As tomatoes bloom and set fruit it is a good time to review practices for avoiding some common fruit problems. Water management is key to avoiding blossom end rot. Adequate potassium is important to reduce yellow shoulder and internal white tissue. This article provides more information on these topics, and includes some information previously published…Read more about Reducing Blossom End Rot and Yellow Shoulder/Internal White Tissue in Tomato[Read More]
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Many cantaloupe and watermelon growers are either growing transplants in a greenhouse or are expecting delivery of transplants in the next few weeks. Either way, growers should inspect transplants for disease before planting in the field. Below I will describe several common transplant diseases of cantaloupe and watermelon as well as management options. Gummy stem…Read more about Cantaloupe and Watermelon Transplant Diseases[Read More]
This is the time of year when vegetable growers may start to apply fungicides. Below I list 10 rules that will help vegetable growers apply fungicides effectively and safely. Apply fungicides prior to the development of disease. Although many fungicides have systemic (“kick back”) action they will not completely eradicate diseases after they have started….Read more about 10 Useful Rules for Fungicide Applications[Read More]
Strawberry harvest is right around the corner. We visited a few fields last week, things are generally looking good at the farm visited. Damage from the freeze event about two weeks ago seems minimal. With last year’s lesson, growers are prepared and applied frost protection to the early cultivars. Under the protection, the blooms survived…Read more about Strawberry Update[Read More]
Purdue Extension Educators will be updating growing conditions at different produce farms throughout Northwest Indiana this Spring and Summer. Videos will highlight growing methods and talk about things to be on the lookout for. See the first video from Kajer’s Greens in Starke County and find future updates at https://sites.google.com/view/nwinproduceupdate/home.
This week, much of Indiana got to see some snow falling as we were hoping that winter weather was behind us. It is not unusual for some to ask when this sort of event happens how “global warming” could be real when things are feeling so cold. The start of my answer is pointing out…Read more about Does Snow in April Mean Global Warming is not Happening?[Read More]
USDA is implementing updates to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) for producers of agricultural commodities marketed in 2020 who faced market disruptions due to COVID-19. This is part of a larger effort to reach a greater share of farming operations and improve USDA pandemic assistance. The CFAP 2 signup period has reopened as part…Read more about CFAP 2 Application Open[Read More]
A new strawberry disease has been found in Indiana and researchers are looking for samples to determine the extent of the problem. The disease, caused by a species of the fungus Neopestaltiopsis, has been reported in several southeastern states and other countries where it causes leafspots, fruit spots and a plant decline. In Indiana, the…Read more about New Strawberry Disease[Read More]
Vegetable growers, we would like to hear your story about the freeze event on Apr. 20 and 21. What crops are you growing? Did you take protective actions? Did it cause damage on the crops? Hearing your stories would help us better design our extension programs. If you allow, we would like to share your…Read more about Share Your Experience about the Freeze Event[Read More]
The average American eats almost 9 pounds of cantaloupe and 2 pounds of honeydew each year (Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, 2018). An increased melon consumption is mainly explained by consumer awareness of melon health benefits, year-round availability, creative marketing strategies, and improved cultivars. To address these economic opportunities, retailers, growers, and other industry stakeholders should…Read more about The Three Types of Melon Consumers[Read More]
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