At the Meigs Horticultural facility on April 24th we experienced freezing temperatures from 2 am until 7 am, with a low of 26.8 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour. The damage to fruit crops on the farm is scattered depending on varieties. A rough estimate would be 10% cold damage on the crops. The growth stages[Read More…]
Despite the cooler weather we’ve experienced the last couple of weeks, temperatures from April 1st through 26th averaged 2.3°F above normal for the entire state (Figure 1). Departures have steadily declined as the weather pattern shifted to cold and dry as a result of an upper atmosphere blocking pattern. Since April 21st, temperatures averaged 9-12°F[Read More…]
Grapevines are in various stages of early growth throughout Indiana, ranging from bud swell to 6-8 in shoot growth, depending on variety. A cold weather event came across the state on 4/24 bringing temperatures as low as 25°F (see Figure 1). The minimum temperatures in the following areas were reported as follows: Lafayette, IN: 28.9°F[Read More…]
We received a freeze warning in Vincennes last Sunday with a predicted low temperature of 33 °F. Growers in southern Indiana reported minimal damage on plants covered with floating row covers. But significant damage was observed in fields that were not protected or covered with a thin layer of floating row cover. At Southwest Purdue[Read More…]
The plum curculio (Conotrachelus nenuphar) is a small “snout” beetle (also known as a weevil – one of my favorite beetle groups!) that will feed on apples, peaches, pears, plums, and cherries. Both adults and larvae have chewing mouthparts and can damage fruits; adults by feeding and laying eggs in newly set fruit and larvae[Read More…]
Tank mixtures (or tank-mixing) describes the process where multiple crop protection chemicals are combined in a single tank for simultaneous application. Tank-mixing pesticides allows the grower to make a single application but manage multiple pests AND pesticide resistance issues. All specialty crops, especially fruit crops, have more pests and pathogens than field crops, along with[Read More…]
Register here Purdue Extension presented its first Fruit, Vegetable and Hemp Field Day post-pandemic at the Meigs Ag Center in July 2022. Extension Specialists and Graduate Students presented specialty crop research to 45 attendees. Attendees had only good things to say about the event. ” Great information and research.” “Great variety of experiences and knowledge.”[Read More…]
Register here The 2022 Purdue Small Farm Education Field Day was a big success. Nearly 72% of attendees reported that they learned something new. Nearly half indicated they plan to adopt recommended practices for diversified farming systems, and over a third (36.0%) plan to adopt recommended practices for creating, improving, or strengthening their business. Half (52.0%) indicated[Read More…]
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