Fruit and Vegetable News

The fruit and vegetable team at University of Minnesota Extension is seeking your help to evaluate the needs of fruit and vegetable producers in Minnesota, and the top priority challenges you face in growing these crops. You can help by filling out this 10-minute survey . We need this information in order to make sure that future programming we provide is meeting the needs of growers in Minnesota. We will use these results to determine educational priorities and create new programs and resources for fruit and vegetable producers in Minnesota. Your answers are completely confidential, and your identity is anonymous. At the end of the survey, you will have the opportunity to enter a drawing for a $50 gift cards and sign up for the UMN Fruit and Vegetable Newsletter. The survey typically takes participants between 5-15 minutes. Access the survey here: https://z.umn.edu/3yf0 Thank you! University of Minnesota Extension For more information, contact Annie Klodd, at kloddann@umn.ed

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: raspberry, blueber

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 wheat bran p

Update 11/26/19: Almost exactly 1 one year ago to this date, just days before Thanksgiving, the nation was reeling from a large, multi-state outbreak of E.coli associated linked to romaine lettuce grown in central and northern CA.  Sound familiar? Once again t here is another outbreak of E. coli  and romaine lettuce, this time traced back to the Salinas, CA  area. At least 40 people have reported illnesses after eating romaine from this area, including 1 in Minnesota. It is too early to determine the source of the contamination, but genetic analysis indicates that the strains are similar to previous outbreaks. The FDA has issued the following warning on Nov 22, 2019: Consumers should not eat romaine lettuce harvested from Salinas, California. Additionally, consumers should not eat products identified in the recall announced by the USDA on November 21, 2019. Consumers are urged to review their packaging to determine if the product was grown in Salinas. If it came from S

Author: Tana Haugen-Brown. A Private Pesticide Applicator re-certification workshop geared toward fruit and vegetable growers will be offered Wednesday, January 16, 2019 from 1:00-4:30pm in St. Cloud, in conjunction with the MFVGA annual conference. Read on for information and registration. Back again this year – in partnership with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (MFVGA) - the University of Minnesota Extension Pesticide Safety and Environmental Education Program will offer a Private Pesticide Applicator Re-certification workshop as a pre-workshop to the MFVGA conference. Register here.  This re-certification workshop will take place on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 from 1:00 – 4:30 pm at the Rivers Edge Convention Center in St Cloud, MN. Topics at this workshop will be geared towards the Private Applicator Fruit and Vegetable Grower. Training and updates will include topics related to pesticide application and safety; pesticide laws and regulations; launder