If you’re expecting plug plants for your strawberry crops, you’ve likely heard about the emerging threat of Neopestalotiopsis disease. For those unfamiliar, I recommend reading Dr. Phil Brannen’s article, “Dramatic Neopestalotiopsis Disease in Strawberry Tips and Plug Plant Production Nurseries“ from the University of Georgia Extension. Recently, I’ve been in discussions with a few fruit…Read more about Strawberry Growers: Navigating the Challenges of Neopestalotiopsis Disease[Read More]
Strawberry
According to the newly released 2022 Census of Agriculture, Indiana has 248 farms growing strawberries, a 25% increase from 2017’s 199 such farms. This rise is particularly notable because the number of strawberry farms decreased from 250 to 199 between 2012 and 2017. Despite the increase in the number of farms over the past five…Read more about Indiana Strawberry Production Census[Read More]
A new episode of the Strawberry Chat podcast is available. In this episode, we talked with Dr. Marvin Pritts from Cornell University. We discussed the new edition of the Strawberry Production Guide for the Northeast, Midwest, and Eastern Canada. Dr. Marvin introduced us to the plasticulture day-neutral strawberry product system he has been researching recently….Read more about Discussion with Dr. Marvin Pritts about Strawberry Production in the Northeast[Read More]
Harvesting of high tunnel-grown strawberries has started from southern to central Indiana. Early cultivars in open-field plasticulture are fruiting in southern Indiana, with harvest right around the corner. The crops are generally a week earlier than last year. Late cultivars, second-year patches, and fields covered with straw in the winter are slightly lagging behind. Moving…Read more about Indiana Strawberry Crop Status Update[Read More]
In addition to frost protection, disease management is pivotal during the blooming stage, particularly concerning gray mold (caused by Botrytis spp.) and Anthracnose. To protect the fruit, fungicide application should commence at or even before blooming. The pressure of both diseases is heavily influenced by weather conditions, with Botrytis favoring wet and cool climates and…Read more about Strawberry Disease Management Considerations[Read More]
Strawberry growers are at the forefront of the battle against spring frost/freeze challenges. This task undoubtedly is getting more complicated with the current weather. We will have a few cold nights next week with forecasted temperatures around the middle 20s °F in Vincennes. Strawberry growers in Southern Indiana are considering whether to implement frost/freeze protection…Read more about Plasticulture Strawberry Crop Status in Southern Indiana[Read More]
Dear Strawberry Chat listeners, I apologize for not updating the Strawberry Chat Podcast since the beginning of the year. We will be continuing the program. The next episode will be recorded on March 22nd, 12:00-1:00 pm EST. Over the winter break, I received many good questions, primarily about plasticulture strawberry production. In the upcoming episode,…Read more about Strawberry Chat Plasticulture Production Q&A and Recent Research Update[Read More]
Are you still thinking about varieties for the upcoming season? Purdue has been keeping a record of vegetable variety trials in the Midwest since 1999. The Midwest Vegetable Trial Report series includes reports of applied research relevant to vegetable and melon production in the Midwest. Here are some abstracts of the most recent reports. Visit the Midwest Vegetable…Read more about Selecting Vegetable Varieties for Your Farm[Read More]
Dr. Dan Egel will participate in the next Strawberry Chat and discuss disease concerns in growing strawberry plugs. Planting strawberry plugs in plasticulture is attracting interest in Indiana. Some chose to grow strawberry plugs from runner tips. How do we prevent diseases in plug production? We invited Dr. Dan Egel to participate in the discussion….Read more about Prevent Diseases in Strawberry Plug Production – Strawberry Chat Registration[Read More]
This summer, we interviewed four farmers growing strawberries in plasticulture in Indiana. Their business is on different scales, and they sell through varied market channels. How do strawberries fit into their overall crop and market strategy? What are the opportunities and challenges? The lessons the experienced farmers share will be of great value to others…Read more about Strawberry Chat Update— Farmer Interviews[Read More]