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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NJ Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations

Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.

August 2, 2022

Much Needed 72 Hour Precipitation Accumulations

Doppler radar polarimetric technology from iWeatherNet.com: Rainfall totals for the last 24 hours to 3 days – high resolution map shows a widespread system brought much needed precipitation to South-Central NJ Sunday, July 31st though the 72-hour period ending August 2, 2022. In Salem County, areas along the Delaware River to west of Woodstown received 5/10ths to 9/10ths in parts of Mullica Hill. A wider swath through Woodstown and Glassboro provided 3/10ths to less than an inch. A narrower swath of 7/10ths to one inch fell from Elmer to Williamstown. Localized areas west of Salem City and South of Abbottstown Meadow received an inch of accumulation. Less than 3.0 inches of rain have been recorded below Memorial Lake at the USGS 393838075194901 Woodstown USGS Gauge for the month of July.

Looking at the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center map, soil moisture for surface to ten cm depth readings shifted from below the 3-percentile category for much of the county on August 1st to the 30th percentile as of August 2, but a large area of production remains in the five to ten percentile.

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
July 29, 2022

Basil downy mildew found in southern New Jersey – ALERT 7/29/22

Basil downy mildew has been confirmed in field grown basil in southern New Jersey. This is the first confirmed report of BDM in the state this growing season. To date, there have been very few reports of BDM in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions this growing season. The extremely, hot dry weather these past three to four weeks have not been ideal for its development. However, all basil growers are encouraged to scout their fields or greenhouses on a daily basis and should consider initiating a preventative fungicide program. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
July 29, 2022

Vegetable Disease Update: 07-29-22

  • Basil downy mildew has been confirmed in New Jersey. All basil growers are encouraged to scout on a daily basis. To track and report BDM occurrence please click here. For information on the control of BDM in the greenhouse or the field please click on the hyperlinks.
  • Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported ONLY on cucumber in southern, central, and northern New Jersey. For more information on CDM control please click here. To follow the progress of CDM in the US please click here.
  • Bacterial leaf spot has been reported in pepper. More more information on BLS control please click here.
  • Phomopsis leaf blight has been reported in annual strawberry. For more information please see this Extension publication by Louws et al. at NCSU.
  • Collar rot has been reported in tomato. Please click here for more information.
  • There have been no reports of Late blight in potato or tomato in the region to date. To follow the progress of Late blight in the US please click here.
  • Rhizoctonia root rot has been reported in summer squash. Click here for more information.
  • White mold has been reported in tomato and Southern blight in pepper in southern new Jersey this past week. Click here for more information.
  • Powdery mildew has been reported in cucurbit crops. For more information on the control of CPM please click here.
  • Bacterial canker has been reported in tomato. For more information on diagnosing important tomato diseases please click here.
  • Phytophthora blight has been reported on pepper. For more information please click here.
  • The 2022/2023 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide is available for free online or for sale in hardcopy form at many County offices.
  • For a quick review on managing fungicide resistance development using tank mixes and fungicide rotations, and information on FRAC group 4, FRAC group 7, and FRAC group 3 and FRAC group 11 fungicides please click on hyperlinks.
Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , ,
July 28, 2022

Special IPM Update – Fall Armyworm Alert

Sweet Corn – Fall Armyworm

As of Wednesday (7/27) evening, significant fall armyworm (FAW) infestations were found in whorl stage sweet corn in Cape May County.  These infestations were nearing 50% of plants infested, and are an indication that all sweet corn growers in southern NJ should be checking fields regularly for signs of FAW feeding.  This pest often hits earliest and hardest in coastal areas, and new infestations have been detected up the coast to Monmouth County.  Northern infestations have been much lower, and very recent.

Look for extensive foliar feeding in sweet corn ranging from seedling to pre-tassel stage.   FAW create large volumes of droppings that often cover larvae while feeding in the whorl.  Untreated infestations can result in severely stunted plants.  Consider treating when FAW feeding alone, or in combination with European corn borer exceeds 12%.  Insecticides in the IRAC 28 class (diamides) and IRAC 5 class (spinosyns) work well against FAW.

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
July 27, 2022

Vegetable IPM Update 07/27/22

Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) moth catches continue to be extremely low around the state, although there has been some increase in adults in southern traps.   ECB population maps will resume if second flight catches rise to high enough numbers.

The highest nightly trap catches of ECB for the week ending 07/27/22 are as follows:

Allentown   1 Jones Island   1 Oldwick   1
Eldora   1 Medford   1 Tabernacle   1
Elm   1 Milltown   1
Georgetown   1 New Egypt   1

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
July 26, 2022

Crop progress: Drought stress continues

Drought conditions continue to stress crops in South-Central counties and a significant portion of northern NJ. Although the US Drought Monitor indicates conditions are only in the abnormally dry category, local conditions along the Pilesgrove-Upper Pittsgrove border west of the Salem River and adjoining areas of Gloucester County are experiencing moderate drought conditions in some fields; but not others due to the sporadic precipitation paths of recent storms. All stages of corn and soybeans in affected fields are showing signs of yield reduction due to disruption of pollination and seed set.

The USGS Below Normal 7-Day Average Streamflow Condition Map more accurately reflects a moderate hydrologic drought (darker orange colored area). A significant portion of the region has seen below normal precipitation for the past seven days. A streamflow which is less than the 25 percentile is considered below normal. The darker orange shaded areas of South-Central NJ of the USGS map represents 6-9 percentile stream flow activity.

below normal 7-day average streamflow condition map

 

 

Another way to observe increasing crop stress is to look at the cubic feet per second discharge of streams in the area since planting season. As seen in this graph of the Maurice River at Norma, NJ, current stream level discharge is well below the median daily discharge value over the past 88 years.

 

 

 

For information on USDA available drought related programs by commodity, see the poster:

Click to access farmersgov-disaster-assistance-brochure-07-21-2022.pdf

Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops