The grape vines have started to recover from the frost we had in April; shoots have started growing again. In the past two weeks, our monitoring traps in the orchard have caught 4 dogwood borer (Synanthedon scitula) individuals, 20 coddling moth (Cydia pomonella) individuals, and 0 oriental fruit moth (Grapholita molesta) individuals. A thinning spray…Read more about Crop conditions[Read More]
The first week of May certainly didn’t feel like May as temperatures ended up 5-10°F below normal across the state (Figure 1). Daytime maximum temperatures struggled to reach 60°F across the northern half of the state, while southern areas only saw low 60s for much of the week. Using Indianapolis as a reference point given…Read more about May’s cold start and a pattern change[Read More]
The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, or TPB can create some serious problems for strawberry growers this time of year, as their damage leads to misshapen fruit. This pest is a True Bug, meaning it feeds using piercing-sucking mouthparts and develops through incomplete metamorphosis; eggs hatch into nymphs that look like adults but increase in…Read more about Tarnished plant bugs in strawberry[Read More]
We have experienced several cool days over the past two weeks. One watermelon trial at Southwest Purdue Ag Center was planted on May 4, and during the two days following transplanting, recorded air temperatures dropped below 50°F. We evaluated plant survival 9 days after transplanting. In this trial, we had grafted and non-grafted seedless watermelons,…Read more about Watermelon Plant Survival[Read More]
Purdue Extension is hosting two field days this July that together cover a wide range of fruit and vegetable production topics – one tailored to small-scale and urban growers, and one designed for commercial producers looking to engage directly with the latest research from Purdue. Purdue Fruit and Vegetable Field Day – July 16, 2026…Read more about Two Purdue Field Days This Summer Have Something for Every Fruit and Vegetable Grower[Read More]
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