Strawberries growing in the matted-row system are in the blooming stage. Open flowers cannot tolerate temperatures lower than 30°F (Figure 1). Strawberry growers should be prepared for the coming low temperatures this week. Row covers (Figure 2) can be effective in protecting strawberry flowers. In our earlier trial, 1.5 oz/sq row covers provided 4-6 degrees protection and successfully protected strawberry blooms in the earlier frost happened in middle April (the recorded lowest temperature was 24.5°F at Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center). Lighter row covers (0.05-1.0 oz/sq) provided fewer degrees of protection and double layers can be more effective. When using row covers for frost protection, be sure to have good soil moisture, sometimes running water through the drip line may add heat in the system. Apply row covers in the early afternoon to attract more heat before temperature drops. Although row covers can be effective in protecting strawberry blossom from frost[Read More…]
Wenjing Guan
Vegetable Crops Hotline Editor & Clinical Engagement Assistant Professor
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Area(s) of Interest: Commercial Vegetable and Melon Production
Wenjing Guan's website
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Area(s) of Interest: Commercial Vegetable and Melon Production
Wenjing Guan's website
During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, farmers’ markets and farm stands are considered ‘essential businesses’ in Indiana. Therefore, statewide Executive Orders permit their operation during periods when only essential businesses may remain open, as long as proper social distancing measures are used. The guidelines below outline best practices for farmers’ markets in order to be considered an essential business. They have been prepared by Purdue in cooperation with Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Grown, and other organizations. As of May 4, 2020, the most recent Executive Order (20-26) permits certain non-essential businesses to open in all counties except Cass, Lake, and Marion. Appropriate social distancing, personal hygiene and cleaning/disinfecting continue. During the period of loosening restrictions we recommended contacting local health departments for guidance on best practices in your area. Conditions differ across the state of Indiana and so guidelines may also differ. Guidelines to Exercise Essential Status for a[Read More…]
New 5-7-2020: COVID-19 response plan template and FAQ for fruit and vegetable farms from UMN; Guidelines to Exercise Essential Status for a Farmers’ Market; SBA Covid19 disaster loans for Indiana small business What is new? (5-7-2020) COVID-19 response plan template and FAQ for fruit and vegetable farms from UMN. https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/2020/04/covid-19-response-plan-template-and-faq.html This template can help you plan and communicate with others about changes in your operation that are needed to deal with the corona virus pandemic. Guidelines to Exercise Essential Status for a Farmers’ Market https://www.purdue.edu/dffs/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/COVID-DFFS-INDIANA_Farmer-Market-Guidelines.pdf SBA COVID-19 DISASTER LOANS FOR INDIANA SMALL BUSINESSES (link update 5/7) https://isbdc.org/indianacovid19smallbusiness/ https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options Here are the categorized information resources Financial SBA COVID-19 DISASTER LOANS FOR INDIANA SMALL BUSINESSES (link update 5/7) https://isbdc.org/indianacovid19smallbusiness/ https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options SBA Help for Small (and Family) Businesses, Purdue Institute for Family Farms (update) (4/28) https://ag.purdue.edu/agecon/fambiz/Documents/SBA_Help_for_Small_Businesses.pdf COVID-19 Affected Business and Employee Resource Guide from Sen. Braun (3/27) https://www.braun.senate.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/Senator%20Mike%20Braun%20COVID-19%20Affected%20Business%20and%20Employee%20Resource%20Guide_0.pdf Information about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief,[Read More…]
New 4-23-2020: Safety for Farm Children During COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders; Be Careful When Employing Youth to Do Farm Work This Spring – Know the Laws What is new? (4-23-2020) Safety for Farm Children During COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders https://extension.purdue.edu/INPREPared/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-and-Farm-children.docx Be Careful When Employing Youth to Do Farm Work This Spring – Know the Laws https://extension.purdue.edu/INPREPared/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Be-Careful-When-Employing-Youth-to-do-Farm-Work-–-Know-the-Laws1.docx Here are the categorized information resources Financial SBA Help for Small (and Family) Businesses, Purdue Institute for Family Farms (4/16) https://ag.purdue.edu/agecon/fambiz/Documents/SBA_Help_for_Small_Businesses.pdf COVID-19 Affected Business and Employee Resource Guide from Sen. Braun (3/27) https://www.braun.senate.gov/sites/default/files/2020-03/Senator%20Mike%20Braun%20COVID-19%20Affected%20Business%20and%20Employee%20Resource%20Guide_0.pdf Information about the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act); the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; and Small Business Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL). SBA COVID-19 DISASTER LOANS FOR INDIANA SMALL BUSINESSES (3/19) Apply : https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/ Instructions: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Documents/Three_Step_Process_SBA_Disaster_Loans.pdf Production A Guide for Community Gardens During the COVID-19 Pandemic (3/25) https://extension.purdue.edu/article/36666 Purdue Crop Chat Podcast Episode 2, COVID-19 Implications (3/25) https://www.hoosieragtoday.com/purdue-crop-chat-podcast-episode-2-covid-19-implications/ Labor and Family[Read More…]
At Southwest Purdue Agriculture Center in Vincennes, IN. We are conducting trials to evaluate annual plasticulture strawberry production systems. Here are the updates of strawberries from different production systems. In a high tunnel, harvest of fall-planted strawberries started in early April. Cultivars Sensation, Radiance, Ruby June were early cultivars; followed by Beauty, Fronteras. So far, Radiance led the yield. Chandler, San Andreas, Camarosa, Liz and Camino Real were relatively later cultivars. In the open field, most cultivars of fall-planted strawberries were in full bloom. As mentioned in the article Strawberry Cold Protection Made a Difference, they are susceptible to frost damage. Cold protection is critical for them at this stage. Row cover was successfully used to protect the flowers from frost damage last week. Day-neutral strawberry cultivars planted on March 9, 2020 established well. Plants were slightly larger under low tunnels. Frost happened last week killed most of the initiated[Read More…]
Two types of injury on young warm-season vegetable plants are caused by low temperatures: frost/freezing injury and chilling injury. Frost/freezing injury occurs when temperatures drop below 32°F. Ice formation in plant tissue cuts cell membranes. When the tissue thaws, the damage results in fluids leaking from the cell, causing water soaked damage. Frost/freezing injury is detrimental to warm-season vegetables, such as melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and beans. To avoid damage, the best way is to plant warm-season vegetables later in the spring, after the last frost has passed. However, weather is difficult to predict, and there is a growing trend of planting early to achieve early harvests. For the early planted warm-season vegetables, here are a few suggestions that may protect plants from low temperature damages. Covering. The idea of covering the seedlings is to create a microclimate around plants. Because the heat accumulated in soil irradiate back at night,[Read More…]
Spring weather is unpredictable. One of the major risks associated with strawberry production is cold damage in the spring. Open strawberry flowers can not tolerate temperatures lower than 30°F, popcorn stage flowers and tight buds may tolerant temperatures low to 26 and 22°F, respectively. If strawberries are in the early blooming stage, the damage might be delayed harvest. However, if strawberries are in full blooming stage, low temperatures may cause dramatic yield loss. This is because inflorescences are initiated at day length <14h (June-bearing cultivars). If all the flowers were killed by low temperatures before setting fruit, there would be no more flowers for the year. In this article, we update the cold damage that happened last week on plasticulture strawberries in Vincennes, IN. Figure 1 is the recorded temperatures (°F) at the height of strawberry canopies from 2:00 pm Apr. 13— 1:00 pm Apr. 18. Temperatures dropped below 30°F[Read More…]