Northeast
Black dot root rot found in high tunnel tomatoes
A root disease that is most commonly associated with potato has turned up on tomato in a high tunnel. This disease goes by the delightful name of black dot root rot. The causal agent is Colletotrichum... more »
What’s the best method to scare birds from sweet corn?
Scaring birds out of sweet corn and other crops is not new, based on the centuries-old placement of scarecrows dressed in old clothes (oftentimes filled with straw) in fields. However, there are many newer methods... more »
Rutgers Extension gets USDA-NIFA funding to promote vaccine education
There is significant concern among farmworkers and farmers about on-farm transfer of the COVID-19 virus. The ability to connect with vaccine providers has proven difficult for those language and technology/internet barriers, and those without established... more »
Proper steps identified to control pumpkin disease
I was recently asked about disease control programs for pumpkins. The following was modified from an article by Kate Everts in 2019 that I have added updated fungicide recommendations and additional information about certain diseases.... more »
June 23 is date set for Rodale Institute’s Organic Field Day in Pennsylvania
Rodale Institute, a supporter of regenerative organic agriculture, is set to hold its annual Organic Field Day on July 23 from 8:30 a.m.to 3:30 p.m. The Field Day is located at Rodale Institute’s 333-acre experimental... more »
With no clear improvement, beekeepers report high colony loss rates
Beekeepers across the United States lost 45.5% of their managed honeybee colonies from April 2020 to April 2021, according to preliminary results of the 15th annual nationwide survey conducted by the nonprofit Bee Informed Partnership.... more »
AeroFarms expands leafy greens product assortment
Newark, New Jersey-based AeroFarms, a Certified B Corp and leader in indoor vertical farming, announced July 8 that it is expanding its line of leafy greens to include five new items: Baby Bok Choy-The New Spinach, Micro... more »
Measuring soil moisture levels for research project uses drones
Three Virginia Tech seniors researched how drones could identify soil moisture for a class project in School of Plant and Environmental Sciences Professor Kang Xia’s Monitoring and Analysis of the Environment course. Matt Darrah, Grady... more »