Dear Valued Vegetable Crops Hotline Readers,
Welcome to issue 776 of the Vegetable Crops Hotline newsletter! Our mission remains steadfast: to deliver crucial updates on pest management, production practices, food safety, and marketing opportunities that directly impact your farming operations.
What’s Inside This Issue
August continues to deliver on its promise as the month of plenty! Here at the Meigs Horticulture Facility in Lafayette, we’re harvesting abundant crops from an eggplant (Figure 1) and napa cabbage (Figure 2) demonstration, alongside a high tunnel sweet pepper variety trial (Figure 3) at the Purdue Student Farm, a perfect reminder of why late summer is such an exciting time for vegetable growers across Indiana.
As harvest ramps up, this issue looks at food safety considerations for postharvest handling, particularly amid Salmonella and Cyclospora concerns in the national news, and explores the causes of cracking in tomatoes and melons. We’ll also see you in Vincennes: the Southwest Purdue Agriculture Center Vegetable Field Day is coming up on August 13, offering PARP credits and a full day of research updates, Extension programming, and grower networking.
Figure 1. Yellow fruit of sweet bell pepper variety, Flavorburst (Photo by Petrus Langenhoven).
Figure 2. Bins with napa cabbage, variety China Gold (Photo by Petrus Langenhoven).
Figure 3. Eggplant varieties (a) Turkish Orange, (b) Fairy Tail, (c) Summer Emerald, and (d) Calliope (Photo by Petrus Langenhoven).
Subscription Information
Hard Copy Subscribers
If you need a hard-copy subscription form and don’t have internet access, please contact your nearest Purdue Extension office. Extension Educators, please download the hard-copy subscription form.
Digital Subscribers
If you receive the newsletter via email, you do not need to take any action. You will continue to receive the newsletter on the issue date.
New digital subscribers can now register their email address
In addition, digital subscribers receive emails with information about articles or announcements that need your immediate attention. These articles will be posted under Hot Topics on the VCH webpage and will be included in the next issue. All previous articles published in the VCH newsletter are available on the Vegetable Crops Hotline website.
Website Links in Newsletter Articles
We frequently include links to websites or online publications. If you can’t access these resources, don’t hesitate to contact your local Purdue Extension office or us to request a hard copy of the information.
Midwest Vegetable Production Guide
The 2026 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide is now available for growers, or you can download and print a guide from your computer. The guide is also available for $20 per copy. Contact your Extension Office or Stephen Meyers directly to purchase a copy.
Midwest Vegetable Trial Reports
Are you considering purchasing vegetable seeds? The Midwest Vegetable Trial Report features many articles to help you make an informed decision. The resource also hosts production-related research results.
Contact Us If You Have a Story to Share
Growers and Purdue Extension Educators, your input and expertise make this newsletter a truly useful resource. If you have hot topics you’d like us to cover, success stories to share, or questions for our Extension specialists, please email Petrus langenhoven or reach out to the specialist directly. We also welcome high-quality photos of pest issues, unusual symptoms, or innovative production practices you’ve implemented on your farm.
As always, thank you for reading, and happy growing!
Petrus Langenhoven, Editor
Clinical Assistant Professor and Vegetable Extension Specialist
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Purdue University