By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – The Rutgers Farm Health and Safety Working Group: Kate Brown, Michelle Infante-Casella, Stephen Komar and William Bamka – June 16, 2024 When it comes to hydration, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicinerecommends an adequate daily fluid intake of about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – May 27 , 2024 – Kate Brown New workers are vulnerable to heat-related illness because they have not acclimatized to working inthe heat. Acclimatization is a physiological process that occurs when exposure to heat takes placegradually over an extended period. Once acclimatization is achieved, working in the heat results inproduction […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – June 4, 2024 – Kate Brown Evaporation of sweat from skin is the body’s primary mode of temperature regulation on hot days.Clothing can impact heat and sweat production, as well as the rate of evaporation, so clothingdecisions are important to prevent heat stress. Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing made of a […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant And Pest Advisory – June 18, 2024 Wes Kline, Meredith Melendez And Jennifer Matthews Scheduling USDA audits GAP, Harmonized or Harmonized PlusAnyone who has not scheduled their audit needs to be aware of the documentation needed to be sentto the New Jersey Department of Agriculture prior to the audit. They will want to see […]
By Heather Cooper •
Kate Brown, Chair of Farm Health and Safety Working Group for RutgersCooperative Extension, informed us that an OSHA inspector conducteda 3.5-hour inspection which included worker interviews, wet bulb globetemperature recordings, and a complete evaluation of heat stress preventionpractices in the Hammonton area last week. Every grower should be awareon how to protect your workers from […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant and Pest Advisory – Andy Wyenandt – 6/19/24 Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in SalemCounty in southern New Jersey. This is the first report of CDM in the stateand region this growing season. All cucumber and cantaloupe growersshould scout on a daily basis and initiate a preventative fungicide programimmediately. All other […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant and Pest Advisory – Andy Wyenandt – 6/18/24 Basil downy mildew has been confirmed in field grown sweet basil in centralNew Jersey (Hunterdon County). This is the first confirmed report of BDM inthe state and region this growing season. All basil growers are encouragedto scout their fields or greenhouses on a daily basis and […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 19, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Botrytis, or gray mold, caused by the fungus, Botrytis cinerea, can cause significant losses in high tunnel and greenhouse tomato production if not controlled properly. The pathogen can rapidly spread during periods when structures are closed and when relative humidity remains high for long periods of […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 22, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Often considered a minor pathogen, angular leaf spot caused by the bacterium, Xanthomonas fragariae, can cause serious leaf and calyx infections ruining the market ability of fruit if left uncontrolled. Like all bacterium, the pathogen will infect leaves and the calyx through natural openings or wounds. […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 12, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Protectant (contact) fungicides, such as the in organics (copper, FRAC group M01) and sulfur (FRAC code M02); the dithiocarbamates (mancozeb, M03), phthalimides (Captan, M04), and chloronitriles (chlorothalonil, M05) are fungicides which have a low chance for fungicide resistance to develop. Protectant fungicides typically offer broad spectrum […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 23, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Most of New Jersey has been wet making current conditions ideal for pathogens such as Phytophthora and Pythium. Unfortunately, Pythium cottony leak and Phytophthora blight can be found on most farms in the southern part of the state. Poor crop rotations with susceptible hosts only make […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 16, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Even though much of New Jersey has had wet weather recently, which is more favorable to Pythium and Phytophthora development, Rhizoctonia root rot has been reported over the past few weeks in a number of crops. Rhizoctonia root rot, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is an important […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 20, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Since 2011 the vegetable working group has teamed up with Cornell University’s NEWA to bring tomato and potato late blight and early blight forecasting to vegetable growers through out New Jersey. Over 50 weather stations from Sussex to Cape May County now offer disease as well […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 9, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Although the weather has been relatively wet these past few weeks, hotter than normal temperatures have already crept in, thus we need to be cautious about sunscald developing on the stems of transplants, especially those being set onto black plastic mulch. With a little planning ahead […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 9, 2024- Andy Wyenandt There have been a few reports of Southern blight (Sclerotinia rolfsii) and White mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) on tomato and pepper in New Jersey. Southern blight is much more common in vegetable areas south of the state where summer temperatures remain hotter (above 90°F) for longer periods […]