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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May 24, 2023

Vegetable IPM Update 5/24/23

Sweet Corn

Scattered European corn borer (ECB) moths are now being captured in central and northern counties, and this insect is certainly active in southern parts of the state.  Numbers are quite low.  It remains to be seen whether this first flight will amount to much, but recent years’ catches give no reason to suspect that a large population will develop.   Whorl corn is the primary target for egg laying, but as yet, scouts have reported no signs of feeding injury.  In northern and central counties, corn plantings that were started on/under plastic are now reaching a size that will support ECB larvae.  We expect to encounter some level of feeding over the next 2 weeks, although the majority of plantings have not required insecticide treatments for ECB prior to full tassel in the past several years.

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 damaged leafpyrethroids (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 5/24/23 are as follows:

Asbury   1 Matawan   1
Chester   1 New Egypt   1
Denville   1 Old Bridge   1
Long Valley   1 Oldwick   1

*  No blacklight traps are in operation south of the Columbus (Burlington Co.) area this season.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
May 24, 2023 and

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Changes to Audit Costs

USDA has just announced that proposed audit fees for the Harmonized and GAP/GHP audits will increase to $155 per hour. The average Harmonized Audit runs anywhere from 12 to 15 hours, GAP/GHP audits average 5 to 10 hours. The current fee is $132 per hour. For anyone who needs an audit try to schedule before October 1, 2023 when the new rates take effect.  For further information or discuss the proposed increases contact:  Melissa Bailey, Associate Administrator, AMS, USDA, Room 2036–S, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250; telephone (202) 205–9356, or email melissa.bailey@usda.gov.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
May 23, 2023

South Jersey Tree Fruit Twilight Meeting – II

May 31st @ 5 – 7 pm
Summit City Orchards: 500 University Blvd. Glassboro, NJ 08028

Pesticide credits applied Category: 1A, PP2, 10 

4:45 pm  Gather at the Parking lot of the Summit City Winery (above address)

5:00 pm Peach Fruit Thinning - Physiology and Methods
Daniel Ward, Extension Specialist, Pomology, Rutgers NJAES.

Demonstration of the Peach Fruit Thinning Using the Machine
Richard Bannister and Eli Bannister, Richard’s Station.

Field Observations from the IPM Program
Dave Schmitt, Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers NJAES

Summer Disease Control Measures in Orchards
Norman Lalancette, Extension Specialist, Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

7:00 pm  Pesticide re-certification credits application and Adjourn

Light fare will be provided. Please call Joan Medany jmedany@co.gloucester.nj.us or call 856-224-8030 if you are 
planning to attend. If an additional assistance is needed, please contact Hemant Gohil at 856-224-8029 prior to 
the meeting.
Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, pesticide credits, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , ,
May 17, 2023

Fruit and Vegetable Grower Feedback Needed on Produce Safety Costs, Needs, and Barriers

Time is running out to give feedback. We would like to ensure that there is good representation from all types of growers across the country so please share this announcement across your grower networks. Below is a table summarizing response numbers by state so you can see how your state is represented.

 

The Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Team and personnel from the Northeast Center to Advance Food Safety (NECAFS) at the University of Vermont would like to understand the costs and the barriers of beginning or expanding food safety practices on farms and in packinghouses to make educational materials more relevant to fruit and vegetable growers and packers. To do this, we have developed a survey to collect food safety information from fruit and vegetable growers across the country.

What are the Goals of this Survey?

To understand:

·        what steps growers have taken toward adopting food safety practices on their farm,

·        the costs of adopting food safety practices (both one-time and reoccurring), and

·        where growers have questions about food safety.

Why Should You Participate?

The detailed information that is provided will allow future educational materials to be tailored to specific challenges that growers are facing.

Who Should Participate?

We are looking for feedback from people involved in fruit and vegetable production and packing, including those who have and who have not adopted food safety practices. This survey should be completed by someone who has knowledge about the operation’s produce safety practices (e.g., equipment, finances, supplies, training, market distribution, third-party audits).

Participation is voluntary and anonymous. It will take 10 – 30 minutes to complete the survey, depending on the farms’ food safety practices.

By completing this survey, you can choose to be entered into a raffle to win a $75 prepaid credit card. Ten participants will randomly be selected to win. The raffle will be held when the survey closes, approximately June 1st. If selected, you will be contacted to confirm your mailing address and acknowledge acceptance of the $75 prepaid credit card.

Direct link to the English-language survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_agW9o6VWOUCivCC

Direct link to the Spanish-language survey: https://qualtrics.uvm.edu/jfe/form/SV_agW9o6VWOUCivCC?Q_Language=ES
Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
May 17, 2023

Application for Cost-Share Grant Funding for Installation of Deer Fencing on UNPRESERVED Farmland – Out NOW

“The NJDA Deer Fencing Program makes cost-sharing funding available for the installation of deer fencing on unpreserved farms. The program is conducted in accordance with N.J.S.A 4:40-6.1.”

Please click here for the full application, eligibility, and other important information

Timing is important if considering this program. NJDA began accepting applications on 5/15/23.

 

Filed Under: Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, pesticide credits, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
May 16, 2023

IPM Update 5/16/23

Sweet Corn

IPM Program personnel are finished deploying black light traps in central and northern New Jersey and with help from South Jersey grower cooperators, nearing completion of a corn earworm (CEW) pheromone trap network in the state.    Limited collections from traps thus far have captured a small number of European corn borer (ECB) moths in blacklight traps as far north as Hunterdon County.  We anticipate only limited CEW and  ECB moths for the near term, and as numbers increase, look for updates on ECB, CEW and  brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) catches, including interpretive information.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops