Wet weather continues to be a problem, not just for foliar disease, but root and crown rot, as well. Phytophthora root and crown rot is observed in wet spots: low-lying areas of orchards with heavy, poorly-drained soils. These pathogens can infect all fruit producing plants. Occurrence of this disease is sporadic and tied to wet…Read more about Phytophthora of Tree Fruit[Read More]
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Tipping of primocanes (new vegetative canes from the ground) is an important management practice for summer bearing blackberries and black raspberries. Tipping the new primocanes causes lateral branching and most of the fruit production next year will be from buds on those lateral branches rather than buds off the main cane. Tipping also helps increase…Read more about Tipping bramble primocanes[Read More]
Growers across the state experienced some damage from frost and freeze events on May 7, 8, and 9. Damage is scattered across the state and ranges from minor to severe. We did not have damage in the Lafayette area, but areas of northern and northeastern Indiana were hit. Surprisingly some damage occurred in south central…Read more about Spring frost damage in grapes[Read More]
Although not always possible, avoid planting in low-lying, flood prone areas. Control weeds around the trunk of apple trees, as many serve as alternate hosts for the crown rot fungus(especially nightshades). Reduce nitrogen application on young trees, and trees with excessive growth as they are more susceptible to crown rot. As there are different species…Read more about Disease Management[Read More]
Remember that many chemical thinners don’t work very well when daily temperatures are below about 65 F. So here we are with warm days ahead, which means rapid fruit growth, perhaps up to 1 mm per day. Apple fruit here in Lafayette are about 12mm which leaves us some good options for chemical thinning. However…Read more about Apple Thinning[Read More]
What an unusual spring it’s been. We started out extremely early, then it was cool for a month or so with hardly any Growing Degree Day accumulation, then warm again (see Figure 1). Just when apple crops started to get in the window for chemical thinning (around 12 mm), it became cool again. The good…Read more about Spring Temperatures[Read More]
Grapes are at the 8-10 inch shoot stage in southern Indiana and 6 inches or less in northern Indiana. Brambles are blooming in the south and approaching first bloom in central and northern areas. Blueberries are at petal fall to full bloom across the state. There are a few reports of damage to grapes and…Read more about Crop Conditions[Read More]
One of the most critical management practices for grapes is crop load management through shoot and cluster thinning. Many varieties grown in Indiana tend to produce a large number of “non-count” shoots from adventitious buds and basal buds at count nodes. This can lead to excess crop and shading in the canopy. In addition, some…Read more about Shoot and Cluster Thinning Grapes[Read More]
WASHINGTON, Mar. 15, 2017 –America’s farmers and ranchers will soon have the opportunity to strongly represent agriculture in their communities and industry by taking part in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the census, to be mailed at the end…Read more about Census of Agriculture Countdown Begins for America’s Farmers and Ranchers[Read More]
The weather the past 3 weeks has been ideal for development of Phomopsis cane and leaf spot. Temperatures have been cool with frequent rain, and shoot growth has been slow. These conditions favor sporulation and infection by Phomopsis viticola. This pathogen is one of the major causes of fruit rot in the Midwest. Early season…Read more about Phomopsis Cane and Leaf Spot in Grapes[Read More]
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