Our fruit crops are on the cusp of maturity at the tail end of this incredibly wet season. Many have failed, and will have no fruit to bear. However, we expect a good harvest from the Goldrush apples! In the past two weeks, our monitoring traps in the orchard have caught 1 dogwood borer (Synanthedon…Read more about Crop Conditions[Read More]
According to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center’s “Number of Days since last Precipitation Observation” tool, there is an increasing area of Indiana that has not had at least a tenth of an inch (number of days since precipitation tool provides maps for the Midwest region with precipitation threshold amounts of ≥ 0.01”, 0.10”, 0.25”, 0.50,…Read more about Lack of rain may bring drought[Read More]
Preparing for a third-party food safety audit can be challenging for produce growers, particularly when navigating audit requirements, understanding the audit scope, and determining which documentation and practices need to be in place. To help growers better understand the process, Safe Produce Indiana, using the Purdue Student Farm as an example, has developed a four-part…Read more about Understanding the USDA Harmonized GAP Third-Party Audit: A farmer’s journey[Read More]
Both plug plants and bare-root plants can be used to establish plasticulture strawberries. Regardless of the type of planting material used, however, proper planting depth is critical. Planting too deep or too shallow can result in poor establishment or even plant death. I have observed both problems during recent farm visits. Planting Strawberry Plugs Too Deep…Read more about Planting Strawberries at the Right Depth[Read More]
About a third of the farmer phone calls and texts I receive as a weed science Extension specialist center around a lack of weed control in vegetable crops. The lines, “what went wrong?” and “what do I do now?” generally follow. As the summer starts to give way to fall, now is a good time…Read more about Take a moment to assess your 2026 weed control- Part 1 (Rainfall):[Read More]
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