"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." --Aristotle

Address any questions or comments regarding this newsletter to the individual authors listed after each article or to its editor, Rick Weinzierl, 217-333-6651, weinzier@illinois.edu. To receive e-mail notification of new postings of this newsletter, call or write the same number or address.

In This Issue:

Upcoming Programs

New Research Specialist at the St. Charles Horticulture Research Center (Dr. Shelby Henning)

Year 2, "Preparing a New Generation of Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Farmers" (accepting applications)

Regional Observations (from Nathan Johanning, Mike Roegge, and Ellen Phillips)

Fruit Production and Pest Management (spotted wing Drosophila; rainfastness of fruit insecticides; PHIs for apple and peach insecticides; sap beetles in day-neutral strawberries)

Vegetable Production and Pest Management (insect updates; August seeding of fall-winter vegetables)

Local Foods Issues (postharvest cooling of produce; soil testing, manure, and compost)

University of Illinois Extension educators and specialists in fruit and vegetable production and pest management

Upcoming Programs

Check the Illinois SARE calendar for a full list of programs and links for registration.
http://illinoissare.org/ and http://illinoissare.org/calendar.php
Also see the University of Illinois Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms Team’s web site at:
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/

New Research Specialist at the St. Charles Horticulture Research Center

Dr. Shelby Henning is now on the job as the Research Specialist and Superintendent at the St. Charles Horticulture Research Center.  Shelby brings experience in soils, soil fertility, turf, vegetable production, and general horticulture.  He has already started with plot maintenance and trials in grapes, sweet corn, and pumpkins and is contributing to the St. Charles Beginning Farmer program (“Preparing a New Generation of Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Farmers”).  He brings an enthusiastic attitude for the future of the St. Charles Horticulture Research Center and a great work ethic.  For those in the area, please stop in and introduce yourselves and be a part of the planning for future efforts at the Research Center.  Shelby’s email address is shenning@illinois.edu, and the phone number at the Research Center is 630-584-7254.

Year 2, "Preparing a New Generation of Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Farmers"

In 2012, we (the University of Illinois) received a USDA NIFA grant from the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (grant number 2012-49400-19565) to provide training for new fruit and vegetable growers.  We are now in the last 4 months of the first year of the program and are recruiting participants (students) for Year 2.   

If you are (or if you know someone who is) an aspiring farmer, a new grower with less than five years’ experience, a commodity crop farmer interested in diversifying to begin fruit or vegetable production, or a high school or community college agriculture teacher, you are invited to apply now for the next session of this training program.  Training is provided by University of Illinois faculty and Extension Educators, with help from several other agencies and existing growers.  There is no charge to qualified students.   The year-long program, which features classroom, hands-on, and in-field instruction on essential skills and information, is offered at three locations in Illinois: the UIUC campus in Urbana, U of I’s Dixon Springs Agricultural Center near Simpson in far southern Illinois, and at the Kane County U of I Extension office and the St. Charles Horticulture Research Center in St. Charles (northeastern Illinois).  Classes are held one Saturday a month at each location from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., running December 2013 through November 2014.

To apply, see: http://newillinoisfarmers.org/, and use the application link near the bottom of the page.

See more at:  http://news.aces.illinois.edu/news/new-illinois-farmers-program-accepting-applications-second-session and at http://news.illinois.edu/ii/13/0620/newfarmers.html

Regional Observations

In southern Illinois...

Growing conditions have been good but variable, and soil moisture levels are highly variable.   Cooler than normal temperatures and cloudy days have limited plant stress, which has been good for many crops and for those at markets and in the field.  However, later planted crops such has pumpkins are growing slowly, and if this weather pattern persists, we could be looking at a delay in first pumpkin harvest due to a lack in GDD’s to increase vine growth, fruit set, and growth.  Field observations show that the pumpkin crop looks very healthy, with first fruit set underway; however, vines are not filling in the rows as quickly as we would expect (or hope!).

With these damp weather conditions, make sure you are making applications to prevent bacterial fruit spot in pumpkins.  Applications of copper compounds are effective for managing this disease … refer to the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for more details.  This reference also provides listings for fungicides for control of other cucurbit diseases … note Ellen Phillips’ remarks on powdery mildew in northern Illinois.  

Peach harvest is going very well (and tasting very good!), with many growers reporting extremely good peach size attributed to good  management of fruit load (thinning) but also good weather conditions. 

Nathan Johanning (618-939-3434; njohann@illinois.edu)

In western Illinois...

Cooler temperatures have been a mixed blessing … they have helped crops to continue to develop without much rainfall, but they’ve also slowed crop development.  It has been weeks since we’ve seen 85 degrees and sunshine on the same day, but our soil moisture situation is such that very many days of hot, sunny weather would compromise crops. 

Summer crops continue to produce, but at a slower pace. We did have a couple of nights of temperatures in the 50’s, which meant even more days before ripening for field tomatoes and other heat loving crops. Field tomato production is just beginning to hit its peak, and it’s the first of August. 

Irrigation has paid dividends to those growers who have use it.  Some have begun to plant for fall crop harvest and have been waiting patiently for moisture to germinate the seeds.  The frequent rains of this spring made planting of succession crops difficult, and as a result getting a steady supply of some crops (such as sweet corn) has been difficult.

Blackberry harvest continues, with a few red berries still to ripen.  We’ve got another week or so of picking left. Growers have commented that with each of the rains we’ve been receiving the size picks up a little.  Red Haven peaches are now ripe.

In the few scattered locations where Japanese beetle are present, they are still causing problems.  Repeated insecticide applications are ongoing.  Corn earworm moth captures still haven’t reached high levels (as of Aug. 7). Spider mite and aphids seem to be continuing problems in high tunnels, and also for some field grown crops.  We really haven’t had the heat to cause mite populations to soar, but they seem to hang in there, and populations haven’t declined.

I’ve been hearing from several growers about bird and deer problems in sweet corn. These two pests are difficult to eliminate. There are nuisance permits that can be issued to help with deer damage by contacting your area Illinois Department of Natural Resources office. Some have tried other remedies such as scented soap, human hair, coyote urine, etc. to varied success.  Bird damage is a difficult issue to deal with. Propane cannons, inflatable owls or inflatable “eyes” have some effect, but birds soon become used to these devices (moving them to different locations every day or two can help). Some folks have had some success by shooting offending birds and then hanging them up in a conspicuous location so other birds can easily see them (but be sure to check with DNR on hunting/ shooting regulations).  Others have reported that this hasn’t been very effective at all.  Distress calls have some merit and are being used by some grape growers (and at least one sweet corn producer has used this method this year and has found success).  Just last month a sweet corn grower has found that topping his sweet corn, along with using a distress call, has significantly reduced bird damage. He forwarded to me a research paper that investigated the use of topping sweet corn to reduce bird damage ...  http://extension.umass.edu/vegetable/articles/demonstrating-effects-%E2%80%9Ctopping%E2%80%9D-sweet-corn.  In western IL, where tree lines and timber is interspersed with fields, dealing with bird problems is not unknown, and will probably always present issues.

Plasticulture strawberry planting will begin in less than a month (for some locations). Preparation should begin now as the fumigant plant-back times might be an issue. Dry soils might be a concern when attempting to shape beds and fumigate.  Irrigation has been used in previous years to wet the soil to allow plowing, bed shaping and fumigation.

A couple of high tunnel growers have reported leaf mold on tomatoes. Powdery mildew of pumpkins has been noted as light thus far.

Mike Roegge (217-223-8380; roeggem@illinois.edu)

Also in western Illinois...

Phytophthora crown infections are common in some pumpkin fields.  This is a challenging disease to control because plant infection can take place at all growth stages and even after harvest.  Recommended management of this disease includes at least a 3-year crop rotation out of cucurbits, fungicide applications, and disking of localized infected areas.  Planting in well drained soils also helps.  For additional information regarding this disease, see the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide and this presentation by Dr. Mohammad Babadoost on managing cucurbit diseases … http://ipm.illinois.edu/ifvn/presentations/pumpkins/babadoost_diseases.pdf. 

Be careful not to confuse phytophthora crown infections with vine borer damage.  The tell-tale signs are different.  Phytophthora infection of the crown will show a somewhat restricted appearance at the base of the stem.  Vine borer will show a decayed stem but not a restricted one, and frass (droppings) from vine borer larvae are present even after the damage is done.  (See  http://ipm.illinois.edu/ifvn/contents.php?id=28.)

As far as moisture goes, my part of western Illinois looks relatively good.  At the Monmouth research farm, a total of 1.56 in of rain fell in June, and we received 1.6 inches in the last ten days of July.  Temperature has varied quite a bit.  We dipped down to 49 degrees on the July 29.   For those of us that grow okra, for example, this creates a challenge.  Okra is becoming a popular crop, and more growers are taking advantage of market opportunities.  Cool days and cooler nights basically have these plants standing still.  Plants that should be 36 inches tall have barely risen to 18 inches at this point. Warmer August temps (I hope) will serve this crop well.

Kyle Cecil (309-342-5108; cecil@illinois.edu)

In north central Illinois...

Last week was very cool at night, down to the lower 50’s, and day-time highs were in the upper 70’s with very scattered showers. This week trended back to warmer conditions, with highs in the upper 70 and 80s and nights dipping into lower 60’s. These temperatures have allowed the spread of powdery mildew, especially on vine crops. Some virus symptoms also have shown up on cucumbers. Squash bug numbers are increasing. Blossom end rot on peppers and tomatoes is evident in fields without irrigation. Pepper harvest is in full swing.

Ellen Phillips (708-449-4320; ephillps@illinois.edu)

Fruit Production and Pest Management

Updates on Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)

Reports of SWD flies in traps and larvae infesting fruit (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries) are becoming more common.  I have reared flies from larvae collected in untreated raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries at the University of Illinois Fruit Research Farm and Urbana to confirm that this species is indeed in the fruits.  See the insecticide listings in the June 7, 2013 issue of this newsletter for products that can be used to control this insect.


Spotted wing Drosophila adult male (left) and larvae in blackberry (right). Photos by Phil Nixon.

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

Rainfastness of Insecticides Used on Fruit Crops ... from John Wise, Michigan State University

Subscribers to the “applecrop” list serve may have already seen this information, but for everyone else … John Wise of Michigan State University posted a very useful summary on the rainfastness of several insecticides used on fruits.  It’s available at http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/rainfast_characteristics_of_fruit_crop_insecticides.  John’s overall summary notes …

“There are several critical factors that influence impact of precipitation on a pesticide’s performance. First is the plant penetrative characteristic of the various compounds. Some pesticide chemistries, like organophosphates, have limited penetrative potential in plant tissue, and thus are considered primarily as surface materials. Some compounds, such as carbamates, oxadiazines and pyrethroids, penetrate plant cuticles, providing some resistance to wash-off. Many newer compounds, such as spinosyns, diamides, avermectins, and Insect Growth Regulators (IGR) readily penetrate plant cuticles and have translaminar movement in leaf tissue. Others, like the neonicotinoid insecticides, are systemic and can have translaminar as well as acropetal movement in the plant’s vascular system. Penetration of plant tissue is generally expected to enhance rainfastness of pesticides.

The second factor is the inherent toxicity of an insecticide to the target pest and the persistence of the compound in the environment. In some cases, a compound may be highly susceptible to wash-off, but its persistence and inherent toxicity to the target pest compensates for the loss of residue, thus delaying the need for immediate re-application.

The third factor is the amount of precipitation. In general, organophosphate insecticides have the highest susceptibility to wash-off from precipitation, but their high level of toxicity to most insect pests overcomes the necessity for an immediate re-application. Neonicotinoid insecticides are moderately susceptible to wash-off with residues that have moved systemically into plant tissue being highly rainfast, and surface residues less so. Carbamate, IGR and oxadiazine insecticides are moderately susceptible to wash-off, and vary in their toxicity to the range of relevant fruit pests. Diamide, spinosyn, avermectin and pyrethroid insecticides have proven to be moderate to highly rainfast on most fruit crops.

For most insecticides, a drying time of two to six hours is sufficient to “set” the compound in the plant. With neonicotinoids, for which plant penetration is important, drying time can significantly influence rainfastness. For neonicotinoids, up to 24 hours is needed for optimal plant penetration, thus the time proximity of precipitation after application should be considered carefully. Spray adjuvants, materials intended to aid the retention, penetration or spread on the plant, can also improve the performance of insecticides.

Based on the results from John’s studies at Michigan State University’s research orchards, he developed a series of charts that serve as a guide for general rainfastness characteristics and re-application recommendations for certain insect pests.   Those tables are presented at the link listed above and are also printed in the MSU Extension E-154 bulletin, “2013 Michigan Fruit Management Guide”). John encourages grower to note that these recommendations should not supersede insecticide label restrictions or farm-level knowledge based on site-specific pest scouting, but rather are meant to compliment a comprehensive pest management decision-making process.

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

Codling Moth and Oriental Fruit Moth Control … Preharvest Intervals for Insecticides

The only way to really assess the need for insecticides to control successive generations of oriental fruit moth in peaches and apples and codling moth in apples at this stage of the season is to use pheromone traps to monitor flights and predict egg-laying.  Where traps continue to catch significant numbers of these insects, insecticide applications are still needed to prevent larval infestations of fruit.  As peach harvest continues and apple harvest approaches, it is important to know and adhere to the required preharvest intervals (PHIs) for registered insecticides – the number of days that must elapse between last application and harvest.  Here they are for the insecticides most often used to control these insects.  (See pages 46-47 of the 2013 Midwest Tree Fruit Spray Guide for a more extensive list.)

Insecticide

PHI in apples

PHI in peaches

Altacor

5

10

Assail

7

7

Avaunt

14

14

Baythroid

7

7

Belt

14

7

Belay

7

21

Calypso

30

Not labeled

Danitol

14

3

Delegate

7

14

Entrust

7

14

Imidan

7

14

Intrepid

14

7

Mustang Max

14

14

Pounce (permethrin)

Not recommended

14

Renounce

7

7

Rimon

14

8

Sevin

3

3

SpinTor

7

14

Warrior

21

14

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

Sap Beetles in Strawberries (and other small fruits)

It is typical for growers of day-neutral strawberries to encounter problems with sap beetles as berries ripen in mid-summer when these insects are abundant.  Berries progress from almost ripe to “a mess” – burrowed into, mushy, and unmarketable – in a few days.  The beetles that ‘picnic’ on strawberries and a variety of other ‘fruits’ (damaged apples, strawberries, raspberries, watermelons, muskmelons, corn, tomatoes), including the picnic beetle (Glischrochilus quadrisignatus), are collectively called sap beetles.  Picnic beetles are attracted by over-ripe or fermenting fruit, so it is important to pick fruits as soon as they ripen.  Insecticide applications may be appropriate, but the preharvest intervals for most products limit their usefulness against these insects.  See pages 60-61 of the 2013 Midwest Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide for a listing of PHIs for insecticides registered on berry crops.


Picnic beetle (left) and infested/damaged strawberries (right).

James Theuri (815-933-8337; jtheu50@illinois.edu)

Vegetable Production and Pest Management

Quick Updates on Insects...

check previous issues of this newsletter for more management recommendations.

Rick Weinzierl (217-244-2126; weinzier@illinois.edu)

August Seeding for Fall and Winter Harvests

Commercial production of many vegetables can take place all year with the use of row covers and high tunnels.  Timing is critical for this type of production to be successful.  August signals an important time period to begin seeding a number of crops.  The idea is to get the majority of the growth the plants need completed before the coldest temperatures of winter arrive.  As such, a consideration of how soon we should seed the crop is warranted.  Common vegetable crops we see produced in Illinois for fall and winter harvest include several varieties of greens as well as the hardy bulb type crops.  The table below shows the optimum germination temperature for these crops as well as estimated days to harvest.

Optimum germination temperature for fall crops.


Crop

Optimum germination temp (F)

Estimated days to harvest

Beet

80

60

Carrots

80

70

Spinach

70

40

Chard

85

60

Turnips

80

50

While the “dog days of summer” are upon us, we still need to be seeding these crops soon to have marketable produce in the fall and winter and maintain our customer base.

Kyle Cecil (309-342-5108; cecil@illinois.edu)

Local Foods Issues

GAPs - Cooling Produce after Harvest

In order to remain competitive, growers must ensure that the quality of produce is maintained as well as possible from harvest to time of consumption.  Harvest should be done at the right temperature to avoid late-day field heat, and cooling should be done as soon as possible to remove field heat.  Proper cooling inhibits/slows enzymatic degradation and respiratory activity (softening), slows water loss (wilting), hinders growth of decay-causing organisms (fungi and bacteria), and reduces production of ethylene (ripening hormone). In addition, cooled produce can be sold at a later date, increasing marketing flexibility.

Requirements for cooling differ with different commodities, product packaging type (box, bin, or bag), product flow capacity (rate of cooling of each method), and economic considerations (profit margins, cost-benefit ratio, etc.). Produce should ideally be harvested during the coolest part of the day and kept in the shade away from direct sun. Common methods of cooling include

 

How important is cooling for produce quality? Studies show that for each hour of delay between harvest and cooling, one day of total shelf life can be lost.  It is particularly rapid for strawberries: a 4-hour delay causes unmarketability of 40% of the crop, while an 8-hour delay results in 60% loss of harvested crop.

Wash water temperature is important not just to keep produce cool, but to also slow the rapid loss of a disinfectant such as chlorine from the water. Chlorine can also become unavailable if it is adsorbed by organic matter, or if the water becomes too acidic. For best sanitation, chlorine should be monitored continuously, for example using test strips that are dipped in the water and the change in color of the strip is checked against a color code whose intensity correlates with the amount of chlorine in the wash water.

For additional information, see http://jhawkins54.typepad.com/files/konieczka---harvests-and-handling-1.pdf, http://jhawkins54.typepad.com/files/konieczka---post-harvest-standards-and-safety-1.pdf, and http://jhawkins54.typepad.com/files/kindhart---cold-storage-conditions-and-how-to-achieve-them-1.pdf from the 2013 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference (ant the slides in each presentation that provide useful references).

James Theuri (815-933-8337; jtheu50@illinois.edu)

Soils, Manure, and Compost

Preparing for the 2014 season includes preparing the soil this fall.  Some things to put on the “to do” list for this fall include soil testing if it hasn’t been done recently. If fertilizer needs to be added, fall is a good time to incorporate lime, phosphorus and potassium.  For a list of soil test labs, see:  http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soiltest/.

You might also consider using soil amendments such as manure or untested compost that should be incorporated in the fall.   Manure and compost are excellent soil amendments that not only add nutrients but also improve soil quality.  To test for the nutrient content you can send a sample to specialized labs listed at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/downloads/49512.pdf.

If you don’t have manure, then get to know your closest livestock owners and negotiate a deal for the manure.  Manure Share, http://web.extension.illinois.edu/manureshare/, provides an easy network to share this valuable resource.  You can list your farm as “wanting manure” or you can go to the list “I want manure” and search for farms close to you.

Both manure and compost can pose a risk for pathogen contamination.  Manure often contains E. coli, Salmonella, or other pathogens.  Compost may carry pathogens if it was not turned properly or if it didn’t heat up consistently during the process.  If you are purchasing compost, ask for the process records or grade certification. GAPs recommends incorporating these soil amendments in the fall and at least 120 days prior to harvest of produce.  

To learn how to do large-scale composting, attend the Composting Workshop on September 10 in DeKalb.  Register at: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/state/calendar_event.cfm?ID=62657

Ellen Phillips (708-449-4320; ephillps@illinois.edu)

Less Seriously...

David Gergen, a former staff member for four different presidents and now of CNN, recently addressed the Commonwealth Club of California and prefaced his remarks by acknowledging he has been around politics and government for a long time … in other words, getting old.  He lightheartedly offered a couple of anecdotes that he noted applied fairly well …



University of Illinois Extension Specialists in Fruit and Vegetable Production & Pest Management

Extension Educators – Local Food Systems and Small Farms

Bronwyn Aly, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Pope, Saline, and White counties

618-382-2662

baly@illinois.edu

Katie Bell, Franklin, Jackson, Perry, Randolph, & Williamson counties

618-687-1727

klbell@illinois.edu

Sarah Farley, Lake & McHenry counties

847-223-8627

sfarley@illinois.edu

Nick Frillman, Woodford, Livingston, & McLean counties

309-663-8306

frillma2@illinois.edu

Laurie George, Bond, Clinton, Jefferson, Marion, & Washington counties

618-548-1446

ljgeorge@illinois.edu

Zachary Grant, Cook County

708-679-6889

zgrant2@illinois.edu

Doug Gucker, DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt counties

217-877-6042

dgucker@illinois.edu

Erin Harper, Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermillion counties

217-333-7672

harper7@illinois.edu

Grace Margherio, Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, St. Clair County

217-244-3547

gracem@illinois.edu

Grant McCarty, Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties

815-235-4125

gmccarty@illinois.edu

Katie Parker, Adams, Brown, Hancock, Pike and Schuyler counties

217-223-8380

keparkr2@illinois.edu

Kathryn Pereira, Cook County

773-233-2900

kpereira@illinois.edu

James Theuri, Grundy, Kankakee, and Will counties

815-933-8337

jtheu50@illinois.edu

Extension Educators – Horticulture

Chris Enroth, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, and Warren counties

309-837-3939

cenroth@illinois.edu

Richard Hentschel, DuPage, Kane, and Kendall counties

630-584-6166

hentschel@illinois.edu

Andrew Holsinger, Christian, Jersey, Macoupin, & Montgomery counties

217-532-3941

aholsing@illinois.edu

Extension Educators - Commercial Agriculture

Elizabeth Wahle, Fruit & Vegetable Production

618-344-4230

wahle@illinois.edu

Nathan Johanning, Madison, Monroe & St. Clair counties

618-939-3434

njohann@illinois.edu

Campus-based  Extension Specialists

Kacie Athey, Entomology

217-244-9916

kathey@illinois.edu

Mohammad Babadoost, Plant Pathology

217-333-1523

babadoos@illinois.edu