scout on a regular basis. All cucumber growers need to add a downy mildew-specific fungicide to their weekly fungicide programs.
- Basil downy mildew has been confirmed in southern and central New Jersey. All conventional basil growers should be on a preventative spray program prior to the arrival of the disease.
- Reports of Dickeya dianthicola in potato continue across the east coast. Dickeya dianthicola has been confirmed in 10 states to date on potato seed originating from Maine and New Brunswick, Canada this growing season. All potato growers are encouraged to scout fields and report any suspect plants/tubers.
July 15, 2016 Andy Wyenandt
Dickeya dianthicola: Looking for feedback from potato growers
An article by Rosemary Gordon in Growing Produce, the online version of American Vegetable Grower, outlines the problems caused by Dickeya dianthicola that some potato growers in the Eastern U.S. are facing this summer. The article is looking for feedback from those potato growers affected by Dickeya either this summer or last as University researchers from across the country look to improve methods to detect, monitor, and develop management strategies for the pathogen. Dickeya, which is seed borne, has been shipped on seed of some potato varieties originating from Maine and Canada to 10 states along the East coast thus far this growing season. Feedback provided by growers go a long way in helping researchers develop and validate detection, monitoring, and management strategies. To read the article and help please see link below.
For more information on Dickeya please click here.
July 13, 2016 Kris Holmstrom and Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Veg IPM Update: Week Ending 7/13/16
Sweet Corn
European corn borer (ECB) moth catches are very low, but showing signs of increase on the Cape May/Cumberland Co. border (se ECB map) . Most larval infestations, have passed. Be sure to begin monitoring plantings for ECB feeding while they are still in the whorl stage. Consider treating when the number of infested plants in a 50 plant sample exceeds 12%. Feeding in the whorl stage will appear as numerous small holes (called “shot-hole”) on leaves, with damage present on consecutively younger leaves. As plants progress to pre-tassel and beyond, droppings and larvae may be found in or on the emerging tassels. Any planting remaining at or above threshold as it proceeds to full tassel should be treated, as this is the last stage at which ECB larvae will be exposed and vulnerable to insecticidal sprays. [Read more…]
July 11, 2016 Andy Wyenandt
Cucurbit downy mildew confirmed on cucumber in Southern New Jersey – ALERT – 7/11/16
Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber near Cedarville in Cumberland County, New Jersey. This is the first report of cucurbit downy mildew this growing season. All cucumber growers who have not included a downy mildew-specific fungicide in their weekly spray program should do so. For more in formation on controlling cucurbit downy mildew please see the 2016 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide.
July 11, 2016 Andy Wyenandt
Dickeya dianthicola affecting potato growers throughout Mid-Atlantic region and elsewhere – Updated 7/11/16
In addition to Dickeya dianthicola being found in ‘Superior’, ‘Reba’, ‘Snowden’, and ‘Norwis’ on 3 farms in New Jersey this year, the pathogen has also been detected in fields with seed originating from Maine on 5 farms on Long Island in ‘Reba’, ‘Vivialdi’, ‘Superior’, ‘Norwis’, and ‘Waneta’. Other varieties such as ‘Yukon Gold’ have also tested positive for Dickeya. The pathogen has been detected in MA, DE, PA, MD, VA, NC, WV, and FL this summer on seed from Maine and New Brunswick, Canada (NJ and VA). Maine potatoes are currently shipped to over 20 states across the country (CA, CT, DE, FL, ID, IN, KY, MD, MA, MS, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, TN, VT, VA, WA, WV, and WI). Potato growers, crop consultants, and Extension personnel in states which grow Maine potatoes should remain vigilant by scouting their fields for Dickeya symptoms on a regular basis and by submitting any suspect samples for diagnostic testing. Dickeya dianthicola has been detected in the US in the past, and because of this, APHIS just recently announced that the pathogen has been designated as a non-reportable/non-actionable pathogen despite its potential to cause 100% crop loss. A link to the USDA/APHIS website for information on Dickeya dianthicola detection and control can be found here.
For more information on Dickeya please see the following articles posted online – source(s) of information:
Dickeya: A new potato disease – Growing Produce
Blackleg is Once Again Being Observed in Potato Fields Across the Mid-Atlantic Region – Penn State University
Update on Dickeya detections in potato – University of Delaware
Dickeya Blackleg: New potato disease causing major impact. – Cornell University
Watch for Dickeya – a new potato disease – The Ohio State University
High security Aroostook farm advances tater technology. – Maine Potato Board
Slowing Dickeya, other pathogens in Canada. – North Dakota State University
Dickeya: A new threat to potato production in North America. – SPUDsmart
Dickeya is coming. – University of Wisconsin/North Dakota State University
Maine ‘Ground Zero’ for new potato disease. – Maine Department of Ag.
Maine seed potato growers looking to protect brand against disease. Maine Department of Ag./Maine Potato Board
