By Heather Cooper •
Hemant Gohil and Daniel Ward – May 16, 2025 – Plant and Pest Advisory New Jersey’s high deer population significantly threatens vineyards, particularly those near wooded areas. Deer are a pest, especially on young vines and in the early growing season when food sources arescarce, and tender shoots are emerging. If the vineyard is close […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory – May 27, 2025 – Andy Wyenandt Basil downy mildew has been confirmed in greenhouse grown sweet basil in centralNew Jersey. This is the first confirmed report of BDM in the state and region thisgrowing season. All basil growers are encouraged to scout their fields or greenhouseson a daily basis. For […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant and Pest Advisory – Kate Brown – 7/21/24 The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created anEmployerChecklist for Outdoor and Indoor Heat-Related Injury and Illness Preventionwhich may be utilized to identify sources of heat hazards in the workplace and respond effectively.Section1 of the checklist is designed to help employers recognize job-related heat risks […]
By Heather Cooper •
Wes Kline, Jennifer Matthews and Meredith Melendez – Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team Note: The following is a brief description of the pre-harvest water requirements (Section 112.3-112.161) under the Food Safety Modernization Act/Produce Safety Rule (FSMA/PSR). The pre-harvest water requirements are complicated, and this summary is intended to be a starting point while we wait […]
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 & 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 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 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 […]
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 tomato are common in young tomato plants. Either can be particularly troublesome in seedlings that have been held in transplant flats for an extended period of time before transplanting in hot, humid […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 6, 2024- Kate Brown As the weather warms up, prepare yourself to evaluate the heat risk for outdoor tasks. We often use a weather application on our phone to check the daily high and low temperature, but air temperature alone is not sufficient to evaluate heat risk. Heat index is […]
By Heather Cooper •
Plant & Pest Advisory- May 13, 2024- Kate Brown The body uses water to help dissipate heat through sweat and evaporation of sweat. Water lost as sweat must be replaced through water consumption to help the body maintain temperature regulation. During moderate activity, the CDC recommends drinking at least 1cup of water every 15-20 minutes […]