Welcome to the Vegetable Crops Hotline (VCH), Purdue Extension’s exclusive newsletter for people in the business of growing vegetables. In this issue, we highlight pest issues and provide an update on herbicides. We also discuss the current Canadian fire and related smoke issues. There is another article in the cover crop series. NEW to this[Read More…]
Steve Reiners, Professor in Horticulture, Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech Canadian wildfires are impacting air quality here in the Northeast. Smoke has filled the sky, and warnings have been issued for outdoor activities. This is making many growers and gardeners worried about the potential impact the smoke will have on field-grown vegetables. The good news is the[Read More…]
Earlier this year, Rely® 280 was registered for use in transplanted cantaloupe, cucumber, pepper, summer squash, tomato, and watermelon with a supplemental label. The registration allows for the use of Rely® 280 for pre-plant burndown and post-directed applications to row middles. Previously, postemergence burndown and row middle options were limited to glyphosate (Roundup®), carfentrazone (Aim®),[Read More…]
The Clearspring Produce Auction was founded in the 1990s by members of the Plain Community in LaGrange County, Indiana. The primary building was patterned after similar produce auctions that appeared in Plain Communities in Pennsylvania. Located just 2 miles south of US 20 in Clearspring Township in the Heart of the LaGrange-Elkhart Amish Settlement, it[Read More…]
Drought tolerance is top of everyone’s mind this year. Dry conditions and cover crops don’t always mix – they use precious moisture in dryland agriculture that’s rarely returned in a timely fashion. In irrigated agriculture, the expense of irrigating them might not be justified. However, there are cover crops that tolerate dry conditions and still[Read More…]
While drought has been on many people’s minds lately, Indiana has had several rain events pass through that brought much-needed moisture. Unfortunately, the entire state has not benefited evenly from these events. True to most summertime precipitation, where and when the rain falls can be quite spotty. Periodically, a nice front will pass through, but[Read More…]
Strawberries are traditionally grown with a matted-row system in Indiana. Plasticulture is relatively new. It brings market opportunities and potentially high profit. However, growing strawberries in plasticulture is much more expensive than the matted-row system. Farmers need a good understanding of the system to avoid significant economic loss. In the Strawberry Chat Podcast episodes, you[Read More…]
Vegetable equipment for small farms will be demonstrated on August 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Central Time, at the Pinney Purdue Agricultural Center. Market gardeners, urban farmers, home and community gardeners are invited to attend and learn about equipment and tools for seeding, planting, weed management, and tillage. Demonstration equipment will include a[Read More…]
Last week I encountered my first adult Japanese Beetle of the 2023 season. It was at my home, and I was keeping my fingers crossed that it was just an unlucky stray individual, but hoping I had more time before their devastation would arrive. Well, I was wrong. Over the weekend, I found a few[Read More…]
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