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

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April 20, 2022

Damping-off: Identifying and Controlling Pathogens in Transplant Production in 2022

It is extremely important to know which pathogen is causing damping-off problems and which fungicide to properly apply. The key to controlling damping-off is being proactive instead of reactive. Always refer to the fungicide label for crop use, pathogens controlled, and application rates.

Damping-off is caused by a number of important vegetable pathogens and is very common during transplant production. Damping-off can kill seedlings before they break the soil line (pre-emergent damping-off) or kill seedlings soon after they emerge (post-emergent damping-off). Common pathogens that cause damping-off include Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium spp.

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Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
April 19, 2022

Wine Grape Twilight – I

When: May 4 (Wed) @ 4 PM

Where: Tomasello Winery: 225 N White Horse Pike, Hammonton, NJ 08037

Frank Salek Memorial Lecture, Sponsored by the Outer Coastal Plain Vineyard Association. Dennis Rak, owner of the Double A Vineyard Nursery will talk on ‘Grapevine Grafting: Fundamentals of Why and How’

Pesticide Recertification Credits: CORE (1 credit), PP2 (5 credit), 1 A (5 credit) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blueberry, Cranberry, Fruit, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Uncategorized, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: , , , ,
April 12, 2022

Pest Counts & Action Thresholds in the Greenhouse

Scouting Methods & Options:

There are essentially three options available when scouting your greenhouse crops for insect/mite pests. 1- No scouting performed with pesticides being applied on a calendar timetable. 2- Simply scouting for pest existence  with pesticides applied when presence is observed. 3- Scouting crop and making pesticide application decisions based on pest counts and action thresholds. The third option is part of an integrated pest management (IPM) approach that has been promoted throughout the green industry the past few decades.

Greenhouse pest populations are measured by trapping or direct plant inspection, and both involve determining pest numbers. Counting pests and using action thresholds requires time and knowledge, but results in less pesticide use, reduced potential for insect resistance, and can improve plant quality. It is important to remember that trapping (e.g., yellow, or blue sticky cards) improves the efficiency when scouting your greenhouse but does not replace the actual inspection of individual crop plants (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2). This is particularly the case when scouting for aphids and mites.

Fig.1. Yellow or blue colored sticky traps are used to capture flying insect pests in the greenhouse. The blue traps attract the western flower thrips more effectively. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

Fig. 2. The optivisor (3x) at top of photo works best when counting or viewing the insects captured on sticky traps. The other magnifiers shown (5x, 16x, 20x) are used to more closely view pests on crop plants. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Vegetable Crops
April 11, 2022

North Jersey Tree Fruit And Vegetable Twilight Meeting II Full Program

North Jersey Fruit and Vegetable Twilight Meeting II

April 19, 2022
4:30 PM-7:30 PM
Alstede Farms, Chester, NJ

4:30 PM – Registration / Light Refreshments

4:45 PM – Apple Fruit Rots: Environment, Infection Timing and Fungicide Efficacy
Norm Lalancette, Specialist in Tree Fruit Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

5:15 PM – Farm Tour of Fruit and Early Season Vegetable Production
Kurt Alstede, Craig Steely, Hector Ruiz, John Ferrante, Alstede Farms

5:30 PM – Tree Fruit Insect and Disease Update
Dean Polk, Statewide Fruit IPM Agent, Rutgers NJAES

5:45 PM – Disease Control Options for Spring Vegetable Crops
Andy Wyenandt, Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers NJAES

6:00 PM – Early Season Weed Control Update
Thierry Besancon, Specialist in Weed Science, Rutgers NJAES

6:15 PM – Insect Control for Spring Vegetable Crops
Kris Holmstrom, Vegetable IPM Research Project Coordinator, Rutgers NJAES

6:30 PM – Greenhouse and High Tunnel Considerations for Early Season Vegetable Production
AJ Both, Extension Specialist in Controlled-Environment Engineering, Rutgers NJAES

6:45 PM – Tour of Pesticide Storage and Loading Facility
Kurt Alstede, Craig Steely, Alstede Farms
Patricia Hastings, Extension Pesticide Safety Education Coordinator, Rutgers NJAES

NJ Pesticide Recertification Credits
1 unit CORE, 3 units 1A, 3 units 10, 3 units PP2

Please RSVP for the meetings with a call to Kim Crommelin at
908.788.1338 or
kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Fruit, Organic Production, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops
April 11, 2022

Pesticide Applicator or Dealer Storage Inventory with Cover Letter Due May 1st to Fire Department

All licensed pesticide applicators, as well as dealers, who store pesticides are required by law to send a copy of their storage inventor(ies) with an explanatory cover letter to the local fire company by May 1st each year. In New Jersey, all licensed pesticide applicators and dealers who store pesticides are required per N.J.A.C. 7:30-9.5 […]
Filed Under: Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Vegetable Crops
April 7, 2022

REMINDER – South Jersey Integrated Vegetable Crop Management Meeting Tonight

Just a quick reminder hoping to see you tonight. In addition to the announced agenda below, newly appointed State Executive Director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency Bob Andrzejczak will be joining us to (re)introduce himself to the farm community.

Integrated Vegetable Crop Management Twilight Meeting

THURSDAY, April 7, 2022

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

East Vineland Fire Hall

4931 Landis Ave., Vineland, NJ

across from the Savoy Restaurant

(please park behind the building and enter conference room door in rear)

6:30 pm    Tools for Pesticide Safety & Regulatory Compliance for Growers & Pesticide Handlers

  • Pat Hastings, RCE Pesticide Education Program Coordinator

7:00 pm    Understanding the New FSMA Water Rule

  • Wes Kline, RCE Cumberland

7:20 pm    Cover-crops for Fertility Management

  • Michelle Infante-Casella, RCE Gloucester

7:40 pm    Cover-crops and Other Weed Management Strategies for Plasticulture Crops

  • Thierry Besancon, RCE Specialty Crop Weed Specialist

8:10 pm    Disease Control Options for Spring Vegetable Crops

  • Andy Wyenandt, RCE Vegetable Plant Pathologist

8:40 pm    Pepper Weevil & Early Season Diamond Back Moth Management Options

  • Joe Mahar, Vegetable IPM Coordinator

9:10 pm    COVID-19 and New Roles for Extension Going Forward

  • Rick VanVranken, RCE Atlantic

9:30 pm    Adjourn

Pesticide Recertification Credits 

PP2 (PRIVATE APPLICATOR CATEGORY)     04
CORE (BASIC SAFETY & HANDLING)          01
1A (AGRICULTURAL PLANT)                       04
10 (DEMONSTRATION & RESEARCH)         03

Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Richard VanVranken, Agricultural Agent, Atlantic County

Wesley L. Kline, Agricultural Agent, Cumberland County

Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent, Gloucester County

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,