No reason exists to expect drought anytime soon in Indiana, with much of the state remaining rather wet after last weekend’s showers. One good new development exists. The precipitation pattern that has existed since nearly January seems to be becoming a little less predictable, which could mean more periods of drier weather between fronts on…Read more about Indiana Climate and Weather Report[Read More]
Vegetable Crops - General
From time to time, I will make changes to the MW Vegetable Production Guide. These changes will appear automatically in the on-line version. For those who purchase a hard copy, watch the Vegetable Crops Hotline for changes. See below for the changes that have been made to the Production guide for 2019 Page Comment…Read more about MW Vegetable Guide Updates[Read More]
I know as producers of some of the finest fruits, veggies, herbs and flowers in Indiana no one is more excited to welcome Spring and a new market year than YOU! Whether or not you have used FoodLink in the past as a way to increase consumer knowledge of and interest in your products we…Read more about Welcome to Spring and FoodLink[Read More]
On April 1, 2019, Dr. Hazel Wetzstein, Head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, announced a change in leadership for the Indiana Horticulture Congress. “I am pleased to announce that Petrus Langenhoven and Kyle Daniel have agreed to serve as Co-Chairs for the Indiana Horticulture Congress, effective immediately. They bring a wealth of…Read more about New Leadership Appointed for the Indiana Horticulture Congress[Read More]
The rain seems to keep falling, barely providing time for things to dry out and start planting! The last few weeks has experienced up to 2” above normal precipitation – particularly for west-central and southern Indiana, which is near the 125th-125th percentile. Warm days seem to be relatively few and far between, causing a slow…Read more about Indiana Climate and Weather Report[Read More]
Basic Aspects of High Tunnel Soil Fertility Management – (Petrus Langenhoven, plangenh@purdue.edu, 765-496-7955) – Spring has arrived! Every high tunnel grower is now thinking of planting summer vegetable crops in high tunnels or has already planted. Whichever scenario applies to you, I hope that you have submitted soil samples or are in the process of…Read more about Basic Aspects of High Tunnel Soil Fertility Management[Read More]
Dual Magnum® has had a special local needs (24C) label in Indiana for use on transplanted bell peppers and other vegetables for a number of years. Last week the label was amended to include additional small fruit and vegetable crops, including asparagus. The new 24C label is available on the National Pesticide Information Retrieval System…Read more about Dual Magnum Indiana 24C Label Amended to Include More Crops[Read More]
Inspections of produce farms for compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule (PSR) are set to begin in July 2019. Passage of SB 331 in the Indiana General Assembly in 2018 gave the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) PSR enforcement authority in Indiana, making them the lead agency for inspections. SB…Read more about FSMA Produce Safety Rule Inspections Will Begin in 2019[Read More]
March has been welcoming Indiana like a lion with below-normal temperatures and a combination of above and below normal precipitation (see figure). Snowfall accumulated across the state ranging from less than 1” in the southwest and northwest to as much as 3-4” in the southeast part of Indiana. This precipitation has caused drought to be…Read more about Indiana Climate and Weather Report[Read More]
Cover crops can be a useful conservation practice for improving soil health, scavenging and recycling nutrients, reducing erosion, and contributing to more resilient cropping systems over the long term. Two new extension publications about Cover Crop Recipes for Indiana are available at the Purdue Education Store: https://edustore.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=AY-356-W https://edustore.purdue.edu/item.asp?Item_Number=AY-357-W There is also a webinar scheduled on Feb….Read more about Cover Crop Recipes for Cover Crop Users in Indiana[Read More]