Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Tonight at 7:00PM – Last Session for the On-Farm Direct Marketing May Webinar series.
Farmer Panel: Tracy Duffield-Duffield’s Farm Market, Dave Specca- Specca’s Pick-Your-Own Farm and Jess Niederer – Chickadee Creek Farm and CSA will discuss what they have changed on their farms due to COVID-19.
Please join us online at https://go.rutgers.edu/k0d59m8h
or
On the phone 1-650-429-3300 with Access code: 226 795 368 # and then # again.
Last night on “Ask the Ag Agent” we discussed The NJ Department of Health’s “Interim Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Guidance for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers, Their Employers, and Housing Providers” guidance document. We will continue to facilitate discussion on “Ask the Ag Agent” forum for this topic and others next week. Please feel free to bring up any ag-related topics for discussion on this forum.
“Ask the Ag Agent” weekly 1-hour sessions for farmers will be hosted weekly and continue each Wednesday until May 27th. The online conferencing/call in events will begin at 7:00PM with an open forum to discuss ag-related questions about production, marketing, regulations and any other topics farmers wish to discuss. All are welcome. Events are hosted by William Bamka, Stephen Komar, Meredith Melendez and Michelle Infante-Casella – Agricultural Agents.
To access via WebEx on a computer go to https://go.rutgers.edu/rc9n3kxt
Or, Join by phone
+1-650-429-3300 USA Toll
Access code: 799 743 872
For additional Rutgers Cooperative Extension educational programs check out https://events.rutgers.edu/njaes/
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Sue Fulton, on Monday, May 18th, announced additional extensions to driver license, registration, and inspection expiration dates in the continuing efforts to mitigate COVID-19 and safeguard public health.
Effective immediately, the following documents, if expiring between March 13 and May 31, have been extended to July 31. Documents expiring June 30 are extended two months to August 31, and those expiring July 31 are extended to September 30.
• All Standard driver licenses (including permits) and standard non-driver IDs
• Privately owned and commercial vehicle registrations (including Farmer and Farm Use registrations)
• Vehicle inspections
• Purple Heart/Disabled Veteran placards
• Temporary tags
“Get it done online now, if you’re able,” Fulton suggests. “We do anticipate that volumes will spike once we reopen and when we reach the end of these extensions. Our job is to serve customers in the most efficient way possible and one way we can do that is by steering people to our expanded list of online services.”
On March 13, the NJMVC initially announced two-month extensions for licenses, registrations, and inspection stickers expiring in March, April, and May, timelines that have now been pushed back.
The NJMVC encourages customers to utilize online services, which have been expanded during the COVID-19 crisis. In most cases, customers can renew a license, replace a lost license, change an address, renew a registration, and complete other transactions through the NJMVC’s Online Services portal.
Customers also should check NJMVC.gov for the latest information and updates.
Plastic mulch has been widely adopted by vegetable growers everywhere. The benefits of plastic mulch and raised beds have proven to improve crop quality and yields.
One practice some growers use, just after transplanting into plastic mulch, is to have workers place a small shovel full of soil around the 
base of the plant and enough to seal the hole around the plant. This works best for transplants with tall stems – tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and cole crops.
One caution before using this beneficial cultural practice, is to understand the implications of herbicides applied between rows. If a herbicide was applied in row middles that is harmful to the crop planted into the plastic mulch, the transplant could be damaged, stunted or die. Read the herbicide label before using row middle soil to fill in the planting hole. If the row middle soil is safe to apply, then this practice is recommended.
Why is the tedious, time-consuming and laborious task so important?
There are a few reasons.
1. Placing soil around the transplant and planting hole will prevent water from puddling around the plant when significant rainfalls occur. Excessive puddling around the transplant can induce root and crown disease infections.
2. The extra soil will provide support and stability for the plant until roots can anchor the plant in the ground and the plants can be staked
and tied.
3. By adding soil to seal-over the plastic mulch hole, the seal will prevent “venting” of hot air. This is especially important when plants are young, acclimating to outdoor weather and when hot and sunny days occur shortly after transplanting.
All reasons listed above will be important this week, as the weather conditions for Thursday call for rain in New Jersey and then flowed by temperatures in the 80s. Soil temperatures will rise and more critical, air temperatures under plastic mulch will be much higher than 80 degrees. The hot air venting on young, tender transplants will cause stress and can possibly lead to transplant death.
For these reasons, it is important to fill in and seal those transplant holes.
This week, the webinar will be concentrated on the topic of farm labor. Since updates are coming to the industry and we have learned of some programs for migrant workers please join us for discussion. Please feel free to bring up other topics.
Ask the Ag Agent – 7:00PM Weekly – Every Wednesday – Farmer Video Conference/Call-In Forum
“Ask the Ag Agent” weekly 1-hour sessions for farmers will be hosted again on Wednesday May 13th and continue each Wednesday until May 27th. The online conferencing/call in events will begin at 7:00PM with an open forum to discuss ag-related questions about production, marketing, regulations and any other topics farmers wish to discuss. All are welcome. Events are hosted by William Bamka, Stephen Komar, Meredith Melendez and Michelle Infante-Casella – Agricultural Agents.
To access via WebEx on a computer go to https://go.rutgers.edu/rc9n3kxt
Or, Join by phone
+1-650-429-3300 USA Toll
Access code: 799 743 872
For additional Rutgers Cooperative Extension educational programs check out https://events.rutgers.edu/njaes/
By, Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent/Professor, RCE of Gloucester Co. and William Bamka, Agricultural Agent/Associate Professor, RCE of Burlington Co.
Although media reports have triggered panic over the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia), there are no reports this pest is present anywhere else in North America besides the Pacific Northwest. Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Agriculture and Natural Resource personnel have received inquiries to identify hornets found by the public. In New Jersey, Rutgers Cooperative Extension county offices have not identified any submitted specimens to be the Asian Giant Hornet. The Asian giant hornet has only had confirmed sightings in Washington State and British Columbia, Canada.
“The species has not yet been detected this spring in Washington State or the British Columbia or anywhere else on the West Coast”, said Professor Dina M. Fonseca, director of the Center for Vector Biology in the Department Entomology in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences at Rutgers–New Brunswick. “We do not know how the species arrived in the United States but it is important to not overreact.”
Washington State University’s information on the Asian giant hornet confirmed the first U.S. sighting of this hornet in the wild. The first two specimens were found in Nanaimo and White Rock, British Columbia, Canada in fall of 2019.
The hornets were reported to be attacking colonies of honeybees in Washington State. The Asian Giant Hornet is known to aggressively attack honeybees and can destroy entire honeybee colonies. Washington State University recently published an extensive fact sheet with identification and guidance for the public. According to the WSU Pest Alert, Asian Giant Hornets are not generally aggressive towards people, but may sting when threatened.
“The Asian giant hornet is unlikely to be present in New Jersey,” Fonseca said. “while citizens in the Pacific Northwest can help detect any emerging hornets this spring, which is critical for its control, the indiscriminate killing of bees, wasps or other hornet lookalikes, would be detrimental because of beneficial roles these insects provide as plant pollinators and predators of agricultural pests.”
An insect that looks similar and can be confused for the Asian giant hornet is the Cicada killer wasp (Sphecius speciosus). They large solitary 
wasps found throughout the U.S. and burrow holes in the soil. Even with their large size, dangerous appearance and “dive-bombing” habit, adult Cicada killer wasps rarely come in contact with people and it is rare they will sting. The males of this species will make “dive-bombing” flight patterns, but do not have a stinger and an attack would not result in a sting. The female’s tubular egg-laying structure on the rear end can function as a very weak stinger. Her mild sting is similar to a slight pin scratch and is not considered by most people to be painful. Rutgers Cooperative Extension has more information on the Cicada Killer Wasp and other bees and wasps.
As more information comes out regarding the Asian giant hornet, it is best to pay attention to where this insect has been confirmed and how far it has spread. It is most likely that the Asian giant hornet would first spread and be reported in surrounding areas bordering Washington State and British Columbia, Canada before any reports would occur on the East Coast. Knowing this information may help to calm fears when seeing other hornets and wasps. As always, take precautions and avoid contact with stinging insects. For identification and recommendations contact your local county Rutgers Cooperative Extension office.
