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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January 20, 2015

2015 Fungicide Resistance Management Guidelines Available

The 2015 Fungicide Resistance Management Guidelines for Vegetable Crops is now available. This free publication, targeted to New Jersey and the surrounding mid-Atlantic region, helps vegetable growers understand and manage potential fungicide resistance development on their farm.

FRAC 2015

Click Image to View | Download PDF (1.9 MB)

In order to understand and use fungicide resistance management strategies effectively, first learn how and why fungicide resistance may develop; a series of articles is available on this website.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
January 2, 2015

Andy Wyenandt: Post Archive

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Filed Under: Vegetable Crops
October 13, 2014

Late Blight Still Active on Tomato

Late blight was confirmed in a homeowner garden today near Clementon, NJ (Camden County) and here at the Rutgers research station near Bridgeton, NJ (Cumberland County). This is a good reminder that as long as weather conditions are conducive, the threat of late blight in the state and region will continue until the first killing frost.

All abandoned tomato fields need to be destroyed either by mowing, discing under, or sprayed with a herbicide such as gramoxone to kill all living foliage. This is especially important if protectant fungicide programs have been discontinued. Homeowners can simply pull plants and put in their compost pile or discard in the trash.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
October 13, 2014

Internal Fruit Rot in Tomato

A fresh market tomato from a home owner garden was dropped off the other day with some strange internal rot. The internal rot (photo 1) was most likely caused by water accumulating in areas immediately around the stem and as the fruit developed growth cracks (photo 2). This allowed for opportunistic fungi and bacteria into infect the fruit causing the internal rot. As it turned out the home owner was using sprinklers to water their garden.

As the season continues into the late fall, it might be worthwhile to slice up one or more of your tomato varieties that are prone to growth cracks around the stem just to check if this is happening in your operation – especially with heavy dews and the wet weather we have had recently.

20141003_102835

Photo 1: Internal Fruit Rot

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Photo 2: Growth Cracks

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
October 9, 2014

New Jersey Soils and Copper Fungicide Use

During my field visits to Mercer County organic farms, growers often express concerns about negative soil health impacts from copper based fungicides. In an effort to evaluate soil copper use and the resulting soil copper levels, soil was sampled at fifteen farms throughout the state.

NJ Sampled Soils

Soils sampled for copper levels.

Both conventional and organic farms participated in this study which was funded by The Phillip Alampi Fund. Two composite samples were taken from each farm, one where copper fungicides had been applied and one where copper fungicides had never been used. Total and soluble copper levels were higher on copper applied soils compared to the non-copper applied soils. Even though copper levels were higher in these soils, the levels were not high enough to cause plant toxicity symptoms, reduce plant growth, nor were the soils showing signs of reduced microbial activity.

Best management practices developed for copper based fungicides use:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Organic Production
October 3, 2014

Leaf blight in Dill

Leaf blight in Dill as shown up in the past week in some areas of southern New Jersey.

Leaflets on plants will appear wilted, often on the lower portion of the plant first. Up close, irregular lesions will appear scattered over the leaflets, girdling them, causing them to look wilted.

There have been a couple fungal pathogens associated with causing dill leaf blight. Options for controlling foliar pathogens in dill are extremely limited. Growers can apply Quadris (azoxystrobin, 11) at 15.5 fl. oz/A (O day PHI) alone or tank mixed with fixed copper on a 7 day schedule. Conventional growers can also apply a disinfestant, such as Oxidate, after overhead irrigation. Organic growers can apply OMRI-approved copper products. Other OMRI-approved products for leaf blight control may help suppress the pathogen.

Only overhead irrigate on sunny days in the in AM or early afternoon so planting can dry out.

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