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Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News:A Newsletter for Commercial Growers of Fruit and Vegetable Crops Vol. 12 , No. 17, November 17, 2006 |
"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:Notes on the 2007 Illinois Specialty Crops and Agritourism Conference and Membership in ISGA Regional Updates (Jeff Kindhart and Bronwyn Aly and from Maurice Ogutu) Notes from Chris Doll (cool fall, collar rot, strawberry weed control, pruning, winter conferences) Vegetable Production and Pest Management (seeding rates of rye covers and pumpkin yields; identifications of the insects in from issue 16) University of Illinois Extension Specialists in Fruit & Vegetable Production & Pest Management Upcoming Programs...
Notes on the 2007 Illinois Specialty Crops and Agritourism Conference and Membership in the Illinois Specialty Growers AssociationIn previous issues of this newsletter, Elizabeth Wahle has provided initial announcements on the 2007 Illinois Specialty Crops and Agritourism Conference to be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, IL (and about the cider and hard cider contests to be held in conjunction with this program). Now might be a good time to highlight the content of the program and encourage the attendance of Illinois fruit, vegetable, and herb growers. Two "pre-conference" workshops are offered on Thursday, January 11, one devoted to pumpkin production and marketing, and the other a Food Service Sanitation Manager Re-Certification Refresher Course (for those who hold an unexpired license). Both of these programs require a separate registration fee in addition to the Friday-Saturday main conference registration. The pumpkin program includes a summary of pumpkin varieties available from the seed industry by Derrill Kregel, as well as a report on variety trials conducted in Illinois by Alan Walters of SIU. Also on the agenda are talks on plant disease and weed management by Mohammad Babadoost and John Masiunas, and a summary of recent research on seed treatments and soil insecticides for systemic control of above-ground insects such as cucumber beetles by Celeste Welty of Ohio State University. The food service sanitation manager re-certification course provides necessary recertification for those who operate kitchens of any sort as part of their farm market and is taught by Jananne Fink of the University of Illinois Extension Center at Springfield. For fruit growers, the Friday-Saturday portion of the 2007 conference includes presentations by Jerry Frecon of Rutgers University in New Jersey on intensive management systems for peaches and selecting new stone fruit varieties for expanding markets. David Rosenberger, a plant pathologist at Cornell University's Geneva Experiment Station, will talk on apple scab, peach disease control, and fire blight management. In addition, Peter Hirst of Purdue University will talk on choosing, growing, and marketing apple varieties for a direct-market orchard, and Celeste Welty of Ohio State University will comment on codling moth control observations in Ohio. Alan Dillard, Elizabeth Wahle, Rick Weinzierl, and others also will address issues specific to Illinois grape, bramble, and tree fruit producers. In sessions for vegetable growers, Bill Lamont of Penn State University will talk on high-tunnel production systems, irrigation in plasticulture systems, and converting waste plastic mulch into fuel. Celeste Welty of Ohio State University will report on the effectiveness of General-Use insecticides commonly available to market gardeners, and Alan Walters of Southern Illinois University will present his findings on alternative specialty vegetables for Illinois growers. John Masiunas, Jeff Kindhart, Robert Britenstine, Rick Weinzierl, Bill Shoemaker, Mohammad Babadoost, and Maurice Ogutu will cover topics such as irrigation management, weed management, sweet corn production, corn earworm control, Fusarium management in melons, soil nitrogen management, tomato and pepper production, aphid biology and control, and crop rotations for small acreages. A track of concurrent "miscellaneous" sessions includes such topics as using online resources to locate markets, an update on immigration reform and related labor issues by Sharon Hughes, an overview of groundwater resources in Illinois by Rick Rice of the Illinois State Geological Survey, and a session on understanding and complying with the laws that regulate farm and farm market enterprises by Rich Schell. Also scheduled in this track of programming are sessions on AGR-Lite, a possible insurance option for the future for specialty crop growers, more on irrigation, marketing directly to chefs, the Upper Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Network, becoming certified as an organic grower, and revitalizing the I-57 market corridor to better connect southern Illinois producers and the Chicago market. In addition to all of the programming described above, the 2007 conference provides two full days of sessions for the Illinois Herb Association and two full days of programming for the Agriculture and Tourism Partners of Illinois, a group that is joining our annual program for the fist time. Many of the ATPI sessions will be of interest to Illinois fruit and vegetable growers who operate farm markets and farm entertainment enterprises. Finally, if all the programming isn't enough to entice you to attend, a trade show with exhibits and representatives from a wide range of suppliers will be open from 4:00 p.m. on January 11 through 1:30 p.m. on January 13 All in all, the 2007 program should be considered a "must attend" for Illinois fruit and vegetable growers. Registration information, including the entire program and the registration form, is available on the Illinois Specialty Growers Association web site -- http://www.specialtygrowers.org/releases/Pre-conference%20Flyer%202007.pdf. This is THE statewide meeting for Illinois fruit and vegetable growers, and it offers program content and networking opportunities that are not available at any of the other schools or conferences held in Illinois. I strongly encourage you to attend. Membership in the Illinois Specialty Growers Association (ISGA). Earlier this week I attended a board meeting for the Illinois Specialty Growers Association (not as a board member but as an advisor because of my role as the program chair for the annual conference). The summary of membership totals for the constituent organizations--the Illinois Vegetable Growers Association, the Illinois State Horticultural Society, the Illinois Herb Association, and the Illinois Irrigation Association--revealed one obvious fact ... many Illinois fruit and vegetable growers are not ISGA members. In addition to encouraging you to attend the 2007 Illinois Specialty Crops and Agritourism Conference, I urge you to become ISGA members, either in the vegetable growers association or the ISHS (fruit growers). Why? ISGA works for you. For example, at the meeting a few days ago I watched the board members discuss, think through, and plan initial actions on two important topics--one was to explore the application process for AGR-Lite crop insurance, the other was to explore the possibility of holding an indemnified 24-c label for a specific herbicide for Illinois pumpkin growers. Their actions in recent years have been important for labor, cider safety, and a host of other issues. The organization counts on members for financial support and for volunteers who take active roles in planning and carrying out actions that benefit Illinois growers. Please support your industry by becoming an active member of ISGA. For membership information, check the ISGA web site at http://www.specialtygrowers.org/ or contact Lowell Lenschow or Diane Handley at 309-557-2107. Rick Weinzierl (217-333-6651; weinzier@uiuc.edu) Regional UpdatesIn southwestern Illinois ... the landscape has changed to the stark beauty of winter rest. Much of the area received significant rainfall within the last few days, with many growers reporting well over two inches. Field operations have been put on hold, including horseradish harvest, until fields dry down. Temperatures took a dip Friday morning, but for the most part the region has been above freezing. Perennials, like strawberries, have flattened out signifying the transition to dormancy. Time is drawing close for strawberry growers to have row covers at the ready as winter temperatures begin to drop. Many of you have recently or should be receiving a letter from Illinois Department of Agriculture if your private pesticide applicator's license is due to expires at year's end. The Private Pesticide Safety Education Program Clinic Schedule for the 2006/2007 season is available at http://www.pesticidesafety.uiuc.edu/training/private/index.html. If you do not currently hold a private applicator's license and wish to do so, contact your local University of Illinois Extension office to register for the next available class and to obtain the training material. For those who have already been through a training session three years ago, you should be receiving a letter in the near future from your local UI Extension office with details for the next training session. There will be a $30 fee associated with the training session. Some counties are offering testing only sessions and will be offered free of charge. At the Dixon Springs Ag Center ... The University of Illinois announced the recommendations of an industry task force assigned the job of examining and making recommendations for the future direction of University of Illinois Field Research and Education Centers (research farms). The committee's recommendations were unveiled by Dean Easter and Task Force Chairman Ed McMillan on November 1. Some of the details of these recommendations, including those for horticulture research at St. Charles and Dixon Springs, can be found on the Illinois Farm Bureau and The News-Gazette websites. The entire report is available at the University of Illinois College of ACES website. The City of Chicago and Chicago's Green City Market will host a Chicago Farmer Forum at the end of November. The invited keynote speaker is Anthony Flaccavento, Executive Director of Appalachian Sustainable Development. Attendance is for the trade only, and there will be open discussions and seminars, opportunities for direct sales and for combining resources with your neighbors, a session on smarter marketing, and a seminar is how to expand the growing season. The event is scheduled to be held Thursday, November 30, 2006, at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences on Chicago's far south side. For more information, call the Mayor's Office of Special Events 312-744-3315. Jeff Kindhart (jkindhar@uiuc.edu) and Bronwyn Aly (baly@uiuc.edu) (both at 618-695-2444) In northern Illinois ... day temperatures have been fluctuating between upper 30s to upper 50s from November 1-16, with night temperatures in the upper teens to 40s. Many areas in the region received more than 0.8 inches of rainfall during the same period. Traces of snow have been observed, particularly in the Rockford area. Some pick-your-own apple orchards are still open until the Thanksgiving holiday, and they are selling mainly pre-picked apples, pies, and apple cider. Removal of plastic mulch and drip tapes, as well as tilling under leftover pumpkin fruits and crop residues is going on in many vegetable fields is in the region. The Illinois/Iowa Fruit and Vegetable conference will be held on Thursday, November 30, 2006 at the Scott County Extension Office Bettendorf, Iowa (http://www.extension.iastate.edu/johnson/news/fruitandvegemtg.htm). The Illiana Vegetable Grower School is set for Thursday, January 4, 2007 at Teibel's Restaurant in Schererville, IN. This is a full-day program running from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm CST. Educational programs that will be offered in the morning session include managing aphids in vegetables by Dr. Rick Weinzierl of University of Illinois and managing corn earworms in sweet corn by Dr. Rick Foster of Purdue University. Dr. Mohammad Babadoost of University of Illinois will talk about vegetable diseases such as phytophthora, downy mildew and other bacterial diseases. The afternoon session talks include what employers need to know about hiring employees; updates on organic vegetable research from Purdue University and University of Illinois; tomato, pumpkin, and sweet corn variety trials; and growing peppers on colored plastic mulches. The registration fee is $22 and includes lunch. Businesses can register a display booth for $80.00, and businesses providing only literature only register for $25.00. Contact Liz Maynard at 219-785-5673 (e-mail: emaynard@purdue.edu) or Maurice Ogutu (ogutu@uiuc.edu) for more details. The Kankakee County Vegetable Grower School is set for Tuesday January 30, 2007 at the Kankakee County Extension Office in Bourbonnais, IL. For more information contact Maurice Ogutu (ogutu@uiuc.edu) or James Theuri (jtheuri50@uiuc.edu). Maurice Ogutu (708-352-0109; ogutu@uiuc.edu Notes from Chris DollWhat began as an advanced season ended with a cool fall that delayed apple maturity on later varieties. I have seen Fuji and Goldrush that needed more time for full flavor development go into the marketing channels, and I have seen some of the same varieties still hanging on the tree and lacking some of the sugar and flavor that I like. The same is true of Granny Smith, although it's difficult to tell the consumer that it is green. My Cripps Pink is still on the tree and waiting for that final finish. Luckily, my crop of late apples did not have as much rain cracking as seen in some orchards. Maybe it was the weather in the Back 40 ... Although it rained 4.5 inches in October, the home area remains at 10 inches below normal for the year. This is in contrast to many other areas of the state that have had excess rains at times -- enough to cause concern about collar rot infections in apples. As with many orchard practices, the ounce of prevention can give a pound of cure for a disease like this. Sprays of Ridomil as described on page 12 of the 2006 Spray Guide can be used on susceptible trees in wet soil areas. Fall rains have helped the growth and development of strawberries and also triggered the germination of many fall weeds. Where possible, cultivation will eliminate many of the weeds in the aisle and also rogue out some of the runnering strawberry plants too. As for small weeds in the row, 2,4-D at low rates should give control, or it might do the job if applied just before mulching. Grasses can be treated now or in the spring with one of the grass control materials. I have seen straw mulch applied on November 1, but the general recommendation is to wait for foliage hardening off with a hard freeze. In this area, 26 degrees F has been the minimum so far. Deer hunting season is here, and it appears that the hunter should have plenty to shoot. Probably the most frequent quote of 2006 has been "what can I do about the *#*# deer?" Encouraging hunting can help a little. Fences can help a lot, and repellents can do some good but require lots of time and money. Maybe the breeders can put in an anti-deer gene in new varieties. According to the book, it is too early to prune apples, peaches and brambles. On brambles, it is easy to see growth differences between early winter and late winter pruning caused by winter injury and devitalization. On tree fruits, it is more difficult to see on the next year's crop unless yield and size is measured. And then there is always the potential for severe cold injury to the plant during adverse weather conditions. Today's labor situation might push some growers to begin pruning early while some workers are available, but if so, prune the older trees first. Other orchard tasks before heading off to the winter social season like the Great Lakes EXPO in Michigan on December 5-7 and the Illinois Specialty Growers Association meeting in Springfield on January 11-13, 2007 might be to mow as closely as possible to reduce cover for voles. Mowing also might speed up the degradation of dropped apples that can be a food source for voles and might harbor a worm or two. There should be some nice spray days to apply herbicides to give control through the busy spring season. And a cup of coffee for the first person that identifies the grower/marketer that said "a good cook is as valuable to a farm market as a good enologist is to a winery -- ergo, good is good and bad is bad." Chris Doll Vegetable Production and Pest Management2006 research results -- Effects of different seeding rates of grain rye cover crop on pumpkin yieldsPumpkin ('Howden' variety) seedlings were transplanted in mowed strips of grain rye cover crop seeded at rates of 60, 90, and 120 pounds per acre the previous fall, and results were compared with pumpkins transplanted on bare ground. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at 45 and 90 lbs per acre and incorporated into the soil. Half the strips were covered with silver coated plastic mulch. Rye in between the pumpkin rows was rolled at flowering stage to form mulch. Although there was no significant difference in number and weight of orange fruits per acre between pumpkins grown on bare ground and strip tilled areas, fruit weight in the rye cover crop treatments was only about 70% of the weight of fruits from bare ground treatment. There was no significant difference in orange fruit weight, number, and size between different rates of nitrogen and also between strips covered with silver plastic and uncovered ones. Maurice Ogutu (708-352-0109; ogutu@uiuc.edu) Late-season broccoli at Dixon Springs; answers to the photo quiz from issue 16 ...In the first of the photos below, the insects on the undersides of these leaves are aphids, most likely green peach aphids (on lower, older leaves). In the second of the photos below, there are two different natural enemies of aphids. The orange and black creature is the pupal stage of a lady beetle--larvae and adults feed primarily in aphids. Just below it and next to the edge of the leaf is a syrphid fly (= hover fly) larva. It too feeds on aphids.
Rick Weinzierl (217-333-6651; weinzier@uiuc.edu) Words of Wisdom ... more bumper stickers
University of Illinois Extension Specialists in Fruit and Vegetable Production & Pest Management
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