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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July 4, 2023

Quick reviews of fungicide chemistries, FRAC groups, and fungicide resistance management

Did you know that first EBDC fungicide was registered for use in vegetable crops in 1964 followed by chlorothalonil in 1966. Historically speaking, the first New Jersey Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide was produced in 1969 and was only 33 pages long (it’s 450 pages now). Things have changed significantly over the past 54 years when it comes to pest management! For a quick review on fungicides, FRAC groups, and managing fungicide resistance development please click on the links below.

Using tank mixes and fungicide rotations and information on FRAC group 4, FRAC group 7, and FRAC group 3 and FRAC group 11 fungicides.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
July 3, 2023

Diagnosing Verticillium Wilt in Eggplant

Verticillium wilt has been reported in eggplant this summer. It is a common soil-borne fungal pathogen that once it has infested soil can remain for a very long time. Verticillium wilt is caused by either Verticillium albo-atrium or Verticillium dahlia and has a wide host range (over 200 plant species). Both pathogens can survive (overwinter) as microsclerotia in the soil. Verticillium wilt prefers cooler weather and drier soils and can be more severe in neutral to alkaline soils. Solanaceous weeds such as Nightshade may harbor the pathogen. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
July 2, 2023

Cucurbit Downy Mildew Alert – Cucumber – 7/2/23

Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in Gloucester County (7/1) and in Atlantic County (6/13)  in southern New Jersey. This is the second report of CDM in the state and region this growing season. All cucumber and cantaloupe growers should scout on a daily basis and initiate a preventative fungicide program immediately. All other cucurbit plantings need to be scouted on a regular basis. CDM was last confirmed on cucumber and butternut squash in coastal South Carolina. Remember, some CDM isolates fall into Clade I which predominately infect watermelon, pumpkin, and squash, where CDM isolates in Clade II predominately infect cucumber and cantaloupe.

For more information on CDM, the clades, and CDM control please click here.

Cucurbit Downy Mildew

Cucurbit downy mildew sporulating on the underside of an infected cucumber leaf.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
July 2, 2023

Preparing for Pepper Anthracnose in 2023

Pepper Anthracnose

Pepper Anthracnose

Pepper anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. has become a significant problem on some farms in southern New Jersey.

Unlike in tomato, where symptoms are only present in mature (red) fruit, pepper anthracnose can infect pepper fruit at any growth stage. Currently, there are no commercially-available bell or non-bell peppers with known resistance to anthracnose. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
June 30, 2023

Vegetable Disease Update: 06-30-23

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
June 28, 2023

Vegetable IPM Update 6/28/23

Sweet Corn

Low numbers of European corn borer (ECB) moth activity has declined to very low levels in areas where blacklight traps are operating in the northern and central counties.  Feeding in whorl and pre-tassel stage corn has increased only slightly over the past week, with many plantings exhibiting no ECB injury at all.    While ECB has become something of a local phenomenon in NJ, growers should not assume that feeding is below economic levels in their area.

European corn borerLook for the characteristic “shot-hole” type of feeding (photo  below at right) and consider treating when infested plants exceed 12% in a 50 plant sample.  As plantings proceed to the pre-tassel stage, ECB larvae may be found in emerging tassels (see photo at left).  It is a good idea to treat individual plantings as they move into the full tassel/first silk stage one time.  This eliminates any ECB larvae that have emerged with the tassels as they begin to move down the stalk to re-enter near developing ears.

 

Useful insecticides for this particular application include synthetic European corn borerpyrethroids (IRAC Grp 3), spinosyns (including OMRI approved Entrust) IRAC Grp 5), and diamides such as Coragen or Vantacor (IRAC Grp 28) or materials such as Besiege which include the active ingredient in Coragen.  Synthetic pyrethroids alone should NOT be used for corn earworm (CEW) protection on silking corn.  Control with these materials is very inconsistent.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 6/28/23 are as follows:

Califon   1 Sergeantsville   1
Pennington   1 South Branch   1
Princeton   1

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops