Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Peach:
Brown Rot: Blossom infections from the brown rot fungus can occur whenever pistils are exposed and a favorable climate exists. Infections can occur during any wetting period when temperatures are between 41 and 86 °F. However, optimum conditions for infection occur with wetting and temperatures in the mid 70’s. [Read more…]
Rutgers Tree Fruit Breeding program, spearheaded by Dr. Joseph Gofredda, continues to release new varieties, giving growers more options to choose from. Five new and exciting Peach and Nectarine varieties were developed after extensive multi-year evaluations at several location in New Jersey, representing different agro-climates. Additionally, three-year post-harvest evaluations of fruit quality were performed at Pomology Lab at Rutgers Agriculture Research and Extension Center (RAREC) in Bridgeton. Fruit and tree characteristics of these new peach and nectarine varieties are described below. [Read more…]
Peach:
Brown Rot: Blossom infections from the brown rot fungus can occur whenever pistils are exposed and a favorable climate exists. Infections can occur during any wetting period when temperatures are between 41 and 86 ° F. However optimum conditions for infection occur with wetting and temperatures in the mid 70’s. During long wetting periods (several days or more) blossoms can be infected regardless of temperature. Generally infections that occur when conditions are sub optimal are less severe. Blossoms and fruitlets will remain susceptible until the pistil dessicates (sometime between petal fall and shuck split). [Read more…]
Peach:
Brown Rot: Blossom infections from the brown rot fungus can occur whenever pistils are exposed and a favorable climate exists. Infections can occur during any wetting period when temperatures are between 41 and 86 °F. However, optimum conditions for infection occur with wetting and temperatures in the mid 70’s. During long wetting periods (several days or more) blossoms can be infected regardless of temperature. Generally infections that occur when conditions are sub optimal are less severe. Blossoms and fruitlets will remain susceptible until the pistil dessicates (sometime between petal fall and shuck split). [Read more…]
Samurai wasp (Photo by Elijah Talamas)
Many of our fruit and vegetable growers throughout the state have been battling with populations of brown marmorated stink bug. This invasive pest feeds on most fruiting vegetables, small fruits, and tree fruits and can cause significant economic losses. One of the reasons that BMSB is such a bad pest is that when it arrived in the US, it did so without its co-evolved natural enemies. Until now! The Samurai wasp (Trissolcus japonicus) arrived in the US independently and the first populations were found in NJ in 2016 by the Department of Agriculture. However, no populations had been found in agricultural crops, which made us uncertain about its impact.
Last week, a parasitized egg mass was tentatively identified as the Samurai wasp. The Samurai wasp attacks stink bug eggs and has a special appetite for BMSB eggs. A female wasp will lay its eggs into the stink bug eggs. It is an effective parasite of BMSB and can parasitize on average 50% of each egg mass. Our finding was in a commercial peach orchard in southern New Jersey and may be the first finding in a US agricultural crop. We had placed egg masses in the orchard to measure natural enemy impacts of our border spray approach. We do not know the impact the Samurai wasp will have in NJ agriculture but this is a very promising new development in the fight against BMSB. Reduced spray methods, such as border sprays, may help to protect Samurai wasp populations in crops.
Samurai wasp emerging from BMSB egg mass
Drs. Joe Kaser and Clement Akotsen-Mensah contributed to this article.
Blueberry:
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD): Adult trap captures have remained close to the averages seen the previous week, but maximum trap captures increased in Atlantic County to 30 males per trap on 1 farm. Weekly applications are still required on both Duke and Bluecrop. The same type of program should also include late varieties like Elliott. No infested harvested fruit have been found on any commercial farms as of this date.
