Rain late last week combined with rising soil temperatures has initiated green-up of some cool-season grasses in central New Jersey. Soil temperatures have been slowing increasing over the last few weeks. Currently, the 24-hour and 5-day rolling averages for soil temperature are 47 degrees F at Hort Farm 2 in North Brunswick, New Jersey. Keep […]
Immediate potential for Boxwood Blight 3/24 and 3/25 – First infection potentials
There is a potential for new boxwood blight infections this FRIDAY and SATURDAY throughout much of NJ – especially central regions. Increased temperatures and prolonged periods of leaf wetness will contribute to the spread of boxwood blight infections.
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It is time to begin protective fungicide applications in high value areas if you have not already done so!
- Protective fungicide applications should remain in effect or be initiated immediately for Boxwood Blight in “Infection risk or High Risk areas”.
- If your area is not listed (throughout all of NJ please visit the USPEST.ORG Boxwood Blight Risk Model – CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR LOCAL PREDICTIONS
Boxwood Blight risk-model information, considerations, and links:
Boxwood Blight Risk Assessment as of 3/22/2023 | |||||||||
Region | Location | CODE | 22-Mar | 23-Mar | 24-Mar | 25-Mar | 26-Mar | 27-Mar | NOTES |
Southern | Upper Deerfield | NJ50 | Very Low | Low | Low | Infection Risk | Very Low | Very Low | |
Central | Howell / Freehold | NJ10 | Very Low | Low | HIGH Risk | HIGH Risk | Very Low | Very Low | High prob. of first BWB infections |
Northern | High Point | NJ59 | Very Low | Very Low | Infection Risk | Very Low | Very Low | Very Low | |
Please check YOUR LOCAL risk (click here) |
(input your area code – select closest weather station – check 7-14 prediction – click on graph / table)
These advisories are general in nature, change rapidly over time, are site-specific…therefore Someone from your business should be using this risk model daily if boxwood is important to your financial stability– In 30 seconds you can have a better idea of boxwood blight (and other pathogen) activity in your immediate area! Please contact Tim Waller if you need help using this service (twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu), we want to help!
Fungicides;
- You very well may have these materials already applied as ‘cover-sprays’ – But – be mindful that protectant fungicides loose efficacy the more rain (or overhead irrigation) they are subjected to, and reapplication may be warranted.
- ROTATE between Fungicide Resistance Action Committee (FRAC codes) to avoid this pathogen becoming resistant to specific chemicals
Format: [FRAC code]: Chemical name (Trade names * no endorsement implied, other options exist)
- [M05]: Chlorothalonil (Daconil WS)
- [M05 + 1] Chlorothalonil + Thiophanate methyl (Spectro 90WDG)
- [11] Trifloxystrobin + [7] Fluopyram (Broadform)
- [11] Trifloxystrobin + [3] Triadimefon (Armada 50WDG)
- [M03] Mancozeb
- [12] Fludioxonil (Medallion WDG)
- [3] Tebuconazole (Torque)BW
DISCLAIMER: The label is the law, always refer to it for allowable host crops, use-restrictions, application rates, reapplication intervals, re-entry intervals (REI), and mix compatibility information. Production and pesticide information on this site are for private/commercial pesticide applicators and landscape professionals only, and are NOT for home gardener use. Provided materials represent examples and do not cover all possible control scenarios. Trade-names listed do not imply endorsement and are used as examples only. Please contact your local agent or chemical sales representative for more information or to discuss additional pest management options.
Resources
- Click here for additional BWB research updates
- CLICK HERE FOR A FREE DOWNLOAD – BOXWOOD HEALTH, Best Management Practices Production and Landscape Management (18 pages – Version 3.0)
- Click here for more BWB initiatives
Background on the pathogen:
NJDEP Bureau of Water Allocation and Well Permitting Workshops Held
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection coordinated workshops in the past two weeks to assist farmers with Agricultural Water Certifications/Registrations who needed 5-year renewals. Those farmers with certifications expiring in 2023 were invited by NJDEP to attend the scheduled workshops. NJDEP Staff visited the 4 counties: Gloucester, Salem, Burlington, and Cumberland to complete renewals for 2023. These workshops are an efficient way to make sure forms are accurate, complete, and acceptable to NJDEP – avoiding the need to mail back paperwork to correct any information. If a farmer receives an invitation in the future to attend these NJDEP coordinated workshops, it is really important to attend and update your forms.
If a farmer was unable to attend workshops, or their county did not have a workshop, they must complete the 5-year renewal form mailed by DEP and make an appointment with the County Agricultural Agent in their county to finalize the forms in order to keep their status current. County Agricultural Agents do not have access to obtaining the renewal packets and farmers must bring them completed to the appointment or contact NJDEP for another copy, if they cannot locate their copy.
As per the NJDEP’s instruction, Agricultural Agents are to complete an “agent irrigation calculations sheet” and sign off on the form prior the forms are submitted to DEP. The forms can also be reviewed during an appointment with the Agricultural Agent. All other portions of the form are the responsibility of the farmer to complete. Also, it is important to read all instructions – that includes having a written daily log of the last month water was used in the past year to submit with the 5-year renewal application.
If a farmer does not have an Agricultural Water Use Certification or Registration, they can contact the NJDEP using the information below to obtain the forms.
If a farmer has any questions, NJDEP asks they contact staff at:
NJ Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Supply and Geoscience, Bureau of Water Allocation and Well Permitting, Mail Code 401-04Q, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420, 609-984-6831. Also see the website at http://www.nj.gov/dep/watersupply/
Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory adds Sulfur to Soil Fertility Analysis
Plant-available sulfur (sulfate) values have been added to Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory fertility reports in the micronutrient reporting line. There are four interpretive categories: Low, Medium-low, Sufficient, and High. An explanatory paragraph follows near the end of the report to help interpret the reported value.
As the interpretative statements within the reports explain, sulfur analysis/interpretation is very complicated (similar to nitrogen) due to the many factors influencing it. Also, there is not full consensus among soil fertility experts on a best extraction method and critical values. Still, the sulfur value on the revised reports will provide an extra degree of information for understanding the soil & plant health. As with all micronutrient interpretations on the reports, the relevant RCE publication is referenced for further information; in the case of sulfur, RCE bulletin E365.
Mild winter, what does it mean for overseeding of turf or dormant seeding?
Typically, turf management isn’t on top of the to-do list in mid-February. But winter in New Jersey isn’t typical typical this year. The statewide average temperature in January 2023 was 41.0°, which was 9.3° above the 1991–2020 normal and ties with 1932 as the mildest January since records commenced in 1895. For more details on […]
Japanese Stiltgrass Control in Turf
Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is a C4 summer annual grassy weed commonly invasive to forests. It can be problematic in lawns. Often it is problematic in shaded areas adjacent to an infested forest. But we have observed infestations in full sun turfgrass areas where you would normally expect crabgrass to be the predominant summer annual. […]