| Extension/Outreach |
1 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Public education in IPM, tied to research with the goal of improving economics to the grower is
needed. Funding should be increased in research, education, and Extension. |
| Extension/Outreach |
2 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Public education in pest management tools that promote peach farming is needed. |
| Extension/Outreach |
3 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Integrated Orchard Management (IOM and its pest management components) carry considerable
management costs that are seldom given due weight for high-value commodities such as peaches.
Growers, especially processing growers, need orchard consultants to successfully implement
increasingly complex pest management options. The economics of pest management must be reexamined
in light of its non-farm benefits to society in order to sustain a badly need cadre of pest
management consultants. Integrated Orchard Management is a key element of both worker safety and
environmental stewardship. |
| Extension/Outreach |
4 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Educate growers on the multiple weed control benefits of site specific Orchard Floor Management
programs. |
| Extension/Outreach |
5 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Best management practices for mitigating in-orchard spread of virus and other systemic tree diseases
have become an industry priority. |
| Regulatory |
1 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Regulatory decisions on re-entry intervals (REIs) need to recognize the need to conduct field essential
activities. Cost/benefit should be considered in making REI decisions. |
| Regulatory |
2 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Regulatory decisions on OPs have extended pre-harvest intervals (PHIs). This is a problem when late
season insect control is needed. The effect of longer PHIs on IPM programs needs to be fully
considered in regulatory decisions and in the evaluation of mitigation options. |
| Regulatory |
3 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
American produce growers, including peach growers, should receive assurance that foreign producers
will be held to U.S. standards for pesticide labels. Tolerances should not allow foreign competitors
unfair advantages. New Jersey growers believe tolerances should be same for imports as US grown
peaches. |
| Regulatory |
4 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Resistance management is a key concern with orchard pests. Rotating pesticides to expose pests to
varied modes-of-action is the most feasible management option. Regulatory decisions should
thoroughly consider resistance management and maintain multiple modes-of-action for use against
key pests. |
| Regulatory |
5 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Peaches are highly dependent on hand labor. The quantification of worker exposure to individual
pesticides is needed for all key in-orchard activities. Better risk data on both acute and cumulative
pesticide exposure in peach production is needed. |
| Regulatory |
6 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Critical point analysis (HACCP) for both microbial and pesticide residue risks is badly needed to
model risks from harvest through shipment. |
| Regulatory |
7 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Region-wide virus and phytoplasma tree-health programs should be required in order to mitigate
potential spread of virus including plum pox virus (PPV), and reduce the incidence of less
catastrophic, endemic viruses. Further, nursery certification and elimination of non-certified stocks is
an industry priority. |
| Regulatory |
8 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Examine ways to limit landowner liability exposure to encourage landowners to open hunting access
on their property. |
| Regulatory |
9 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Examine revenue generating ideas like leasing land for hunting and other wildlife related recreation. |
| Regulatory |
10 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Develop policies to encourage state-funded deer fence programs. |
| Regulatory |
11 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Develop policies to encourage state-funded deer fence programs. |
| Regulatory |
12 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Inside/outside regulatory efforts are needed to minimize flooding of market by California peach
growers. |
| Research |
1 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Transition strategies must simultaneously address short- and long-term needs. The immediate grower
need is reliable, affordable, low-risk pest management alternatives to augment diminishing availability
of standard materials. |
| Research |
2 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Ultimately, transition strategies must develop practical, affordable IPM systems that employ lowerrisk
pesticides. Growers want New Jersey peach IPM re-invented in a fashion that merits praise from
economic, social, and environmental perspectives. Stable IPM funding is essential if we are to reach
that goal. |
| Research |
3 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Growers need improved understanding of biology for key peach pests and their natural enemies to
create biologically-refined monitoring and predictive tools. In New Jersey, pest biology and behavior
studies for plum curculio and oriental fruit moth are key prerequisites to the evolution of IPM options. |
| Research |
4 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Efficacy assessments of developing pest management options, such as lower-risk pesticides and biorational
controls should be a component of this research. Promising options must be incorporated into
existing commercial practice. But, impacts on primary, secondary, and induced pests; beneficials; and
“new” pests must be carefully studied. |
| Research |
4 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
New cost-effective tools for insect pest management are needed, instead of reliance solely on
cheaper pyrethroids. Pyrethroids are entirely unacceptable as mainstay insecticides in New Jersey
peach culture because they induce secondary pests. Low risk insecticides that do not promote scale
problems are badly needed for stink bugs and opportunistic fruit pests. |
| Research |
5 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Additionally, treatment thresholds for key pests need to be developed as economic thresholds are not
applicable in peaches (the value of the crop is unknown till picked and/or stored). |
| Research |
6 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Scale, primarily San Jose and white peach, have become damaging primary pests. This elevation in
pest status is attributable to changes in pesticide availability. Research should focus on scale biology
and model development to improve timing of insecticide applications. |
| Research |
7 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Peachtree borer and lesser peachtree borer are also key tree pests. Borer treatment thresholds are
presently a long-term research challenge. |
| Research |
8 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
New Jersey growers need monitoring tools for plum curculio, stink bugs, thrips, and tarnished plant
bug. |
| Research |
9 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Likewise, New Jersey peach growers need treatment thresholds to determine if control measures are
needed or not. |
| Research |
10 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Beetles (Japanese, green, June, rose chafers, and white fringed) are occasionally very difficult to
control. Research needs should include these occasional but highly problematic pests. |
| Research |
11 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Although current disease control programs are mostly effective, environmental variation can and does
result in major epidemic outbreaks. In addition, some diseases, such as constriction canker, currently
lack effective controls. Consequently, key research and extension needs exist. |
| Research |
12 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Growers need predictive modeling for all peach diseases to better time control practices. Monitoring
techniques and sampling protocols need to be developed for key diseases to allow advanced warning
of inoculum availability for significant infection. Such information should allow determination of
“orchard risk levels” for upcoming growing seasons or specific infection events. |
| Research |
13 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Brown rot is the key fruit rot organism for New Jersey peaches. It is very effectively controlled by demethylation
inhibitor (DMI) fungicides, often with minimal need for control of the blossom blight and
green fruit rot stages of the disease. But, the brown rot organism readily develops fungicide
resistance. There is a need for more detailed understanding of the organism’s biology and for non-
DMI control. This would allow improved timing of sprays and development of prudent resistance
management strategies. |
| Research |
14 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Peach scab control relies heavily upon protectants. Scab control is normally good, but can be difficult
to control if management the previous season was inadequate. Fruit protection is needed from earlyseason
until 40-days before harvest. Thus, a range of four to six fungicide sprays may be required,
depending on the harvest timing. Two important scab fungicides, sulfur and azoxystrobin, are low-risk
materials. Chlorothalonil is one of the best fungicides for scab control. A better understanding of the
epidemiology should allow more effective and efficient use of newer fungicides |
| Research |
15 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Since Phytophthora root and crown rot occurs sporadically, orchards are not routinely sprayed.
However, when infection does occur, many trees can be killed, causing loss of tree investment as well
as yield. A better understanding of those biotic and abiotic factors that augment the risk of infection is
needed, thereby allowing greater predictability of disease outbreaks. A fungicide can then be applied
only when necessary, improving both the cost-effectiveness of control and the decreasing the
likelihood of tree and yield loss. |
| Research |
16 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Constriction canker was first discovered in New Jersey in 1934 and is endemic to the state’s peach
and nectarine orchards. Disease severity and yield loss tends to be greatest in middle-aged and older
orchards, shortening their duration of greatest productivity. Control is currently limited to removal of
cankers via pruning, which has been shown to be approximately 30% effective. Recent research has
indicated that chlorothalonil and captan are most effective, but registrations are lacking and many
sprays are needed. Further research on basic pathogen biology, epidemiology, and control strategies
is needed for development and implementation of a cost-effective management program. Of
particular importance is determination of infection criteria to allow optimum fungicide timing. A
better understanding of host susceptibility in relation to inoculum availability is also needed. New
fungicides continually need to be screened for efficacy. |
| Research |
17 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Rusty spot management is generally good, but effective control is limited to a single fungicide,
myclobutanil. Recent research has identified the critical period for application timing. To increase
disease management options and lower the risk of resistance development, alternative fungicides need
to be discovered and integrated with myclobutanil for the control of peach rusty spot. Application of
any effective biological or biorational control materials may allow reduced use of myclobutanil. In
addition to disease control research on integration of materials, further study on pathogen biology is
needed to better understand the etiology and epidemiology. |
| Research |
18 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Bacterial spot is a damaging and problematic key pest on susceptible varieties. Under heavy bacterial
spot pressure, even resistant varieties need some protective sprays. Resistant varieties are being
planted, but commercially acceptable ones are not available for all harvest seasons; this is particularly
valid for nectarines. An estimated 25-35% of the bearing acreage must be sprayed for bacterial spot.
Chemical control is solely dependent on materials that face regulatory scrutiny, specifically coppers
and the key in-season antibiotic oxytetracycline (Mycoshield). So, better understanding of pest
biology and examination of lower-risk control options are essential. Further, resistance management
options are very limited, making low-risk, alternative bacterial spot chemistries an important priority. |
| Research |
19 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Minor fruit rots, anthracnose, rhizopus and gilbertella rots are occasional, but can be damaging
diseases when severe. These diseases are only controllable with older fungicides such as captan,
Ziram, or Ferbam. Research of low-risk materials for these diseases is a long-term need. |
| Research |
20 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Research is needed to develop spray technologies that will allow growers to more effectively and
economically make pesticide applications. |
| Research |
21 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
New Jersey growers need information on comparative costs versus returns/value added of alternative
versus conventional controls. Market research is needed on the economic effects of controls;
alternative versus conventional; cost-effectiveness; higher return possible for value added component
of new alternatives considered?; e.g. IPM education (market research); promotion issues. |
| Research |
22 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Research is needed to improve the utilization of cultural weed control methods. New herbicides must
be identified and evaluated to improve the control of perennial weeds, aid in resistance management in
annual weeds, and serve as potential replacements for simazine and 2,4-D. |
| Research |
23 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Woody perennial weed control has been difficult to achieve in peach orchards. Glyphosate use is
problematic due to its PHI, and since optimum treatment time coincides with harvest time. Studies
are needed to identify herbicides for woody perennial weed control. |
| Research |
24 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Cultural, mechanical, and chemical weed control methods should be combined into an integrated
weed management program that includes weed resistant management strategies. |
| Research |
25 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Research is needed on the impacts of PGR on pests, including determination of consistent responses
to bloom delay, blossom thinners, and growth thinners. |
| Research |
26 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Research on nematode control must focus on pest biology, and development of resistant rootstocks
and cultural controls. More environmentally favorable alternatives to methyl bromide are badly
needed, especially in the tree nurseries. |
| Research |
27 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Research is needed on maintaining vigor of planting sites to allow replanting old orchard sites because
of the shortage of land. |
| Research |
28 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Research is needed on managing vertebrate pests in peach orchards. |
| Research |
29 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Identify, assess, and quantify wildlife species causing damage to peach crops. |
| Research |
30 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Locate resources to reduce/eliminate wildlife damage to peach crops. |
| Research |
31 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Identify and implement cost-effective and efficient wildlife damage management strategies. |
| Research |
32 |
All |
|
6- to 12-Inch Shoot |
Evaluate success of implemented wildlife damage management practices. |