Extremely
cold temperatures forecast for Wednesday and Thursday
evenings, April 18 and 19, could seriously affect
fruit crops in or near bloom around the state.
Therefore, Agriculture Secretary Art Brown, Jr.,
and requested and received from NJDEP authorization
for open burning to help fruit farmers protect
their crops. No tires can be burned as part of
this authorization. Under the terms of the authorization,
no open burning is permitted unless the temperature
within the orchard area is at or below the critical
temperature for the bud stage and the wind velocity
is less than five miles per hour. Both conditions
must be met before open burning may occur. The
average temperature required to kill ten percent
of the buds is defined as the critical temperature
(see attached chart). Farmers may only conduct
open burning with approved permits or approval
from NJDEP. Farmers who believe that open burning
is required to protect their blossoms or young
buds MUST FIRST CONTACT NJDEP's Office of Compliance
and Enforcement, Administrator of Air and Environmental
Quality, at (609) 633-7288 to request approval.
After 5:00 p.m. the request should be made to NJDEP's
24-hour Communication Center at 1-877-WARN-DEP.
Farmers must provide the following information:
- Name
of the individual who is to conduct the open
burning and/or the responsible party;
name
of farm, street address (no P.O. Box), telephone
number of farm contact;
predicted
orchard temperature in degree F and predicted
wind speed;
expected
hours of open burning;
- material
which will be open burned.
If
the farmer does not know in advance that the
critical temperature AND low wind velocity will
occur, notice of such burning may be provided
the following morning no later than 9:00 a.m.
Farmers may use smudge pots or open burn clean
scrap lumber (untreated), felled trees, prunings,
hedge grows, or fire wood. Farmers must make
every effort to obtain and use approved smudge
pots. These pots must be fueled with either kerosene
or #2 fuel oil. No refuse trade waste, garbage,
etc., is to be combined with the authorized burning
material. Farmers will not be permitted to open
burn tires to protect their fruit crops. Once
the open burning is completed, the farmer must
contact either of the listed numbers to provide
the identification used in the open burning request,
the actual orchard temperature in degrees Fahrenheit,
actual wind speed at the orchard location and
a statement that all restrictions in the open
burning approval were followed. Failure to adhere
to these provisions may result in appropriate
enforcement action.
CRITICAL
SPRING TEMPERATURES FOR FRUIT BUD DEVELOPMENT
STAGES
Apples |
Silver Tip |
Green Tip |
½ inch Green |
Tight Cluster |
First Pink |
Full PinkFirst BloomFull
Bloom |
Post Bloom |
Old temp
10% kill
90% kill |
16
15
2 |
16
18
10 |
22
23
16 |
27
27
21 |
27
28
24 |
28
28
2528
28
2529
28
25 |
29
28
25 |
Pears |
Bud Swell |
Bud Burst |
|
Tight Cluster |
First White |
Full WhiteFirst BloomFull
Bloom |
Post Bloom |
Old temp
10% kill
90% kill |
18
15
0 |
23
20
8 |
|
24
24
15 |
28
26
19 |
29
26
2229
27
2329
28
24 |
30
28
24 |
Apricots |
Bud Swell |
Bud Burst |
Red Tip |
|
First White |
First BloomFull BloomIn the
Shuck |
Green Fruit |
Old temp
10% kill
90%kill |
--
15
-- |
23
20
0 |
--
22
9 |
|
26
24
14 |
--
25
1928
27
22--
27
24 |
31
28
25 |
Peaches |
Bud Swell |
Calyx Green |
Calyx Red |
|
|
First PinkFirst BloomFull
Bloom |
Post Bloom |
Old temp
10% kill
90% kill |
23
18
1 |
--
21
5 |
--
23
9 |
|
|
25
25
15--
26
2127
27
24 |
30
28
25 |
European Plums |
Bud Swell |
Side White |
Tip Green |
Tight Cluster |
|
First WhiteFirst BloomFull
Bloom |
Post Bloom |
Old temp
10% kill
90% kill |
--
14
0 |
--
17
8 |
--
20
7 |
--
24
16 |
|
23
26
2227
27
2327
28
23 |
30
28
23 |
Sweet Cherries |
Bud Swell |
Side Green |
Green Tip |
Tight Cluster |
Open Cluster |
First WhiteFirst BloomFull
Bloom |
Post Bloom |
Old temp
10% kill
90% kill |
23
17
5 |
23
22
9 |
25
25
14 |
28
16
17 |
28
27
21 |
29
27
2429
28
2529
28
25 |
30
28
25 |
Tart
Cherries |
Bud Swell |
Side Green |
Green Tip |
Tight Cluster |
Open Cluster |
First WhiteFirst BloomFull
Bloom |
|
10% kill
90% kill |
15
0 |
24
10
|
26
22 |
26
24 |
28
24 |
28
2428
2428
24 |
|
Old
standard temperature represents the critical
temperature in Fahrenheit ( the lowest temperature
that can be endured for 30 minutes with damage).
In addition, the chart shows the temperature
at which 10% and 90% of normal buds will be killed.
|