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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Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.

June 1, 2022

Vegetable IPM Update 5/31/22

Sweet Corn

Low numbers of European corn borer (ECB) moths have been captured in parts of the state.  Overall, this flight has been weak, but consistently warmer weather may result in somewhat higher numbers over the next week.  The highest adult activity is currently in Burlington and Gloucester counties, although even there it is low.  Whorl corn is the primary target for egg laying, and injury as high as 4% of plants infested has been found in northern Burlington County this week.  Feeding levels could be somewhat higher in the southern counties, and should rise over the next 3 weeks.

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 5/31/22 are as follows:

Downer   2 Cinnaminson   1 Hillsborough   1
Milltown   2 Clinton   1 Jones Island   1
Pedricktown   2 Crosswicks   1 Medford   1
Bellemeade   1 Georgetown   1 Woodstown   1

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops
June 1, 2022

Kentucky’s Combine Checklist to Prevent Wheat Bin Pests

In anticipation of the beginning of combine season, please check the following  resources to minimize stored grain losses or quality deductions.

High humidity has prevailed throughout much of southern New Jersey since Mid-May with most days registering above 90 degrees relative humidity. The rain event beginning on May 27th brought and inch to two-inches of rainfall to some areas of Salem County where small grains are rapidly maturing and lanternfly nymphs in rosebeds are rapidly emerging.

Memorial Day weekend gave producers a three day window to mow, swath and rake hay for dry baling today and tomorrow before thunderstorms are forecasted. Remember, last year was a high grasshopper egg laying season. If you noticed a significant number of grass hoppers in hay swathing or wheat combining this month, be on the alert for increasing grasshopper pressure on all other crops going into the rest of the summer.

 

Kentucky Pest News:

IPM 20-point Checklist for Controlling Insects in Stored Wheat

Other resouces for producers monitoring disease at this time:

Expert Commentary by Wheat Region: This window will popup when you click on the link to the wheatscab risk site https://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/

Table 3 summarizing some observed weather conditions required for toxin production in grain crops: A great resource on grain mycotoxins.

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/grain/topics/MycotoxinsintheGrainMarket.htm

 

Filed Under: Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops
June 1, 2022

Farms and the New Jersey Cottage Food Law – Q&A

New Jersey farms may be interested in adding Cottage Food products to their product line at their farm stands and markets. The Cottage Food Law is very specific about the types of products it covers, the total sales value of the Cottage Food products, and the production location of these products. Municipalities must be consulted prior to a permit application submittal, and we know of some instances where local ordinances and zoning have prohibited Cottage Food activities. Answers to some common questions are below.

What type of business can operate under the NJ Cottage Food Law?
Businesses who choose to produce products allowed under the law (see below), using a home kitchen, and who sell less than $50,000 of cottage food law covered products must comply with the provisions of the Cottage Food Law. The law allows production of the products listed below only in home kitchens. No other facilities may be used for the production of these Cottage Food items.

What are the food items covered by the NJ Cottage Food Law?
Baked goods that do not require refrigeration.
Candies
Chocolate covered nuts and fruits
Dried fruit
Dried herbs and seasonings, and mixes
Dried pasta
Dry baking mix
Fruit jams, fruit jellies, and fruit preserves
Fruit pies, fruit empanadas, fruit tamales (not pumpkin)
Fudge
Granola, cereal, and trail mix
Sweet sorghum syrup
Nuts and nut mixtures
Nut butters
Popcorn and caramel corn
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Food Safety, Fruit, Vegetable Crops
May 28, 2022

Preparing for important fungal diseases in Asparagus during the summer.

Asparagus growers should consider scouting their fields during the summer months for  foliar disease development. Important pathogens that growers need to scout for on a regular basis include Purple spot, Cercospora, and Rust. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
May 27, 2022

Vegetable Disease Update: 5-27-22

  • Neopestalalotiopsis on strawberry has been reported. Please click here to see the report from Penn State University Extension.
  • Dickeya dianthicola has been reported in potato in Virginia.
  • Botrytis and Anthracnose fruit rot is being reported in strawberry. For more information on controlling these two important diseases please click here.
  • Cucurbit downy mildew has been reported on cucumber only as far north as Bamberg, County, GA (south central part of the state). To follow CDM reports in the U.S. please click here. Recent research has shown that oospores of the pathogen can overwinter in the southern US (North Carolina), but overwintering oospores were unable to germinate and cause infection the following spring. For more information please click here.
  • Suncald has been reported in newly transplanted pepper fields. For more information please click here.
  • Timber rot has been reported in tomato. For more information please click here.
  • White rust has been reported in spinach.
  • 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
May 25, 2022

Vegetable IPM Update 5/25/22

Sweet Corn

European corn borer (ECB) moths are now being captured in parts of the state.  Numbers are low, and no map will appear in this edition.  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 plants are not large enough to support ECB larvae.  We expect to encounter some level of feeding over the next 2 weeks.

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 5/25/22 are as follows:

Califon   1 Georgetown   1 Pedricktown   1
Crosswicks   1 Hillsborough   1 Sergeantsville   1
Dayton   1 Medford   1 South Branch   1
Downer   1 Milltown   1 Woodstown   1

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops