Fruit and Vegetable News

 Author: Natalie Hoidal, Extension Educator, Local Foods and Vegetable Production At this point in the season, at least for diversified vegetable farms, the busiest part of the season is behind us. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I encourage you all to take some time to make a plan for fall Brassica management, and in particular disease prevention. This season has been generally dry with fewer disease problems than normal, but we’re starting to see pressure from black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) and Alternaria leaf spot (Alternaria spp.) What can you do at this point in the season to prevent problems?   Late summer Brassicas are often a source of inoculum for fall Brassicas. Photo: NH What can you spray? I reviewed twelve recent trials assessing the impact of various fungicides on black rot and Alternaria leaf spot in Brassicas, and compiled the results of each product into a table for comparison (see below). The data is complicated. A few of the co...

Authors: Matt Clark (Assistant Professor) and Annie Klodd (UMN Extension Educator - Fruit Production). Article originally posted on enology.umn.edu . Photo: Grape cluster infected with black rot-causing fungi Not all grape bunches are picked or retained at harvest, due to low quality attributes including diseases that can reduce wine quality.  Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to wine grapes for several reasons. First, disease-infected or spoiled grape berries lower the flavor and aroma qualities of the wine. High levels of volatile acidity in wines, attributed to fruit rots, taints the wine and the presence of those compounds are regulated by the government. Secondly, the grower’s reputation is influenced by their ability to deliver healthy, high quality fruit to the winery. Third, some wineries pay growers on a sliding scale based on quality attributes, and many will reject deliveries with defected fruit. For these reasons, it is in the growers’ best interest ...

Photo: Garlic bulbs. Sustainable Farming Association. LOCAL SEED GARLIC NOW AVAILABLE With garlic harvest wrapping up in Minnesota and surrounding states, it's time to order your seed garlic for fall planting.   Here are some tips from Jerry Ford, Director of the  Minnesota Premium Garlic Project : 1)  Buy local.    Garlic acclimates and adapts to the conditions where it's planted, and it can sometimes take a couple of seasons to get up to speed in a new location, especially if it's very different from where the seed garlic was produced.  If you get your seed garlic from someone near you who's had success with it, then it will likely be better adapted to your conditions. 2)  Beware of disease . The Garlic Bloat Nematode (GBN) is a devastating disease that can wipe out your garlic and is very difficult to eradicate in the soil.  Sustainable Farming Association developed a program in cooperation with the University of Minnesota Plant Disease Clinic ...