For over a decade, basil downy mildew (BDM) has caused significant losses in basil grown in organic and conventional field and greenhouse production across the United States. At the time of its introduction, there were very few fungicides labeled for its control making it nearly impossible to grow a successful crop in many areas of […]
Continue reading...Some Key Armored Scales & Crawler Emergence

A Large-Scale Dilemma: Undoubtedly many arborists, landscapers, nurserymen, and golf course superintendents would agree that effectively controlling scale insects is one of the more frustrating pest management challenges encountered. Of the half-dozen major families of scale insects common in the urban landscape, the armored scales are the most troublesome. With their protective waxy covering, […]
Continue reading...Cucurbit downy mildew forecasting website up and running for 2021
For cucurbit growers who have been using the CDMpipe website the past few years to track the progress of cucurbit downy mildew in the US, a new website was relaunched for the 2020 growing season. Anyone can visit the new website by clicking here. Please take the quick survey to help our colleagues out! To receive […]
Continue reading...Sparganothis Fruitworm Degree-Day Update: as of May 30, 2021

Based on our degree-day model for Sparganothis fruitworm, flight initiation is expected at around 596 DD (see chart). As of May 30, Sparganothis has accumulated 607 DD (using March 1 as biofix) or 455 DD (using April 15 as biofix; a more realistic biofix based on the time when winter water was removed from most […]
Continue reading...With rainfall, so comes Phytophthora and Pythium
Most of New Jersey has finally gotten rain and pop-up thunderstorms making conditions ideal for pathogens such as Phytophthora and Pythium on spring-seeded and transplanted crops. Unfortunately, Pythium and Phytophthora blight can be found on most farms in the southern part of the state. Poor crop rotations with susceptible hosts only make matters worse. The […]
Continue reading...Survey continuing for bacterial leaf spot and copper resistance in 2021 growing season
Copper resistance has been detected in bacterial leaf spot of tomato and pepper and in Pseudomonas chicorii, the causal agent of bacterial leaf spot in basil, in New Jersey. While not surprising, copper resistance has been known to develop for decades now; however, this is the first time it has been confirmed in vegetable crops […]
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