Dear Valued Vegetable Crops Hotline Readers, Welcome to this issue of the 2026 Vegetable Crops Hotline newsletter! Our mission remains steadfast: to deliver crucial updates on pest management, production practices, food safety, and marketing opportunities that directly impact your farming operations. Growers and Purdue Extension Educators, your input and expertise make this newsletter a truly…Read more about From The Editor’s Desk[Read More]
A cold snap is forecast for this weekend, although temperature predictions vary slightly across weather sources. At the same time, some early plantings of watermelon and cantaloupe are already in the field in southern Indiana, or seedlings have already arrived and are waiting to be planted. What steps can growers take to protect these young…Read more about Coming Cold Snap: When to Plant Watermelons and Considerations Under Suboptimal Temperature Conditions[Read More]
Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) are a group of microscopic, worm-like organisms that live in soil or plant tissues and cause damage to crop production. While some species infect aboveground plant parts such as leaves and stems, those of greatest concern across a wide range of vegetables are soil-dwelling species that feed on plant roots….Read more about Understanding Nematodes in Soils of Diversified Vegetable Farms in Indiana[Read More]
Root-knot nematodes (RKN, Meloidogyne spp.) are among the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes in vegetable production systems. Infective juveniles hatch from eggs in the soil, find and penetrate host plant roots. They migrate to the vascular tissue, where they establish specialized feeding sites, develop into adults, and reproduce by laying eggs on the surface of roots….Read more about Root-knot Nematodes and Their Populations Identified in Indiana[Read More]
NourishCap is a digital marketing company that works with mushroom growers. They have partnered with Purdue Extension in an effort to understand and find potential solutions to marketing and shipping barriers faced by mushroom growers. As part of this process, NourishCap has developed a grower survey. If you are a mushroom grower, please take a…Read more about Mushroom Grower Survey[Read More]
Indiana saw a lot of precipitation in the early part of this past week, with rainfall totals of 0.5” or more in northern and far southwestern counties and more than 5” in south-central Indiana. In fact, an observer just south of Bedford, IN, reported a combined total of 5.80”! Figure 1 shows the 2-day total…Read more about An Impressive Amount of Rain[Read More]
The Tomato Organic Management and Improvement (TOMI) project, led by Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Prof. Dr. Lori Hoagland, collaborated with the Culinary Breeding Network to create a Tomato Zine for the general public. The zine highlights the crop’s history, introduces basic botanical traits and culinary attributes, and explains how the TOMI project is working to help tomato…Read more about A Tomato Zine for the General Public[Read More]
Purdue Extension is hosting two field days this July that together cover a wide range of fruit and vegetable production topics – one tailored to small-scale and urban growers, and one designed for commercial producers looking to engage directly with the latest research from Purdue. Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day – July 16, 2026…Read more about Two Purdue Field Days This Summer Have Something for Every Fruit and Vegetable Grower[Read More]
Strawberry harvest has begun in southern Indiana, with growers reporting that the season started at least a week earlier than usual. We experienced a frost event in mid-March, along with a few light, scattered frosts afterward. Fortunately, with the use of row covers, crop damage has been minimal across the region. Overall, the spring was…Read more about Plasticulture Strawberry Update in Southern Indiana[Read More]
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