Summer Cover Crops

There is still time to plant some summer cover crops for soil improvement on rested fields and as a rotation for vegetable crops ending from spring harvest. For more information on planting and managing Sorghum Sudangrass as a summer cover crop (can plant up to July 15) see Rutgers NJAES Fact sheet FS994 authored by Bamka and Infante-Casella.
-Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent

Late blight found on potato in VA and DE and on potato and tomato on Long Island

All potato and tomato growers should consider adding Late blight specific fungicides into their weekly fungicide maintenance programs. To date, no Late blight has been reported in New Jersey. Weather conditions the past few days have been favorable for Late blight development. For more information on controlling Late blight please see the 2011 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations book.

For Homeowners, if Late blight is present or a threat, apply a product that contains the active ingredient, chlorothalonil, on a regular basis to help protect the plant. Always follow the instructions on the product label! The label is the law! All infected plants should be removed, put in plastic bags, and thrown out. Infected tomato and potato plants left in the home garden will act as a source of inoculum and help further spread the disease!
-Andy Wyenandt

Cucurbit downy mildew found on cucumber in New Jersey

Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in New Jersey near Vineland. This is the first report of cucurbit downy mildew in New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic region this year. All cucurbit growers should add a downy mildew specific fungicide to their weekly maintenance programs.
-Andy Wyenandt

Watch for Phytophtora Blight

Phytophtora Blight in pepper.

Phytophtora blight of pepper, eggplant, and cucurbit crops is favored by warm, wet weather; poorly-drained soils and poor crop rotations. Once established in a field the pathogen can survive for many growing seasons. Look for blackish-brown stems on wilted plants.
-Andy Wyenandt

Cucumber Downy Mildew Seen in North Carolina

Cucumber Downy Mildew Infected Leaf

Cucurbit downy mildew has been found as far north a North Carolina this summer. It is no immediate threat to our region to date.
-Andy Wyenandt

Track cucurbit downy mildew on-line!

Vegetable growers and cucurbit enthusiasts can track the progress of cucurbit downy mildew development in the U.S. by visiting the cucurbit downy mildew forecasting website hosted by North Carolina State University. Individuals can keep track recent outbreaks and see what the potential threat is to New Jersey and mid-Atlantic region. Please check out the following link!
http://cdm.ipmpipe.org/
-Andy Wyenandt

Mandatory E-Verify bill proposed in Congress

Mandatory E-Verify bill gives agriculture businesses extra time to comply, find legal workers

By Associated Press, Tuesday, June 14, 2011

 

WASHINGTON — A bill that would require U.S. businesses to use a government database to verify that new workers are in the country legally is giving the agriculture industry a slight break.

The Legal Workforce Act [sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas] would give the agriculture industry, where labor, industry and government officials say the vast majority of workers are illegal, three years to screen all new hires to make sure they are eligible to work in the U.S. The remaining employers would have two years to comply.

 

The rest of the article can be read here: 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/mandatory-e-verify-bill-gives-agriculture-businesses-extra-time-to-comply-find-legal-workers/2011/06/14/AGDcu7UH_story.html

Rick VanVranken