Late blight Update
No Late blight has been reported in New Jersey this week.
Basil
Downy mildew – All basil growers should scout on a daily basis and should add a labeled downy mildew specific fungicide to their weekly fungicide program. Phosphite fungicides (FRAC code 33), such as Prophyt, K-Phite, and Rampart have shown the best efficacy in trials at RAREC. Actinovate (OMRI- approved) is also labeled for downy mildew control. Please remember, all abandoned basil fields should be worked under immediately after last harvest to kill the foliage!
Cucumber
Cucurbit downy mildew is active on cucumber in New Jersey. Continue to scout all cucurbit crops on a regular basis. Please see the 2013 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide for specific fungicide recommendations. To track the progress of cucurbit downy mildew please visit North Carolina State University’s Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting Center at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/ cucurbit/.
Cucurbit powdery mildew
Cucurbit growers should adjust fungicide programs accordingly. Remember, cucurbit powdery mildew is favored by hot, dry weather.
Peppers and Tomatoes
Bacterial leaf spot has been reported on both crops. Heavy wind and rains have been experienced throughout the state. Remember that all bacteria need a natural opening (i.e., stomata) or a wound (i.e., from typing or pruning) to enter a plant to start an infection.
Peppers
Anthracnose fruit rot- Heavy rain and wind can cause pepper anthracnose to flare up. Growers with peppers in fields with a history of pepper anthracnose should scout on a daily basis and apply fungicides preventatively. Pepper anthracnose can be very difficult to control once established. Strip picking and removing all fruit from ‘hot spots’ when they first appear may help suppress spread of the pathogen. Preventative fungicide applications should begin shortly before or at flowering. Use a heavy volume of water and make sure coverage is extremely good. Apply high rates of chlorothalonil or Manzate weekly and/or rotate weekly with Quadris (azoxystrobin, 11) or Cabrio (pyracolostrobin, 11). Please see the 2013 New Jersey Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide for more information.
Tomato
Early blight, Septoria leaf spot and anthracnose fruit rot – Early blight is being reported on tomato. Weekly maintenance fungicide programs which target early blight will also help control septoria leaf spot and Anthracnose fruit rot. Control of anthracnose fruit rot begins while green fruit are maturing. Remember, anthracnose infections take place on green fruit and symptoms show up later in the season on red, mature fruit. To successfully control anthracnose, protectant fungicides need to be applied on a regular basis as fruit are forming. Please see the 2013 New Jersey Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations Guide for more information. Organic growers should apply OMRI-approved copper-based or other labeled products on a weekly basis to help suppress the development of early blight, septoria leaf spot and anthracnose fruit rot.
