August 12, 2020

Not really IPM update 8.7.20

Not as much fun as disease poetry but hopefully of use…

 

What if you need a loan and your PPP is almost up?  An article in Forbes – https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaredhecht/2020/07/24/your-ppp-loan-is-almost-up-whats-next/#410c98b916e4

 

Flexibility – deadlines, interest accrual – in crop insurance: https://www.farmers.gov/coronavirus – Scroll down to Crop Insurance Flexibilities

 

Producing in an urban area?  Cornell Small Farms Program is one of the partners in a survey on Urban Agriculture – https://udc.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3t0bgrmjwRG0WTH

Surveys always help us serve you better.

 

Are there things you can learn from dealing with the pandemic that will make your business stronger even in ‘normal’ times or a different type of challenge?  That’s the concept of building resilience and Cornell Small Farms has quite a few resources on building resilience at https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/resources/farm-resilience/

 

Have a great week!

 

August 12, 2020

What plague doth spot these vine crop leaves? 8.7.20

It’s Friday and we can use something different. From the pen of the clearly very talented Elizabeth Buck, Cornell Vegetable Program via VegEdge.  (It’s so good, I am sending it to all the list servs! Even Christmas trees!)

 

Don’t know about VegEdge?  It is a newsletter produced by the Cornell Vegetable Program with LOTS of useful information on vegetable production – including high tunnel/greenhouse production.  You can find out how to subscribe at https://cvp.cce.cornell.edu/newsletter.php

 

An now on to the ‘edutainment’!

 

What plague doth spot these vine crop leaves?

“Help Help!” shout the vine crops
so sad in the field
So many foliar diseases
diminishing nice yield.

Scouting is smart
but how much can you do
if you look at diseases
not knowing who’s who?

So I’ve written this poem
You can hang in your home
To know which disease
you need to bring to its knees.

Using this tool you can go
and ID your dear crop.
For now you will know
which disease you must stop.

Alternaria
First one spot then two spots
next three spots and four
I’ll bet you’re about
to see a lot more

Alternaria moves outward
from leaves near the crown.
Spots a quarter inch big
will soon grow and get brown.

Lighter centers can cause targets in melon,
where this disease hits most often.
Soon the foliage goes down
and in the sun fruits will soften.

Now in watermelon,
on the other hand,
darkish lesions occur
with targets less grand.

Anthracnose
Anthracnose will change
its look with each crop
After a water soaked start
the similarities drop.

When on muskmelons
and cucumbers, too,

Medium brown pea sized lesions
or leaf distortion is in view.

Now switch to watermelon
and there you will find
dark irregular marks
covering leaves all along vine.

Most other cucurbits,
give less away
look for yellow circular spots
and fruit decay.

Fruit is the real target
of anthracnose’s game
Dark or black sunken lesions
no other disease can claim.

 

Bacteria
Bacterial diseases?
They’re a real bummer.
Seriously, though, these two
Can ruin your summer.

Both will start as little water soaked spots
And turn into shot holes from small little dots
Both these lesions can ooze and dry to a crust
If there’s a halo further investigation is a must.

Angular stays confined by the veins
Bacterial really is more of a pain.
The first is darker, from yellow to brown
the second is lighter, from white to light brown.

Beware of the fruit spots
Xanthomonas causes a lot.
Those little white dots
will get secondary rots.

Copper is the treatment for either one.
And just for an extra measure of fun
Both bacteria are very hard to stop
if wet weather puts them over the top.

 

Gummy Stem Blight
Foliar symptoms of gummy
are not very yummy.
I’d be willing to bargain
your lesions start on leaf margins.

Moving from water soaked
to tan and dark brown
Pepper-fleck centered lesions
send spores all around.

And on the stems you will see
bleeding cankers, ugly as can be
On water and plain melons it is the worse,
In all crops it is very hard to reverse

Plectosporium
If you try to ignore plecto
your field’ll get wrecked-o
This fungus likes summer squash and zucchini
along with pumpkins, but certainly not tahini.

Small sunken tan spindles
first show up on the stem
Leaf veins and the handles
will be next to get them

Plecto doesn’t skip over the fruit
small spindle to round lesions
Will make you shout “shoot!”


Scab
Odd shaped and everywhere
scab lesions really don’t care.
They’re on leaves and stalks
even the fruit can show pox.

More water-soaking to start?
Well, well, what a surprise.
At least it’s pale green and not yellow
As scab first grows in size.

Once they are older
the lesions turn brown
with a nice yellow halo
running around.

And then for a change
a diagnostic trait,
lesion centers drop out
leaves shot-holed – just great.

 

Septoria
Septoria Septoria
you bring me euphoria.
I see you so much more
when temps hang near 64.

A cool night disease,
I identify you with ease.
Round tiny marks of beige-white
with a thin brown border in sight.

And best of all,
when you occur in the fall,
black specks mark your middle
making this an easily solved riddle.

 

Betsy

August 12, 2020

IPM Update 8.7.20

Cucurbit downy mildew verified in NYS – https://cdm.ipmpipe.org/

 

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus – APHIS actions to restrict it:

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working with State departments of agriculture and producers to conduct a tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) survey of U.S commercial greenhouses that produce tomatoes. APHIS and cooperators are also putting in place official control measures to further safeguard U.S. agriculture against this virus. This decision follows the confirmation of several isolated detections of ToBRFV in U.S. commercial greenhouses last winter.

ToBRFV can cause severe fruit loss in tomatoes and peppers. It is easily spread by contaminated tools and hands, and through plant-to-plant contact. Symptoms include mosaic patterns on plant leaves or fruit with brown or yellow spots. ToBRFV can remain viable in seeds, plants debris and contaminated soil for months.

Michigan State article on how to avoid and deal with it – https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/tobrfv-a-new-concern-for-tomato-and-pepper-producers

APHIS urges U.S. tomato, pepper, and eggplant producers, the nursery transplant industry, and the seed industry to report any signs of symptoms to their State Plant Regulatory Official. (For NYS – Christopher.Logue@agriculture.ny.gov)

For more information about ToBRFV, please visit the APHIS website.

 

From Rutgers

Two-spotted spider mites (TSSM) are now a common occurrence in tomato fields with this stretch of prolonged hot weather.  These pests can build to high populations quickly and are a particular nuisance in high tunnels.  Check two complete leaves each on 5 consecutive plants in 10 random locations in a planting.  Look for the characteristic mite “stipple”, or whitish pin spots on the upper surface of the leaf. A check of the underside of the leaf should reveal the actual mites.  Be sure to take some samples from field or tunnel edges as this is often where TSSM will enter the planting.

 

August 12, 2020

GDD update 8.2.20

Oh, goodness, life intervenes in my plans sometimes.

 

Not aimed at Christmas tree growers but might have useful information: Woodland Owner Lunch and Learn – Seedling Genetics and Soil Fertility – know what you are planting and how to care for it. Sept 16 at 12:00 Eastern time

 

http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinars/woodland-owner-lunch-and-learn-seedling-genetics-and-soil-fertility-know-what-you-are-planting-and-how-to-care-for-it?sr=wp~mkt-whenPub

 

NEWA – where I get the GDD information – has a blog. You can subscribe at http://blogs.cornell.edu/yourenewa/

The current post is on a new tool for predicting agricultural drought. Not looking good for parts of NY.

http://blogs.cornell.edu/yourenewa/2020/07/31/new-early-warning-system-for-agricultural-drought/

 

GDD                                       8.2.20                                    8.7.20

 

Champlain                           1532                                      1635

Geneva                                 1668                                      1774

Riverhead                            2013                                      2148

 

Not too much new to look for.  Keep an eye out for anything unexpected – or even expected – while you are shearing and pruning.  A roll of plastic tape in a nice bright color is a good thing to carry with you so you can mark trees that bear more looking at and note them in your records!

 

I learned some things about shearing at the Great Lakes Christmas tree meeting – and other things, too….

 

Have a great week and maybe THIS week I’ll get back to the normal schedule.

August 12, 2020

Updated information on random Chinese seed shipments 7.29.20

Hello,

 

The information is changing rapidly on what to do if you receive the Chinese shipments – or you have questions from customers or the public.  We are getting used to rapidly changing information, aren’t we?  This just came directly from Ag and Markets.

 

Thanks for getting the word out.

 

Betsy

 

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the United States Department of Agriculture are  currently in the process of collecting and analyzing samples from these shipments.  Please ensure the seed package is sealed and mail the seeds, the original packaging, your contact information, and any additional details you believe are relevant,  to:

 

Office of the State Plant Health Director of New York

c/o Christopher Zaloga

500 New Karner Rd

Albany, NY 12205

 

At this time, we don’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a “brushing scam” where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales. USDA is currently collecting seed packages from recipients and will test their contents to determine if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment. 

 

USDA and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets are committed to preventing the unlawful entry of prohibited seeds and protecting U.S. agriculture from invasive pests and noxious weeds. 

 

Thank you.  We appreciate your concern and commitment to protecting our agricultural resources.

 

For people in other states, please recommend that they contact their own State  Dept.  of Agriculture. They can start with  the Seed Control Official of their state for direction.  Enclosed is a link to the Seed Control Officials of each state.

http://www.seedcontrol.org/membership_directory.html

 

August 12, 2020

Unsolicited packages of seeds from China 7.29.20

You have probably heard about this as it is all over the news.  And apparently all over NY.  If you receive an unsolicited package of seeds – probably marked jewelry – from China, save the packaging and contents, handle as little as possible, store away from children and pets and contact Thom Allgaier at NYS Dept of Ag and Markets if you are in NY.  (You can also contact erich.l.glasgow@usda.gov at the USDA).  Certainly don’t plant the seeds!

 

Thom Allgaier 

Invasive Species Coordinator

 

New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets| Division of Plant Industry

thomas.allgaier@agriculture.ny.gov