Small vegetable growers may find pesticide applications with a tractor driven sprayers impractical. Such growers may turn to hand sprayers. In a separate article, I argued that garden sprayers are not appropriate for most commercial pesticide applications. In this article, I will discuss the use and calibration of a backpack sprayer, an excellent alternative to[Read More…]
Dan Egel
Almost every year, I have a greenhouse tomato grower or two call me about tomato plants that are distorted and don’t seem to be growing right. The problem often turns out to be ethylene damage. This year, I have decided to write an article about it before I get those calls. Tomato plants with ethylene damage[Read More…]
As Thanksgiving approaches, I have noticed that the gourds I set out before Halloween are starting to rot. But before I throw them away, what is causing the lesions? The circular lesions that can be seen in Figure 1 and 2 are symptoms of anthracnose of gourd. That is, the pathogen that is causing the[Read More…]
Vegetable growers are familiar with pesticide labels that specify how much of a product may be applied. As commercial growers, we usually think about such instructions as telling us how much pesticide is the right amount to apply to a crop to be effective. While such an interpretation is correct, there is more to the labeled rates[Read More…]
Last fall, my lab received a carrot sample with disease-like lesions (Figures 1 and 2). There are at least 3 carrot diseases that may appear similar. These diseases are: Alternaria leaf blight (late blight), Cercospora leaf spot (early blight) and bacterial leaf blight. Often an examination in the laboratory is necessary. My examination revealed the characteristic spores[Read More…]
As Indiana growers finish up the 2017 season, it is important to remember to clean and sanitize equipment and tools. In this article, I would like to discuss the importance of and how to sanitize. Bacteria and fungi that cause plant disease may survive on some types of equipment. Examples include: stakes, transplant trays, shovels, greenhouse[Read More…]
Usually I wait until January before releasing information about the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers (ID-56). For two reasons, however, I would like to talk about the 2017 ID-56 now. This year, we welcome Michigan growers and Michigan State University to the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide The Guide is now an 8-state publication.[Read More…]
Downy mildew has now been observed on butternut squash, jack-o-lantern pumpkins and cucumbers in Knox County. The list of cucurbits observed in Porter County has been updated to include butternut squash and giant pumpkin. All cucurbit growers should assume that downy mildew is present nearby and may attack any cucurbit crop. However, it is not clear what affect[Read More…]
Several pumpkin growers have asked me when to stop managing for pumpkin diseases. That is, when should a pumpkin grower stop applying fungicides? I cannot provide a definitive answer for this question; every grower will have to make his or her own decision. Below, however, are some factors to consider. Estimate the crop yield – walk through the[Read More…]
Late summer is a time when vegetable growers spend much of their time harvesting produce. Many growers, however, also find it is necessary to apply pesticides. All pesticides label state a preharvest interval (PHI) on the label. This is the amount of time, in days, between the time the fruit is sprayed with a pesticides and the time[Read More…]