Latest News
Sporadic trap captures. Many areas captures are slowing and sprays may be avoided, but some hot spots are showing up.
This has been one wet and cool spring. For many, planting has been delayed because fields are too wet. This article describes how transplant age affects yield of bell peppers, tomatoes and summer squash.
Angular leaf spot, caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas fragariae, seems to be a problematic in numerous strawberry plantings this spring. This disease is favored by cold, wet conditions, so given the weather conditions we’ve had across the state this spring, it’s no surprise that we are seeing problems. The bacteria get spread within a planting by splashing of water droplets. Needing to use overhead irrigation for frost protection can make the problem worse.
Penn State Extension Educators across the state are collaborating with local growers to look at biodegradable mulch. We all know the benefits of plastic mulch. Not only does it keep the weeds down, it warms up the soil giving us earlier (and more) tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and other heat loving veggies. But it costs us. Farmers estimate it costs $25-100 an acre for labor and disposal of plastic mulch. A possible alternative to black plastic mulch is biodegradable film mulches that look and act much like black plastic, but instead of ripping them up in the fall, you till them into the soil and the microbes degrade the material, leaving you a clean field (hopefully) in the spring.
Are you a new grower? Do you know what temperature is best for seed germination and maintaining healthy seedlings? I find that these and other tidbits about seed and seedling biology are extremely helpful for growing healthy seedlings in the greenhouse. By now, many of your seedlings are out in the field, but it's a good time to look back over what went right, and what went less than perfect in the greenhouse and make some notes for next year. Take a look at the following information and new factsheets for new organic vegetable growers.
EPA has registered Presidio for use on cole crops, root and tuber vegetables including potato.
The first late blight update of the 2011 season! No confirmed outbreaks in Pennsylvania.
Vegetable growers now have another tool in their toolbox. Kanemite, a miticide from Arysta LifeScience is now labeled for fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc.) and edible podded beans.
Sign-up for NRCS Funding Program for Organic Underway: application deadline Friday, May 20, 2011
Movable High Tunnel at Horticulture Research Farm
Wolfberry AgroDevCo is now seeking qualified, forward thinking growers to become part of the 2011 production and supply team.
Through the support of PVGA, the 2011 sweet corn trapping network has distributed 2,150 pheromone lures and 100 Vaportapes among 20 Extension Educators, to create weekly dataflow from ~49 farms, using a biweekly pheromone replacement rate over a 14-15 week season. It’s truly a cooperative effort that provides a first cut of the pest pressure from corn earworm, fall armyworm, and both the E- and Z- pheromone race of European corn borer.
Cool, wet spring weather has given us few good days to do field work, increasing temptation to work soils when they are still too wet. Resist that temptation if at all possible. Our soils are more susceptible to compaction than most. Working when soils are too wet can cause surface compaction in the topsoil layer that lasts throughout the current growing season, and deeper subsurface compaction that lasts for many years.
Do you know which herbicides were used to manage weeds in forages before they were incorporated into a compost pile? If not, you may be in for a disappointing growing season.
Sweet corn growers are reminded to check the sensitivity of their sweet corn varieties before using Accent, Callisto, Laudis, or Impact herbicides.
An update on diakon radish before potato research plots.
Beyond the new pesticides mentioned in a recent article for berry crops (Portal on low-growing berries, Altacor and Danitol on caneberries), here are a few more additions:
