Description The seedcorn maggot, or Delia platura, is a frequent pest in the Anthomyiidae family that can affect both specialty and agronomic crops, including corn, melons, onions, pumpkins, and many others. The larvae, or maggots, of this species damage the crops. The larvae tend to be white or translucent in color, about 1/4 inch long,…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Seedcorn Maggot[Read More]
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Small and medium-sized vegetable farms face unique challenges balancing profitability with sustainable production practices and food safety requirements. To better understand how these farmers navigate complex decision-making processes, the Soil to Market Team—comprising Maria Marshall, Renee Wiatt, Petrus Langenhoven, Betty Feng, and Nathan Shoaf—conducted a comprehensive survey of 500 small and medium-sized farmers across the…Read more about Understanding Farm Decision-Making: Insights from the 2024-2025 Producer Survey[Read More]
Dear Valued VCH Readers, Welcome to this week’s edition of the Vegetable Crops Hotline! As we move deeper into the growing season, this week’s newsletter brings you essential insights to help navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. From understanding what drives farm decision-making to managing the unpredictable weather patterns we’ve been experiencing, we’re covering the…Read more about From the Editor’s Desk[Read More]
The Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC) is one of the eight Purdue Agricultural Centers located across Indiana. What makes SWPAC unique is its location in the heart of Indiana’s watermelon-growing region—home to one of the state’s most significant specialty crop industries. In addition to watermelon and cantaloupe, southern Indiana is known for its diverse fruit…Read more about Southwest Purdue Agriculture Center Field Day Set for June 26[Read More]
The EPA is enacting new requirements for agricultural pesticide applicators. An increasing number of pesticide labels require applicators to utilize an online system called Bulletins Live! Two to determine if additional pesticide use limitations are required to protect threatened or endangered species or habitat based on 1) application location, 2) pesticide product, and 3) application month. This…Read more about New EPA Requirement for Pesticide Application[Read More]
Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a local grower who installed an insectary strip adjacent to their high tunnel last year. They will be hosting a field day in June (Register HERE), so I wanted to take a sneak peek and see how the plants (and insects) were doing. The plants are…Read more about Introducing the Fourlined plant bug (Poecilocapus lineatus)[Read More]
Thrips are soft-bodied insects belonging to the order Thysanoptera. They are tiny, slender, and characterized by their fringed wings (Figure 1). While many thrips species are considered agricultural pests, some are beneficial predators. One important pest species is the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis; Figure 2), which can cause significant damage to crops. In contrast,…Read more about Insect Spotlight: Thrips[Read More]
For tomato growers, managing potassium (K) nutrition is critical for both yield and fruit quality. While most producers understand K’s importance, many don’t realize how significantly temperature influences a plant’s ability to uptake and utilize this essential nutrient. With increasing heat extremes, understanding this relationship becomes even more crucial for successful production. The Temperature-Potassium Connection…Read more about Temperature Effects on Potassium Uptake: Managing Heat Stress for Better Tomato Quality[Read More]
From 2022-2024, we evaluated the performance 15 strawberry cultivars grown in plasticulture system using black and white-on-black plastic mulches (Figure 1) at two locations: Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center in Vincennes, IN (USDA hardiness zone 6b), and Meigs Purdue Agricultural Center in Lafayette, IN (USDA hardiness zone 6a). Strawberries were harvested for two seasons. Plug plants…Read more about Performance of Strawberries on Black vs. White Plastic Mulches in Indiana[Read More]
The last few weeks have been on the drier side, particularly for northwestern and west-central Indiana (Figure 1). While temperatures have been seasonal, they are still gradually increasing as we approach summer. Therefore, evapotranspiration rates are starting to increase. This has resulted in the U.S. Drought Monitor classifying much of northern Indiana as Abnormally Dry…Read more about A Bit of Rain Coming Our Way[Read More]
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