At Pinney Purdue (PPAC) bell peppers were harvested for the first time on August 15. Plants appear a little larger in the irrigated plots than in the unirrigated plots, but it is not obvious in photographs (Figure 1). Similar to what was observed at SWPAC, blossom end rot (BER) was much more common in the[Read More…]
Peppers
We observed a large amount of unmarketable pepper fruit hanging on the plants during on-farm visits and at the research farms recently. Damage appears on the sides or at the bottom of the fruit (Figure 1). The symptoms that occur at the fruit bottom are similar to tomato blossom end rot (BER), a plant physiological[Read More…]
Thanks to my University of California Cooperative Extension colleagues, I visited central valley vegetable production last week. Undoubtedly, I learned a lot on this trip. I want to share what I learned with Indiana growers in a few newsletter articles. This short article highlights two things I saw farmers use to extend early-season crop production.[Read More…]
Phytophthora blight caused by the pathogen Phytophthora capsici is one of the most important diseases in pepper production (Figure 1). The disease is difficult to control once established in a field. Using host resistance is an important approach in managing this disease. In past years, Rutgers Cooperative Extension has evaluated new bell pepper cultivars and[Read More…]
There is still time to select sweet pepper varieties for this summer. During the 2020 growing season, I evaluated a new batch of five sweet bell pepper varieties. I also evaluated five sweet tapered pepper varieties for a second season. All varieties (Table 1, Figures 1 & 2) were grown in a high tunnel at[Read More…]
On hot days in the summer, high tunnel growers may wonder whether to place shadecloth on high tunnels. Considering excessive heat inside the structures that may lead to plant stress, blossom drop and unmarketable fruit, there is a rational for doing it. However, it is important to realize the limitations of placing shadecloth on high[Read More…]
Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is making headlines and eliciting USDA action. Growers need to learn more about ToBRFV biology, symptoms and control. Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a newly identified virus affecting tomato, pepper and possibly their relatives. ToBRFV first appeared in Israel in 2014. Since then, it has shown up[Read More…]
In creating the new format of the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers 2020 (ID-56), I inadvertently left out the portion of the fruiting vegetable section that deals with Phytophthora blight of pepper. The new format allows me to update items easily; I have now added information on this important disease. Go to mwveguide.org[Read More…]
Sweet colored peppers can yield well in the protected conditions of an unheated high tunnel, but information is lacking about which varieties are adapted for high tunnel production and their performance. During 2018 we evaluated ten sweet pepper varieties at the Purdue Student Farm, West Lafayette, Indiana (Table 1). How was the evaluation conducted? The[Read More…]
Southern blight of pepper and tomato thrives under hot, dry conditions. Usually, such conditions are more likely in August. Production under tunnels may contribute to the dry conditions that influences southern blight. This article will discuss the symptoms, biology and management of southern blight of tomato. Southern blight has a wide host range affecting many vegetable,[Read More…]