Finally, two hybrid species of flowering dogwood developed by renowned Rutgers breeder Elwin Orton have been formally named after him and Rutgers University, which supported his prolific breeding career that spanned almost 50 years. The two Rutgers dogwood hybrids, Cornus × elwinortonii and Cornus × rutgersensis, were developed by Orton decades ago and have finally been […]
Archives for August 2015
Hot, Dry Weather and a Hurricane Soon?
The heat will ease, but the humidity will hang on. That’s the bottom line of this week’s weather outlook, which may also feature some heavy rain and flooding, according to forecasters… Today’s ongoing hot and humid weather comes amid another dry spell in much of New Jersey, which was extremely dry in May – the third-driest May on record, according to state climatologist David A. Robinson. Soaking rains in June – the fourth-wettest on record – erased drought concerns for the time being. Meanwhile, a tropical cyclone may form soon in the eastern Atlantic, according to the National Hurricane Center… Robinson, the New Jersey state climatologist who is based at Rutgers University, said “we expect a couple of weeks during summer where the rain turns off and you’re up in (the) 80s to 90. In May, it was more unseasonable because it was the third-warmest May (on record), so we had early season warmth.”
Tracking a Rarely Seen, Endangered ‘Ninja’ Shark in the Philippines
Rutgers marine scientist Thomas Grothues is well known for his expertise in tracking fish. He was recruited last year by a colleague from England to track a rarely seen shark species in the Philippines… The underwater adventure – in which Grothues pl…
“Eating Fresh is Eating SMART” for Rutgers Entrepreneurship Agriculture Program
It was only 9 a.m. but the August sun was already blazing over Hort Farm 3 on the George H. Cook Campus. The Entrepreneurship Agriculture Program (EAP) interns didn’t seem fazed, though. Arlan Rodeo, a Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program student, simply rolled up his sleeves and continued to dunk bunches of amaranth into tubs […]
Cumberland County Rutgers Master Gardener for 2015 Announced
Rutgers Master Gardeners of Cumberland County have honored Sam Pace of Millville with the Rutgers Master Gardener of the Year Award for 2015 in Cumberland County. Pace will be recognized for the outstanding work he has done in Cumberland County on Oct….
Agritourism Growth Sparks Concerns Over Safety, Liability
As more farms open themselves up to visitors for apple picking, hay rides and some extra income, experts are advising owners to take steps to prevent accidents – be they small or fatal… Farming is one of the more dangerous occupations in the U.S. mostly due to the machinery and equipment, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But a growing interest in local food has led to agritourism becoming a big business, with the number of U.S. farms reporting income from such activities rising 42 percent between 2007 and 2012, according to the latest Census of Agriculture… The first key is assessing the risks, said Brian Schilling of Rutgers’ Cooperative Extension in New Brunswick, New Jersey. “If you’ve grown up on a farm you’re sort of blind to a lot of these things,” he said, advising owners to have an extension agent, emergency official or insurance agent walk the farm to identify hazards… The extension also has a safety checklist that reminds farmers to, among other things, designate areas that are closed to the public, train employees to property operate farm machinery, secure and restrict areas that contain chemicals, provide hand-washing or hand-sanitizing stations and have employees assist with parking.
Jersey Tomato’s Spirit Ripens
The quintessential Jersey tomato is the one you can taste even decades after its flavor first burst on your tongue. It’s that indelible, summer-defining tomato you picked up at a farmstand on the White Horse Pike in Hammonton in 1960 and have been trying to buy, or grow, ever since… “We constantly hear the question, ‘What happened to the Jersey tomato?’ ” says horticulturist Tom Orton, noting that aesthetics, shelf life, and sliceability long ago eclipsed flavor in importance among mass market vendors… Since 2010, they’ve been breeding a better version of the famous “Rutgers” variety, which became synonymous with the Jersey tomato for decades after it was released to the public in 1934… Despite its fame and popularity, the Rutgers was never patented, and was so frequently crossbred by various seed companies that it ultimately lost its distinctiveness.
Rutgers Alumni Naturally Bring Walls to Life
In October, the Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health (IFNH) at Rutgers University will open, and a breathtaking highlight will become public knowledge. The award-winning structure under construction at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is home to the largest interior living wall in the state… Measuring 40 feet tall by 33 feet wide, the living wall is the creation of EcoWalls, a business founded by Rutgers alumni Michael Coraggio and Ryan Burrows, both of Flemington. Coraggio received his degree in landscape architecture, while Burrows earned a master’s degree in ecology and evolution… A vertical garden design and installation company that was part of the Rutgers Business Incubator program housed at the Rutgers EcoComplex in Bordentown, EcoWalls was founded in 2008… For Coraggio and Burrows, the living wall on the Cook College campus is a “coming home” for the two. Life partners for 12 years, both credit their alma mater with inspiring and enabling them to do what they do.
That tasty New Rutgers Strawberry? The Plants Go On Sale Saturday
The “Rutgers Scarlet,” a new strawberry bred to be grown in Jersey soil and eaten soon after picking, will be available to home gardeners at a South Brunswick open house Saturday… Organizers may impose a limit per customer if it looks like demand is outpacing supply and the gathering of normally well-behaved gardeners starts to behave like a crowd outside Wal-Mart on Black Friday… Also on display – and available for tasting – will be an even newer variety of strawberry that has been bred to bear fruit twice in one season. While New Jersey strawberries are typically harvested in late May though early June, this newest variety has been coaxed through the use of a type of plastic mulch to bear a second crop of fruit in August… “It tastes pretty good,” said Bill Hlubik, professor of Agricultural Science and an agriculture and resource management agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension.
Stand Tall to Beat Anthracnose
New Rutgers research shows taller height of cut with the right fertility and topdressing program gives turf a stronger chance to reduce summer stress and fight anthracnose… Dr. Bruce Clarke, Director of the Center for Turfgrass Science at Rutgers University, has been a part of a research group at Rutgers focused on anthracnose. The results from the 14-year long research project reveal how anthracnose can be thwarted through better management practices… “The project we are finishing up on started in 2001 when the disease was running rapidly on golf courses. We started as a research project and in 2005 expanded to a universal research project within 11 universities. Including one in Guelph, Canada. Right now we are focusing on putting together results from previous research about the best program for superintendents…” said Clarke.