Penn State Extension is offering a new online Retail Farm Market Employee Professional Development session to build the knowledge and confidence of your farm market personnel that handle, process, or merchandise fresh market produce. More details can be found here.
--Rick VanVranken
 | Read more Jersey Vegetable Crops Ag Updates @ Commercial Ag Updates on the Rutgers Plant & Pest Advisory |
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Strawberry: Viruses to Watch For
Excepted from Two Viruses Found Throughout Strawberry Fields in the US
by Andy Wyenandt and Peter Nitzsche
Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV) and strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV) have been found in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey this spring. Plants sourced from one particular nursery in the Great Valley area of Nova Scotia are at risk. Keep this in mind when ordering new plants for fall. Although the strawberry plant may show symptoms and yield less, fruit from infected plants are still edible and there should be no difference in taste.
For New Jersey
Morris County Agricultural Agent Peter Nitzsche collected samples from two northern NJ farms and sent samples to Bob Martin of USDA ARS. As suspected, several of the samples from small or stunted plants came back positive for both viruses and some large and small plants tested positive for one of the viruses.
What to Look For
These viruses are usually only a problem in matted-row strawberry production, where plants are in the field for a much longer period of time and plantings are not destroyed at the end of each growing season.
What to Do
Scout for aphid vectors and spray appropriately following label recommendations. Plants known to be infected, or showing typical symptoms, or obtained from the nursery in question should be destroyed. If you have questions or concerns, contact your county agent.
[posted by Rabin]
by Andy Wyenandt and Peter Nitzsche
Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV) and strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV) have been found in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey this spring. Plants sourced from one particular nursery in the Great Valley area of Nova Scotia are at risk. Keep this in mind when ordering new plants for fall. Although the strawberry plant may show symptoms and yield less, fruit from infected plants are still edible and there should be no difference in taste.
For New Jersey
Morris County Agricultural Agent Peter Nitzsche collected samples from two northern NJ farms and sent samples to Bob Martin of USDA ARS. As suspected, several of the samples from small or stunted plants came back positive for both viruses and some large and small plants tested positive for one of the viruses.
What to Look For
These viruses are usually only a problem in matted-row strawberry production, where plants are in the field for a much longer period of time and plantings are not destroyed at the end of each growing season.
- Look for small, stunted plants with older leaves sometimes turning bright red in color, while the edges of leaves around the crowns of plants, and/or emerging leaves, show a distinct yellowing, which sometimes develop into patterns of marginal necrosis (i.e., dead tissue along the margins of leaves).
- Scout for aphids as they transmit both viruses.
 |
| Symptomatic Strawberry Plants Photo by Chuck Johnson, VA Tech |
What to Do
Scout for aphid vectors and spray appropriately following label recommendations. Plants known to be infected, or showing typical symptoms, or obtained from the nursery in question should be destroyed. If you have questions or concerns, contact your county agent.
[posted by Rabin]
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Week of Cloudy Weather Condusive to Lettuce Tipburn
This predicted week of cloudy weather should make lettuce growers take note of conditions in their fields. Any lettuce crops that are one-three weeks away from harvest are susceptible to internal lettuce tipburn caused by low evapo-transpiration (Et) induced Calcium deficiencies in the rapidly expanding new leaves in the core of the head. Supplemental foliar applications of Ca with airblast sprayers to get it into the head as much as possible may help reduce the incidence of tipburn. More details about lettuce tipburn can be found on pages 6-9 of the Proceedings of the 2012 NJ Vegetable Conference here.
--Rick VanVranken
--Rick VanVranken
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Old Pepper Fields and Disease Spread
- Wes Kline
Transplanting time is here and there are still pepper fields standing from last year. This makes no sense if you are concerned about disease management in 2013.
These fields are ideal sources for Anthracnose, bacterial blight and Phytophthora. You may not be concerned about your peppers getting disease, but what about your downwind neighbors? Anthracnose has increased over the last few years. Is it because fields are left standing too long after harvest? There is no doubt that this can contribute to disease spread. If a new field of peppers is planted downwind from the old field, be ready to spend a lot of money spraying when it could have been avoided.
Transplanting time is here and there are still pepper fields standing from last year. This makes no sense if you are concerned about disease management in 2013.
These fields are ideal sources for Anthracnose, bacterial blight and Phytophthora. You may not be concerned about your peppers getting disease, but what about your downwind neighbors? Anthracnose has increased over the last few years. Is it because fields are left standing too long after harvest? There is no doubt that this can contribute to disease spread. If a new field of peppers is planted downwind from the old field, be ready to spend a lot of money spraying when it could have been avoided.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Aphid Populations Around Tunnels
High tunnel growers should be checking outside the tunnels for aphids even with low temperatures. High aphid numbers have been observed in thistle plants around tunnels in South Jersey.
Submitted by - Wesley Kline, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County
Submitted by - Wesley Kline, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County
Cool Spring Conditions Could Mean Seed Corn Maggots in Cucurbits
By Michelle Infante-Casella, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension, Gloucester County
Seed corn maggots survive through winter in dark brown capsules underground. Flies emerge out of soil March or April in New Jersey and can have several generations.
One benefit of this spring, in 2013, is conditions have been drier, with less rainfall, than in past cooler spring seasons. Along with cool weather, this pest thrives under wet conditions too. When the weather is dry, eggs and maggots can desicate to the point of mortality.
Seed corn maggots are pests of beans, peas, cucumbers, squash, melons and corn. They rarely affect pumpkin fields since pumpkins are seeded when soil and air temperatures are warmer and the populations of this pest have declined.
Seed corn maggots survive through winter in dark brown capsules underground. Flies emerge out of soil March or April in New Jersey and can have several generations.
One benefit of this spring, in 2013, is conditions have been drier, with less rainfall, than in past cooler spring seasons. Along with cool weather, this pest thrives under wet conditions too. When the weather is dry, eggs and maggots can desicate to the point of mortality.
Seed corn maggots are pests of beans, peas, cucumbers, squash, melons and corn. They rarely affect pumpkin fields since pumpkins are seeded when soil and air temperatures are warmer and the populations of this pest have declined.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Food Safety for Direct Market Growers
Sign up to get email delivery of important food safety information specifically for growers: RCE PPA Food Safety News
- Read summaries of the latest FDA Q & A presentations on the Food Safety Modernization Act proposed Produce Safety Rule
- Ask Wes Kline and Meredith Melendez a Farm Food Safety Question
- Learn how to create your Farm Food Safety Plan
[posted by Rabin]
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