Fruit and Vegetable News

Author: Annie Klodd, UMN Extension Educator, Fruit and Vegetable Production Sandea injury symptoms on a pumpkin leaf. University of Kentucky.   A question came in last week about if and how the herbicide Sandea can injure pumpkins. I consulted with Dr. Sushila Chaudhari at Michigan State University, as well as the Sandea label, to answer this question. Sandea (halosulfuron) is an herbicide registered for pre- and postemergence application in pumpkins and numerous other crops. Sandea has efficacy on a number of broadleaf weeds including pigweed, ragweed, velvetleaf, mustards, nutsedge, lanbsquarters (preemergent), morning glory/field bindweed (suppression). It is an important option for pumpkin growers, since few other effective broadleaf herbicides are labeled in pumpkin. However, pumpkins and squash are also broadleaf plant species that can be injured by Sandea under certain conditions. Therefore, care must be taken to apply it successfully. Use research-based university recommend...

 Author: Natalie Hoidal, UMN Extension Educator, local foods and vegetable crops As our farmer to farmer soil health for vegetables series has unfolded, plastic mulch has come up in every conversation. There are so many benefits to using it, including moisture retention, weed control, and soil warming, but the environmental impact is hard to ignore. It's estimated that in the US alone, farmers use around 1 billion pounds of plastic annually. In this article, I'll review some alternatives and share up-to-date research and grower feedback.  Our final farmer to farmer soil health gathering is Wednesday January 20th at 7pm. We'll feature Rodrigo Cala of Cala Farm, who has been experimenting with cover crops for years. He'll discuss his efforts to integrate sheep for terminating cover crops, as well as his efforts with summer cover crops and species mixtures. Sign up at z.umn.edu/soilhealthchats .  Plastic is a mainstay on most vegetable farms, but farmers are working hard ...