Plant Diagnostic Lab — Page 12 — Plant & Pest Advisory

March 5, 2021 Steven K. Rettke

IPM vs. PHC: Is There a Difference?

History

During the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) was an approach to field crop management that farmers increasingly began to practice in the United States. It took barely a decade for farm agriculture to fully realize the problems associated with the over-reliance on pesticides when controlling pests. The classic example of the overuse of the chlorinated hydrocarbon (DDT) immediately comes to mind. Despite the astonishing success that synthetic pesticides usually have at killing pests, some have failed with disastrous results. This especially has occurred when the same material was used repeatedly over extended periods of time. For this reason, the IPM approach became necessary for US farmers managing extensive row crops. Approximately 20-25 years after farmers began implementing IPM methods, the landscaping or “green industry” started to gradually incorporate IPM methods into their service programs.

US Agriculture initially began to practice IPM with extensive row crop farming more than 60 years ago. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

The use of GMO’s with crops such as Round-Up Ready soybeans & corn is certainly an IPM tactic, but emerging complications are a concern. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)

February 19, 2021 Michelle Infante-Casella

Proceedings Book – Speaker Summaries for February 22-25th NJ Vegetable Meeting

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 Two people in dress clothes 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.

Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Organic Production, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: Proceedings Book, Vegetable Meeting

February 15, 2021 Steven K. Rettke

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.)

February 5, 2021 Steven K. Rettke

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.)

January 26, 2021 Michelle Infante-Casella

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.

Filed Under: Commercial Ag Updates, Field, Forage & Livestock, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Organic Production, Plant Diagnostic Lab, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: NJDA

January 25, 2021 Steven K. Rettke

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.