Dear Valued Vegetable Crops Hotline Readers,
Welcome to issue 772 of the Vegetable Crops Hotline newsletter! Our mission remains steadfast: to deliver crucial updates on pest management, production practices, food safety, and marketing opportunities that directly impact your farming operations.
Growers and Purdue Extension Educators, your input and expertise make this newsletter a truly useful resource. If you have hot topics you’d like us to cover, success stories to share, or questions for our Extension specialists, please email Petrus langenhoven or reach out to the specialist directly. We also welcome high-quality photos of pest issues, unusual symptoms, or innovative production practices you’ve implemented on your farm.
What’s Inside This Issue
This week’s Vegetable Crops Hotline covers a mix of leadership news, pest management, farm business, and production updates.
Welcoming Dr. Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi
The big news this issue: Dr. Anjali Iyer-Pascuzzi officially began her role as Head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture on July 1, 2026. A botany and plant pathology professor who has been part of the Purdue faculty for 13 years, she brings a strong research and teaching record, including the Foundation for Food and Agriculture New Innovator Award and the College of Agriculture’s Outstanding Graduate Mentor and Teaching Award. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Iyer-Pascuzzi to this new role — we’re excited for her vision and leadership and wish her great success as she leads HLA forward.
Also in this issue:
- Two-Spotted Spider Mites in High Tunnel Tomatoes — A field report on a severe mite outbreak in a high tunnel tomato crop, with guidance on scouting, sanitation, and treatment to help growers avoid similar infestations.
- Farm Success and Creating a Culture of Collaboration — A look at how a culture of collaboration — built on fairness, shared goals, functionality, managing tension, and openness — contributes to family farm success.
- Cut Flower Production Field Tours — Purdue Extension’s Cut Flower Team is hosting field tours on July 15 and August 25, offering growers a chance to see demonstration plantings and connect with other cut flower enthusiasts.
- Dual Magnum® Herbicide Now Labeled Over-The-Top in Indiana Pumpkins — OISC has approved expanded labeling for over-the-top application of Dual Magnum® on Indiana pumpkins, based on multi-state crop tolerance research; the article walks through what growers need to know.
- Warm Temperatures and More Rain on the Way — A weather outlook noting continued above-normal temperatures through mid-July, with a slight chance of another extreme heat event around July 16–20.
Subscription Information
Hard Copy Subscribers
If you need a hard-copy subscription form and don’t have internet access, please contact your nearest Purdue Extension office. Extension Educators, please download the hard-copy subscription form.
Digital Subscribers
If you receive the newsletter via email, you do not need to take any action. You will continue to receive the newsletter on the issue date.
New digital subscribers can now register their email address
In addition, digital subscribers receive emails with information about articles or announcements that need your immediate attention. These articles will be posted under Hot Topics on the VCH webpage and will be included in the next issue. All previous articles published in the VCH newsletter are available on the Vegetable Crops Hotline website.
Website Links in Newsletter Articles
We frequently include links to websites or online publications. If you can’t access these resources, don’t hesitate to contact your local Purdue Extension office or us to request a hard copy of the information.
Midwest Vegetable Production Guide
The 2026 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide is now available for growers, or you can download and print a guide from your computer. The guide is also available for $20 per copy. Contact your Extension Office or Stephen Meyers directly to buy a copy.
Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports
Are you still considering purchasing vegetable seeds? The Midwest Vegetable Trial Report features many articles to help you make an informed decision. The resource also hosts production-related research results.
As always, thank you for reading, and happy growing!
Petrus Langenhoven, Editor
Clinical Assistant Professor and Vegetable Extension Specialist
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Purdue University