Join us for a Research Twilight Meeting at the picturesque Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm on Wednesday, August 12, 2026!

Attendees will gain practical information on management of corn earworm and cucurbit downy mildew paired with timely reminders on resistance management. We will tour the research plots and share updates on the current research activities underway, including new technology (drones, biodegradable mulch, autonomous robots) and updates on the IR-4 and tomato breeding programs. Pesticide recertification credits have been requested for CORE, PP2, 1A, and 10. See the full agenda below.

The meeting will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Arrive on time for a light dinner thanks to sponsorship from the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey.  Please note the address of the farm is 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867. 

We request that you RSVP by August 10 so we may plan for the meal and the number of wagons needed. To RSVP, please complete this form or contact Ashley Higgins at higgins@somersetcountynj.gov or 908-526-6293.

5:00 PM – Sign-In at Main Building, Load Wagon, Welcome Remarks 

5:15 PM – Insecticide Resistance: Recognition and Management (30 min) 

• Grayson Tung, Senior Coordinator, Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), Rutgers University 

5:45 PM – Corn Earworm Management: Bt Corn Variety Trial & Alternative Insecticides (30 min)  

• David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County 
• Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension 

6:15 PM – Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Evaluation in Tomato (15 min) 

• David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County 

6:30 PM – Drone-Seeded Cover Crops into a Standing Pumpkin Crop (15 min) 

• Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County 
• Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 

6:45 PM – Cucurbit Downy Mildew: Monitoring and Management (30 min) 

• Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension 
• Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers NJAES 
• Stephen Komar, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County 
• Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 

7:15 PM – Updates from the Scarlet Sunrise Tomato Breeding Program (15 min)  

• Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 

7:30 PM – Organic, Interrow Weed Management in Bell Pepper: An Economic Comparison (15 min) 

• Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County 
• Meredith Melendez, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County 
• Sophie Lee, Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, Rutgers NJAES 
• Thierry Besanҫon, Extension Specialist in Weed Science for Specialty Crops, Rutgers NJAES 

7:45 PM – Overview of the IR-4 Project and On-Site Trials (15 min) 

• Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County  
• Jennifer Fisher, Field Research Director, IR-4 Project, Rutgers University 

8:00 PM – Return to Main Building, Sign Out, and Depart