We have seen a couple scattered cases of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in Southern NJ greenhouses this spring. Be on the lookout for any tomato plants that seem abnormal [Read more…]
April 24, 2026 Michelle Infante-Casella
Ag Drone Webinar, Tuesday, April 28th 7:00PM
Using Drones in Agriculture
Webinar
Date: April 28, 2026
Time: 7:00-8:30 PM
This program will highlight research projects, and real-world uses of drones in agricultural operations and will foster discussion and networking for anyone interested in using drones in their agricultural operation.
7:00 PM Drone Technology: A Tool for Crop Production and Management
– Stephen Komar, ANR Agent /Rutgers SARE Coordinator
7:25 PM Getting Started with Drones: Regulatory Compliance and Other Practical Considerations
– Adam Kyle, Warren Co. Com. College, Teaching Administrator, Precision Agriculture
7:50 PM Trusting the Data: Ground Truthing for Monitoring with Drones
– Michelle Infante-Casella, ANR Agent/Rutgers SARE Coordinator
8:15 PM Questions
TO JOIN THE WEBINAR PLEASE USE THE LINK OR QR CODE
https://go.rutgers.edu/agdrones
April 8, 2026 Megan Muehlbauer and Pete Nitzsche
North Jersey Tree Fruit and Vegetable Twilight Meeting
North Jersey Tree Fruit and Vegetable Twilight Meeting
Supported by
New Jersey Vegetable Growers Association
April 30, 202
4:30 PM-7:30 PM
Ort Farms
25 Bartley Rd.
Long Valley, NJ 07853
4:15 PM – Registration and Tour of Farmers Market
4:30 PM – Wagon Tour of the Farm
5:00 PM – Light Dinner (Sponsored by NJ Vegetable Growers Association)
5:30 PM – Proper Pesticide Handling, Personal Protective Equipment and Record Keeping
Janine Spies PhD, State Fruit IPM Program Leader, Rutgers NJAES
6:00 PM – Tree Fruit Insect and Disease Update
Kaitlin Quinn, North Jersey Tree Fruit IPM Program Associate, Rutgers NJAES
6:30 PM – Key Management Decisions to Minimize Disease, and Pest Pressure while Enhancing Yield in Strawberry Production
Peter Nitzsche, Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent I, Rutgers NJAES
7:00 PM – Managing Thrips in Vegetable Crops
Amanda Quadrel, North Jersey Vegetable IPM Senior Program Coordinator, Rutgers NJAES
The following pesticide recertification credits will be awarded
1 Unit CORE 3 Units 1A 3 Units 10 3 Units PP2
Please RSVP for the meeting by April 27 with a call to:
Kim Crommelin at 908.788.1338 or kfrey@co.hunterdon.nj.us
April 7, 2026 Amanda Quadrel and Maria Cramer
Allium Leafminer Update 4/7/2026
Greetings from the Veg IPM team!
We detected the first Allium Leafminer oviposition scars on garlic in Burlington County, NJ today (see photos below). Adults are likely active throughout the state at this time. Be on the lookout for oviposition scars on both crop alliums and wild alliums such as wild onion/garlic and ramps. You can also use yellow sticky cards to monitor for adult presence in the field.
Allium Leafminer oviposition scars. Notice the neat line of white dots near the tips of the leaves. Photos by Maria Cramer.
Allium Leafminer (Phytomyza gymnostoma) is a small grey-bodied fly with a yellow head (A). In warm, still weather, you may see adult flies settling on foliage. The females lay eggs in neat rows, leaving behind a line of white dots on the leaves (B). As the larvae hatch and begin to feed, they will tunnel downwards, causing damage to leaves and bulbs. ALM have two generations per year; the first in early spring, and the second occurring in the fall. Crops such as chives, scallions, garlic, onions and leeks are attacked by ALM, but leeks and scallions seem to be the most affected.
An allium leafminer adult (A) and oviposition scars (B). Photos by Maria Cramer a7l;/nd Amanda Quadrel
If you are concerned about crop injury due to ALM, floating row covers, kept on until the first flight ends (around the end of May) can restrict ALM’s access to vulnerable plants. Reflective mulches may also provide some additional crop protection. Adults and larvae can be targeted through well-timed insecticide sprays. Materials labeled for ALM control include spinosyns (IRAC 5- Radiant or Entrust (OMRI approved)), pyrethroids (IRAC 3A- Mustang Maxx, Proaxis, and Warrior II), neonicotinoids (IRAC 4A- Scorpion, Venom), the insect growth regulator Trigard (IRAC 17), and diamide products (IRAC 28- Exirel, Minecto Pro). The newly registered product Vertento (IRAC 30) may also be used for ALM control. However, growers who have trouble managing onion thrips may want to save group 28 and 30 products for thrips sprays, as both groups have season use limits. The first spray application of a material should be completed 2- 3 weeks after initial detection of ALM (either oviposition scars or the fly itself). Subsequent sprays should be completed in 1–2-week intervals. Two or three sprays should provide adequate control. As always, be sure to follow label rates and application instructions for any pesticide that you plan to use.
For more pictures and detailed information on the biology and management of ALM, Cornell has an excellent fact sheet that can be found here: https://cals.cornell.edu/integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/allium-leafminer. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
~Amanda Quadrel and Maria Cramer, Senior Program Coordinators- Vegetable IPM
Questions or concerns? Get in touch with us by filling out the form below:
April 5, 2026 Seowoo Sophie Lee
How Recent Fertilizer Price Increases Affect Your Per-Acre Costs
Recent increases in fertilizer prices, especially for nitrogen-based inputs, are raising production costs. This article summarizes recent price trends in our region and provides a simple worksheet for you to calculate your own cost of production.
1. Increase in recent fertilizer prices
March 30 vs. Mid-February
- Urea: +40%
- Liquid nitrogen 32%: +29%
- DAP (18-46-0): +5%
- MAP (11-52-0): +5%
- Potash: +3%
March 2026 vs. March 2025
- Urea: +38%
- Liquid nitrogen 32%: +53%
- DAP (18-46-0): +4%
- MAP (11-52-0): +8%
- Potash: +4%
2. Translating fertilizer prices into production costs
Fertilizer prices are typically reported in dollars per ton, but farmers apply fertilizer in pounds per acre. To translate market prices into on-farm costs, the price per ton is first converted to a price per pound by dividing by 2,000 (the number of pounds in a ton). This per-pound price is then multiplied by the application rate (in pounds per acre) to calculate fertilizer cost per acre.
- Fertilizer cost per acre = fertilizer price per ton / 2000 * application rate.
You can find a worksheet to calculate your total fertilizer costs on the Rutgers Farm Management website (Link here).
March 30, 2026 Ramandeep Kumar Sharma
Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting-1 (May 1, 2026)
SALEM COUNTY AGRONOMY TWILIGHT MEETING-1
Date & Time: May 1, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
(Program starts at 5:00 PM; please arrive a few minutes early)
Location: Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office, 51 Cheney Rd., Woodstown, NJ 08098
Registration:
Call: 856-769-0090
Email: molly.english@salemcountynj.gov
Credits Applied For:
- CORE: Basic Safety and Handling
- 1A: Agricultural Plant
- 10: Demonstration / Research
- PP2: Private Applicator
- 11: Animal (Livestock) Pest Control
Topics & Speakers:
- The 3R’s of Pesticide Use: Resistance, Rotation, and Regulation
Speaker: Janine Spies, Rutgers Cooperative Extension - The Endangered Species Act Changes to Pesticide Labels
Speaker: William J. Bamka, Rutgers Cooperative Extension - Nitrogen from Air to Soil using Sunlight
Speaker: Joseph R. Heckman, Rutgers University - Agronomist’s Field Guide to Drought Resilience
Speaker: Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
