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Weekly Vegetable Update - July 24, 2024

Authors: Marissa Schuh and Natalie Hoidal General Notes Some areas continue to get heavy rainfall, other parts of the state are drying out. The NOAA forecast for August is calling for a slight chance of above normal temperatures, and a normal amount of rain . Plants on some farms, and maybe in every farm’s low spots, are struggling. The below picture from Purdue University highlights how different crops are affected by waterlogging. The crops on the left side were submerged in water for three days, while the three on the right were grown in optimal conditions. Waterlogging in vegetable crops. Photo: Wenjing Guan, Purdue University. Crop Updates Bean : Harvest continues. I have gotten pictures of some leaves with yellowing and scorched edges. A potential culprit is leafhoppers, particularly potato leafhopper. This leafhopper makes it’s way up to Minnesota each summer, and uses it’s straw-like mouthpart to feed on plant juices. While they don’t spread disease, their feeding produces

Mid-season sweet corn pests: silk clippers, leaf feeders, and ear destroyers

Author: Marissa Schuh , Integrated Pest Management Extension Educator, University of Minnesota Extension. Reviewed by Natalie Hoidal. Originally published July 14, 2024. Updated July 22, 2024. Minnesota sweet corn is making its way to markets. Plantings will continue to tassel, silk, and size up ears for the next two months, meaning we are entering the key window for sweet corn pest control. The insects you may see but may not need to manage Adult corn rootworm beetles feeding on silks. Photo: Natalie Hoidal. Field crops extension educators are starting to detect the emergence of corn rootworm. You might see these yellow and black beetles clustered on silks or even feeding inside pumpkins flowers. These beetles can reach high numbers, but tend not to be an issue in sweet corn. They do the most damage as larvae, feeding on corn roots (hence the name). Beetles lay eggs as the base of corn stalks, and larvae hatch the next year and feed on corn roots. This means that rotation can effe

Tomato foliar disease refresher

Marissa Schuh, IPM Extension Educator, mschuh@ umn.edu Tomato might be the spottiest vegetable we grow – there are many diseases that can cause leaf spots, and they can all look very similar. Some of the diseases are caused by bacteria, some are caused by fungi. This means that some of the same cultural practices may work, but if you are thinking about chemical controls and longer term management, knowing which pathogen you have will be important. Early blight attacks the oldest leaves first. Photo: Gerald Holmes, Strawberry Center, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Bugwood.org Fungal pathogens We have two fungal diseases we commonly see causing leaf spots in Minnesota – early blight and septoria leaf spot. Early blight is very common. The pathogen survives in crop debris and weeds, then infects plants by splashing up into the foliage. This means that the first part of the plant infected is the oldest leaves. Infected leaves develop brown spots, and if you look closely at these spots, the

Inviting the public in safely - Food safety at U-pick and agritourism farms

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety Agritourism and U-pick farms may have different food safety risks and considerations than traditional fruit and vegetable farms, since the general public (who may not be well-versed in food safety considerations) are being invited to the farm. Here are some key recommendations to keep your produce safe for U-Pick and orchards this summer and fall. Photo: Annie Klodd What are the risks? Many bacteria like Salmonella , Campylobacter and E. coli can be spread to fresh produce from animals and sick humans. Viruses like Norovirus and Hepatitis can easily transmitted between humans via fresh produce and other food, surfaces and the air. These bacteria and viruses can seriously sicken people, especially the young, old, and immunocompromised. There have been outbreaks at agritourism farms, especially those that have animals. Take some basic precautions to reduce the potential for these illness to be spread on your farm. Some of the

Fruit update – July 17, 2024

Madeline Wimmer- UMN Fruit Production Extension Educator This fruit update contains information about… Apples- second generation codling moth. Grapes- disease updates and russeting and cracking. Blueberries- harvest season and insect pest updates. Additional fruit updates- black currants, aronia berries, and kiwiberries. Minnesota Department of Agriculture IPM Fruit Update sign up form. Apples Images: Apples showing fruit color development as they continue to ripen at Keepsake Cidery near Northfield, MN (left image; Zone 5a). Cutting open an apple with a visible entry point can reveal evidence of larval damage within a developing apple showing leftover frass and damage to the ovaries and developing seeds (right image). Second generation codling moth The second generation of codling moth adults are typically expected to emerge around 1,060 degree day units (DD) after the first biofix date, which was recorded when the first generation codling moth adults were initially trapped. The Unive

Register now for the Organic Fruit and Vegetable Field Day!

Marissa Schuh, Horticulture Integrated Pest Management extension educator Thinking about scaling up your vegetable production? Curious about cut flowers, weed management tools, or small farm cover crops? Want to connect with UMN researchers and extension educators? Sign up now to attend the Organic Fruit and Vegetable Field Day July 24 from 5-8 on the UMN St. Paul campus . Enjoy a free meal, tour university research plots, and network with other growers and resource people from the UMN. This event is free and will be interpreted, please register so we can make sure we have enough food and the right interpreters in place. This event is sponsored by the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Program and North Central Region SARE. For more information and registration, visit the event information page or fill out the below form. Loading… Questions? Reach out to Marissa Schuh at mschuh@umn.edu. This event is sponsored by the Midwest Transition to Organic Partnership Project and No

Cole crop caterpillars make a holey mess

Marissa Schuh,IPM extension educator. Brassicas are being harvested, and some growers are finding lots of holes in their cabbage, collards, and kale. In Minnesota we have three species of caterpillars that feed on the foliage of all our brassica crops. Read on to get to know these caterpillars and when it is worth managing them. Size alone isn’t enough for caterpillar ID. Diamondback moth is smooth, and tapered at each end. Imported cabbageworm is velvety. Cabbage looper and smooth and moves in an inchworm fashion. Photo: Marissa Schuh, University of Minnesota Extension. The three cole crop caterpillars we see in Minnesota are present from transplanting in May to final harvest in the fall. The varying biology and multiple generations mean there is probably always some small green caterpillar feeding in your cole crops. To manage them well, you need to be able to tell who is who. The first on the scene- Diamondback moth Diamondback moth is the first arrival most years, with larvae che