Watermelon production is threatened by Fusarium wilt, a widely distributed soilborne disease that can cause yield losses up to 100%. Currently, there are no watermelon varieties that are completely resistant to all races of Fusarium wilt. One way to control the disease is through grafting. The grafted plant combines a watermelon cultivar with a squash…Read more about Opportunities for Growing Grafted Watermelons[Read More]
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Many cantaloupe and watermelon growers have transplanted seedlings to the field. Soon, these growers will have questions about what and when to apply fungicides. The article below in this issue of the Vegetable Crops Hotline will address what fungicides to apply (Fungicides schedules for cucurbits). This article discusses when to apply fungicides with the MELCAST system….Read more about MELCAST 2017[Read More]
One of the most damaging pests in cucurbit production are cucumber beetles and the bacterial pathogen they transmit (Erwinia trachephila), leading to bacterial wilt. In the recently released video, Dr. Laura Ingwell from Purdue Entomology demonstrates how to install insect exclusion screens on high tunnels. Such screens are effective at excluding cucumber beetles and the pathogen…Read more about Video—Installing High Tunnel Insect Exclusion Screen[Read More]
I received my first report of seedcorn maggot damage on cantaloupes last week (Figure 1 and 2). A grower in northern Indiana reported losing 90-95% of his plants. Given the cool, wet growing conditions, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more reports of this type for a number of crops, including melons, beans, corn, onions,…Read more about Seed and Root Maggots[Read More]
Southwest Purdue Ag Center Field Day Southwest Purdue Ag Center Field Day will be held on June 29, 2017 at Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center, Vincennes, IN. The field day provides two choices of tours: Horticultural Crop Production and Agronomic Crop Production. The Horticultural Crop Production tour will feature Organic Tomato Production, High Tunnel Vegetable Production,…Read more about Upcoming Events[Read More]
Tomato spotted wilt virus can cause stunting (Figure 1), necrotic ring spots (Figure 2), mottling (Figure 3) or chlorosis (Figure 4). In Figure 5, a pepper plant is shown with a ring-like lesion due to tomato spotted wilt virus. Figure 6 is a photo of a pepper transplant with mottled lesions due to impatiens necrotic…Read more about Photos of Tomato Spotted Wilt and Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus[Read More]
Samples in plug trays, as well as unrooted and rooted cuttings, and plants in pots require extra care when they are packaged for submittal to a diagnostic lab. Before you mail the next sample, please take a few minutes to review these suggestions for packaging and submitting samples. This will help preserve the integrity of…Read more about Tips for Submitting Greenhouse Samples to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab (PPDL)[Read More]
In the past I have had many conversations with growers about plant nutrition in their high tunnels. A good plant nutrient management plan is an integral part of making a success of the crop you are growing. Plant nutrition is important to grow a strong and healthy seedling, the first step of a successful crop….Read more about Taking Care of Plant Nutrition in Your High Tunnel – Water Alkalinity[Read More]
Recent rain and cold conditions have brought detrimental effects to some of the early planted vegetables. In southwest Indiana, air temperatures have dropped into the 40s °F and soil temperatures have dropped into the 50s °F in early May. The low temperatures would have greatly inhibited absorption of water and mineral nutrients for many warm season vegetables. In one…Read more about Effects of the Recent Rain and Cold Conditions on Vegetable Production[Read More]
While many virus diseases affect pepper and tomato plants, in the Midwest, the most common virus diseases of these two crops are tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INVV). These diseases are usually observed in greenhouse or high tunnel situations. The two viruses, TSWV and INSV are closely related. In fact,…Read more about Viruses on Greenhouse Tomatoes[Read More]
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