Fruit and Vegetable News

We are learning more and more about grapevine trunk diseases and the impact they can have on reducing the vigor and production of grapevines in our region.  While research continues here at the University of Minnesota, you can do something about it right now. Pruning out dead or unproductive cordons is an essential step to combating trunk disease. Make grapevines produce more this season If you cut a cordon (one of the "arms" of the grapevine) and look at the inside, you may see brown staining or discoloration.  That could be caused by one of several grapevine trunk diseases.  In this new video, Extension Educator Annie Klodd explains how you can use pruning to remove the disease(s) that may be present in your grapevine. She also offers these other pruning tips: How to create a new, more productive cordon "arm" on your grapevine What to do with dead grape clusters that may linger from last season What's the best time to prune? Winter? Spring? ...

If you have not yet checked out our new podcast on fruit and vegetable pest management, called " What's Killing My Kale ," this is a great time to give it a listen. It's easy - just click on the episode titles, and hear the recording out of your phone or computer. Japanese beetles enjoy a Marquette grapevine leaf near Red Wing, MN. Also pictured: Downy mildew.   Photo: Annie Klodd Despite the name, it's not just about kale. We release timely episodes on all kinds of pest topics, based on the insects, diseases, or weeds that are currently causing problems for Minnesota fruit and vegetable crops. The podcast is hosted by Annie Klodd and Natalie Hoidal . Each episode is an interview with an expert - either a researcher, farmer, or Extension educator - about the latest and most effective ways to manage that pest. Each episode can be found on the UMN FruitEdge website: https://www.fruitedge.umn.edu/kalepodcast This month's episodes included: Episode 1...

Some problems are difficult to diagnose in the field. When growers spot issues on their vegetable or fruit plants, the cause of the problem is often not identifiable in the field. However, identifying the cause is a very important first step to resolving it. Did you know that the University of Minnesota has a Plant Disease Clinic (PDC) that helps diagnose diseases on plants? Every year, they receive between 2000 and 2500 samples from growers, and last year these included over 170 different plant species.