Plant & Pest Advisory

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1 Vegetable Crops Edition July 7, 2010 Plant & Pest Advisory A Rutgers Cooperative Extension Publication Vol. 16 No. 15 INSIDE Packinghouse Pest Control...1 Pest Notes...2 IPM Update...3 Extreme Heat and Worker Health...5 Weekly Weather Summary...5 Packinghouse Pest Control Wesley Kline, Ph.D., Cumberland County Agricultural Agent A food safety plan must address how pests will be controlled and excluded from the packing and storage areas. Pests include rats, mice, chipmunks, birds, etc. and can be sources of contamination in produce. Exclusion is a priority for any plan. The first thing to do is an assessment of the facilities. Are all the cracks sealed? Has there been a new water line or electrical service put in the building? These are areas which may be overlooked during installation. Do the doors fit tightly? Doors do not need to be closed when the packinghouse is in operation, but at all other times. If the packinghouse is not enclosed, all the suggestions below still pertain except sealing the facility. The area around the facility should be litter free and maintain the foliage to less than three inches. Grass and foliage adjacent to the building (two feet) should be removed and replaced with stone. At least weekly trash removal is critical to discourage pests. Cover containers when not in use. Mice, rats, chipmunks, etc. Mice and rats can enter through openings ¼ inch or larger. Check all the doors, pipes, windows, etc. for any opening that may be larger than ¼ inch. Seal all those openings with a material that will not be chewed. Once the facility is sealed, determine where traps will be set. No poison is allowed inside the building. There are several trap types that contain glue boards or have a mechanism to hold the rodents until removed. Use rat traps or a mixture of rat and mice traps. Sonic (high pitched sounds) traps are being advertised to chase rodents from buildings. These are not acceptable for food safety. There is no way to determine if rodents were present with these traps. All traps must be numbered; have a corresponding number on the wall and a map drawn for ease of location. Exterior traps should be checked every two weeks and interior traps every week. Record information such as number of rodents caught, whether activity or not, missing or damaged traps, etc. Trap placement Place all traps against walls with the entry hole toward the wall. Rodents will run along wall and into the trap. Unless frightened, rodents do not run across rooms. Outdoors traps should be placed at 50 ft intervals around the buildings and anchored to a wall, cement wafer or in a box. A rodenticide is permitted exterior to a packinghouse or storage if labeled for that use. See Packinghouse on page 2 Page

2 Packinghouse from page 1 Interior traps are placed approximately 25 ft apart, on both sides of doors. If there is a series of overhead doors place a trap between every 3 to 5 doors. If using glue boards replace them about every two weeks. Birds Nesting birds are one of the most difficult issues in open packinghouses. Barn swallows are among the worst since once they imprint on a location they return each year. Cover the ceiling with wood, metal or nylon netting to discourage the birds then remove any nests when noticed. This will be an ongoing activity at least until after mating season. Some growers use owls, scare balloons, flash tape, bird spikes, electronic sound equipment, etc. It probably will take more than one method to control the birds. Evidences of birds are just as important as the actual animal so keep checking. o Pest Notes Gerald Ghidiu, Ph.D., Specialist in Vegetable Entomology Two spotted spider mites Spider mites can be a serious problem in many vegetables, including tomatoes, beans, carrots, cucurbits, peppers, eggplant, and other crops. The extremely hot, humid weather is ideal for spider mite populations to suddenly explode and cause heavy damage. It is important that you scout your crops and monitor for two-spotted spider mite populations, as the temperature is expected to remain very high throughout the week. Remember that with hot temperatures, a complete spider mite life cycle from egg through adult is only 7-8 days, and each female can deposit 120 eggs or more. Look for yellowish blotching, bronzing, or a yellowish-green offcolor to the crop, usually showing on the upper surface of the leaves. These are early signs of mite feeding. Look on the undersides of the leaves to find the spider mites. By the time damage becomes more evident there is usually webbing on the leaf undersides also. Mites are difficult to see with the naked eye, but can be seen if you look closely. A hand lens (10X or greater) is very helpful in observing and identifying mites. Look on the undersides of the older leaves, or leaves showing damage or webbing, for adults, nymphs, or the small, white, round eggs. It is highly recommended that spider mites be managed early in their development, before the population reaches high levels with much damage and webbing. It is difficult to manage spider mite populations after they become well established and webbing occurs. Spot treat the hot spots if possible, as it takes a while for the mite population to spread over large areas. Watch for mite infestations beginning around field margins, grassy areas, access roads, windbreaks, hedgerows, etc., and treat these areas first if mites are found. With the current hot temperatures, avoid the use of pyrethroids (Brigade, Danitol, etc) for spider mite control the materials that are specific miticides (such as Acramite, Zeal, Kelthane, Vendex, Portal, Oberon) will deliver more effective control. Thrips Thrips are insect pests that also do well in extreme heat. The very hot, dry conditions have led to a surge in thrips populations in asparagus, cucurbits, peppers and tomatoes throughout the entire eastern seaboard and mid-atlantic region. Thrips are capable of spreading tomato spotted wilt virus, and thus are a serious threat to tomatoes and peppers. Thrips (eastern flower thrips, western flower thrips, greenhouse thrips, tobacco thrips) hide in the flowers and buds, and are often difficult to control. Scout for thrips by tapping flowers over a white or yellow card, and begin treatments when thrips are found. Acetamiprid (Assail), dinotefuron (Venom), imidacloprid (Provado), spinetoram (Radiant), and spinosad (Entrust, SpinTor) are effective against thrips. Obtain thorough coverage by using high volume, high pressure to force the spray into the flowers and buds. Repeat applications may be necessary to manage thrips that were not affected by the first spray as well as to control thrips migrating into the field. As a general rule, maintain a healthy crop to avoid excessive insect pest problems during this heat wave. Crops under water stress (or other stresses) are susceptible to more insect damage than crops well-watered and maintained. o Page 2 Vol. 16 No. 15

3 IPM Update Kristian Holmstrom, Research Project Coordinator II, Vegetable IPM Program Sweet Corn European corn borer (ECB) adult activity is low in much of the state, but there are signs that the second flight is beginning. Moth captures have increased this past week, primarily in Gloucester County (see ECB map). Few larval infestations remain at this time, and it should be at least a week before new damage appears in the southern counties. Despite this, continue to scout fields for ECB and other potential pests. Check 5 consecutive plants each in 10 random locations throughout the planting. Look for discoloration, droppings and larvae in the emerging tassels. Consider treating with insecticide when ECB injury is found on 12% or more plants in the whorl or pre-tassel stage. Be sure to make a further application at the full tassel stage, as this will eliminate most ECB larvae as they move from the open tassel down the stalk to the ear. For the present time, whorl stage sweet corn is largely free of ECB injury. We would expect the second flight to be underway in about 2 weeks in the southern counties. The highest nightly ECB catches for the previous week are as follows: Downer 2 Cinnaminson 1 Medford 1 Elm 2 Eldora 1 Milford 1 Seeley Lake 2 Hammonton 1 Pedricktown 1 Centerton 1 Jones Island 1 Woodstown 1 Corn earworm (CEW) moth catches are increasing in southern counties, with highest activity currently in Salem County and the area near the Camden, Atlantic and Gloucester County border (see CEW map). Sweet corn plantings in the southern counties are at risk of infestation by this pest. Be sure to check the latest information in this publication to determine the frequency with which insecticides should be applied to silking sweet corn. The highest nightly CEW catches for the previous week are as follows: Elm 2 Denville 1 Jones Island 1 Hammonton 2 Downer 1 New Egypt 1 Burlington 1 Folsom 1 Pedricktown 1 Centerton 1 Indian Mills 1 Tabernacle 1 Silking Spray Schedules*: South 3-5 days Central 5-6-days North 7-days * Note: These are general recommendations. Local trap catches may indicate some variation in the frequency of insecticide applications to silking corn. Vol. 16 No. 15 Tomatoes Two-spotted spider mites (TSSM) are a common pest in tomatoes at this time. Hot weather favors TSSM, and may also reduce the activity of insects that prey on TSSM. Check 2 complete leaves each on 5 consecutive plants in 10 random locations in the planting. Look for the presence of whitish pin-spots on the upper surface of leaves. These spots appear in response to TSSM feeding on the lower surface. As TSSM increase, spots will coalesce to form a yellow area on the leaf surface. If not managed, TSSM will cause leaves to become bronze in color and may kill the plants. Make sure some samples are from field edges or where the tomato crop borders other favored hosts like eggplant and watermelon. Spot treat, if possible. Do not wait until TSSM is widespread throughout the field, as it will become more difficult to manage. Consult the 2010 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations for labeled materials. Flower thrips have increased in tomato plantings significantly over the past week. Scouts report thrips from flower samples going from occasional presence to present in most or all samples in the field. While there is no hard threshold for these pests, consider that the weather has been ideal for their survival, and once feeding has occurred, fruit will develop the characteristic yellow flecks. Thrips are more easily controlled when populations are relatively low. To sample for thrips, place a white card under a fresh flower cluster and tap the cluster over the card. Look for the presence of tiny yellow thrips on the surface of the card. Ten random samples should be taken from a planting. Record the number of samples with thrips from each sample date. If thrips numbers increase sharply, or steadily increase from none to present in several samples, consider an insecticide application to limit the potential for fruit injury. Consult the 2010 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations for labeled materials. Brown stinkbugs are increasing now, with individuals present in many scouted crops. This is the time of year when adults are present and moving around in search of food and egg laying sites. Tomatoes are a favored host, especially if dry weather reduces the availability of native host plants. Now is the time to pay attention to fruit in the field for signs of feeding. Stinkbug feeding on tomatoes first appears as a diffuse whitish blotch on green fruit. The spot changes to bright yellow as the fruit matures. If this feeding is on the increase in the field or in harvested fruit, consider treating to suppress the population. Pumpkins Early pumpkin plantings are beginning to emerge at this time. If seeds were not purchased with a proprietary treatment targeting cucumber beetle (striped or spotted), or planted with an in-furrow systemic insecticide, scouting should commence immediately. Cucumber See IPM on page 4 Page

4 IPM from page 3 beetles will feed on seed leaves of newly emerged plants and can transmit bacterial wilt. Check 5 consecutive plants each in 10 random locations. Consider treating if any beetles are found in 5 or more sites. Repeat applications may be necessary if no systemic insecticide was used at planting. See the 2010 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations for labeled materials. The downy mildew (DM) sentinel plot was planted at the Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm in Hunterdon County this week. This plot consists of pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, butternut and acorn squash, and susceptible and resistant cucumber varieties. This plot will not be treated for DM, and will be inspected weekly for the presence of the pathogen. Should DM occur in the plot, special alerts will be distributed including dates, affected crops and control strategies. As yet, no incidence of powdery mildew (PM) has been found on any pumpkin or winter squash planting in the northern or central counties. PM generally appears after the plants have developed a fruit set and those fruit are enlarging. No scouted plantings have gotten to this stage yet. Begin scouting plantings at vine run, and look at 2 older leave per plant on 5 consecutive plants each in 10 random field locations. Look for small lesions that are whitish in color and have a granular appearance. These may be on either surface of the leaves. Consider initiating the PM fungicide schedule when 2 leaves with lesions are found in a 100 leaf sample. Consult the 2010 Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations for labeled materials. Page Vol. 16 No. 15

5 Extreme Heat and Worker Health Michael J. Fargione, Extension Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension Hudson Valley Regional Fruit Program Today will be brutal for outside work with temperatures expected to reach the mid 90 s and plenty of humidity. Be sure workers have access to ample water and take regular breaks in the shade to avoid heat stress. It is possible to lose > 5 liters of sweat per day in extremely hot and humid conditions, when doing strenuous work, and/or when wearing protective clothing. Other hot-weather tips: 1. anticipate conditions that will increase the need for water 2. prehydrate by drinking 8-16 fluid ounces of water before work begins 3. drink 4-8 ounces every minutes during work 4. continue to drink water after work, but don t over-hydrate 5. keep water within easy reach 6. drink cool water - your body will absorb it more quickly 7. don t let yourself get thirsty - thirst indicates a state of existing dehydration 8. avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages which dehydrate your body Submitted by Win Cowgill, Agricultural Agent. o Weekly Weather Summary Keith Arnesen, Ph.D., Agricultural Meteorologist Temperatures averaged slightly above normal, averaging 71 degrees, north, 75 degrees central, and 74 degrees south. Extremes were 99 degrees at several locations on the 5th, and 48 degrees at Charlotteburg on the 2nd. Weekly rainfall averaged 0.04 inches north, 0.07 inches central, and 0.44 inches south. The heaviest 24 hour total reported was 0.98 inches at Seabrook on the 28th to 29th. Estimated soil moisture, in percent of field capacity, this past week averaged 66 percent north, 49 percent central and 63 percent south. Four inch soil temperatures averaged 72 degrees north, 76 degrees central and 76 degrees south. Vol. 16 No. 15 Weather Summary for the Week Ending 8 am Monday 7/ 5/10 R A I N F A L L TEMPERATURE GDD BASE50 MON WEATHER STATIONS WEEK TOTAL DEP MX MN AVG DEP TOT DEP %FC BELVIDERE BRIDGE CANOE BROOK CHARLOTTEBURG FLEMINGTON NEWTON FREEHOLD LONG BRANCH NEW BRUNSWICK TOMS RIVER TRENTON CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE DOWNSTOWN GLASSBORO HAMMONTON POMONA SEABROOK SOUTH HARRISON * NA 1703 NA NA * missing some data WES KLINE -- GDD BASE 40 PINEY HOLLOW LAST WEEK 280 (ENDING 6/28/10) THIS WEEK 223 (Ending 7/5/10) Page 5

6 Plant & Pest Advisory Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences ASB II, 57 US Hwy. 1 New Brunswick, N.J FIRST CLASS POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #576 MILLTOWN, NJ PLANT & PEST ADVISORY VEGETABLE CROPS EDITION CONTRIBUTORS Rutgers NJAES Cooperative Extension Specialists Gerald M. Ghidiu, Ph.D., Vegetable Entomology George Hamilton, Ph.D., Pest Management Joseph R. Heckman, Ph.D., Soil Fertility Bradley A. Majek, Ph.D., Weed Science Andy Wyenandt, Ph.D., Vegetable Pathology Rutgers NJAES-CE County Agricultural Agents Atlantic, Richard W. VanVranken ( ) Burlington, Raymond J. Samulis ( ) Cape May, Jenny Carleo ( ) Cumberland, Wesley Kline, Ph.D. ( ) Gloucester, Michelle Infante-Casella ( ) Hunterdon, Winfred P. Cowgill, Jr. ( ) Middlesex, William T. Hlubik ( ) Monmouth, Bill Sciarappa, Ph.D. ( ) Morris, Peter J. Nitzsche ( ) Passaic, Elaine F. Barbour, Agric. Assistant ( ) Salem ( ) Warren, William H. Tietjen ( ) Vegetable IPM Program ( ) Joseph Ingerson-Mahar, Vegetable IPM Coordinator Kristian E. Holmstrom, Research Project Coordinator II Newsletter Production Jack Rabin, Associate Director for Farm Services, NJAES Cindy Rovins, Agricultural Communications Editor Pesticide User Responsibility: Use pesticides safely and follow instructions on labels. The pesticide user is reponsible for proper use, storage and disposal, residues on crops, and damage caused by drift. For specific labels, special local-needs label 24(c) registration, or section 18 exemption, contact RCE in your County. Use of Trade Names: No discrimination or endorsement is intended in the use of trade names in this publication. In some instances a compound may be sold under different trade names and may vary as to label clearances. Reproduction of Articles: RCE invites reproduction of individual articles, source cited with complete article name, author name, followed by Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Plant & Pest Advisory Newsletter. The Vegetable Crops On-Line Resource Center website is a dedicated source for information on production, insect, weed and disease management, food safety, marketing and more: For back issues of the Plant & Pest Advisory:

Plant & Pest Advisory

Vegetable Crops Edition August 10, 2011 Plant & Pest Advisory A Rutgers Cooperative Extension Publication Manganese Deficiency in Commercial Tomato Production Meredith Melendez, Senior Program Coordinator