Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News:

A Newsletter for Commercial Growers of Fruit and Vegetable Crops
A Publication of University of Illinois Extension and the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences

Vol. 11, No. 1, February 21, 2005

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"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@uiuc.edu. To receive email notification of new postings of this newsletter, call or write the same number or address.

This issue's words of wisdom ... which usually means the jokes ... are at the end of newsletter ... check the last page.

In This Issue:

Crop and Regional Reports (from Elizabeth Wahle ... notes on Aim herbicide for pumpkins))

Upcoming Programs (Feb. 17: Stateline (IL-WI) fruit and veg conference; Feb. 21-23: Missouri Fruit and Vegetable Conference; Feb. 24: Kankakee County Vegetable Growers School; Mar. 1-2: Illinois Small Fruit and Strawberry School)

Notes from Chris Doll (winter kill in peaches, notes from the files, cider winners)

Vegetable Production and Pest Management (Jack-o-lantern cultivars)

Fruit Production and Pest Management (cider contest winners)

Information Sources for Fruit and Vegetable Growers (an incomplete list of web sites, publications, etc.)

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

Crop and Regional Reports

In southern and southwestern Illinois, winter meetings are coming to a close and preparations for another cropping season are well under way for many growers. The pumpkin workshop held at the beginning of the Illinois Specialty Crops Conference was well attended. One question that came up was whether Aim herbicide (carfentrazone-ethyl) is labeled for use on pumpkins now? Yes, pumpkins have been added to the Aim label under Crop Group 9 (Vegetable, Cucurbit). Application must be made with a hooded sprayer in order to prevent spray deposition to green stems, leaf tissue, flowers or fruit of the pumpkin plant. This limits the use of Aim to fairly early in the season before plants begin to run, assuming no vine training. Crop Groups have been developed for specialty crops in order to streamline the pesticide registration and labeling process. The Aim label is a good example of multiple crops being added to the label without having to list each one individually. It is left up to the applicator to find out which group each crop falls in. As in the case of pumpkin, unless you know that pumpkin is in Crop Group 9, the word pumpkin does not appear on the Aim label. For a full list of crops and their crop grouping, refer to the EPA Website: http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/1995/May/Day-17/pr-266.html.

Weather was a topic of discussion at the Tree Fruit Schools held recently in Mt. Vernon and Hardin. Rainfall in 2005 is making up for the drought experienced last September. In January alone, most of the southern region received over 9 inches of rain. Temperatures for the most part have continued to remain mild, except a below zero periods late in December and again late in January. The combination of saturated soils and mild temperatures with sudden drops in temperature may be responsible for the amount of peach bud kill being reported. Most peach growers throughout the region are reporting some level of bud kill, anywhere from 20 to 100% on some trees. Oddly enough, one grower reported that his Loring had at least 80% live buds, while his older Redhaven are showing severe bud kill. Variety, age of tree, and location all seem to be factors for the hit or miss bud kill. The upshot is, that as of now, we have a peach crop.

Reminder to growers: With the arrival of soybean rust in the US, fungicide supply may become an issue. Not only are soybeans at risk, but soybean rust has a broad host range and can infect many different species of legumes including: dry beans, green, lima and butter beans, vetch species, lupines, and medic. Because there are leguminous vegetable crops at risk, there will be a high demand for fungicides like Bravo, Quadris, Amistar, Nova, Endura, and Cabrio. Even if you don't produce leguminous crops, there is a good chance you will need these fungicides for other crops you are producing. Since soybean rust moves in a northern direction, it can be expected that southern tier states will have first priority for supply of fungicides for the upcoming growing season. For this reason, I strongly advise growers to secure a quantity of fungicides now to cover the 2005 growing season.

Elizabeth Wahle (618-692-9434; wahle@uiuc.edu)

Upcoming Programs

Illinois/Wisconsin (Stateline) Fruit and Vegetable Conference on Thursday February 17, 2005 ... at Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan, Wisconsin. Contact Maurice Ogutu ( (708-352-0109; ogutu@uiuc.edu).

Missouri Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference on February 21-23, 2005 ... at Springfield, Missouri. Contact Pamela Mayer (417-926-4105; pam621t@smsu.edu); click here to download the program (Adobe PDF).

Kankakee County Vegetable Grower School on Thursday February 24, 2005 ... at the Kankakee County Extension Office Bourbonnais, IL. Contact Maurice Ogutu ( (708-352-0109; ogutu@uiuc.edu).

Illinois Small Fruit and Strawberry Schools, March 1-2, 2005 ... at the Holiday Inn, Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Registration will include the 2005 Midwest Commercial Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide, the Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook, and the school Proceedings. (Contact Bronwyn Aly (618-695-2444; baly@uiuc.edu) or Elizabeth Wahle (618-692-9434; wahle@uiuc.edu).

Notes from Chris Doll

Another winter is upon us and as usual, it is a topic of conversation (or writing). January came close to setting the all time record for precipitation with 9.3 inches for the month on the Back-40. It was mostly from rain, as SW Illinois missed the snow storms in late December and mid-January. The saturated soils have stopped all field work except in the orchards with a good sod cover. Temperatures have been livable, but a minimum of 4 degrees on December 24 and 0 degrees on January 17 killed more peach buds than one would expect. Sample peach shoots from Calhoun County showed nearly 100 percent kill on Red Haven, Cresthaven and Redstar, and 50-70 percent live buds on Carolina Belle, Contender and Laurol. Most orchards report some kill and some variation between varieties. This follows a wet, mild fall which had only a 33-degree frost prior to a November freeze of 25 degrees on the 25th. Spring will let us know how the strawberries fared through this.

It has been a good winter for cleaning out some files and attending meetings. While cleaning files, I found a 1962 USDA Plant Introduction list of apples from which I got my start of Tohoku 7, which was named Fuji in 1965. The early description was this: "Ralls x Delicious. Resembles Delicious in color and Rall's in shape. Firm in texture but very juicy. Quality excellent. Expected to replace the Ralls in Japan."

In a 1997 article in "The Good Fruit Grower," variety guru Jim Ballard of Yakima wrote "in 1965, I thought Tohoku #7 was too ugly to be important. It proves you should not make snap decisions." I may be like Jim in making snap decisions, as I prefer the regular Fuji over some of the new early coloring/maturing strains. Time will tell. Several of these were available to see and taste at the Michigan Expo in December, thanks to Bill Shane. Members of the Midwest Apple Improvement Association met in Ohio and were privileged to sample a variety of seedling apples from the MAIA and PRI programs and some of Doug Shefflebine's Wisconsin selections.

Cider tasting was one of the highlights for me at the Michigan Expo--both the hard and sweet cider. I enjoyed Mike Beck's entries in both categories and Hill Brothers sweet. Both orchards entered the Illinois contest at which I was a judge. It turned out that they were winners in Illinois too, as other judges concurred that the Illinois producers have some competition. Gahl Orchard at South Beloit took top honors in the Illinois group for sweet cider, and Lee Elliot topped the Illinois hard cider makers. Elizabeth Wahle will be giving all the placings. There was a wide variation in the hard cider group, from a product about like apple wine to the barrel fermented hard cider that I grew up with. The sweet cider winners are usually those that taste close to fresh juice with lots of apple flavor to go along with color, appearance, aroma, sugar, and acid.

In the September, 2004, issue of Produce Business, an article discussed the 5 Ps of marketing, which were product, price, place, promotion and people, and then they added a sixth with pride. In the January 2005 issue of California Agriculture, it was reported that "measures on the November 2004 ballot to ban the growing of genetically engineered crops failed in three of four California counties", but went on to say that three counties now have voted in the ban. Also, the city of Arcata has voted to adopt and anti-GMO ordinance. I keep thinking how great it would be to have a GMO fireblight resistant apple and pear tree, or a glyphosate-resistant strawberry plant to go with the farmers beans and corn.

Spring is only six weeks away, so the pruning, fertilizing, weed control, sprayer preparation and continuing education should keep everyone busy.

In Memoriam. Bob Chatten of Quincy, a fruit grower and active Horticulture Society member early in his life, and a product salesman in later life, died in October 2004. He will be missed by his wife Betty and their children, and his many friends who enjoyed his friendship and hospitality.

Chris Doll

Vegetable Production and Pest Management

Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Cultivars for Illinois

Pumpkin growers often concern themselves this time of the year (mid-winter) with pumpkin cultivar selection for the upcoming growing season, and often-times, cultivars of the most widely used (and most popular) cultivars are no longer available in the early spring as seed supplies become exhausted. So, pumpkin cultivar seed selection and purchase needs to done on a timely basis before early spring.

There are numerous pumpkin cultivars from which to choose, and growers often ask what pumpkin cultivars work best in Illinois? Included below are several things that I think a grower needs to consider before purchasing pumpkin seed. First, consult the Midwest Vegetable Production guide or local extension personnel for cultivars that have done well in your region over a period of time. Pumpkin seed costs can be overwhelming to the pocketbook, ranging from $15 per pound to over $100 per pound, and seed costs need to be taken into consideration. However, the extra seed cost is often well worth the money, as the available disease resistance in the most expensive hybrid cultivars frequently relates to less fungicide applications. The increased seed costs of those cultivars having fungal disease resistance (i.e., powdery mildew) can often be cheaper in the long run by preventing extra fungicide sprays. Most agree that several cultivars should be grown in an operation and not just one, so I recommend that at least 4 to 5 different pumpkin cultivars be grown; don't put all your eggs in one basket as the saying goes. Finally, know your market and what size your market requires (e.g., very small, small, medium, large, extra-large) as this relates to the cultivar package that you will purchase.

Pumpkin cultivar field evaluations are a key to determining what cultivars do best in a particular region. During 2004, ten cultivars of jack-o-lantern pumpkins were evaluated for yield and fungal disease resistance at the Southern Illinois University Belleville Research Center in Belleville, IL. This test evaluated primarily those cultivars classified as medium to large types. 'Howden', an old cultivar often referred to as the market standard, was included as the control. Minimal fungicide use included applications Bravo Weather Stik (Chlorothalonil), Kocide (Copper Hydroxide), and Topsin (Thiophanate-methyl). Pumpkins were harvested two times (11 September and 30 September). Fungal disease severity ratings of plots were conducted twice (17 August and 11 September), with ratings ranging from 0 to 9, with 0 = no foliage symptoms, 1 to 3 = few foliar symptoms, 4 to 6 = moderate amount of foliar symptoms, and 7 to 9 = severe foliar symptoms. Downy mildew and powdery mildew were the primary fungal diseases detected.

Results indicated that certain cultivars performed much better than others with respect to yielding ability and disease resistance (Table 1). Cultivars with less disease severity tended to produce higher tonnage per acre, as pumpkin weights per acre were negatively correlated with the second fungal disease severity rating. Pumpkin numbers produced per acre were not influenced by fungal disease severity.

Cultivars that produced the greatest weights per acre included 'Appalachian', 'Sorcerer', 'Howdy Doody', and 'Magic Lantern'. Again, these cultivars were also the most resistant to the fungal diseases present, with 'Magic Lantern' showing the greatest level of resistance. Several pumpkin cultivars were highly susceptible to the fungal diseases present including 'Autumn Gold', 'Gold Strike', Early Autumn', and 'Howden', and this related to a lower tonnage produced per acre.

Alan Walters (Southern Illinois University; awalters@siu.edu)

Table 1. Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin yields [numbers and weights (lbs.) per acre] and resistance to various fungal diseases1.

Cultivar

Yield2

Fungal Disease Severity3

Number / Acre

Pounds / Acre

Average Weight

Rating 1

Rating 2

Appalachian

2,420

41,650

17.2

0.7

3.8

Sorcerer

3,146

40,501

12.9

1.3

3.7

Howdy Doody

2,565

37,011

14.4

0.7

4.0

Magic Lantern

2,468

33,241

13.6

0.0

2.7

Phantom

2,081

32,002

15.6

2.0

5.3

Autumn Gold

4,066

29,364

7.2

3.0

7.7

Gold Strike

1,597

24,331

15.8

2.7

6.8

Aspen

1,646

22,675

13.8

1.3

4.5

Early Autumn

2,420

21,044

12.8

1.7

6.7

Howden

1,162

17,492

15.1

2.7

7.8

1Data are means of four replications.
2Yields are the sum of 2 harvests (11 September and 30 September). No./acre is the number of pumpkins produced per acre, Wt./Acre is the lbs. of pumpkins produced per acre, and Avg Wt. is the average weight (lbs.) of each pumpkin. Cultivars are ranked according to those with the greatest weights/acre.
3Fungal disease severity was rated 17 August and 11 September from 0 to 9, with 0 = no foliage symptoms, 1 to 3 = few foliar symptoms, 4 to 6 = moderate amount of foliar symptoms, and 7 to 9 = severe foliar symptoms.

Fruit Production and Pest Management

Cider Contest Winners

In additional to all the other sessions at the Specialty Growers Crop Conference, the 16th Annual Cider Contests and the 3nd Annual Hard Cider Contest took place. Thanks to all our judges for their time and taste buds: Lisa Groesh, IDoA; Wes Jarrell, UI NRES; Ben Wright, Cerexagri; Ken Wagner, Stokes Seed; Jim Shannon, Southern FS; Chris Doll, Edwardsville; Dagmar Taylor, Carbondale; Jeff Wheeler, SIU; Alan Walter, SIU; and Brad Taylor, SIU. And, congratulations to all our winners--keep up the good work!

First place - Hard Cider
Uncle John's Cider Mill
Mike BeckSt. Johns, MI

Honorable mention (second place) - Hard Cider
Apple Hill Orchard
Lee Elliott
Winchester, IL

Honorable Mention (third place) - Hard Cider
Joe Ringhausen Orchards
Joe Ringhausen
Fieldon, IL

#1 National - Cider
Hill Bros. Orchards
Jim Hill
Grand Rapids, MI

#2 National, #1 State - Cider
Gahl's Apple Orchard
Harvey Gahl
S. Beloit IL 61080

#3 National, #2 State - Cider
Tanners Orchard, Ltd
Craig Tanner
Speer, IL

#3 State - Cider
Edward's Apple Orchard
Ken and Barb Hall
Poplar Grove, IL

1st Runner-up Midwest - Cider
Almar Orchard
Jim Koan
Flushing, MI 48433

2nd Runner-up Midwest - Cider
Boggio's Orchard
Keith and Denise Boggio & family
Granville, IL

3rd Runner-up Midwest - Cider
Curran's Orchard
Pat Curran
Rockford, IL

Resources for Fruit and Vegetable Growers

We always include our best incomplete list of suppliers, books, and web resources in the first issue of this newsletter each year, so here's this year's listing ...

A Variety of Web Resources

Field and Orchard Equipment and Supplies:

Nurseries:

Packing/Storage Equipment/Supplies:

Midwest suppliers of pheromone traps, lures, etc.:

Marketing and Promotion:

University Newsletters and Related Publications:

University of Kentucky:

Clemson University (South Carolina):

Michigan State University:

University of Minnesota:

Purdue University:

The Ohio State University:

Cornell University (New York):

Rutgers (New Jersey):

Washington State University:

West Virginia University, Kearneysville Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center:

Miscellaneous Vegetable Production Sites

Organic Standards, Sustainable Agriculture

Additional Web Sites and News Groups for Fruit Growers

The applecrop news group ... you subscribe, then questions and answers from the group come directly to your email address. You can be an active participant or just a reader. To subscribe, send an email message to

apple-crop@virtualorchard.net

In the subject line of your email message header, type the word "subscribe" (without the quotation marks), then send the blank message. You should receive confirmation that you have subscribed, and email messages will come to you as they are posted to the group.

The Virtual Orchard ... information on tree fruit production and insect, disease, and weed management, along with links to several newsletters ...at http://virtualorchard.net/default.html

The "Popular Press" for Fruits and Vegetables

Books on the Web ...

Printed Materials Available for Purchase

From the University of Illinois ...

Order the following Illinois and Midwest publications from Information Technology and Communication Services, University of Illinois, 1917 S. Wright Street, Champaign, IL 61820. For orders of $5.00 - $19.99, add a shipping charge of $3.00; for orders of $20.00 - $99.99, add a shipping charge of $6.00. Make checks payable to the University of Illinois. For more information or to order by phone, call 1-800-345-6087. (The commercial horticulture portion of the publications catalog is on-line at: https://webstore.aces.uiuc.edu/shopsite/browsecommhort.html .

2005 Illinois Commercial Tree Fruit Spray Guide -- updated insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide listings for commercial orchardists. Sold Out ... contact Iowa State University at Continuing Education and Communication Services, 102 Scheman, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1112. Telephone (515) 294-6222.

Midwest Tree Fruit Pest Management Handbook -- practical background information on insects, diseases, weeds, scouting practices, pesticides, and more. Covers apples, peaches, cherries, and pears. Available for $8.50 plus shipping.

2004 Illinois Commercial Small Fruit and Grape Spray Guide -- updated insecticide, fungicide, and herbicide listings for commercial plantings. Available for $8.50 plus shipping.

Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook -- practical background information on insects, diseases, weeds, scouting practices, pesticides, and more. Covers strawberries, brambles, blueberries, and grapes. New edition available at the University of Illinois soon. Until then, contact Ohio State University at (614) 292-1607 ... ask for publication 861 ... &9.75 plus handling.

2004 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers -- varieties, fertilization, and insect, weed, and plant disease control recommendations. Available for $14.50 plus shipping.

2004 Agricultural Pest Management Handbook -- with up-to-date chapters on vegetable insect, disease, and weed control (as well as information on pesticides and pest management in agronomic crops). Available for $27.00 plus shipping.

Common Weed Seedlings of the North Central Region -- for identification of weeds at the seedling stage, when it's still possible to do something about them. Available for $3.50 plus shipping.

The 2004 Midwest Vegetable Variety Trial Report is available for $10.00. To order a copy, contact Chuck Voigt at 217-333-1969, or email Chuck at cevoigt@uiuc.edu.

John Masiunas recently compiled the 2004 Illinois Fruit and Vegetable Crops Research Report covering research completed through the fall of 2004, and limited numbers of copies are available. This is a somewhat informal compilation of research on Illinois fruit and vegetable crops. Topics include pest management, herbicide and insecticide evaluations, and cultivar trials. While supplies last, copies are available free of charge at winter meetings and from Rick Weinzierl, Department of Crop Sciences, 1102 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801; weinzier@uiuc.edu or 217-333-6651.

Meister Publishing Company publishes the monthly magazines American Fruit Grower and American Vegetable Grower. Meister also publishes and distributes Vegetable Insect Management (with Special Emphasis on the Midwest), a 200+-page book with lots of scouting recommendations and identification aids. The paperback edition now sells for $40.00 (a bargain). Contact Meister by mail or phone at : 37733 Euclid Avenue, Willoughby, Ohio 44094; phone 1-800-572-7740

The Fruit Growers News (now simply Fruit Growers News) is a monthly newspaper for the fruit industry; the Vegetable Growers News (similar in format) is a monthly newspaper for the vegetable industry. For subscription information, contact the editor of these publications at (616) 887-9008 or 75 Applewood Drive, Suite A, Sparta, Michigan 49345.

Plant Disease Compendia
The American Phytopathological Society (APS) publishes a series of compendia of plant diseases. These are useful, practical guidebooks that can aid in identification, control and prevention of diseases in crops. Most range in length for 70 to 110 pages, and all have many excellent color photographs of disease symptoms, as well as descriptions of the symptoms, life cycles of the pathogen, causes of disease and useful control methods. Of particular interest to vegetable and fruit growers are the compendia on (in no particular order):

Bean diseases

Apple and pear diseases

Lettuce

Beet diseases and insects

Blueberry and cranberry diseases

Potato

Cucurbit diseases

Grape diseases

Sweet potato

Onion and garlic diseases

Raspberry and blackberry diseases and insects

 

Pea diseases and pests

Stone fruit diseases

 

Sweet potato diseases

Strawberry diseases

 

Tomato diseases

Pepper diseases

 

Several other compendia cover field crops and ornamental plants; growers in Illinois may also be interested in the compendia on chrysanthemum diseases and foliar diseases of ornamental plants. For more information or to order, check the APS web site at: http://www.apsnet.org or contact the APS by phone or email at: APS PRESS Headquarters, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121-2097 U.S.A., Tel: 1-800-328-7560, email: aps@scisoc.org

Maurice Ogutu (708-352-0109; ogutu@.uiuc.edu) and Rick Weinzierl (217-333-6651; weinzier@uiuc.edu)

This issue's words of wisdom ...

Random thoughts ...

  • My husband and I divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God and I didn't.
  • I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it.
  • Don't take life too seriously; No one gets out alive.
  • I'm not a complete idiot - some parts are missing.
  • Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.
  • Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?
  • Wrinkled was not one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up.
  • A hangover is the wrath of grapes.
  • He who dies with the most toys is nonetheless dead.
  • Ham and eggs is a day's work for a chicken and a lifetime commitment for a pig.


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

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