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…]
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…]
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…]
Farmers markets continue to grow in number and locations. According to the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS), there are currently 8,702 farmers markets in the United States, an increase of almost 400 percent since 1994 (USDA-AMS, 2017). The USDA-AMS directory of farmers markets reported 191 farmers markets in Indiana by August 2017:[Read More…]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently accepting nominations from qualified fruit and vegetable industry members to fill 10 seats on the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. This Committee is composed of 25 members from every commercial capacity within the fruit and vegetable industry including growers, distributors, processors, farmers market managers, food hubs etc.[Read More…]
Farmer Rancher Program Farmers and ranchers are invited to submit grant proposals to explore sustainable agriculture solutions to problems on the farm or ranch. There are three types of competitive grants: individual grants ($7,500 maximum), team of two grants for two farmers/ranchers from separate operations who are working together ($15,000 maximum), and group grants for[Read More…]
Organic Vegetable Seed Production & Varietal Selection Workshop Date: August 22, 2017, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Location: Daniel Turf Center, 1340 Cherry Ln, West Lafayette, IN, 47907. Registration: http://tinyurl.com/y7da7dsh Topics include Seed biology fundamentals; Harvesting, processing, and storing seed; Population size and isolation requirements; Managing pathogens during seed production and after harvest; On-farm variety[Read More…]
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