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Pest and Beneficial Insect Walk, $15  Wednesday, June 20, 4-6 pm, University of Delaware Botanic Gardens, 531 S College Avenue, Newark.  Meet at the entrance to Fischer Greenhouse.  Learn to identify insect and disease pests, as well as beneficial insects in the landscape on a walk through the University of Delaware Botanic Gardens.  Instructors: Nancy Gregory, Brian Kunkel, and Carrie Murphy. Credits available: 2 pest, 2 ISA, and 1 CNP.  Register with Carrie Murphy (302) 831-2506 or cjmurphy@udel.edu 
NFG 6/11/18

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May 31, 2018 - The weather on the Delmarva has been favorable for the development of late blight in potato and tomato. See the updates from Rutgers at: http://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/potato-tomato-disease-forecast-9-1-17-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/  or http://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/ipm-update-5-30-18-2-2/    Scout fields and submit any suspect samples to your local County Cooperative Extension Office.
May 31, 2018 NFG

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May 31, 2018 Update – DHS Announces Funding Opportunity for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Preparedness Grants  WASHINGTON—Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen today announced the release of Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Notices of Funding Opportunity for eight DHS preparedness grant programs totaling more than $1.6 billion. The grant programs provide funding to state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as transportation authorities, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector, to improve the nation’s readiness in preventing, protecting against, responding to, recovering from and mitigating terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies. The grants reflect the Department’s focus on funding for programs that address our nation’s immediate security needs and ensure public safety in our communities. Further information on DHS’s preparedness grant programs is available at www.dhs.gov and http://www.fema.gov/grants. NFG 5/31/2018

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Look what the rains brought out! These orange alien fruiting bodies belong to Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginiana, the fungus that causes cedar apple rust. I finally found one so that I can share a picture that I took! We have had a lot of rain in the past week, and I saw this one along my route to work. This rust has two hosts, the juniper on which these gall are formed and rosaceous hosts primarily apple. The fantastic spore tendrils come out in the spring in response to rains. The teliospores on these structures produce basidiospores which go to the newly expanding leaves of apple and crabapple. Fungicdes can help to protect the apple. Pruning out the galls on juniper will help to break the cycle of spores. Gall will last several years on juniper and get larger each year. This one was at least three inches across, when sporulating!
NFG 5/13/2018

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For those of you interested in hunting wild mushrooms, the morel is just about the only one I would trust my identification of to collect and eat. Morchella esculenta, the true morel, is a prized edible and comes up in the spring. It comes up about the time the mayapples bloom, and is often found in clusters under certain types of trees. There are look-a-likes and false morels, so ID is crucial. Mushroom hunters are very secretive about locations, as morels tend to come up year after year. After 27 years, a solitary morel popped up in our yard! I won't eat it, but will hope for more next year.....
NFG 4/3/2018

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Potato planting has gotten a late start due to cold weather and precipitation. Check seed stock for soundness and disease. Scout well as plants come up. Growers in Florida indicate their season is picking up and potatoes look good.
https://www.potatopro.com/news/2018/potato-growers-south-florida-enjoy-good-start-season
Get updates with the Rutgers Plant and Pest Advisory: http://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/contact-information/rss-2/

NFG 4/6/2018

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The 73rd meeting of the regional NJDelMarVaPa Plant Pathologists was held March 6th in Newark, at the University of Delaware. Hosted by Nancy Gregory this year, the group has been meeting yearly to present research results, discuss new detections of plant diseases, and share Clinic reports. It also serves as a place for graduate students to practice for American Phytopathological Society talks to be given at regional meetings. This casual meeting is always a great chance to meet and discuss with regional colleagues.
NFG 3/17/2018

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Recent snow and ice storms have prompted questions about impacts of road salt to landscape plants, aquatic vegetation, water, human health, pets, wildlife, and soil. Most salt used on roadways is sodium chloride, with a small amount of anti-caking product added. Salt enters the environment through runoff from melting snow, rain, splash from vehicles, wind, and pedestrian traffic. Sodium and chloride have an impact on turf, groundcovers, shrubs, and trees, as well as aquatic plants. Salt can disrupt nutrient uptake, but most plants are dormant in the winter. The larger effects are due to dehydration which leads to foliage damage, and can affect stems, flowers, and seed germination. Plants that have formed buds in the fall are susceptible to salt damage to those buds. Evergreens may show bleached brown or bronzed foliage or tip browning.

Salt Damage on Privet

Salts can change soil chemistry, and affect soil microbes. Roadside plant buffers help to protect landscapes and waterways. Salt tolerant plants are good choices for areas prone to salt runoff and spray. A fact sheet from UD Cooperative Extension (http://extension.udel.edu/factsheets/delaware-gardening-challenge-to-newcomers/) lists salt tolerant plants such as bayberry, groundsel, summersweet, and beach plum, for coastal Delaware where storms bring salt spray and wind. A publication from Delaware Nature Society lists native plants and their environmental tolerances: http://www.delawarenaturesociety.org/DNS_Docs/Conservation/Native_TreesShrubs.pdf. Tree species with salt tolerance include oak, locust, hickory, birch, buckeye, and ginkgo. Spring rains usually help to dilute salt levels naturally in soils. Calcium magnesium acetate, sand, and cat litter are alternatives for icy home sidewalks.
NFG 1/23/2018