This article was originally written by Dan Egel, who retired from Purdue. Please contact the PPDL for more information. MELCAST is a weather-based disease-forecasting program that helps growers schedule foliar fungicide applications for cantaloupe and watermelon. MELCAST stands for MELon disease for CASTer. This program, designed by Dr. Rick Latin, Professor Emeritus of Plant Pathology at…Read more about Melon Disease Forecaster 2024[Read More]
We are happy to announce that Purdue Extension is presenting its annual Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on July 20, 2023, at the Throckmorton/Meigs Horticulture Farm, Lafayette, IN. Registration is now open. To register your spot, visit https://cvent.me/5zevYD The field day schedule is very exciting, something for everyone to look forward to. Sweet corn pest…Read more about Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day – Registration Now Open[Read More]
We are excited to announce that the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day is scheduled for June 28, 2023, at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC), 4669 N. Purdue Rd. Vincennes, IN. Purdue researchers and NRCS representatives will present their current research and demonstration projects in fruit and vegetable production conducted at SWPAC. The topics…Read more about Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day _Registration Now Open![Read More]
The Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day is presented on July 27, 2023, at the Purdue Student Farm in West Lafayette, IN. Registration for the field day is now open. To reserve your spot, visit https://cvent.me/ewWN3b. Students register for free! Please get in touch with Lori Jolly-Brown to receive the discount code for student registration….Read more about Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day – Registration Now Open[Read More]
Through the first 18 days of April, temperatures ran 5.5◦F above normal statewide (Figure 1). The largest deviations occurred in central and northern Indiana. Despite the wet start to the month, wind, abundant sun, low humidity and reduced precipitation accounted for drying conditions across the state. Statewide, precipitation averaged 69 percent of normal. Surprisingly, tillage,…Read more about Return to Below-Normal Precipitation, Variable Temperatures, and Enhanced Freeze Risk[Read More]
The most recent two podcast episodes of the Strawberry Chat focus on spring weed and disease management. Spring Weed Management Podcast Kevin Schooley and Stephen Meyers joined the discussion to talk about weeds and weed management in matted-row and plasticulture strawberry production. Steve spoke about weeds commonly seen in strawberry fields and gave us a…Read more about Strawberry Podcasts on Spring Weed and Disease Management[Read More]
We are excited to announce that the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day is scheduled for June 28, 2023, at the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC), 4669 N. Purdue Rd. Vincennes, IN. Purdue researchers and NRCS representatives will present their current research and demonstration projects in fruit and vegetable production conducted at SWPAC. The topics…Read more about SAVE THE DATE for Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center Field Day[Read More]
As we approach warmer days in May and June, it’s time to prepare for transplanting warm-season vegetable crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and squash. Growers preparing vegetable transplants should plan for the process of hardening or conditioning their transplants to outdoor temperatures, light, and soil moisture conditions. By now, you should have started your…Read more about Setting Your Transplants Up for Success[Read More]
Onions are poor competitors with weeds. Their narrow leaves do not compete well for light, and their shallow root system makes them poor competitors for water. Tight in-row and between-row plant spacing make mechanical weed control, including hand-weeding, difficult. Chemical weed control can be effective and reduce the amount of time required to hand-weed onions….Read more about Even Minimal Herbicide Use Can Reduce Hand-Weeding Time[Read More]
Welcome to the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH), Purdue Extension’s exclusive newsletter for people in the business of growing vegetables. It almost felt like summer for the past 10 days. That is until we got the cold weather again on April 16. It’s just a reminder that we should not get too eager to plant tender…Read more about From the Editor’s Desk[Read More]