Address any questions or comments regarding this newsletter to the individual authors listed after each article or to its editors, Nathan Johanning, 618-939-3434, njohann@illinois.edu or Bronwyn Aly 618-695-6060, baly@illinois.edu. The Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News is available on the web at: http://ipm.illinois.edu/ifvn/. To receive or be removed from email notification of new postings of this newsletter, contact Nathan Johanning or Bronwyn Aly at the phone numbers or email addresses above.

In This Issue:

Upcoming Programs (listings for beginning and established growers)

Regional Reports (north-central, southern Illinois)

Fruit Production and Pest Management (update on SWD)

Vegetable Production and Pest Management (New herbicide for pumpkin: Reflex, Atrazine herbicide carryover)

Illinois Farmers Market Price Report

FSA Beginning Farmer Down-Payment Loan Program

2016 IDOA Agrichemical Container Recycling Program

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 website at:
http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/ and the calendar of events at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/units/calendar.cfm?UnitID=629.

Regional Reports

From north-central Illinois... "It's dry" is what I've been hearing from every grower this week. How dry, depends on your location. Some report spurts of rainfall here and there. Near Dahinda, Illinois in Knox County a brief downpour delivered a half-inch of rain, while the remainder of the county saw nothing. A grower in Quincy, IL reports less than one tenth of an inch of rain for June. Growers are resorting to tank sprayers to irrigate and encourage germination in non-irrigated crops. Many are hoping for rain, but forecast show another week sans moisture (not counting humidity) and temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Here in Macomb, we have a 60% chance of rain on Monday, June 20, for about an hour. That won't be enough. The next rain event is forecasted this weekend. Fingers crossed.

Blueberry harvest is in full swing. Blueberries seem to always herald Japanese beetles; both are early this year. Blueberry growers are also debating if they need to roll out the drip tape. Harvest of early season blueberry varieties, such as Duke, have been reported to be coming along nicely. Growers wince as we transition to early, mid-season varieties such as Blueray/Bluejay; saying the fruits are not filling out well and harvest is less than a normal year.  Dry soils, combined with shallow-rooted plants, are begging for supplemental irrigation at this point for blueberries. Mulch is also a necessity to hold that soil moisture.

Conversation at a market stand this past weekend yielded a good reminder for blueberry growers, especially any of those new to the game. Avoid fertilizers containing the nitrate form of nitrogen. Instead fertilize blueberries with urea or ammonium sulfate that contain the ammonium form of nitrogen.

Harvest of high tunnel tomatoes and peppers has begun. The heirloom varieties look great and taste like, well...tomatoes! Field harvest has begun on green beans, potatoes, and other summer crops. Spinach and lettuce are bolting, signaling their end; while harvest of other cool season crops wind down or stop.

According to the calendar, summer has just started, but everyone agrees the dog-days have been here for several weeks.

Chris Enroth (309-837-3939; cenroth@illinois.edu)

From southern Illinois ... Hot and dry has been the theme for the past couple of weeks.  Other than a few breaks most of our highs have been in the 90s with a couple days in the upper 90s to around 100.  The last few days the humidity has been moderate but not excessive which at least for me makes things a little more tolerable when working outside (but still hot!).  Wednesday we had the heat, but also the wind which really put the stress to any plants lacking in water.  Especially for those on growing on black plastic, keep a close eye on soil moisture as it is going quickly there as well in opened field production.  We have not had any substantial rain at Murphysboro or at home on the farm in Monroe Co. in the last few weeks.  At the Ewing Demonstration Center we did get a pop up storm about a week ago that gave us 1.1" in a little less than an hour.  At the time, we were trying to finish some planting; however, we were happy to get the moisture especially given the condition since.  Our heat is supposed to stay with us for a while and we have chances for scattered storms with our next best chance for rain looking to be next week.

The heat has really gotten things growing (so long as water is not limited).  The first early peaches varieties are out on the market.   Also, summer squash, cucumbers, green beans, sweet corn are not too hard to find.  Some raspberries are still holding out but many are not handling the heat and coming to an end.  Early blackberry varieties like Kiowa and Natchez are now in harvest.  Blueberries are doing well.  Early varieties like Duke and Earliblue are nearing the end of harvest and main season varieties like Blueray, Bluecrop and Bluegold are coming in to full harvest.  I also started picking a few of my Chandler as well.  I have not personally seen any spotted wing drosophila on these fruit yet, but I have been keeping them sprayed weekly to hopefully avoid an infestation.  I know last year this is about the time when they appeared fairly widespread.  If you grow any of these small fruits, take a look at the article below with more details on SWD management.  Also, I dug up a few new Yukon Gold potatoes over the weekend.  They are an earlier variety than the Kennebec and Red LaSoda which are still blooming.  Pumpkin planting is under way, both direct-seeding and transplanting as well.  The end of this week we are going to transplant the pumpkins for pumpkin field day and over the weekend I hope to get my pumpkins out at home as well.  All of these plants are going to be no-tilled into wheat stubble.  All fields have been sprayed with a burndown and residual herbicides and are ready for the transplanter!

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

Fruit Production and Pest Management

As blackberry and blueberry harvests are underway and peach harvest is just starting,  it seems timely to re-run Dr. Weinzierl's article on Spotted Wing Drosophila monitoring and control.  His article reminds growers that SWD was trapped throughout Illinois last year, and if you had them last year, you will very likely have them this year.  If you didn't have them last year, you were lucky but you need to be diligent in monitoring this year, and be prepared to take control measures.   Newsletter updates from Arkansas indicated that SWD traps had catches starting as early as May 5, 2016.  A recent article written by NC State University Extension Specialist, Dr. Hannah Burrack, Preventing and Managing Spotted Wing Drosophila Infestation, discusses steps to deal with an infestation including sampling fruit, removal of ripe fruit, sanitation, post-harvest cold storage, and a continued spray program.  The complete article can be found on the following link: https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/06/preventing-and-managing-spotted-wing-drosophila-infestation/?src=rss

Bronwyn Aly (618-382-2662; baly@illinois.edu)

Update on Spotted Wing Drosophila

Yes, it's still here in 2016, and it will pose a severe threat to production of several fruit crops in Illinois for the foreseeable future.  A quick review:  SWD was first detected in the US in 2008.  It spread rapidly throughout the country and was first recorded in Illinois in 2012.  It has been "officially" recorded in counties on the northern and southern tips of the state and in counties on our eastern and western state lines ... I am nearly certain that it is present in all Illinois counties. 

Adult male SWD flies have a prominent spot on each wing (hence the name), but the wings of females are not spotted.  Females of this species differ from other Drosophila species by having an ovipositor (egg-laying organ) that is serrated or saw-like.  This characteristic enables them to cut open the "skin" of thin-skinned fruits and lay eggs into them as they begin to ripen.  Larvae (maggots) develop with fruits and can be present at harvest; we have collected as many as 50 larvae from a single raspberry that superficially appeared to be just prefect for harvest and sale.  It infests a wide range of common fruit crops including blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, strawberries, cherries, and grapes.  We also have reared it from mulberries, elderberries, black currents, Japanese honeysuckle, and pokeweed berries.  Infested fruits appear nearly normal at first when larvae are newly hatched and just beginning to feed, but within 36 to 48 hours the fruit begins to "melt down" and collapse, and larvae become clearly visible.   


Top: Adult male SWD (left) and ovipositor of female (right). Bottom: SWD larvae in raspberries.

If you grow blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, or grapes (or less common fruits such as mulberries, currants, or elderberries), you MUST manage this insect unless you plan to eat or sell infested fruit.  Where harvest of matted-row or plasticulture strawberries ends before mid- to late June, the crop will likely escape infestation.  Similarly, early blueberry varieties may ripen before infestations become common.  These escapes occur because numbers of SWD that survive the winter are relatively low, and they appear to become active in mid-June to early July.  Populations build up rapidly through the summer (with a little lull in the very hottest weather), and the likelihood of heavy infestations increases through fall.  Researchers in the Midwest have captured adult flies in traps into December.  SWD flies DO enter high tunnels and lay eggs into blackberries, raspberries, and day-neutral strawberries grown in these structures.

A key step in managing SWD is monitoring ... for adult flies and larvae in fruit: 

To monitor adult SWD flies, use 1-quart cups with lures and soapy water.  You can make traps or buy them ready-to-use from Great Lakes IPM.  Some simple instructions for making traps ...


Left: home-made SWD trap; center: close-up of lures and card; right: commercially available SWD trap.

To determine whether or not fruit is infested, immerse a sample of harvested fruit in a fairly high concentration sugar-water solution – 1 cup granulated white sugar per 1 quart water.  Within one-half hour (and in fact sooner) larvae will float to the surface.  I put berries into small-mesh produce bags and place a washer (weight) on top so that the fruit remains submerged as the larvae float to the surface.  The reasons to assess infestations in fruit are two-fold ... one is to determine how effective your control programs have been, and the second more critical reason is to detect infestation before you sell infested fruit to valued customers who did not want to see maggots squirming in it a day later. 

So, a summary on monitoring ...

To prevent infestations or at least limit losses to SWD, a combination of cultural and chemical approaches will be necessary for most growers.  Clean picking and frequent picking (and removing damaged fruit) can reduce population buildups within plantings or high tunnels ... not a total solution, but valuable nonetheless.  Exclusion by use of screening or fine-mesh netting has been shown to reduce infestations as well.  I suspect that other suppliers also provide similar materials, but ProtekNet netting from Dubois Agrinovation is one (1-800-463-9999).  In real-world settings, netting is difficult to use and generally will not completely exclude SWD flies, but in conjunction with insecticide applications to the crop, it can be beneficial (as long as it does not lead to too-high temperatures in the high tunnel or within a frame around a small number of plants). 

Post-harvest chilling is also important for SWD control ... or at least for suppressing its growth in harvested fruits.  Refrigeration will prevent larval growth and slow fruit breakdown. 

Insecticides are needed for effective control of SWD.  They should be applied to blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and similar small fruit crops beginning at the onset of fruit coloring and ripening.  Preharvest intervals (PHIs) and recommended application intervals for several insecticides are listed in the table below.  Two cautions:  (1) Rotate among insecticide modes of action to avoid maximum selection for insecticide resistance (particularly, do not use just Brigade, Danitol, and Mustang Max ... all are pyrethroids).   (2) All of these insecticides are at least moderately toxic to bees, and in brambles and strawberries control may be necessary on ripening fruit while later blossoms are still attractive to bees.  Where sprays must be applied, use liquid formulations and spray at night when bees are not foraging. 

Selected insecticides for SWD control in blueberries, brambles, strawberries, and peaches.

Insecticide

PHI (days) in Blueberries

PHI (days) in Brambles

PHI (days) in Strawberries

PHI (days) in Peaches

Recommended Application Interval1,2

Brigade (bifenthrin)

1

3

0

Not labelled

5-7

Danitol (fenpropathrin)

3

3

2

3

5-7

Delegate, Radiant (spinetoram)

3

1

1

14

5-7

Entrust (OMRI) (spinosad)

3

1

1

14

3-5

Imidan (phosmet)

3

Not labeled

Not labeled

14

7

Malathion (malathion)

1

1

3

7

3-5

Mustang Max (zeta-cypermethrin)

1

1

Not labeled

14

5-7

Pyganic (OMRI) (pyrethrins)

(12 hours, REI)

(12 hours, REI )

(12 hours, REI)

(12 hours, REI)

1-2

1Interval based in part on estimates of residual activity from work done by Rufus Isaacs and in part from observations of effectiveness of spray programs in IL in 2013 and 2014.   
2Reapplication of insecticides on shorter intervals is recommended following significant rainfall. 

Rick Weinzierl, Weinzierl Fruit and Consulting, LLC (217-621-4957; raweinzierl@gmail.com)

Vegetable Production and Pest Management

New Herbicide for Pumpkins: Reflex

There is a new preemergence herbicide available for use for Illinois pumpkin growers this season, and I just wanted to share a few notes and reminders.  Reflex (fomesafen) has an indemnified 24(c) for Illinois growers (must sign a waivier for use; see below).  Reflex brings additional preemergence control of many small seeded broadleaf weeds such as pigweeds, waterhemp, and lambsquarters, common purslane, and nightshades, some additional suppression of morningglories, ragweeds, and some larger seeded weeds and some suppression of annual grasses. Reflex is not necessarily a good stand-alone preemergence product, but it is a very good addition and tank mix partner to our current preemergence arsenal for control of some of our problematic broadleaf weeds, especially waterhemp/pigweeds.  Below are a few notes about the use of Reflex on Pumpkins:

OR

Reflex does have an indemnified label so in order to use this product you have to sign a wavier and get a copy of this supplemental label.  To do this you need to register at www.farmassist.com.  After you create a log in go to Products > Indemnified Labels and enter the information as prompted and you will be able to print a copy of the label.  If you do not have internet access or someone on the farm that does and you want to use Reflex on pumpkins, contact me and I will try to help out.

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

Atrazine: A Persistent Soil Herbicide That Can Damage Susceptible Plants

Residues of atrazine herbicide can be carried over to the next season and cause damage to broadleaved horticultural crops. After application, the rate of atrazine degradation is affected by soil type, texture, pH, organic matter content, as well as application rate, timing, and rainfall during the previous season. The simplest test for atrazine presence in soil is by bioassays, that is, sowing quick-growing plant species (like lettuce, beans, or a cucurbit species) in suspected soil, and then observing the developing plants.

Keeping records of activities on the farm can help to avert disasters ... like planting sensitive crops such as cucurbits in an area where soil-applied persistent herbicides (such as atrazine) could be lurking.

In the picture shown, squash that was planted in the beginning of May showed the following symptoms: leaf margins were necrotic (dead), the rest of the leaf was partly chlorotic (yellowish), and there were whitish/ashen, crystal-like spots on the leaves. The grower recalled applying the pre-emergent herbicide atrazine in the patch the previous year.  Because no herbicides had been applied since crop emergence, herbicide drift was not suspected to be the reason for damage.

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

Illinois Farmers Market Price Report

Weekly price reports from farmers markets across Illinois have seen an increase in the number of crops being reported, which is to be expected as we get into the summer vegetable season.  Some of the markets reporting prices this year include but are not limited to: Land of Goshen, Benton Farmers Market, 61st Street Market, and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Market.  The pricing reports, including those from previous years, can be accessed from the following link: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/cat139_4465.html  This link will take you to the University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversification website which hosts farmers market and produce auction price reports for KY, TN, and WV as well.  Growers are encouraged to utilize this resource to help with marketing and pricing strategies, but remembering that pricing structure should be reflective of each farm's cost of production.

Bronwyn Aly (618-382-2662; baly@illinois.edu)

FSA Beginning Farmer Down-Payment Loan Program

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) has a special loan program to assist underserved and beginning farmers in purchasing a farm. The Beginning Farmer Down-Payment Loan program is for real estate purchases and cannot be used for the refinancing of real estate already owned. Retiring farmers may also benefit from this program to transfer their land to future farming generations.

A beginning farmer applicant must be actively farming and have been significantly involved in the business operation of a farm for at least three, but no more than ten years. The applicant cannot own more than 30 percent of the average farm size in the county, at the time of application. The applicant must also meet other loan eligibility requirements for the loan program.

The beginning farmer applicant must make a cash down-payment of at least 5 percent of the purchase price. The maximum loan amount from FSA cannot exceed $300,000 or 45 percent of the lessor of the purchase price or the appraised value. The term of the loan is for 20 years. The interest rate is 4 percent below the Direct Farm Ownership rate, but not lower than 1.5 percent.

The remaining 50 percent of the purchase price will be financed with a participating lender. The joint loan must have an amortization period of at least 30 years and cannot have a balloon payment due within the first 20 years of the loan.

To apply or find out more, visit your local USDA Service Center. A listing of centers and more information about beginning farmer loans and other loan programs are available on the FSA website at www.fsa.usda.gov.

2016 IDOA Agrichemical Container Recycling Program

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) annually cooperates with various segments of the agrichemical industry to operate a plastic pesticide container-recycling program. Single-day collection sites at agrichemical facilities are scheduled near the end of the application season. Pesticide users can bring containers for granulation and shipment to a national contractor that utilizes the plastic for the manufacture of other agrichemical-related products. In addition, IDOA has established permanent collection sites that are open throughout the year for the collection and granulation of plastic containers. Over 1.6 million pounds of plastic have been collected since the program started more than 20 years ago.

Permanent Collection Sites
Permanent sites in Illinois are able to accept containers throughout the year. Before dropping off containers, please call to ensure the facility will be open

County

Location

City

Contact

Phone #

Greene

Illinois Valley Supply

Carrollton

George Staples

217-942-6991

Lawrence

Klein Flying Service

Lawrenceville

Robert Klein

618-884-1040

McLean

Randolph Ag Service

Heyworth

Brad Hamilton

309-473-3256

2016 Single Day Collection Sites
AM indicates collection site hours are 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.  PM indicates collection site hours are 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
*** indicates collection site hours are 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

County

Date

Time

Host Facility

City

Contact

Phone #

Pike

7/26

PM

Logan Agri Srv., Inc

Griggsville

Troy Kennedy

217-833-2375

Morgan

7/27

AM

Praireland FS

Jacksonville

Dick Stiltz

217-243-6561

Cass

7/27

PM

Sunrise Ag

Virginia

Mike Schone

217-452-3936

Schuyler

7/28

AM

Praireland FS

Rushville

Aaron Winner

217-322-2024

Hancock

7/28

PM

Chem-Gro

Bowen

Todd Nelson

217-842-5514

McDonough

7/29

AM

CPS

Blandinsville

Travis Weaver

309-652-3694

Mercer

8/1

PM

Gold Star FS

Aledo

Brad Lincoln

309-582-7271

Bureau

8/2

AM

Ag View FS

Buda

Nate Johnson

309-895-3000

Carroll

8/2

PM

Carroll Dservice Co

Milledville

Dave Folk

815-225-7101

Stephenson

8/3

AM

Pearl City Elevator

Dakota

Mark Wells

815-449-2254

Winnebago

8/3

PM

Conserv FS

Rockford

Jeff Baxter

815-963-7669

McHenry

8/4

AM

Conserv FS

Marengo

Allen Burton

815-568-7211

DeKalb

8/4

PM

Helena Chemical Co..

Kirkland

Dan Moore

815-522-3251

LaSalle

8/5

AM

Grainco FS

Lostant

Dave Callan

815-368-3215

Marshall

8/8

PM

Helena Chemical Co.

Toluca

Mark Stange

309-452-2377

Peoria

8/9

AM

Agland FS

Hanna City

Mark Alvey

309-565-4315

Logan

8/9

PM

Agland FS

Lincoln

Eric Long

217-732-3113

Tazewell

8/10

AM

DCM Crop Care

Deer Creek

Dave Howard

309-613-0934

Livingston

8/10

PM

CPS

Saunemin

Steve Schaffer

815-832-4491

Kankakee

8/11

AM

Chebanse Ag

Chebanse

Dean Schafer

815-697-2392

Iroquois

8/11

PM

CPS

Onarga

Todd Miller

815-268-4428

Champaign

8/12

AM

United Prairie

Tolono

Ben Rawlins

217-485-6000

Effingham

8/15

PM

Effingham Equity

Montrose

Rodney Schultz

217-342-3123

White

8/16

PM

Brown's Feed & Chemical

Carmi

Greg Brown

618-384-9518

Washington

8/22

PM

Irvington Elevator

Irvington

Steve Seidel

618-249-6206

Randolph

8/23

***

Bockhorn Ag

Sparta

Leslie Bockhorn

618-443-3905

Monroe

8/23

PM

Gateway FS

Waterloo

Jerry Roosevelt

618-282-4000

Clinton

8/24

***

CPS

New Baden

Jeff Haas

618-588-3525

Fayette

8/25

AM

Woolsey Brothers

Vandalia

Herb Woolsey

618-283-1263

Christian

8/25

PM

Effingham Equity

Pana

Rodney Schultz

217-342-3123

Macoupin

8/26

AM

M & M Service

Girard

Dwayne Krager

217-627-2151


SPONSORS

IDOA sponsors the program in conjunction with the Agriculture Container Recycling Council, GROWMARK, Inc., the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, Container Services Network, Illinois Farm Bureau, and University of Illinois Extension.

How do I prepare my pesticide containers for recycling?

Rinsing right after use is the best way to ensure a clean container. Depending on what system fits your operation, you can either triple rinse or pressure rinse your containers. Your local agricultural chemical dealer can give you more information about pressurized rinse systems.

Triple Rinsing

Pressure Rinsing

Inspection Checklist for recycling plastic pesticide containers:

PROTECTION: Always wear protective clothing while rinsing containers.
EMPTY: Completely empty the pesticide container.
CLEAN: Triple rinse or pressure rinse the container immediately after use to prevent drying/ caking of formulation residues.
INSPECT: Inspect the container inside and around the spout threads to ensure that it is free of formulation residues. Clean, but stained (e.g., due to Treflan) containers are acceptable.
REMOVE: Discard the cap, foil seal, and label from the container since they will not be accepted for recycling.
PUNCTURE: Render the container unusable by puncturing it.
TYPE: Only containers made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) #2 plastic are acceptable for recycling.
KEEP CONTAINER DRY: The recycler will not accept a container with liquid in it - keep containers out of the rain.

For more information about the program, call the Illinois Department of Agriculture at 1.800.641.3934

Less Seriously ...

"A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows."
- Doug Larson
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.
What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?        Pumpkin pi.
"What did the carrot say to the wheat? Lettuce rest, I'm feeling beet."
- Shel Silverstein
"Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration."
- Lou Erickson

The real meaning of plant catalog terminology:
"A favorite of birds" means to avoid planting near cars, sidewalks, or clotheslines.
"Zone 5 with protection" is a variation on the phrase "Russian roulette."
"May require support" means your daughter's engineering degree will finally pay off.
"Vigorous" is code for "has a Napoleonic compulsion to take over the world."
"Grandma's Favorite" -- until she discovered free-flowering, disease-resistant hybrids.

"At the end of the row
I stepped on the toe
Of an unemployed hoe.
It rose in offense
And struck me a blow
In the seat of my sense.
It wasn't to blame
But I called it a name.
And I must say it dealt
Me a blow that I felt
Like a malice prepense.
You may call me a fool,
But was there a rule
The weapon should be
Turned into a tool?
And what do we see?
The first tool I step on
Turned into a weapon."

- Robert Frost, The Objection to Being Stepped On



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