The Midwestern Regional Climate Center, the USDA Midwest Climate Hub, and National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) are partnering to determine data needs and develop additional tools, educational resources and other information for producers to better adapt to a variable and changing climate. Changing climatic conditions are having a wide ranging impact on agriculture in the…Read more about Tools to Help Midwest Specialty Crop Producers Better Adapt to Changing Climate[Read More]
In a recent grower visit in southwest Indiana, we saw a severe root-knot nematode infestation on high tunnel tomatoes. Soil fumigation is by far the most effective approach to control nematodes, but many soil fumigants are not labeled for greenhouse (high tunnel) use. In addition, the types of equipment that used for soil fumigation are…Read more about Control Root-knot Nematode in High Tunnels[Read More]
Powdery mildew is a common disease of cantaloupe and pumpkin in Indiana. Occasionally, I observe this disease on watermelon as well. Recently, I have noticed more powdery mildew than usual on watermelon. If left uncontrolled, this disease can cause loss of foliage, loss of yield and lower quality fruit. This article will discuss the biology…Read more about Powdery Mildew of Cucurbits[Read More]
Southwest Purdue Ag Center High Tunnel Tour Date: Thursday, August 10, 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. (EDT) Location: Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center, 4669 North Purdue Road, Vincennes, IN, 47591 Registration: Visit http://tinyurl.com/yc5lqvez or call (812) 886-0198 For more information, contact: Wenjing Guan at guan40@purdue.edu or Dan Egel at egel@purdue.edu During the evening event at Southwest Purdue…Read more about Upcoming Events[Read More]
A fall broccoli trial was conducted in a high tunnel at Southwest Purdue Ag Center in 2016 to test the potential of growing broccoli in high tunnels after tomatoes. This article describes what we found from the trial. Broccoli is a cool-season, frost-tolerant crop. The harvest portion of broccoli is the compact, slightly dome-shaped head…Read more about Fall Broccoli Production in High Tunnels[Read More]
When mixing fertilizers, it is important to check fertilizer compatibility before application. If incompatible fertilizers are mixed, they form insoluble precipitations that can clog drip emitters and damage sprayers used to apply foliar fertilizers (Figure 1.). This article discusses a few scenarios for which special attention should be paid on the solubility of mixed fertilizers….Read more about Fertilizer Compatibility[Read More]
Southern rust of corn is normally a disease of tropical areas. During summer months, however, the fungus which causes southern rust, Puccinia polysora, often moves into southern areas of the U.S. This summer, southern rust has been observed in at least 11 Indiana counties. Symptoms of southern rust include raised structures called pustules. If rubbed…Read more about Southern Rust of Sweet Corn[Read More]