Each year for the New Jersey Vegetable Meeting, Rutgers Cooperative Extension publishes a proceedings book with summaries of presentations given during the educational sessions. The 2021 proceedings book is now posted on the Rutgers Vegetable Online Resources webpage. All proceedings books dating back to 2009 are also archived on this site and can be found by scrolling down to the bottom left corner of the webpage.
The 2021 Proceedings Book is dedicated in the memory of William Roberts who passed away on May 21, 2020 at the
age of 88. After completing his college degree at Rutgers, Bill served our country in the military until 1955 where he earned the rank of First Lieutenant. He then returned to Rutgers, Cook College, to teach and later became an Extension Specialist in Agricultural Engineering. Early in his career, he invented the air-inflated, double-layer polyethylene film system for covering the roof of a greenhouse. Today, approximately 65 percent of all commercial greenhouses in the United States use the air-inflated system. This innovation won Bill many awards and tremendous gratitude from the industry. On a personal note, Bill was most known for his tremendous faith and love for family; especially wife Dottie. For more information about Bill Roberts, please see the beginning pages of the proceedings book for 2021.
We hope you will take the time to read the summaries included in the 2021 proceedings book. Robin Brumfield, Rutgers Extension Specialist in Agricultural Economics, recommends that anyone participating in the “Know Your Numbers, Know Your Options” morning and afternoon sessions on Monday, February 22nd, utilize her proceedings summaries on pages 19-25 (morning session) and pages 42-47 (afternoon session) while attending.
Also of interest – to obtain an online copy the 2020-2021 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide a free download is available on the Rutgers NJAES Publications website. The guide is the same as in 2020 and a “critical updates” document is also available online for changes – mainly pesticide recommendations updates.
Proceedings Book – Speaker Summaries for February 22-25th NJ Vegetable Meeting
Pest Notes: Witches’ Brooms, Pitch Mass Borers and Ants
WITCHES’ BROOMS: The development of witches’ brooms on woody plants and the resulting formation of abnormal growth can cause curiosity and concern to your clients. Typically, the new growth is distorted, and a proliferation of leaves or fruit/cones closely clumped together appears when apical dominance is lost. Witches’ Brooms are created on plants when the transfer of growth hormones is disrupted (perhaps caused from the introduction of a foreign substance). Insects (e.g., aphids), fungi, bacteria, viruses, phytoplasmas, and herbicides have all been implicated in causing the formation of witches’ brooms in many plant species.
Witches’ Brooms are plants having stunted foliage & short stem internodes. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Landscape IPM Scouting Techniques: Basic Overview
KEY PLANTS vs. KEY PESTS vs. KEY LOCATIONS CONCEPT:
Landscape IPM (Integrated Pest Management) methods require site-specific information. Every landscape typically contains at least several key pests, key plants and key locations that will be unique to each site. These concepts are extremely useful to simplify monitoring procedures at any given landscape. They will enable field technicians to concentrate on plants and locations that are prone to problems as well as those plants and locations that have low aesthetic thresholds. Scouting efficiency should improve and a more productive use of time spent on landscapes is the result. It is important to emphasize that Integrated Pest Management is a philosophy & practitioners will need to develop skills & experience to improve their levels of commitment.
A diverse, well designed landscape that will unlikely develop many pest problems. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
New Jersey Department of Agriculture Moves to New Building in Trenton
The New Jersey Department of Agiculture Administration and Staff have moved from their previous office building to a new location.
In the event anyone needs to drop off samples for testing or visit the NJDA for any reason, please be advised of this change of location.
The new building address for the NJDA office is: 200 Riverview Plaza, 3rd Floor, Trenton, NJ, 08611
The mailing address remains: PO Box 330, Trenton, NJ, 08625
For more information see the NJDA website.
Winter Landscaping Considerations
What Effect Will a Cold Winter Have on Insect Populations This Season?: Insects overwinter in all life stages, but the majority are in the egg or pupa stage. Cold weather usually has little effect on these stages. Those that overwinter as adults or larvae usually overwinter in protected locations. Snow cover can insulate insects and increase survival. The major cause of decreasing insect numbers is widely fluctuating temperature extremes throughout the winter. When temperatures warm, insects begin development, only to stop when temperatures again drop. Therefore, springs with false “starts” are more likely to negatively affect insect populations than a steady cold winter.
Snow cover can insulate insects & increase winter survival rates. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Springs with “false starts” can be detrimental to early hatching Eastern Tent Caterpillars. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Plant Health Care (PHC) Concerns in the Landscape
Girdling Roots:
Many tree species can develop potentially life-threatening girdling roots, but maple species are notorious for developing them in the landscape. As offending girdling roots expand in diameter and press against the also expanding central stem, an inevitable slow decline of the tree begins. When two roots grow together or when two branches grow together, then they can graft and share conducting tissues. However, root and stem tissues cannot graft together, and detrimental effects occur when they expand into one another.
Girdling roots are rare in natural areas, but are relatively common in the urban landscape. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
