Large crabgrass can form robust root systems thanks to its numerous tillers and capacity to root at stem nodes, allowing it to out-compete crops for moisture and nutrients. Understanding the life cycle and biology of large crabgrass is key to figuring out the best options for its control on your farm. Learn more about non-herbicide life cycle disruptions that can be used in the development of a short and long term management plan through the large crabgrass decision tool fact sheet and an informational video. These resources are one of a five-part weed management series created by Extension Specialist Thierry Besancon and County Agricultural Agent Meredith Melendez, funded by USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant AM190100
. Provide feedback on these resources through an online survey.
Landscape, Ornamentals, Nursery, and Turf Edition
Seasonal updates on ornamental, nursery, and turf pests.
Subscriptions are available via EMAIL and RSS.
Companion Website Links:
Rutgers Turf Blog - Articles on turfgrass diseases and cultural practices for the commercial turfgrass industry. Subscription available via RSS.
Rutgers Weather Forecasting - Meteorological Information important to commercial agriculture.
Non-herbicide Management Options for Large Crabgrass in Specialty Crops
Parasitoids: The Hidden Backyard Beneficials
Many landscapers are familiar with the larger beneficial insects such as lady beetles, praying mantids, lacewings, and flower flies. Although common, parasitic wasps/flies (parasitoids) are examples of landscape beneficials that are typically less recognized because of their small size, and that magnification is needed for best viewing. Also many parasitoids feed unseen on the interior organs within their hosts. Although the majority of parasitoids are found in the two orders mentioned above (Hymenoptera & Diptera), there are more than 50 families that have been identified. Many of these insects do not have distinctive differences in general appearance & therefore attempting to ID the specific species or even family is not practicable for the landscaper or nursery grower. Learning about & being aware of the activity of these less observed but exceptionally important biological control organisms are photographed & reviewed in this blog.
An apparent parasitoid wasp inadvertently captured on the edge of a yellow sticky trap. Most of these adult wasps are exceptionally small & will often have a constricted waist & beaded antennae. The vast majority of observed landscape parasitoids will be wasp or fly species. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Your Input on Changes to the Next Farm Bill
House Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Review
“An integral part of the oversight and review process of the 2018 Farm Bill and further preparation for the 2023 Farm Bill is getting direct input from producers, stakeholders, and consumers on how various farm bill programs are working for them” – Click here to add your comments into the form posted on the House Agriculture Committee website with the option to answer the following questions:
- Which programs included in the 2018 Farm Bill do you think are performing well?
- Are there any new programs or ideas that you or the organization that you represent would like to see considered for the 2023 Farm Bill?
- Which programs included in the 2018 Farm Bill do you think could be improved upon or should be reconsidered?
Guidance on Farm Bill Sections.
“The farm bill refers to an authorization of mandatory and discretionary spending bills appropriated to provide assistance related to food and farms. It is a multi-year law that is primarily executed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and it governs a wide variety of agricultural and food programs” – Farm Bureau.org. Click here for a short summary and video on the history of the farm bill.
Title I, Commodity Programs. Under this authorization, USDA is reauthorized to provide and improve commodity and marketing loans, sugar, dairy and disaster programs. In addition to the links below for the farm bill overview, see the ERS link at https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-commodity-policy/title-i-crop-commodity-program-provisions-after-enactment-of-the-agriculture-improvement-act-of-2018/
Title II, Conservation. To read more about this title go to https://www.thefarmbill.com/title-2-other-conservation
or read more in https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/IF11199.pdf
Title III, Trade. To read more about this title go to https://www.thefarmbill.com/title-3-trade-programs
Title IV, Nutrition. To read more about this title go to https://www.thefarmbill.com/title-4-snap
Use the same website to scroll through each of the remaining titles:
Title V, Credit
Title VI, Rural Development
Title VII, Research, Extension, and Related Matters
Title VIII, Forestry
Title IX, Energy
Title X, Horticulture
Title XI, Crop Insurance. To read more about this title you can also go to https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-commodity-policy/crop-insurance-program-provisions-title-xi/
Title XII, Miscellaneous
2023 Farmer Grant Proposals from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Do you h
ave an idea you would like to try on your farm that is related to sustainable agriculture? Stephen Komar, Rutgers SARE Coordinator and Sussex County Agricultural Agent, would like to announce that Northeast SARE will open the website for 2023 applications for Farmer Grants on October 1st. Approximately $750,000 has been allocated to fund projects for this grant cycle. Individual awards typically range from $5,000 to $30,000, depending upon a project’s complexity and duration. Projects must be related to sustainable agriculture and results are to be shared through a final report to SARE along with some type of outreach by the farmer as part of the project.
The online system for submitting proposals will open on Oct 1, 2022. Proposals are due no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on November 15, 2022. Go to Northeast-SARE-Farmer-Grant-Call-for-Proposals.pdf for more information.
Northeast SARE Farmer Grants provide the resources farmers need to explore new concepts in sustainable agriculture conducted through experiments, surveys, prototypes, on-farm demonstrations or other research and education techniques. Projects address issues that affect farming with long-term sustainability in mind. Northeast SARE funds projects in a wide variety of topics, including marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, climate-smart agriculture practices, urban and indigenous agriculture and more.
The goals of SARE Farmer Grants are to help farmers try new things that could improve their operations and to share that information with others. There are also some other restrictions for budget items. Funds can be used to conduct the research project including paying farmers for their time, for project-related materials, for project costs like consulting fees or soil tests, and any communications or outreach expenses associated with telling others about project results. This grant program is not meant to help start or expand farm businesses. Farmer Grant funds cannot be used for capital costs associated with building a barn, greenhouse, or other major farm fixture, nor can funds be used to start a farm, purchase durable equipment like tractors or computers, or for any utility, telephone, or other costs that would be there in the absence of the project.
Farmer and employee wages can be included in a Farmer Grant budget for work done specifically on the grant project. Applicants should include a reasonable wage for their work on a grant project. In New Jersey, the current adverse wage rate used for the H2-A farm worker program is currently $15.54 per hour and could help gauge wages for employees time on the project. For farmer/project manager) wages, the rate to use would be higher and could be based on the complexity of the tasks on the project.
In addition, each project must include a technical advisor to assist with the project. Technical advisors can be anyone who is an agricultural service provider, such as your local cooperative extension agricultural agent, USDA personnel, an agricultural consultant, etc. In New Jersey and other states, SARE Coordinators are not eligible to be technical coordinators due to a conflict of interest of leadership in the program. Therefore, Agricultural Agents, Stephen Komar (Rutgers SARE Coordinator) and Michelle Infante-Casella (Rutgers SARE Assistant Coordinator) are not able to be technical advisors to grants. However, if you have questions about the grant process, they both can help answer questions or point farmers in the right direction to identify technical advisors.
A SARE Farmer Grant informational webinar featuring Tommye Lou Rafes, who has received multiple SARE Farmer Grants, will take place at 12:00 p.m. on October 4, 2022. This webinar information will help farmers thinking of applying for a SARE grant to learn about the process and types of projects that fit this program. To register for the webinar go to northeast.sare.org/farmergrantwebinar
The Northeast region includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. Like other SARE Grants, Farmer Grants are competitive and will be judged against other applicants in the region.
To learn more about SARE project in New Jersey see New Jersey State Fact Sheet (sare.org)
