Grapes are starting to ripen (veraison) in Lafayette. Marquette and Brianna are the earliest varieties and both are about 2 weeks from harvest. Floricane producing blackberry harvest continues. Primocane fruiting blackberries and raspberries are just getting started. Japanese beetles continue to be a major problem in addition to Spotted Wing Drosophila. Peach harvest is winding…Read more about Crop Conditions[Read More]
Apples
From my own observations and reports from growers, it appears that Japanese beetle populations are higher than they have been for a number of years. I’ve seen severe damage to small fruits, as well as the Pristine apple tree in my backyard. In addition, after insecticides are applied to knock them down, populations reappear after…Read more about Japanese Beetles[Read More]
Although PristineTM was selected in 1982, its history goes back to the early days of the PRI breeding program. From an original cross of Rome Beauty with Malus floribunda 821, selections and hybridizations were made incorporating Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Starking Delicious and Cazumat along the way. The cross that resulted in PristineTM was Coop 10…Read more about PristineTM Apple[Read More]
Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center High/Low Tunnel Tour co-sponsored with Dept. of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies at Indiana University August 10, 2017 Vincennes, IN Contact Wenjing Guan, guan40@purdue.edu, or Dan Egel at egel@purdue.edu Registration: Call 812-886-0198 Pinney Purdue Vegetable and High Tunnel Field Day – co-sponsored with Dept. of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies at…Read more about Upcoming Events[Read More]
Weather the past couple of weeks has been a bit unsettled. Many parts of the state have experienced rounds of heavy rainfall from storm fronts. More are predicted. Peach harvest is underway in Lafayette and quality is very good. Early apples such as Pristine are also ready for harvest. Summer fruit blackberry harvest continues. Spotted…Read more about Crop Conditions[Read More]
Although PristineTM was selected in 1982, its history goes back to the early days of the PRI breeding program. From an original cross of Rome Beauty with Malus floribunda 821, selections and hybridizations were made incorporating Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Starking Delicious and Cazumat along the way. The cross that resulted in PristineTM was Coop 10…Read more about Pristine™ apple[Read More]
ReTain (AVG) is a plant growth regulator that blocks the production of ethylene. When ReTain is applied to apple, several ripening processes are slowed, including preharvest drop, fruit flesh softening, starch disappearance, and red color formation. In order for ReTain to be effective it must be applied well in advance of the climacteric rise in…Read more about Timing Retain Sprays[Read More]
Preharvest drop refers to the process where fruit fall from the tree prior to harvest. Not all apple varieties are affected, but with some, such as McIntosh and Pristine, pre-harvest drop can be extreme. Several growth regulator materials are available to growers to help reduce pre-harvest drop. These materials are often referred to as “stop-drop”…Read more about Control Of Preharvest Drop with NAA[Read More]
Making the decision on when to harvest can be a very tricky and complicated issue. The longer you intend to store the fruit, the more precise your timing needs to be. For summer apples, most growers only intend to store fruit until their better quality fall apples come on stream, so storage times beyond a…Read more about Determining Apple Maturity[Read More]
Approximately 80 fruit and vegetable growers attended the Society’s summer field day last week hosted by Tuttle Orchards in Greenfield. Thanks go to Ruth-Ann, Thomas, Mike and Helen and all the Roney family and crew who made this event such a success. Those attending also had the opportunity to pause for a moment to remember…Read more about Indiana Hort Society Summer Field Day[Read More]