Basil downy mildew has been reported for the first time this season near Millville, NJ in potted Thai and Cinnamon basil plants being sold at big box stores, as well as in sweet basil located in grower field. All basil growers in New Jersey should scout their fields on a daily basis. [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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June 13, 2014 Brad Majek
Weather Increases the Risk of Crop Injury from Herbicides Applied Postemergence
The recent extended period of cloudy weather and high soil moisture may have resulted in certain crops growing rapidly and developing a thinner than “normal” wax layer, called the cuticle, on the leaves. This thinner cuticle is more easily penetrated by postemergence herbicides. Warm temperatures during the cloudy moist period will increase the speed of growth and the thinness of the cuticle. [Read more…]
June 13, 2014 Wes Kline and Meredith Melendez
Audit Ready:
On-Farm Food Safety Lessons Learned Series
If you have written your food safety plan and are preparing for a third party audit, the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team offers farm “walk-throughs” to help evaluate your written plan and compliance activities. Over many years of performing walk-throughs, we’ve found some common situations that can foil the goal of making it through the audit process on the first go-round. Take a moment to make sure you’ve handled these areas that have tripped-up fellow NJ growers.
Know the Contents of Your Food Safety Manual
If a grower hires someone to write his or her food safety manual, the grower must know what is in the manual and adhere to the contents! There have been instances when the auditors came to do the audit, that it was obvious the grower did not know what was in their own farm food safety manual.
Know Your Manual
- Sit down with the person developing the manual to make sure there is agreement about what to put in the manual.
- Once the manual has been developed, review each section to clarify and make necessary changes for the final version.
Remember, auditors use the grower’s food safety manual as the basis for the audit. If the grower does not know and understand the contents of their manual, they won’t be able to answer the auditors’ questions.
Have an On-Farm Food Safety question concerning your commercial NJ farm? Email us.
June 11, 2014 Kris Holmstrom and Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Veg IPM Update: Week Ending 6/11/14
Vegetable IPM Report 6-11-14 – Click to View | Download | Print
Maps for the WeekClick Image to View
–European Corn Borer Population Map
–Corn Earworm Moth Pheromone Trap Map
–Pepper Weevil Trap Catch MapTopics for the Week
- Sweet Corn
- Cole Crops
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Pumpkins and Winter Squash
- Snap Beans
- Pepper Weevil Report
- BMSB
June 9, 2014 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease Update – 6/9/14
Potato
Black Leg – Black leg is caused by Erwinia spp. which also cause ‘soft rots’. The bacteria which lead to the aerial phase of Blackleg are soil-borne (originate from old crop debris) and spread by rainfall, overhead irrigation and wind. The aerial phase of Blackleg does not originate from decaying seed pieces. The bacterium can enter the plant through wounds created by cultivation or through stems damaged by blowing wind, sand or hail. Dense canopies, warm weather and prolonged periods of leaf wetness favor the spread of aerial Blackleg. Fortunately, the disease rarely extends below ground and only causes dieback of stems over time. Symptoms of the aerial phase of Blackleg first appear as an irregular, water-soaked ‘green’ decay on stems that turns light-brown to black over time. Hot, dry weather will cause infected areas to dry out and become brittle. Do any cultivating when plants are dry, cultivating in the presence of dew or wet plants may help to spread the bacterium around.
June 9, 2014 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Disease of the Week
Basil Downy Mildew
Symptoms of downy mildew on infected Sweet basil leaf.
Basil downy mildew sporulating on the bottom side of an infected leaf.
(Note the purplish-brown spore masses)
