Vegetable Crops - General


As spring crops finish up, areas where no crop is planned for a month or more are good candidates for a summer cover crop. A number of species reliably establish well in the summer. The best one for a particular situation will depend on the length of time available, the desired benefits, and the following…Read more about Summer Cover Crops for Vegetables[Read More]


Many years ago, I was told that to successfully use fungicides on vegetables, one must use high spray pressures and hollow cone nozzles. However, I had trouble finding any research on this topic, just rumors. So, I did my own research. Dennis Nowaskie, Superintendent at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC) built a single row…Read more about Spray Pressure, Nozzle Type and Vegetable Disease[Read More]


Abnormally dry conditions are still lingering in parts of Indiana (Figure 1) with interest growing on how much the warmer weather might exacerbate the situation.  Fortunately, the climate outlooks for the next several weeks and through June are favoring above-normal precipitation (in addition to above-normal temperatures), so hopefully any dry periods will be short lived….Read more about Growing Degree-day Accumulations Still Lag While Dry Conditions Linger[Read More]


Whether the focal crops are vegetables, field corn, or soybeans, we’re hearing from growers that poor germination has been an issue this season. The cool, wet conditions we’ve had this spring have delayed seedling germination and growth, and this just happens to be the perfect scenario for seed and root maggots to do their worst…Read more about Vegetable Seedlings with Emergence Issues? Seed Corn Maggot may be to Blame.[Read More]


In a recent Hoosier Ag Today/CCSI Soil Health Podcast, Stephen Meyers of Purdue Horticulture and Dan Perkins of Perkins Good Earth Farm covered spring management of cover crops on vegetable farms. They discussed a variety of methods for terminating: flail mowing and tarping, roller-crimping, tillage, and killing with herbicide. They pointed out that decisions about…Read more about Cover Crops in May: Soil Health Podcast on Spring Management and Observations of Winter Rye at Pinney Purdue[Read More]


It seems the weather pattern may have shifted toward wetter conditions. Over the past week, Indiana has received over an inch of rain and the 7-day forecast is predicting at least another inch (Figure 1) in the central and southern parts of the state. The northern counties of Indiana, that have been in the Abnormally…Read more about More Observers Needed to Monitor Precipitation Across Indiana[Read More]


This is the time of year when vegetable growers may start to apply fungicides. Below I list 10 rules that will help vegetable growers apply fungicides effectively and safely. Apply fungicides prior to the development of disease. Although many fungicides have systemic (“kick back”) action they will not completely eradicate diseases after they have started….Read more about 10 Useful Rules for Fungicide Applications[Read More]


Purdue Extension Educators will be updating growing conditions at different produce farms throughout Northwest Indiana this Spring and Summer. Videos will highlight growing methods and talk about things to be on the lookout for. See the first video from Kajer’s Greens in Starke County and find future updates at https://sites.google.com/view/nwinproduceupdate/home.


Vegetable growers, we would like to hear your story about the freeze event on Apr. 20 and 21. What crops are you growing? Did you take protective actions? Did it cause damage on the crops? Hearing your stories would help us better design our extension programs. If you allow, we would like to share your…Read more about Share Your Experience about the Freeze Event[Read More]



Page last modified: April 22, 2021

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