Drought tolerance is top of everyone’s mind this year. Dry conditions and cover crops don’t always mix – they use precious moisture in dryland agriculture that’s rarely returned in a timely fashion. In irrigated agriculture, the expense of irrigating them might not be justified. However, there are cover crops that tolerate dry conditions and still[Read More…]
The Clearspring Produce Auction was founded in the 1990s by members of the Plain Community in LaGrange County, Indiana. The primary building was patterned after similar produce auctions that appeared in Plain Communities in Pennsylvania. Located just 2 miles south of US 20 in Clearspring Township in the Heart of the LaGrange-Elkhart Amish Settlement, it[Read More…]
Earlier this year, Rely® 280 was registered for use in transplanted cantaloupe, cucumber, pepper, summer squash, tomato, and watermelon with a supplemental label. The registration allows for the use of Rely® 280 for pre-plant burndown and post-directed applications to row middles. Previously, postemergence burndown and row middle options were limited to glyphosate (Roundup®), carfentrazone (Aim®),[Read More…]
Steve Reiners, Professor in Horticulture, Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech Canadian wildfires are impacting air quality here in the Northeast. Smoke has filled the sky, and warnings have been issued for outdoor activities. This is making many growers and gardeners worried about the potential impact the smoke will have on field-grown vegetables. The good news is the[Read More…]
Welcome to the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH), Purdue Extension’s exclusive newsletter for people in the business of growing vegetables. In this issue, we highlight pest issues and provide an update on herbicides. We also discuss the current Canadian fire and related smoke issues. There is another article in the cover crop series. NEW to this[Read More…]
After several weeks of little-to-no rain, Indiana welcomed some much-needed precipitation over the last several days. While amounts ranged from 1-to-3 inches (except for a few counties in west-northwest Indiana (Figure 1)), the state is still several inches from recovering from the deficit and relieving most impacts. The U.S. Drought Monitor this week (based upon[Read More…]
The harvest season may not have ended yet; it is time to plan for the new planting. This article summarizes options for planting materials and considerations for plasticulture-grown strawberries in the region. Purchasing plug plants Plug plants are like vegetable transplants with actively growing root systems. Plug plants are much easier to establish than bare-root[Read More…]
High Tunnel and Urban Farming Research and Demonstration will be highlighted at the field day. Researchers will discuss: High tunnel tomato and cucumber diseases (Dan Egel, Purdue) High tunnel cucumber two-spotted spider mites and management (Leslie Aviles and Laura Ingwell, Purdue) High tunnel tomato production and benefits of using companion plants (Samantha Willden, Laura Ingwell[Read More…]
Fusarium wilt of watermelon is one of the most economically important diseases of watermelon in the Midwest. Fusarium wilt typically shows up in watermelon fields just after Memorial Day. This year is no different. After a brief description of the symptoms of the disease, this article will discuss the pluses and minuses of possible fungicide[Read More…]
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