Earlier this year, Rely® 280 was registered for use in transplanted cantaloupe, cucumber, pepper, summer squash, tomato, and watermelon with a supplemental label. The registration allows for the use of Rely® 280 for pre-plant burndown and post-directed applications to row middles. Previously, postemergence burndown and row middle options were limited to glyphosate (Roundup®), carfentrazone (Aim®),…Read more about Rely® 280 Added to Row Middle Weed Control Arsenal in Select Crops[Read More]
Cantaloupe
Most of us know a temperature lower than 32°F would kill tender vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, melons, and cucumbers. Home gardeners would wait to plant those crops after the last frost passed, but commercial farmers may take the risk of planting earlier to capture early-season premium prices. Farmers use various strategies, i.e., high tunnels, low…Read more about Check Soil Temperatures Before Planting Cold Sensitive Crops[Read More]
We are excited to announce that the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day is scheduled for June 28, 2023, at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC), 4669 N. Purdue Rd. Vincennes, IN. Purdue researchers and NRCS representatives will present their current research and demonstration projects in fruit and vegetable production conducted at SWPAC. The topics…Read more about Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day _Registration Now Open![Read More]
At Southwest Purdue Ag Center (SWPAC) and Pinney Purdue Ag Center (PPAC), we demonstrate irrigation impacts on several fruiting vegetable crops. Tomato, pepper, eggplant, watermelon, and cantaloupe are planted on plastic-covered beds with drip tapes. They grow on beds side-by-side with and without irrigation. We used two approaches to schedule irrigation, one bed is irrigated based on…Read more about Irrigation Demonstration Update June 25[Read More]
This time of year, when we are busy in the fields planting and prepping for a fruitful season, we need to be observant of the pest pressures that may be present. We have already had reports this year of cucumber beetles feeding on recently transplanted cucurbit crops, in particular melons and cucumbers. Let’s review why…Read more about Early Cucumber Beetle Management[Read More]
The author of this article, Dan Egel, retired from Purdue University in February 2024. MELCAST is a weather-based disease-forecasting program that helps growers schedule foliar fungicide applications for watermelon and cantaloupe. MELCAST stands for MELon disease for CASTer. This program, designed by Dr. Rick Latin, Emeritus Professor of Plant Pathology at Purdue University, keeps track of weather conditions so…Read more about MELCAST[Read More]
In early May, we had an extended cold period with daily average air temperatures in the 50s°F. Min temperatures are in the 40s°F, some nights even upper 30s°F. In most areas in southern Indiana, it is fortunate we did not encounter a frost with temperature dropped below 32°F, but the low temperature for the extended…Read more about Why do Watermelon and Melon Plants Wilt?[Read More]
MELCAST is a weather-based disease-forecasting program that helps growers schedule foliar fungicides applications for watermelon and cantaloupe. MELCAST stands for MELon disease for CASTer. This program, designed by Dr. Rick Latin, Professor of Plant Pathology at Purdue University, keeps track of weather conditions so that cantaloupe and watermelon growers can apply foliar fungicides to their…Read more about MELCAST 2021[Read More]
Many cantaloupe and watermelon growers are either growing transplants in a greenhouse or are expecting delivery of transplants in the next few weeks. Either way, growers should inspect transplants for disease before planting in the field. Below I will describe several common transplant diseases of cantaloupe and watermelon as well as management options. Gummy stem…Read more about Cantaloupe and Watermelon Transplant Diseases[Read More]
The Annual Fall/Winter Meeting of the Southwest Indiana Melon and Vegetable Growers is scheduled on Monday, November 30, 2020, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm (EST). This meeting will be held online this year because of COVID-19 restrictions. Dr. Wenjing Guan and Dr. Dan Egel will discuss the results of the 2020 watermelon and cantaloupe variety…Read more about Southwest Indiana Melon and Vegetable Growers Winter Meeting[Read More]