Greenhouse and Indoor Hydroponics Workshop Date: September 5, 2019 8:00 am-3:00 pm Location: Pfendler Hall- PFEN 241, Purdue University, 715 W State St. West Lafayette, IN 47907 You will learn about best varieties, nutrient recipes, production systems, artificial lighting and temperature needs for hydroponic lettuce produced in greenhouses and indoors. Attendees will tour our latest[Read More…]
The sweet corn variety plots at Pinney Purdue provide a good chance to observe sweet corn insects. In late July I observed two caterpillars that surprised me. The first was European Corn Borer (ECB), in the tassel where they are often found (Figures 1 & 2). It was a surprise because I have seen many[Read More…]
Recently we have received reports of swarms of hover flies (aka syrphid flies) around Indiana and wanted to take the opportunity to tell you a bit about this curious insect (Figure 1). Adult hover flies can sometimes be mistaken for bees or wasps, because they look a lot like them! Some people refer to hover[Read More…]
Winter squash – butternut, acorn, and kabocha – in our downy mildew sentinel plot at Pinney Purdue were showing some wilted and stunted plants by late July (Figure 1). They are easily pulled up, the stem breaking off at ground level, revealing a brown stringy decayed-looking stem base (Figure 2). Sometimes there is a little[Read More…]
The big story this week was the much-needed rain throughout most of Indiana that fell on Monday (August 19th). Since August 15th, this brought up to 5” of precipitation throughout west-central, southwest, and northwest Indiana (Figure 1). This was 2”-4” above normal for the past 2 weeks (Figure 2)! However, as we transition into September[Read More…]
Downy mildew of watermelon has been observed on watermelon in Knox County in southwestern Indiana. Downy mildew of cucurbits has also been reported in southwestern Michigan on the Indiana border and central Missouri. All cucurbit growers in Indiana should be scouting and managing for downy mildew. The organism that causes downy mildew of cucurbits doesn’t[Read More…]
Greenhouse and Indoor Hydroponics Workshop Date: September 5, 2019 8:00 am-3:00 pm Location: Pfendler Hall- PFEN 241, Purdue University, 715 W State St. West Lafayette, IN 47907 You will learn about best varieties, nutrient recipes, production systems, artificial lighting and temperature needs for hydroponic lettuce produced in greenhouses and indoors. Attendees will tour our latest[Read More…]
Even the climate models are confused by this year’s weather. When the August monthly outlook was released (July 31st; national Climate Prediction Center) it showed significant confidence that August would have below-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation. However, the shorter-range outlooks (that update daily) the last few days, seem to contradict that prediction. Whether it is[Read More…]
Recently, I have had a few phone calls about Plectosporium blight on pumpkins. This disease can be difficult to describe in words. However, once observed, Plectosporium blight is easy to remember. Therefore, this article will include photos of the disease. Lesions of Plectosporium blight are most often observed on the stems of affected plants. The[Read More…]
While cantaloupe and pumpkin growers are used to combating powdery mildew in Indiana, watermelon growers may not be familiar with the disease. Occasionally, I observe this disease on watermelon as well. If left uncontrolled, this disease can cause loss of foliage, loss of yield and lower quality fruit. This article will discuss the biology and[Read More…]
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