Friend or Foe Friday!
🚨 BOX TREE MOTH DETECTED IN SOUTH JERSEY
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has confirmed detections of the Box Tree Moth in Cape May, Atlantic, and Cumberland Counties. A quarantine was initiated on September 2 restricting the movement of live plants, debris, and dead Boxwood material out of these counties without a fully executed NJDA compliance agreement.
This invasive pest can cause significant damage to Boxwood plants and, in severe infestations, can eventually kill them. The caterpillars are aggressive feeders and can completely defoliate a plant in as little as 10 days.
🔎 What to look for:
• Brown or skeletonized leaves
• Defoliation
• Large amounts of webbing
• Lime-green caterpillars with black stripes, white spots, and a shiny black head
• Adult moths with white wings and a thick brown border
Box Tree Moth is a strong flyer and can spread naturally several miles each year, making early detection and quick action especially important.
🌿 If you have Boxwood in your landscape: Monitor your plants closely. If you suspect Box Tree Moth, contact the New Jersey Department of Agriculture or the Rutgers Agricultural Cooperative Extension office in Cape May, Atlantic, or Cumberland County. Do not move potentially infested Boxwood or plant material out of the quarantined counties.
đźšś Nurseries, landscapers, and plant dealers: Monitor Boxwood plants carefully and implement safeguards to reduce the risk of spreading this invasive pest. All nursery businesses should report Box Tree Moth detections to NJDA.
Boxwood supports more than $9.8 million in economic activity annually in New Jersey and an estimated $140 million nationally.
Early detection and quick action are critical to protecting New Jersey’s Boxwood industry.
Learn more about the Box Tree Moth at:
www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/pi/prog/BoxtreeMoth.shtml
www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/box-tree-moth
sites.rutgers.edu/nursery-ipm/box-tree-
#NJFB #NewJerseyAgriculture #BoxTreeMoth #InvasivePests #ProtectNJAg #BoxwoodoxtreeMoth
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thursday Thoughts with President Carter
🚜👨‍🌾🌾🌽
When we talk about the future of agriculture, one of the things we need to talk about is technology.
For many people, “agricultural technology” may bring to mind enormous tractors driving across thousands of acres. But here in New Jersey, technology has to work differently. Our farms are often smaller, our fields are more diverse, and our growers face some of the highest costs of land, labor and inputs in the country.
....Read more from President Carter by clicking the photo above!
#njfb #njagriculture #njbeef #nofarmersnofood #farmingfuture
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🌾 What’s Up Wednesday?
Last week, New Jersey Farm Bureau President Allen Carter joined Senator Cory Booker at Cedar Rose Vineyards for an important conversation about the devastating April freeze and its impact on New Jersey agriculture.
Senator Booker had the opportunity to hear directly from vineyard owners about the damage caused by the two unusually cold nights in April. Unseasonably warm weather leading up to the freeze meant many vines had already begun producing new, vulnerable growth, making them particularly susceptible to the sudden drop in temperatures.
The damage extended well beyond vineyards and orchards. Rutgers Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent Wes Kline also shared the impacts experienced by vegetable growers and nurseries.
Joining the discussion were Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Joe Atchison III; State Board of Agriculture Vice President Joel Viereck; board members Hillary Bakker Barile and Robert Blew; Assemblywoman Andrea Katz, Chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee; and New Jersey Farm Bureau Director from Ocean County, Brick Wenzel.
For many farmers, the effects of this freeze will extend well beyond a single growing season. Lost production, lost income, and additional costs to restore crops and farms are challenges they will continue to face as plants recover.
That’s why NJFB continues to advocate for meaningful assistance for New Jersey farmers who suffered losses through no fault of their own.
Senator Booker shared that Washington is working on a disaster bill addressing agricultural weather events across the country, although details on the legislation have not yet been provided. He also extended an invitation for another visit to Washington to continue the conversation, along with discussions surrounding the Farm Bill.
This visit was part of Senator Booker’s 21-county tour during the August recess.
We appreciate Senator Booker, Cedar Rose Vineyards, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Rutgers Agriculture and Natural Resources, and everyone who took part in this important conversation. Making sure the challenges facing New Jersey farmers are heard is critical—and we will continue working to ensure our farmers are not forgotten as discussions about disaster assistance move forward.
#WhatsUpWednesday #NJAgriculture #NJFarmBureau #NoFarmersNoFood #SupportNJFarmers #NewJerseyAgriculture
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
