Fruit and Vegetable News

Fig. 1. Japanese beetles aggregating on wine grapes. Photo: Dominique Ebbenga. Authors:  Dominique Ebbenga, Eric Burkness, Matt Clark & Bill Hutchison.  The recent “onslaught” of JB on fruit crops has raised new concerns and questions about their variety preferences and control thresholds.  UMN entomologists have been researching the answers to these questions, and share some interesting findings in this article. Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is an invasive species first detected in Minnesota in 1968. While the insect has been in Minnesota for about 50 years, its population density has been relatively low statewide, with significant numbers building in just the past 3-5 years. In recent years, Japanese beetle (JB) populations have been increasing significantly, primarily in the southeast, south-central regions of the state, but particularly in the 7-country metro.  Fruit and growers have noticed heavy infestations on a variety of crops, including:...

Author: Michelle Grabowski. Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is an alternative strategy to reduce soil borne plant diseases in agricultural fields. This article discusses how it works and its potential effect on diseases in vegetables. Plots treated with ASD under plastic and untreated controls  under straw mulch.  M. Grabowski, UMN Extension What is ASD? Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a disease management strategy used to reduce or eliminate soil borne plant pathogens from agricultural soils. Despite its complicated name, ASD is a relatively simple process. By adding carbon (a food source) and water (to fill pores in the soil), ASD harnesses the power of naturally occurring soil microorganisms to temporarily create conditions within the soil that are toxic to plant pathogens. The procedure was developed to provide an alternative management strategy to soil fumigation. Here is a quick summary of the procedure: A carbon source (i.e. molasses or whe...