Rutgers Cooperative Extension
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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Pepper Anthracnose
Pepper anthracnose was reported last week in southern New Jersey.
Unlike in tomato, where symptoms are only present in mature (red) fruit, pepper anthracnose can infect bell or non-bell pepper fruit at any growth stage. Unfortunately, there are no commercially-available bell or non-bell peppers with known resistance to anthracnose; however breeding efforts continue. [Read more…]
Greetings from the Veg IPM team! Read more for the latest pest and disease updates.
Join us at the Rutgers Specialty Crop Research and Extension Station on Thursday August 20, 2026 for a Specialty Crop Twilight Meeting. The event will run from 5:30pm to 7:30pm and will be held at 283 Route 539, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514.
This event will be a great opportunity for growers to see a demonstration of eight biodegradable plastic mulches and various ornamental nursery crops in a field setting. The full agenda is below.
This event is free, but pre-registration is required:
Please RSVP by August 13th to reserve your spot:
Contact Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County
at 732-431-7260 or Catherine.vanBenschoten@co.monmouth.nj.us
Pesticide recertification credits have been requested and will be assigned soon.
5:30 PM – Sign-In, Light Dinner Served
5:55 PM – Welcome Remarks
6:00 PM – Pesticide Safety: Reading the Label and Selecting the Proper Product
David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County
6:30 PM – Biodegradable Plastic Mulch for Tomato Production (Field Tour)
David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County
7:00 PM – Blight Resistant Boxwoods and Alternative Shrubs (Field Tour)
William Errickson, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County
Special thanks to the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey for sponsoring dinner!
Join us for a Research Twilight Meeting at the picturesque Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm on Wednesday, August 12, 2026!
Attendees will gain practical information on management of corn earworm and cucurbit downy mildew paired with timely reminders on resistance management. We will tour the research plots and share updates on the current research activities underway, including new technology (drones, biodegradable mulch, autonomous robots) and updates on the IR-4 and tomato breeding programs. Pesticide recertification credits have been requested for CORE, PP2, 1A, and 10. See the full agenda below.
The meeting will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Arrive on time for a light dinner thanks to sponsorship from the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey. Please note the address of the farm is 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867.
We request that you RSVP by August 10 so we may plan for the meal and the number of wagons needed. To RSVP, please complete this form or contact Ashley Higgins at higgins@somersetcountynj.gov or 908-526-6293.
5:00 PM – Sign-In at Main Building, Load Wagon, Welcome Remarks
5:15 PM – Insecticide Resistance: Recognition and Management (30 min)
5:45 PM – Corn Earworm Management: Bt Corn Variety Trial & Alternative Insecticides (30 min)
6:15 PM – Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Evaluation in Tomato (15 min)
6:30 PM – Drone-Seeded Cover Crops into a Standing Pumpkin Crop (15 min)
6:45 PM – Cucurbit Downy Mildew: Monitoring and Management (30 min)
7:15 PM – Updates from the Scarlet Sunrise Tomato Breeding Program (15 min)
7:30 PM – Organic, Interrow Weed Management in Bell Pepper: An Economic Comparison (15 min)
7:45 PM – Overview of the IR-4 Project and On-Site Trials (15 min)
8:00 PM – Return to Main Building, Sign Out, and Depart
Greetings from the Veg IPM team! Read more for the latest pest and disease updates.
There have been several reports concerning Cyclospora in the news lately and the NJDA and Rutgers Cooperative Extension wanted to update growers as to the status in New Jersey. Below is a statement from NJDA.
Dear New Jersey Residents and Consumers,
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture wants to emphasize that no produce coming from New Jersey farms has been linked to the cyclosporiasis outbreak. To date, no New Jersey-grown produce has been identified as a source of cyclosporiasis cases. National and New Jersey health officials and experts are continuing to investigate the outbreak and monitor any cases.
Our Jersey Fresh farmers meet the high-quality standards imposed not only by their own compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) but also with the quality-grading standards of the Jersey Fresh program.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture will continue keeping the public informed about any produce categories grown in New Jersey that have been identified by health experts as being a risk.
To help protect against cyclosporiasis and other foodborne illnesses, NJDOH and NJDA recommend:
Edward D. Wengryn
New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture
