Eggplant
Eggplant is a commonly grown fresh market crop in New York, particularly for direct-sales such as farm stands, CSAs and farmers markets. In 2010 there were 400 acres of eggplant in the state with a value of over $4 million (2011 Vegetable Summary). Eggplants yield best in New York when grown on black plastic mulch with drip irrigation. The Cornell Vegetable Program scouts eggplant weekly in the growing season to provide pest and disease updates via Veg Edge, our grower-oriented newsletter. Research projects from our program that address eggplant include grafting and specialty variety trials. Check out our links below!Most Recent Eggplant Content
This recorded webinar features Dr. Meg McGrath for a discussion of fungicides for P-Cap, crop rotation strategies, and the use of biofumigants to control P-Cap in infected fields.
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
In this pre-recorded webinar, Dr. Michael Mazourek, plant breeder at Cornell University, and Dr. Chris Smart, plant pathologist at Cornell University Geneva Experiment Station lead a discussion about how to minimize the impact of Phytophthora capsici on your farm.
Phytophthora blight was more severe in 2011 than it has been for many years, which raises concern that 2012 could be another bad year for this very destructive disease because of the quantity of pathogen spores left in fields at the end of last season to survive over winter. Blight was severe in areas where there were intensive rainfall events, which created unusually favorable conditions. A key to successfully managing this disease is managing soil moisture to avoid saturated conditions that favor pathogen development and infection. Achieving this is difficult when rainfall amounts are large. Another key has been fungicides registered recently with targeted activity for pathogens in this biological group (Oomycetes). Rain events in 2011 challenged maintaining a good spray schedule and thus achieving effective control. Once blight starts to develop in a crop, it can be difficult to stop, thus a management program will be most successful when initiated before symptoms begin to develop. This includes fungicide applications. An integrated program with cultural practices and fungicides is considered essential.
Phytophthora Webinar 3: Management practices to reduce P-Cap on the farm
Last Modified: May 13, 2013
This recorded webinar features Dr. Meg McGrath for a discussion of fungicides for P-Cap, crop rotation strategies, and the use of biofumigants to control P-Cap in infected fields.
Webinar: Farming with P-Cap: Managing Your Crops and Minimizing Spread
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Last Modified: November 8, 2012
In this pre-recorded webinar, Dr. Michael Mazourek, plant breeder at Cornell University, and Dr. Chris Smart, plant pathologist at Cornell University Geneva Experiment Station lead a discussion about how to minimize the impact of Phytophthora capsici on your farm.
Managing Phytophthora Blight in 2012
Last Modified: August 7, 2012
Phytophthora blight was more severe in 2011 than it has been for many years, which raises concern that 2012 could be another bad year for this very destructive disease because of the quantity of pathogen spores left in fields at the end of last season to survive over winter. Blight was severe in areas where there were intensive rainfall events, which created unusually favorable conditions. A key to successfully managing this disease is managing soil moisture to avoid saturated conditions that favor pathogen development and infection. Achieving this is difficult when rainfall amounts are large. Another key has been fungicides registered recently with targeted activity for pathogens in this biological group (Oomycetes). Rain events in 2011 challenged maintaining a good spray schedule and thus achieving effective control. Once blight starts to develop in a crop, it can be difficult to stop, thus a management program will be most successful when initiated before symptoms begin to develop. This includes fungicide applications. An integrated program with cultural practices and fungicides is considered essential.
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Upcoming Events
Berry Crops Field Workshop
August 29, 2017
5pm-7pm
Stephentown, NY
These workshops are directed at the commercial berry grower.Monitoring for pests, designing an effective pest control program, understanding cultural and chemical SWD management strategies and general troubleshooting will all be part of this workshop.
There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Best Management Practices for High Tunnel Nutrition and Soil Health
September 13, 2017
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Poughkeepsie, NY
Soil tests, foliar tests, foliar feeds, fertigation, managing for yield...long term soil health in a high tunnel isn't a simple process. It can have a lot of components and require a fair amount of analysis. Cornell Cooperative Extension, partnering with NOFA-NY in a New York Farm Viability Institute funded project, have been working to identify long-term soil health and fertility best management practices. We will share what has been learned.Announcements
Welcome Jim Meyers: New Viticulture Specialist!
Jim has been working with wine grapes for 10 years, first as a Viticulture Ph.D. student at Cornell then as a Research Associate. Prior to coming to Cornell, Jim studied Chemistry and Biology (B.S. West Chester University of Pennsylvania), Computer Science (M.S. Brown University), and had a successful career as software technology entrepreneur. This background is reflected in his viticultural research which has focused on computational tools for mapping canopy and vineyard variability, quantifying relationships between variability and fruit chemistry, and optimizing efficiency of vineyard operations. As an Extension Associate, Jim will continue some of these research activities while also looking for new projects that provide targeted benefits to appellations in Eastern New York. Jim will kick off his new appointment by visiting growers at their vineyards to gather first hand knowledge of the sites and to discuss vineyard operations, goals, and challenges. Building a complete catalog of vineyards in a territory that runs 300 miles along the Route 9 corridor may take a little while, but Jim feels that the effort will lay a solid foundation for future program activities while also clearly differentiating the needs of each appellation.New Resources for Berry Crops
Berry Crop Diagnostics Tool - Much information exists on controlling plant pests and problems, but one must first identify the cause before intervention can occur. This diagnostic tool was developed to assist the student, grower, and extension educator in identifying potential causes of plant problems in berry crops
Cornell Berries YouTube Channel - Webinars and other videos that support our commercial berry production Extension and outreach
Coming soon: New NEWA berry pest forecasting tools
White Rot Update
NOW AVAILABLE: White Rot Fact Sheet: Click Here
White Rot, Sclerotinia cepivorum, decimated the onion industry in New York in the 1930's before being eradicated through careful management. More recently, in 2003, it infected 10,000 acres of garlic in California, leading to the abandonment of some garlic fields and adoption of strict containment rules. White rot has been confirmed in Northeastern states over the last decade as well, with New York being one of the last to discover the disease.
The primary reason that White Rot is such a concern is because the sclerotia, or reproductive structures, can remain dormant in the soil for up to 40 years, attacking any allium crop planted into the soil under favorable conditions. This spring was ideal for infection due to the period of cool, moist weather we had. Optimal temperature for infection is 60-65 degrees F, but infection can occur anywhere from 50-75 degrees F.
Once garlic has white rot, it generally declines rapidly. Leaves will yellow and the plant will wilt, not unlike a severe fusarium infection. However, unlike with fusarium, white rot infected bulbs are covered in black sclerotia and white fungus. To add to the confusion, another disease CAN look similar. Botrytis also causes black sclerotia and white fungal growth. However, Botrytis sclerotia are quite large, often larger than a pencil eraser.
So, what do we do now? We're still working on long-term management strategies, but the most important steps to take now are vigilance when culling (look at the plants you are pulling for symptoms like you see in this article, and if they are present, call us to take a sample and have the disease verified) and, if you see anything suspicious, reduction of movement of inoculum. The main ways diseases get moved around are by dumping culls (compost, field edges, etc) and my moving soil on equipment. Throw away your culls, and wash equipment that may have come in contact with suspicious garlic or the soil it is growing in. Everything from cultivation equipment to harvest bins should be cleaned.
We will keep learning about this disease and will keep sending out information, particularly to help you make decisions about what to sell and buy. For now, remember that the west coast has learned to manage the disease, and we will too. -Crystal Stewart, ENYCHP
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture - Cornell Cooperative Extension
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