Bruce Bordelon
Professor Emeritus
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
The season is underway in the Lafayette area thanks to the warmer than normal conditions of the past week. Apples are at pink to early bloom, early grapes are at bud break and late ones are at full swell, currant, gooseberry and honey berry are in bloom, strawberry flower buds are visible in the crowns,[Read More…]
Early spring is a good time to make the first herbicide application of the year in fruit plantings where a weed-free strip is maintained in the row. There are several options for fruit crops including both pre- and post-emergent herbicides. See the weed control chapter in the 2019-2020 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide for a[Read More…]
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal appeals court has given the Environmental Protection Agency 90 days to justify why a widely used but dangerous pesticide should stay on the market. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday issued the order at the request of a coalition of farmworker and environmental groups. The attorneys[Read More…]
FieldWatch is an easy-to-use, reliable, accurate and secure on-line mapping tool intended to enhance communications that promotes awareness and stewardship activities between producers of specialty crops, beekeepers, and pesticide applicators. Originally developed at Purdue University, FieldWatch is now a non-profit company with support from producers, applicators, agricultural chemical companies and other organizations. The program allows[Read More…]
Dual Magnum® has had a special local needs (24C) label in Indiana that was amended to include additional small fruit and vegetable crops. The new 24C label is available on the National Pesticide Information Retrieval System web site: http://npirspublic.ceris.purdue.edu/state/state_menu.aspx?state=IN. To find it, type “SLN IN” and “130003” in the first two boxes for “EPA Registration Number”[Read More…]
On April 1, 2019, Dr. Hazel Wetzstein, Head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, announced a change in leadership for the Indiana Horticulture Congress. “I am pleased to announce that Petrus Langenhoven and Kyle Daniel have agreed to serve as Co-Chairs for the Indiana Horticulture Congress, effective immediately. They bring a wealth of[Read More…]
This past week has been warm enough that we’re seeing activity in the Lafayette area. Southern areas are further along. See the note from Englebrecht’s Orchard in the Evansville area. We appreciate their help with crop condition reports and welcome others to submit their observations as well. In the Lafayette area brambles are pushing rapidly.[Read More…]
The proper time to remove straw from matted row strawberries is when the bare-soil temperature at 4 inches averages about 40-43˚F. This usually coincides with mid to late March in central Indiana. This year is later than average. Plants begin pushing new leaves as the soil temperatures rise steadily so the straw should be raked[Read More…]
The most important spray of the season for control of anthracnose on brambles is the delayed dormant spray of lime sulfur, Sulforix or copper hydroxide. If you have a problem with anthracnose, this is one spray that you can’t afford to miss. One of these materials should be applied when new leaves are exposed 1/4[Read More…]