By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – June 23, 2025 – Tim Waller Explore the Rutgers New Ornamental IPM Program website, your go-toresource for a variety of tools and information, including the Plant & PestAdvisory, the Rutgers NJAES Plant Diagnostic Laboratory, and insights onScouting with Growing Degree-Days. Additionally, the site features theUSPest Growing Degree Day Model and […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – May 27, 2024 – Andy Wyenandt Septoria leaf spot (SLS) in Parsley can cause significant losses in fields where it has become established.Like other Septoria’s, the leaf spots produced on parsley look much like the leaf spots produced on tomatoes and other crops. Septoria leaf spot overwinters from year to […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – June 4, 2024 – Andy Wyenandt Asparagus growers should consider scouting their fields regularly during the summer months for foliar disease development. Important pathogens that growers need to scout for on a regular basis include Purple spot, Cercospora, and Rust. These pathogens are easily diagnosed by the characteristic symptoms they […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – June 9, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Symptoms usually begin to appear on random plants throughout the field as green fruit begins tomature. The bacterium (Pseudomonas corrugata) is ubiquitous to soils and develops when weatherconditions (cooler nights/very hot, humid days) and cultural practices (i.e., excess heavy N use) leadto favorable conditions for […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – May 27, 2025 – Andy Wyenandt Rhizoctonia root rot has been reported over the past week. Rhizoctonia root rot, caused byRhizoctonia solani, is an important soil-borne fungal pathogen with a very large host range.Thepathogen can survive saprophytically on living or dead plant material (organic matter) oras sclerotia inthe soil (for […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – June 8, 2024 – Andy Wyenandt Pepper anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum spp. has become a significant problem on some farmsin southern New Jersey. Unlike in tomato, where symptoms are only present in mature (red) fruit, pepper anthracnose caninfect pepper fruit at any growth stage. Currently, there are no commercially-available bell […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – May 31, 2024 – Andy Wyenandt Copper resistance in bacterial leaf spot of tomato and pepper crops has been detected at a high level inNew Jersey the past few summers. While not surprising, copper resistance has been known to develop for decades now. Copper applications for the control of bacterial […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 15, 2024- Andy Wyenandt Collar rot (Alternaria linariae) or Alternaria stem rot (Alternaria alternata f. sp. lycopersici) of tomatoare common in young tomato plants. Either can be particularly troublesome in seedlings that havebeen held in transplant flats for an extended period of time before transplanting in hot, humid greenhouses. Collar […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – June 7, 2024 – Andy Wyenandt Anthracnose and Alternaria leaf blight can become problematic in cucurbit crops during long periodsof wet, humid weather. Both can cause significant losses if not controlled properly. With the productionseason in full swing, now is a good time to review a few of these 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 bringtomato 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 as insectforecasting […]
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 •
Wes Kline, Meredith Melendez and Jennifer Matthews Anyone who has not scheduled their USDA audit needs to be aware of the documentation needed tobe sent to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture prior to the audit. They will want to see a copyof your food safety plan, proof of your food safety training, any current […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – May 26, 2024 – Andy Wyenandt Verticillium wilt is a common soil-borne fungal pathogen that once it has infested soil can remain fora very long time. Verticillium wilt is caused by either Verticillium albo-atrium or Verticillium dahlia andhas a wide host range (over 200 plant species). Both pathogens can survive […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – Andy Wyenandt Southern blight is much more common in vegetable areas south of the state where summer temperatures remain hotter (above 90°F) for longer periods of time. Like white mold, it can survive in the soil for many years. Symptoms of Southern blight include infection at the base of the […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 20, 2024- Kate Brown The chart below from OSHA outlines symptoms and signs that may indicate heat stress. Notethat common signs and symptoms include muscle pain, weakness or fatigue, dizziness, heavysweating, and rapid heart rate. Employers and workers should become aware of symptoms related to heat stress and heat illness.In […]