Disease pressure and climate change pose significant challenges to growing broccoli in the Midwest. For the past two summers, we've been conducting collaborative trials with growers across the region to identify broccoli varieties that can withstand increasing disease pressure and heat stress. Since around 2018, the pathogens black rot ( Xanthamonas campestris pv. campestris ) and Alternaria ( Alternaria spp. ) have become common on farms and in gardens, with some growers reporting 80-100% yield losses. Especially for organic growers, varietal tolerance can be a powerful tool for disease management. We conducted replicated broccoli trials at the Southern Research and Outreach Center (SROC) in Waseca, Minnesota, where we inoculated plots with black rot ( Xanthamonas campestris pv. campestris ). We also partnered with 88 farmers and gardeners to conduct mini trials at their farms and gardens. Our goal was to screen for varieties of broccoli with tolerance to the pathogens black rot
You are invited to join us for a variety of spring webinars on beginner apple production and high tunnel berries. The Cold Climate Fruit Webinar Series is an annual webinar series organized by Extension Educators at: University of Minnesota Extension University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Iowa State University Extension University of Illinois Extension The Beginning Apple Grower webinars are best for those new to orchard production (less than 10 years) or considering buying or starting an orchard in the Midwest. The High Tunnel Berry Production webinars are great for growers with high tunnels who would like to use them to grow berries. You may also attend if you are thinking about building a high tunnel. Berries are a very high value crop well suited for high tunnels, and we recommend strawberries and raspberries for high tunnels in the upper Midwest. The webinar registration pages are managed through the University of Wisconsin-Madison Fruit News website. Register here for appl