Strawberry leaf spot, caused by the soil-borne fungal pathogen, Mycosphaerella fragariae, can infect leaves, petioles, runners, fruit stalks (pedicels), and berry caps or calyxes. Small, dark purple to reddish-purple, round spots, 1/8 to 1/4 inch in diameter (3 to 6 millimeters), appear on the upper leaf surfaces. The center of the spots soon become tan or gray and eventually almost white, while the broad margins remain dark purple. Later in the season, dark specks (sclerotia and/or perithecia) may be seen in the older lesions. Tannish areas form on the undersides of infected leaves. The symptoms on the other plant parts, except the fruit, are almost identical to those that develop on the upper leaf surface. [Read more…]
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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June 21, 2022 Wes Kline
USDA Announces Assistance for On-Farm Food Safety Expenses for Specialty Crop Growers
Program Details
The Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) will assist specialty crop operations that incurred eligible on-farm food safety certification and related expenses related to obtaining or renewing a food safety certification in calendar years 2022 and 2023. For each year, FSCSC covers a percentage of the specialty crop operation’s cost of obtaining or renewing their certification, as well as a portion of their related expenses.
To be eligible for FSCSC, the applicant must be a specialty crop operation; meet the definition of a small business or very small business; and have paid eligible expenses related to the 2022 (issued on or after June 21, 2022) or 2023 certification.
Specialty crop operations may receive assistance for the following costs:
- Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification.
- Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan.
- Food safety certification.
- Certification upload fees.
- Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water.
- Training
FSCSC payments are calculated separately for each category of eligible costs. A higher payment rate has been set for socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers. Details about the payment rates and limitations can be found at farmers.gov/food-safety.
Very small ($250,000) and small farms (less than 500,000) average monetary value of specialty crops sold during the 3-year period preceding the program are eligible.
| Payment Amount of Eligible Costs | ||
| Category of Eligible Expenses | Historically Underserved Farmer or Rancher | All Other Applicants |
| Development of a food safety plan for first-time certification | 75 percent (no maximum)
|
50 percent (no maximum)
|
| Maintaining or updating a food safety plan
|
75 percent, up to a maximum of $375
|
50 percent, up to a maximum of $250
|
| Food safety certification
|
75 percent, up to a maximum of $2,000
|
50 percent, up to a maximum of $2,000
|
| Certification upload fees
|
75 percent, up to a maximum of $375
|
50 percent, up to a maximum of $250
|
| Microbiological testing – products
|
75 percent, up to 5 tests
|
50 percent, up to 5 tests
|
| Microbiological testing – soil amendments
|
75 percent, up to 5 tests
|
50 percent, up to 5 tests
|
| Microbiological testing – water
|
75 percent, up to 5 tests
|
50 percent, up to 5 tests
|
| Training
|
100 percent, up to a maximum of $300
|
100 percent, up to a maximum of $200
|
Applying for Assistance
The FSCSC application period for 2022 is June 27, 2022, through January 31, 2023, and the application period for 2023 will be announced at a later date. FSA will issue payments at the time of application approval for 2022 and after the application period ends for 2023. If calculated payments exceed the amount of available funding, payments will be prorated.
Interested specialty crop producers can apply by completing the FSA-888, Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops Program (FSCSC) application. The application, along with other required documents, can be submitted to the FSA office at any USDA Service Center nationwide by mail, fax, hand delivery or via electronic means. Producers can visit farmers.gov/service-locator to find their local FSA office. Specialty crop producers can also call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to assist.
Producers can visit farmers.gov/food-safety for additional program details, eligibility information and forms needed to apply.
June 21, 2022 Andy Wyenandt
Controlling Cercospora leaf spot and in beets in 2023
Cercospora leaf spot (CLS), caused by Cercospora beticola, is an important and emerging disease in beet and swiss chard production in New Jersey. Efforts to control this disease has become more difficult in the past few years in some areas of southern New Jersey. [Read more…]
June 20, 2022 Andy Wyenandt
Cucurbit powdery mildew control in 2023
Cucurbit powdery mildew (CPM), caused by Podosphaera xanthii, is one the most important diseases of cucurbit crops throughout the world. The pathogen is an obligate parasite, just like cucurbit downy mildew, meaning it needs a living host in order to survive. In northern regions that have a killing frost in the fall the pathogen will die out when the crop freezes. Not being able to overwinter, the pathogen must be re-introduced each spring or summer in the mid-Atlantic region. The pathogen accomplishes this by re-infecting cucurbit crops in the spring as they are planted up the east coast starting in Florida, then the Carolina’s, Virginia, and so forth. By late May, as soon as cucurbit crops begin to germinate in the mid-Atlantic region, the potential threat for potential powdery mildew infections begin. [Read more…]
June 15, 2022 Kris Holmstrom and Joe Ingerson-Mahar
Vegetable IPM Update 6/15/22
Sweet Corn
Low numbers of European corn borer (ECB) moths continue to be captured, and feeding in whorl stage corn is rising. The highest adult activity is currently Hunterdon County (see map below at right). ECB injury over 60% of plants infested has been found in southern Hunterdon County this week. While this level of feeding is unusually high, ECB has become something of a local phenomenon in NJ, and growers should not assume that feeding is below economic levels in their area. It is typical for feeding percentages to rise as the moth catch declines. We expect feeding to increase for the next 1-2 weeks before peaking.
Look 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 
pyrethroids (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 6/15/22 are as follows:
| Sergeantsville 2 | Dayton 1 | Pedricktown 1 |
| Bellemeade 1 | Downer 1 | Pennington 1 |
| Califon 1 | Folsom 1 | Port Murray 1 |
| Crosswicks 1 | Milltown 1 | South Branch 1 |
June 11, 2022 Andy Wyenandt
Cucurbit Downy Mildew Alert – Cucumber – 6/11/22
Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in southern New Jersey. This is the first 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. CDM was last confirmed on June 1 on cucumber in central North Carolina and on watermelon on June 9 in south central Georgia. Remember, some CDM isolates fall into Clade I which predominately infect watermelon, pumpkin, and squash, where other 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 sporulating on the underside of an infected cucumber leaf.
