Rutgers University | New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station | Pesticide User Responsibility

September 10, 2015

RAREC Variety Trials:
Disease-Resistant Hybrid Bell Pepper ‘Turnpike’

Phytophthora blight (P. capsici) and bacterial leaf spot (BLS) are the two greatest pathogen threats to pepper production in New Jersey. Articles in the Plant & Pest Advisory, such as Phytophthora Control During Wet Weather, Controlling Phytophthora Blight in Pepper, and Bacterial Leaf Spot Update, have talked about why growers are experiencing increasing crop losses due to P. capsici and BLS. Work on mitigating the impact of these pathogens has been on-going for decades at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Among the many pepper varieties evaluated at the farm, the new Seminis hybrid, Turnpike, has generated excitement for its fruit quality, yield potential, and resistance against both Phytophthora blight as well as bacterial leaf spot races 0-5 and 7-9.

Phytophthora blight and bacterial leaf spot are issues for growers; Turnpike has performed well and looked strong in the test field. [Read more in American Vegetable Grower/Growing Produce]

Seminis bell pepper breeder Bill McCarthy discusses disease-resistant pepper Turnpike at RAREC's Vegetable Twilight Meeting & Research Tour.

Boyd Carey, Ph.D. discusses disease-resistant pepper Turnpike
at RAREC’s Vegetable Twilight Meeting & Research Tour.

Seminis Bell Pepper 'Turnpike'

Seminis bell pepper breeder Bill McCarthy has worked for many years to develop Turnpike, seen here in the foreground.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
June 28, 2015

Phytophthora Control During Wet Weather

Most of New Jersey has been plagued by heavy rains and pop-up thunderstorms these past few weeks making conditions ideal for pathogens such as Phytophthora blight (P. capsici) on pepper, eggplant, tomato, and cucurbit crops. Unfortunately, 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 pathogen has an increasing host range that also includes snap and lima beans, and all crops, other than a few resistant bell pepper cultivars, lack any resistance to the pathogen. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
May 17, 2015

Vegetable Diseases of the Week – 5/17/15

This week: Bacterial leaf spot of bell pepper; Leather rot of strawberry; and Phytophthora crown rot of eggplant.

Bacterial leaf spot of bell pepper

Bacterial leaf spot of bell pepper

Leather rot of immature strawberry fruit

Leather rot of immature strawberry fruit

Phytophthora crown rot of eggplant.

Phytophthora crown rot of eggplant.

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: , , , , ,
May 10, 2015

Early-season Phytophthora blight control in pepper

Phytophthora blight typically develops in low-lying areas after a heavy rain and can spread quickly throughout the entire field.

Cultural Recommendations

Planting on a ridge or raised, dome-shaped bed will help provide better soil drainage. Use a minimum 3-year crop rotation with crops other than pepper, cucurbit, lima and snap beans, eggplant, or tomato. In fields with low-lying or wet areas, plant only Phytophthora-resistant/tolerant bell pepper cultivars such as ‘Paladin’, ‘Turnpike’,  ‘Aristotle’, ‘1819’, ‘Intruder’, ‘Archimedes’, or ‘Revolution’. In heavily-infested pepper fields with a known history of Phytophthora blight, plant only tolerant cultivars to help reduce plant losses. If mefenoxam-insensitivity is known to exist in a field/farm, plant only tolerant cultivars. Do not apply mefenoxam or metalaxyl in fields where insensitivity is known to exist.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Organic Production, Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,
May 25, 2014

Controlling Phytophthora Blight in Pepper

With the wet weather, conditions for the crown rot phase of Phytophthora blight have increased. Phytophthora blight typically develops in low-lying areas of fields after a heavy rain and can spread quickly throughout the entire field. Planting on a ridge or raised, dome-shaped bed will help provide better soil drainage. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With:
June 1, 2013

Vegetable Briefs 6-1-13

  • Cucurbit downy mildew was reported on cucumber as far north as Southern Georgia 2 weeks ago. To track cucurbit downy mildew in the US please visit http://cdm.ipmpipe.org/
  • No late blight has been reported in the region to date and has only been found as far north as central Florida to-date. To track late blight in the US please visit http://usablight.org/
  • Reports of Phytophthora blight on pepper have begun.
  • Blackleg has been reported on potato.
  • Want more information on what’s going on, please sign up for the Jersey Vegetable Crop Ag Updates at: http://jerseyvegcropsagupdates.blogspot.com/.
Filed Under: Vegetable Crops Tagged With: ,