Corn Lodging Reported Following Extreme Heat and Storm Events in Southern New Jersey

Figure 1: Severe lodging observed in taller, early planted corn following strong winds and heavy rainfall. Taller plants are more prone to wind-related lodging due to larger canopy size and increased leverage on the root system. (Photo Credit: Andrew Wyenandt, 2026)

Reports of corn lodging have been coming from multiple locations across southern New Jersey (NJ) since last Sunday (July 5, 2026). We had a period of extreme heat across much of central and southern NJ from July 2 to 4, witnessing daytime temperatures reached 95 to 100°F and heat index values ranged between 105 and […]

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Fruit IPM Report for Week of 6/29/2026

San Jose scale crawlers on apple.

  Apples Disease Management Considerations Bitter rot symptoms observed in southern and northern counties. Hot, humid weather will increase the risk of fruit rots, including white rot, bitter rot, black rot, sooty blotch, and flyspeck. Cultural control practices will help to minimize impact from disease in orchards: prune for improved air circulation, thin fruit clusters […]

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Vegetable IPM Update 7/3/26

Greetings from the Veg IPM team! We hope everyone is staying cool in these extreme temperatures as we move into July. Read more for the latest pest and disease updates.

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Fruit IPM Report for Week of 6/22/2026

Powdery mildew on apple leaves.

  Apples Disease Management Considerations Apple scab, cedar apple rust, and powdery mildew: Few apple scab lesions have been found in orchards throughout the state. Cedar apple rust has been reported on leaves and fruit at several orchards throughout the state (Figure 1). Powdery mildew is present in some orchards and needs to be managed […]

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Pepper weevil alert 07/01/2026

This week we saw our first pepper weevil of the season in Hammonton NJ. It’s a good idea to be on the lookout for pepper weevil — read more to learn what to look for. 

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Grass Hay Cutting Height – Don’t Cut too Low

While visiting some grass hay fields across the state I have encountered several fields where cutting height was too low. While we all want to get the maximum yield possible from our fields, cutting too low can have negative impacts. Disk mowers allow the crop to be cut very close to the ground, in some […]

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