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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NJ Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations

Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.

May 31, 2015

Wet Weather and Strawberry Fruit Rots

Wet weather is expected to come in during the first part of the week and linger around for most of it. Now that strawberries are in full production growers need to pay close attention to fruit rots such as anthracnose and botrytis. Overipe or unharvested mature berries left in commercial or u-pick fields can act as sources of inoculum for both pathogens. Importantly, both pathogens can develop and spread rapidly under wet, rainy conditions and the appropriate protectant fungicides need to be applied ahead of any inclement weather.

Botrytis, or grey mold, on mature strawberry fruit. Botrytis can develop and spread rapidly under cool, wet conditions.

Botrytis, or grey mold, on mature strawberry fruit. Botrytis can develop and spread rapidly under cool, wet conditions.


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Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
May 28, 2015

Veg IPM Update: Week Ending 5/27/15

Sweet Corn

European corn borer map May 27, 2015

European corn borer map
May 27, 2015

European corn borer (ECB) adults are being captured with increasing frequency now. Areas of highest activity now include parts of Hunterdon and Morris counties (see ECB map). Within the past 3 days, IPM personnel have found low level ECB infestations in some of the earliest sweet corn plantings. At present, reports of feeding are from Ocean and Somerset counties, however it is likely that feeding is occurring in many early plantings to the south.
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Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 25, 2015

Vegetable Disease Update – 5/25/15

Pepper 

Bacterial leaf spot – Symptoms of bacterial leaf spot on pepper leaves include small, brown water-soaked lesions that turn brown and necrotic in the centers. Spots may coalesce and form large blighted areas on leaves and premature defoliation can occur. On fruit, brown lesions can form which have a roughened, cracked wart-like appearance. High temperatures, high relative humidity and rainfall favor Bacterial spot development. Loss from Bacterial spot can be reduced somewhat by maintaining high levels of fertility, which will stimulate new growth. Applying a fixed copper (M1) at labeled rates or may help suppress spread. Quintec (quinoxyfen, 13) at 6.0 fl. oz/A is now labeled for the suppression of bacterial leaf spot in pepper in the mid-Atlantic region. Please see the 2015 New Jersey Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide for more information. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 25, 2015

Hot Dry Weather and Transplant Death

Transplants that are not allowed to harden-off for a few days outside prior to setting in the field may suffer significantly. It is important to expose all transplants to some normal weather conditions before transplanting so they can become acclimated to light intensity as well as the wind and other field conditions. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
May 25, 2015

Vegetable Diseases of the Week – 5/25/15

This week: Anthracnose fruit rot and botrytis fruit rot of strawberry.

Anthracnose fruit rot of strawberry

Anthracnose fruit rot of strawberry.

Botrytis fruit rot of strawberry

Botrytis fruit rot of strawberry

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
May 25, 2015

Vegetable Disease Briefs – 5/25/15

  • There have been no new reports of basil downy mildew in NJ this past week.
  • Rhizoctonia has been found in a number of newly transplanted crops where the root ball has remained on the dry side. It’s important to get drip irrigation or overhead going on newly transplanted crops as soon as possible during extended hot, dry weather.
  • No reports of cucurbit downy mildew or late blight in region to date.
Filed Under: Vegetable Crops