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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April 16, 2017

Allium Leafminer Alert in New Jersey

Numerous adult flies of the allium leafminer (ALM) have been found in field chives at an organic farm in Mercer County.  The chives were near a high tunnel that had plant material where the flies had overwintered as pupae.  Because of being in the high tunnel the flies emerged sooner than unprotected field populations.  The adults apparently have been controlled by the farmer with an application of Pyganic.

Allium leafminer has spread from Pennsylvania into New Jersey, New York, and Maryland.  At present, the main area of infestation in New Jersey is in the northern counties.  Only one suspected fly has been caught (Fall, 2016) in southern New Jersey in East Vineland.   We have set traps at several farms, mostly in the north, which will be checked this week.  The Vegetable IPM Program will continue to track the spread and population levels of ALM in New Jersey.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
April 16, 2017

Vegetable Disease Update – 4/17/17

Vegetable Disease Notes:

  • Powdery mildew has been reported in a number of tomato greenhouse operations. For control of powdery mildew and other important diseases in greenhouses and high tunnels please see Table E14 on pages E52-E54 of 2016-2017 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide.
  • A new article on the importance of testing for Dickeya dianthicola in potato seed can be found here.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
April 13, 2017

East Vineland Vegetable Twilight Tuesday 4/25

Our annual Vegetable Integrated Crop Management Twilight Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, 2017, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the East Vineland Fire Hall, on Landis Ave. across from the Savoy Restaurant (use 4931 Landis Ave, Vineland, NJ 08360 for your GPS, and please park behind the building to enter conference room door in rear).

Agenda

6:00 pm   Getting the Most Out of Your Plant & Pest Advisory Subscription & Other Online Resources
–    Rick VanVranken, RCE Atlantic
6:15 pm   Worker Protection Standards – New Rules in Place
–    Patricia Hastings, Rutgers Pesticide Safety Educ Program Coordinator
6:45 pm    Ultra-niche Crop Program Update & Resources
–    Jenny Carleo, RCE Cape May
7:00 pm   Resistance Management – Tackling Palmer Amaranth & Other Tough Weeds
–    Dr. Thierry Besancon, RCE Specialty Crop Weed Specialist
7:30 pm   Food Safety Modernization Act – Where do we Stand on the Produce Rule
–    Dr. Wes Kline, RCE Cumberland
8:00 pm   Vegetable Disease Control Options for Spring Crops
–    Dr. Andy Wyenandt, RCE Vegetable Plant Pathologist
8:30 pm   Vegetable Insect Pest Update
–    Dr. Joe Mahar, Vegetable IPM Coordinator
9:00 pm   Adjourn

Pesticide Recertification Credits have been requested for this meeting.
Hope to see you there!

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
April 11, 2017

Checking Your Pesticide Recertification Credits and Course History

Roberta Lang is the Ag Resource Specialist at the NJ Dept of Agriculture who arranges the pesticide container recycling program. She reports there was a request at the Hammonton collection last Friday to provide the link to DEP’s pesticide control program where applicators can check the status of their credits and the courses that have been taken. I’ve also had recent calls from growers requesting this and it takes some searching to find it. Below are the instructions Roberta sent. You might want to bookmark whichever site below gets to the information you need most directly.

To review course history:

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
April 10, 2017

Vegetable Disease Update – 4/10/17

Asparagus

Phytophthora crown and spear rot – In fields with low spots (poorly drained soils) or fields with a history of crown and/or spear rot apply Ridomil Gold 4SL (mefenoxam, 4) at 1.0 pt/A, or Ultra Flourish 2E/A (mefenoxam, 4) at 2.0 pt/A, or MetaStar 2E (metalaxyl, 4) at 2.0 qt/A over beds just before 1st harvest. For new plantings, apply the same after planting or after crown covering. Do not apply Ridomil or MetaStar one day prior to harvest or illegal residues may result. For more information please see the 2016-2017 Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
April 10, 2017

Controlling Spring Diseases in Asparagus

Asparagus season is just around the corner and now is a good time to review important diseases.

Wet soil conditions are ideal for Phytophthora and Pythium development. To help reduce potential losses, especially in fields with low spots or fields that are poorly drained soils, or more importantly, in fields with a history of either disease apply Ridomil Gold 4SL (mefenoxam, 4) at 1.0 pt/A, or Ultra Flourish 2E/A (mefenoxam, 4) at 2.0 pt/A, or MetaStar 2E (metalaxyl, 4) at 2.0 qt/A over beds just before first harvest. For new plantings, apply the same after planting or after crown covering. Do not apply Ridomil or MetaStar one day prior to harvest or illegal residues may result. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: