Earlier this month Dr. Stephen Meyers joined the faculty in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture as an Assistant Professor. His research and extension efforts will focus on weed management in specialty crops. Before returning to Purdue he served as an Associate Extension/Research Professor and Sweetpotato Extension Specialist with Mississippi State University where he…Read more about Welcome Dr. Stephen Meyers[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 about Downy Mildew of Watermelon was Observed in Indiana[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 about Wilting Cucurbits! What could it be?[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 about Sweet Corn Insect Observations[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 about Hover Flies[Read More]
The theme for this year’s National Farm Safety and Health Week is “Shift Farm Safety into High Gear.” There will be a series of daily webinars during the week that can be reached at www.necasag.org. Topics, presenters, and times are as follows: Monday, September 16 Understanding the Tractor Factor @ 12:00 – 1:00 pm CDT…Read more about National Farm Safety and Health Week, September 15-21, 2019[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 about Indiana Climate and Weather Report[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 about Upcoming Events[Read More]
