Landscape, Ornamentals, Nursery, and Turf Edition

Seasonal updates on ornamental, nursery, and turf pests.
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Next Tuesday 2/8 – Nursery Sessions at the Atlantic City Agricultural Convention and Tradeshow

Please join us on Tuesday 2/8 – for a full day of nursery and ornamental educational sessions

NJ Agricultural Convention and Tradeshow – Nursery and Ornamental Sessions (Atlantic City – in-person) This upcoming Tuesday 

  • See here for a full list of speakers and here to register
  • Speaker highlight – If you have issues with Red-headed flea beetle you don’t want to miss our guest speaker Danny Lauderdale (NC State), he will be discussing control options for adults and larvae. We are EXTREMELY lucky to have this opportunity – Don’t miss this, he basically wrote the book on this pest. 
  • Pesticide credits requested

Nursery and Ornamental Tracks at the 2022 VGA

Upcoming educational and credit opportunities – either Rutgers led or in cooperation with Rutgers RCE

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There are numerous educational opportunities in the next few weeks that are either led directly by Rutgers RCE faculty or Rutgers faculty served on the association’s Educational Committee

Rutgers Led Programing:

1. This Saturday (1/29 – 12:00 – 1:30pm) – NJ Christmas Tree Growers Association – Annual Winter Meeting – Virtual – Open to anyone but you must register – click here  (Must upload IDs to a Rutgers Connect Secure Folder –  click here to upload Gov. ID and Pesticide license for this meeting only!) 

  • 12:00 – 12:45pm – Tim Waller and Bill Errickson – Detection and Management of Phytophthora in Christmas Trees – update from summer research
  • 12:45-1:30pm – George Hamilton – Pesticide Safety and Regulations Update
  • Pesticide credits (1x CORE, PP2, 3A, 10)

2. (2/8 – Morning and Afternoon Sessions) – NJ Agricultural Convention and Tradeshow – Nursery and Ornamental Sessions (Atlantic City – in-person)

  • See here for a full list of speakers  and here to register
  • Speaker highlight – If you have issues with Red-headed flea beetle you don’t want to miss our guest speaker Danny Lauderdale (NC State), he will be discussing control options for adults and larvae. We are EXTREMELY lucky to have this opportunity – Don’t miss this, he basically wrote the book on this pest. 
  • Pesticide credits available

Rutgers advisory to associations’ Educational Committee Events: 

1. (2/2 and 2/3) – NJ Nursery and Landscape Association – Total Pro Expo (in-person)

2. (2/23) – NJ Landscape Contractors Association – Landscape New Jersey (in-person)

 

We look forward to seeing everyone at these virtual or in-person events soon! Stay tuned for more programing as the seasons develops.

Rutgers is dedicated to protecting your privacy and keeping your personal information safe.  Upon upload, your files will be encrypted and stored to Rutgers Connect. Your information will be kept strictly confidential; used solely to meet NJDEP ID verification protocol for recertification credit; and will not be used for any other purpose. Your files will be deleted within 60 days after the training event.

 

 

On-line Ordering of Free COVID-19 At-Home Test Kits Now Open

Per the National Association of Community Health Workers <https://nachw.org/>,

“The COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing down, especially given the rise of the Omicron variant. … It is more important than ever … to have the necessary tools to safeguard … against the disease. As a result, NACHW [is] be supporting the Biden-Harris Administration’s rapid test distribution [program] … to equitably distribut[e] over 500 million tests, with the end goal of the initiative being the proliferation of testing and vaccine resources to our hardest-hit and highest-risk communities.

Ordering for free at-home COVID-19 tests is now open. When you click on the order link below, you will be asked for your zip code. Ordering today will be available to zip codes with the highest vulnerability to COVID-19. Starting this Wednesday (January 19), ordering for free at-home COVID-19 tests through this program will be open to everyone. There is a limit of 4 tests per household address and kits will be shipped by the end of January via the US Postal Service.

Use this link to order – https://nachw.org/covidtests/

 

Tree-of-Heaven: Best Herbicide Treatment and Removal Timing

Removing the Tree-of-Heaven (TOH):

During the winter, arborist companies will often take advantage of the slow season and perform needed tree removal services for clients. However, these professionals know when dealing with the tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) the off-season is only a suitable time for removal if a previous herbicide treatment was applied during the late summer or early fall seasons (i.e., mid-July to mid-October). Then during the off-season, the trees can be cut & removed from mid-November thru April (Figure 1).

(Fig. 1) The cutting & removal of this cluster of tree-of-heaven trees should only be done in the winter if herbicide treatments were applied during the late summer or fall seasons. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

If a tree-of-heaven (TOH) is cut & removed without first using an herbicide & waiting at least 30 days, then the tree will respond with potentially dozens of trunk sprouts & root suckers that could emerge 50-feet from a large parent tree. Applying the herbicide during mid-July to mid-October when the tree is most actively translocating photosynthates to the root system will allow the herbicide to move further distances most effectively through the phloem. This will help reduce problems with trunk sprouts & root suckers which this tree species is notoriously known to produce (Figure 2).

(Fig. 2) Herbicides to TOH should be applied from mid-July to mid-October. The photo shows the onset of fall coloration & indicates the end of effective herbicide treatment for the season. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

[Read more…]

Beech Leaf Disease in New Jersey

A new disease of beech trees (Fagus spp.) called ‘Beech leaf disease’ (BLD) has increasingly been observed in landscaped and forested areas in the Northeastern USA and Canada. The disease was first reported on American beech, Fagus grandifolia, in Lake County Ohio in 2012, and has spread to Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario (Canada), Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, West Virginia and Virginia. In New Jersey, the disease was first reported in 2020 and has been confirmed in 10 counties including: Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union.

Beech leaf disease detection map

New Jersey Beech Leaf Disease Detection Map

BLD primarily affects American beech,  F. grandifolia, however, it has also been observed on European beech, F. sylvatica; Oriental beech, F. orientalis; and Chinese beech, F. engleriana. All of the specimens seen in the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Lab have been American beech.

A foliar nematode species has been isolated from beech leaves and buds. This nematode was initially identified as Litylenchus crenatae subspecies crenatae, a species described in Japan on Fagus crenata that does not cause disease. In 2020, the cause of BLD was proven to be a newly described foliar nematode, Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii, which is closely related to L. crenatae subsp. crenatae. L. crenatae subsp. crenatae has not been found on ornamental plantings of American beech in Japan. Conversely, L. crenatae subsp. mccannii has not been found on ornamental plantings of Japanese beech in North America. While the origin of L. crenatae subsp. mccannii and its native distribution are not clear, all other known species of nematode in the genus Litylenchus are found in the Pacific Rim.

Litylenchus crenatae

Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii isolated from beech leaf tissues in the Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

In 2019, research scientists at the USDA took nematodes from diseased trees and inoculated them onto the buds of young, healthy trees in a greenhouse, waited for symptoms to appear, then re-isolated the nematode from the affected leaves. This process is called Koch’s postulate’s, which is plant pathology’s gold standard for verifying the cause of a disease.

Despite these findings, some researchers question the role of the nematode as the only cause of BLD. Recent reports suggest that diseased beech leaves also contained a fungus and 4 species of bacteria that are also carried by the nematode. This research suggests that both the nematode and a pathogen that it carries may be contributing to the disease. The original research from the USDA, however, suggests that nematode feeding alone can cause the disease.

The BLD nematode predominantly overwinters in buds. The nematode migrates from leaves to the buds beginning in August. After bud-break in the spring, the nematodes cannot be found in symptomatic leaf tissue until late-June or early-July. DNA-based markers, however, can confirm the presence of the nematode, presumably due to eggs, in these leaves. By early summer, the nematodes appear in the leaves and are easily identified in a laboratory setting. The numbers of nematodes in the infected leaves increase through fall. It is assumed that some nematodes overwinter in leaves on the ground. The mechanisms of transmission and spread within trees, among trees, and from site to site, are unknown. Research is ongoing in the hopes of answering these questions.

The initial symptoms of BLD include dark-green striped bands between the veins of leaves. The dark-green bands are easily seen by holding leaves up to the light and/or looking up into the canopy. In many cases, the size of the affected leaves is reduced. The banded areas usually become leathery-like, and leaf distortions–curling and crinkling–are often observed. These symptoms are best seen by looking down on the top of the leaf.

Closeup of leaves

As seen from below, dark-green striping is clearly evident between the leaf veins. Photo: Jerry Giordano, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Distorted leaves

As seen from above, affected leaves are smaller, leathery, and distorted. Photo: Jerry Giordano, Cornell Cooperative Extension

Affected leaves

Affected leaves thicken and may yellow between the veins. Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL

As symptoms progress, aborted buds, reduced leaf production, and premature leaf drop lead to an overall reduction in canopy cover. This ultimately results in the death of saplings within 2-5 years of infection and of large trees within 6 years. In areas where the disease is established, the proportion of symptomatic trees can reach more than 90%. There is significant concern that this disease will dramatically reduce the numbers of beech and their ecological services in Northeastern forests.

Because the research on BLD etiology is ongoing, and questions regarding dissemination and spread remain unanswered, management and control options are limited. Several pesticide options are currently being investigated including: abamectin, emamectin benzoate, and potassium-phosphite as potential controls. The avermectin materials are known to be effective nematicides in other animal and plant systems and may eventually be determined to be efficacious for this disease. At this time, however, the efficacy of any of these materials is unknown and are not currently recommended as treatments. Be aware that much more work needs to be done to understand this new disease before effective treatment protocols can be discussed.

In general, the spread of invasive species can be prevented by restricting the movement of plant materials and monitoring trees closely for signs and symptoms. BLD has spread very quickly eastward in the United States and is concerning to all of us. The Rutgers Plant Diagnostic Laboratory and our partners at the New Jersey Division of Community Forestry are interested in tracking this disease within New Jersey. Please contact the lab if you suspect a problem. Samples can be evaluated free of charge for the 2022 growing season.

Upcoming Webinar Spotlights Agriculture in Region

Regional news of note:  The Philadelphia Society of Agriculture is hosting a webinar on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 1:00 pm with the Secretaries of Agriculture from PA, NJ, DE, and MD who will share their reflections on 2021 and their hopes and plans for agriculture in their state in 2022.

“A Visit with the Secretaries of Agriculture for the Region”

COVID has changed the agriculture and food industry in many ways. The leadership of the state departments of agriculture has been critical in filling the gaps that have arisen while, at the same time, carrying on their continuing mission of safety in the industry. Each state is different given the mix of agriculture in each. The Secretaries will address the differences and similarities in agriculture in the four states.

  • There is no registration fee but pre-registration is required by contacting pspaonline@gmail.com with the name(s) of the people attending, their affiliations, and emails. You will receive a Zoom link in return.
  • Contact Scott Sheely at pspaonline@gmail.com with any questions.  Registrations end by COB on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.