“Spring” might be too strong a word to describe conditions this year. As we see from Figure 1, we’re now officially the latest spring so far this decade, and about the same as the long-term average. Having said that, a good part of our Growing Degree Day accumulation has come from one warm day on…Read more about Spring 2018[Read More]
Bramble Fruit
North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association member Trellis Growing Systems recently won a USDA-AMS Local Foods Promotion Program grant to do a feasibility study for an IQF (individually quick frozen) processing facility to service Midwest berry growers. The facility would be in Circleville, OH. They have created a survey through PollDaddy to try to determine grower interest,…Read more about Potential IQF Berry Processing for Growers in IN, OH, PA, VA, WV or KY[Read More]
For organisms that don’t regulate their temperature (such as plants and insects), the rate of development is largely controlled by the temperature of their environment. As we know, fruit trees and vines need a certain amount of “winter chilling” that they use to measure when winter is over. After the chilling period, plant development depends…Read more about Plants and Temperature[Read More]
Early spring is a good time to make the first herbicide application of the year. There are several options for fruit crops including both pre- and post-emergent herbicides. See the weed control chapter in the 2018 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide for a complete list of products. In most situations, there will be some emerged…Read more about Spring Weed Management in Fruit Crops[Read More]
A new Monsanto-backed company is on the verge of producing the first fruit made with a blockbuster gene-editing tool that could revolutionize agriculture In a move aimed at securing its future, Monsanto has invested $125 million in a gene-editing startup called Pairwise. The alliance could tee up Monsanto, long known for its controversial dealings with…Read more about The First Fruit Made with a Blockbuster Gene-editing Tool[Read More]
So far it has been a cool spring, that in the northern half of the state has helped hold back bud development. As we can see from Figure 1, in Lafayette we have only accumulated 25 growing Degree Days (GDD), and most of these were the result of two warm days (54 and 63 F)…Read more about Spring Temperatures[Read More]
It has been a cool spring so far and most fruit crops are still relatively dormant in the Lafayette area. Early grapes are just at bud swell, red raspberries are also showing signs of growth, sweet cherry buds are swelling, and early apples are at silver tip. Fruit trees in Lafayette remain dormant, however are…Read more about Crop Conditions[Read More]
May 7, 2018 Purdue Wine Grape Team “From Grape to Glass” Byler Lane Winery 5858 County Road 35, Auburn, IN 46706 Contact Jill Blume blume@purdue.edu June 26, 2018 Indiana Hort Society Summer Field Day Garwood Orchard, LaPorte, IN Contact Lori Jolly-Brown ljollybr@ purdue.edu October 17, 2018 Indiana Flower Growers Conference Daniel Turf Center Contact Lori Jolly-Brown…Read more about Upcoming Events[Read More]
One of the first and most important parts of a good insect and mite management program is the application of an early season oil spray to control European red mites, San Jose scale, and several species of aphids. Scales overwinter on the tree as nymphs and European red mites and aphids overwinter as eggs. Because…Read more about Oil Sprays[Read More]