This week’s forecast is for temperatures in the 90’s with high humidity. Agricultural worker safety is important to agricultural employers. Ag Agent Michelle Infante-Casella outlines some tips on preventing worker illness during hot weather on the Ag Updates Blog.
Heat Stress Prevention
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.
Subscriptions are available via EMAIL and RSS.
Quick Links:
NJ Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations
Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.
June 24, 2013 Administrator
On Ag Updates: Heat Stress Prevention
June 24, 2013 Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Pepper Weevil Concerns
Pepper weevil is a difficult pest:
- it is not endemic to New Jersey;
- we have had sporadic outbreaks but not understanding why or how these outbreaks occurred and because of this we have little experience managing it on farm or in preventing it being spread farm to farm;
- we lack an appreciation of its life cycle and how well it is adapted to exploiting our food distribution network;
- and finally, the realization that management recommendations from Florida and other southern locations are not very helpful because of different production practices and climate.
June 23, 2013 Andy Wyenandt
Cucurbit Downy Mildew Reported on Cucumber in Maryland
Downy mildew was reported on cucumber in Caroline County, MD on Friday night (6/21/13). This is the first report of cucurbit downy mildew in the mid-Atlantic region this growing season. All cucurbit growers should scout their fields on a regular basis and should add downy mildew specific fungicides to their weekly fungicide maintenance programs. Please see article titled “2013 Cucurbit Downy and Powdery Mildew Management Guidelines” from 06/07/13 for current recommendations.
To track the progress of cucurbit downy mildew in the US please visit http://cdm.ipmpipe.org/.
June 23, 2013 Andy Wyenandt
Vegetable Briefs and Update – 6/23/13
Vegetable Briefs
- Cucurbit downy mildew was reported on cucumber in Caroline County, MD this Friday (6/21). This is the first report of CDM this year in the region. All cucurbit growers should scout their fields on a regular basis and consider adding downy mildew specific fungicides to their regular maintenance program.
- Pith necrosis has been reported on tomato.
- Basil downy mildew was reported near Vineland last week! All basil growers should continue to scout their fields and apply preventative fungicides.
- Late blight was reported on tomato on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and in Montgomery County, MD this past week. These are the first reports of Late blight in the region this year.
- To track late blight in the US please visit http://usablight.org/
- Want more information on what’s going on, please sign up for the Jersey Vegetable Crop Ag Updates at: http://jerseyvegcropsagupdates.blogspot.com/.
Vegetable Disease Update – 6/23/13
June 20, 2013 Andy Wyenandt
Late blight Reported on Tomato on the Eastern Shore, VA and in Maryland
Late blight was confirmed on tomato on the Eastern Shore of Virginia this afternoon and on tomato in Montgomery County, MD yesterday. All tomato and potato growers in New Jersey should scout thier fields on a daily basis and consider starting a standard weekly protectant fungicide program if one hasn’t already done so. No Late blight has been found in New Jersey to date. More more information on the control of Late blight please see the 2013 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide. Organic growers should consider applying a OMRI-approved copper-based fungicide.
For more information and to track the progress of Late blight please USAblight.org.
June 19, 2013 Wes Kline and Meredith Melendez
Farm Food Safety: FDA Q&A Printable Summary
The Food Safety Modernization Act will impact most growers in New Jersey.
Over the past weeks, we have posted the Questions and Answers for each of the conference calls focusing on subparts of the proposed Produce Safety Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act on the PPA Food Safety section. For your convenience, the Q&A’s have been collected into a single PDF.
