Plant & Pest Advisory Rutgers Cooperative Extension Rutgers University Pesticide User Responsibility Commercial Ag Updates On-Farm Food Safety Plant Diagnostic Lab Vegetable Crops Organic Production Disease Forecasting Organic Production Disease Forecasting Field, Forage & Livestock Landscape, Ornamentals, Nursery, & Turf Christmas Trees Commercial Ag Updates + Farm Food Safety Rutgers Cooperative Extension Ag Agents provide updates on what they see in the field, upcoming events, and other important news that affects your operation, such as developments in on-farm Food Safety. Subscribe if you wish to be notified about workshops, meetings, and upcoming commercial ag events. Subscriptions are available via EMAIL and RSS . Blueberry Webinar Series September 2026 – Registration is Open! Registration is open for a 4-part live virtual webinar series for commercial blueberry producers co-organized by Rutgers University and Penn State University. Scan the QR-code on the attached flyer or follow the link to register: https://extension.psu.edu/commercial-blueberry-update When: Tuesdays, September 8, 15, 22, and 29, 2026 (11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET) Registration deadline: September 7, 2026 Registration fee: $20 NJ recertification credits are available: Certification Area 1A (Agricultural Plant): 2 units Certification Area 10 (Demonstration and Research): 2 units Private Applicator Category (PP2): 2 units Registration is required to receive the link to access the webinar. Research Twilight Meeting for Vegetable Growers – RSVP by August 10 Join us for a Research Twilight Meeting at the picturesque Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm on Wed nesday, August 12, 2026! Attendees will gain practical information on management of corn earworm and cucurbit downy mildew paired with timely reminders on resistance management. We will tour the research plots and share updates on the current research activities underway, including new technology (drones, biodegradable mulch, autonomous robots) and updates on the IR-4 and tomato breeding programs. See the full agenda below. Pesticide recertification credits have been approved for CORE (1), PP2 (3), 1A (3), and 10 (3). The meeting will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Arrive on time for a light dinner thanks to sponsorship from the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey. Please note the address of the farm is 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867 . We request that you RSVP by August 10 so we may plan for the meal and the number of wagons needed. To RSVP, please complete this form or contact Ashley Higgins at higgins@somersetcountynj.gov or 908-526-6293. 5:00 PM – Sign-In at Main Building, Load Wagon, Welcome Remarks 5:15 PM – Insecticide Resistance: Recognition and Management (30 min) Grayson Tung, Senior Coordinator, Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), Rutgers University 5:45 PM – Corn Earworm Management: Bt Corn Variety Trial & Alternative Insecticides (30 min) David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension 6:15 PM – Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Evaluation in Tomato (15 min) David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County 6:30 PM – Drone-Seeded Cover Crops into a Standing Pumpkin Crop (15 min) Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 6:45 PM – Cucurbit Downy Mildew: Monitoring and Management (30 min) Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers NJAES Stephen Komar, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 7:15 PM – Updates from the Scarlet Sunrise Tomato Breeding Program (15 min) Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 7:30 PM – Organic, Interrow Weed Management in Bell Pepper: An Economic Comparison (15 min) Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County Meredith Melendez, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County Sophie Lee, Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, Rutgers NJAES Thierry Besanҫon, Extension Specialist in Weed Science for Specialty Crops, Rutgers NJAES 7:45 PM – Overview of the IR-4 Project and On-Site Trials (15 min) Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County Jennifer Fisher, Field Research Director, IR-4 Project, Rutgers University 8:00 PM – Return to Main Building, Sign Out, and Depart Save the Date for Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting-2 Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting- 2 Monday, August 31, 2026 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Rutgers Cooperative Extension 51 Cheney Rd, Woodstown, NJ (program starts at 6 pm; please arrive earlier) Please Save the Date! e_dehart@salemcountynj.gov Schedule & Topics to be Covered 6:00 pm Welcome & Introduction – Salvatore Mangiafico and Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County) 6:15 pm Planting Timing and Nutrient Availability in Corn and Soybean Systems – Jarrod Miller, University of Delaware 6:45 pm Sweet Corn Pest Management Updates: Scouting, IPM Strategies, and Responsible Pesticide Use – Amanda Quadrel, Rutgers Cooperative Extension 7:15 pm Assessment of Agricultural Crop Damage by Black Bear in New Jersey – Salvatore Mangiafico, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County) 7:45 pm Corn Lodging Insights and Agronomic Research Updates – Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County) 8:15 pm Wrap-Up, Evaluations, & Pesticide Credit Submissions – Salvatore Mangiafico and Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension (Salem County) Pesticide Recertification Credits Applied for : CORE (1), 1A (2), PP2 (2), and 10 (1). Credits are pending NJDEP approval. Agri-Technology, Nursery, Agronomy, Fruit and Vegetable Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC: Wednesday August 26, 2026 Agri-Technology, Nursery, Agronomy, Fruit and Vegetable Research Twilight Meeting at RAREC Wednesday August 26 th , 2026 (4 pm until dark) Location: Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center (RAREC), 121 Northville Road, Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302 Hosted by: Ramandeep Kumar Sharma, Patrick McMullen, and Andy Wyenandt Questions? Contact: Andy Wyenandt (wyenandt@njaes.rutgers.edu) This year’s twilight meeting at RAREC will showcase advances in crop production, integrated pest management, soil fertility, weed management, and innovative agricultural technologies for growers and stakeholders across the state. Dan Ward, Director, RAREC. Welcome to RAREC Wesley Kline, Cumberland County Agricultural Agent ‘Impact of Cyclospora on fruit and vegetable production’ CORE: 30 minutes ‘Impact of Cyclospora on fruit and vegetable production’ CORE: 30 minutes Tim Waller, Cumberland County RCE Nursery Agent. ‘Useful Nursery and Ornamental Crops and Considerations’ ‘Useful Nursery and Ornamental Crops and Considerations’ Raul Cabrera, Extension Specialist in Nursery Production and Management. ‘Recent developments on substrates (for container-grown crops)’ ‘Recent developments on substrates (for container-grown crops)’

Dan Ward, Director, RAREC; Rutgers Agrivoltiacs Program. ‘Update on the agrivoltaics research program at Rutgers’ ‘Update on the agrivoltaics research program at Rutgers’ Ann Nielsen, Extension Specialist in Entomology Emma Waltman, PhD candidate, ‘Land-use around farms impacts stink bug biological control’ Amanda Furuya, Post-Doctoral Associate, ‘Tackling Spotted Lanternfly in South Jersey Vineyards’ Octavio Menocal Sandoval, Post-Doctoral Associate, ‘Updating Monitoring and Management for Codling Moth in Apple’ Emma Waltman, PhD candidate, ‘Land-use around farms impacts stink bug biological control’ Amanda Furuya, Post-Doctoral Associate, ‘Tackling Spotted Lanternfly in South Jersey Vineyards’ Octavio Menocal Sandoval, Post-Doctoral Associate, ‘Updating Monitoring and Management for Codling Moth in Apple’ Thierry Besancon, Extension Weed Specialist for Specialty Crops. ‘Update on new technologies for weed management in vegetable crops’ ‘Update on new technologies for weed management in vegetable crops’ Ramandeep Kumar Sharma, Salem County Agricultural Agent. ‘Optimizing Nitrogen Rate and Application Timing for Corn Yield and Quality’ ‘Evaluation of Sulfur Fertilizer Sources and Application Rates for Optimizing Soybean Growth and Yield in Southern New Jersey’ ‘Optimizing Nitrogen Rate and Application Timing for Corn Yield and Quality’ ‘Evaluation of Sulfur Fertilizer Sources and Application Rates for Optimizing Soybean Growth and Yield in Southern New Jersey’ Maria Cramer, Senior Program Coordinator, Vegetable IPM, ‘Thrips management in tomatoes’ ‘Thrips management in tomatoes’ Patrick McMullen, Atlantic County Agricultural Agent. ‘Wilts of cucurbits: Identification and management’ ‘Wilts of cucurbits: Identification and management’ Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology. ‘Updates on vegetable disease control’ ‘Updates on vegetable disease control’ NJDEP pesticide recertification credits are pending approval. Expected credits include CORE (1), PP2 (4), 1A (4), 3A (2), and Category 10 (3). Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting 2 (Save-the-Date Flyer) Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting 2 Monday, August 31, 2026 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm Rutgers Cooperative Extension 51 Cheney Rd, Woodstown, NJ (program starts at 6 pm; please arrive earlier) Please Save the Date! e_dehart@salemcountynj.gov Join us for an evening program focused on topics relevant to field crop production, including: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Updates USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Programs for Crop Production Assessment of Agricultural Crop Damage by Black Bear in New Jersey Corn Lodging Management and Agronomy Research Updates Additional field crop production topics Speakers and detailed agenda will be announced soon. Pesticide Recertification Credits will be offered . Credit details (category type and how many) will be announced soon (upon NJDEP approval). Research Twilight Meeting for Vegetable Growers – Credits Assigned Join us for a Research Twilight Meeting at the picturesque Rutgers Snyder Research and Extension Farm on Wed nesday, August 12, 2026! Attendees will gain practical information on management of corn earworm and cucurbit downy mildew paired with timely reminders on resistance management. We will tour the research plots and share updates on the current research activities underway, including new technology (drones, biodegradable mulch, autonomous robots) and updates on the IR-4 and tomato breeding programs. See the full agenda below. Pesticide recertification credits have been approved for CORE (1), PP2 (3), 1A (3), and 10 (3). The meeting will be held from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Arrive on time for a light dinner thanks to sponsorship from the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey. Please note the address of the farm is 140 Locust Grove Rd, Pittstown, NJ 08867 . We request that you RSVP by August 10 so we may plan for the meal and the number of wagons needed. To RSVP, please complete this form or contact Ashley Higgins at higgins@somersetcountynj.gov or 908-526-6293. 5:00 PM – Sign-In at Main Building, Load Wagon, Welcome Remarks 5:15 PM – Insecticide Resistance: Recognition and Management (30 min) Grayson Tung, Senior Coordinator, Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), Rutgers University 5:45 PM – Corn Earworm Management: Bt Corn Variety Trial & Alternative Insecticides (30 min) David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension 6:15 PM – Biodegradable Plastic Mulch Evaluation in Tomato (15 min) David Hlubik, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Burlington County 6:30 PM – Drone-Seeded Cover Crops into a Standing Pumpkin Crop (15 min) Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 6:45 PM – Cucurbit Downy Mildew: Monitoring and Management (30 min) Amanda Quadrel, Senior IPM Program Coordinator, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Andy Wyenandt, Extension Specialist in Vegetable Pathology, Rutgers NJAES Stephen Komar, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Sussex County Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 7:15 PM – Updates from the Scarlet Sunrise Tomato Breeding Program (15 min) Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County 7:30 PM – Organic, Interrow Weed Management in Bell Pepper: An Economic Comparison (15 min) Kate Brown, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County Meredith Melendez, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Mercer County Sophie Lee, Extension Specialist in Farm Viability, Rutgers NJAES Thierry Besanҫon, Extension Specialist in Weed Science for Specialty Crops, Rutgers NJAES 7:45 PM – Overview of the IR-4 Project and On-Site Trials (15 min) Peter Nitzsche, Agricultural Agent, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Morris County Jennifer Fisher, Field Research Director, IR-4 Project, Rutgers University 8:00 PM – Return to Main Building, Sign Out, and Depart NJAES Event Calendar NJ Agricultural Convention and Trade Show Proceedings Cooperating Agencies: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Boards of County Commissioners. 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Copyright © Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution Commercial Recommendations Commercial Blueberry Pest Control Recommendations Commercial Cranberry Pest Control Recommendations Commercial Grape Pest Control Recommendations Commercial Mid-Atlantic Berry Guide (from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences) Commercial Tree Fruit Production Guide Disease Control Recommendations for Ornamental Crops Fungicide Resistance Management Guidelines for Vegetable Crops - Mid-Atlantic Region Insect Control Recommendations for Shade Trees and Commercial Nursery Crops Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations More Commercial Guides Contact Information Rutgers NJ Weather Network (NJWxNet) CoCoRaHS National Drought Monitor National Drought Monitor NEWA: Weather-Pest Forecasting Who to Call for Wildlife Damage Rutgers Agrivoltaics Program Pesticide Applicator Training Funding in part from: Rutgers Cooperative Extension, a unit of NJAES Return to top of page Copyright © 2026 · Generate Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in