2025 | Volume 16, Issue 1
Inside this issue:
- Ripening Behaviors and Harvest Indexes of Watermelons, Cantaloupes and Honeydew Melons
- BENEFICIAL BUG SPOTLIGHT: Carabid Beetles-generalist predators of many early-season pests
- Cold Damage on Early Blooming Apples and Peaches
- Evaluating Spring-Seeded Cover Crop Termination Timing for Weed Control in Watermelon
- Blossom Blast Risk for Blooming Stone Fruit Trees
- Pesticide Updates, Bulletins Live! Two and Inspect Your PPE.
- IPM Vegetable and Fruit Scouting Tips
CALLING ALL VEGETABLE GROWERS – SHAPE THE FUTURE OF RESEARCH
Vegetable growers are invited to complete a short survey about their operations to help University of Maryland Extension make research and education plans for the next few years based on results. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete and allows growers the opportunity to provide suggestions for future research directions and preferred outlets for information dissemination.
SURVEY URL: https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/jfe/form/SV_4T5Z3N9NkQRHZiK
Survey on Corn Earworm Management Practices and Costs in Sweet Corn
This short survey aims to gather information on current CEW control practices and their associated costs. This information will be used to evaluate how alternative CEW control practices can affect grower costs, sales, and financial performance. Most importantly, your participation will help us help you; this information will guide future recommendations for more sustainable management practices you can implement on your farms.
Note that this survey is aimed at fresh-market growers; a separate survey will be sent out for those who grow sweet corn for processing.
To take the survey online, please use this link (https://go.umd.edu/Earworm2025). If you prefer, reach out to Emily Zobel (ezobel@umd.edu, 410-228-8800) for a PDF version of the survey to print and fill out. For more information on the regional CEW team/project, visit CEWIPM.org for the latest updates. Your partici-pation is greatly appreciated!
Upcoming UME Events!
Event: Ag Integrated Pest Management Web Series
Time: 12 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Location: Online webinar (via Zoom)
Description: Weeds, diseases, and insects are often a major concern for growers in Maryland. Integrated pest management (IPM) programs incorporate multiple pest management strategies into their production practices. Join us monthly for timely topics to help manage pests on the farms. Hosted via Zoom, on the Third Thursday of every month at noon, these one-hour sessions are both informative and interactive, providing an opportunity for participants to learn and engage with specialists in the field.
- April 17th - Whitefly and thrips control in greenhouse and high tunnel operations - Dr. Veronica Yurchak, University of Maryland Extension Specialist, Vegetable Production
- May 15th - Managing squash bugs and cucumber beetles in cucurbit crops - Dr. Tom Kuhar, Virginia Tech.
- June 26th - Palmer amaranth and pigweed control - Dr. Kurt M. Vollmer, University of Maryland Extension Specialist-Weed Management
- July 17th - Corn spot and tar update and prevention - Andy Kness, University of Maryland Extension
- August 21st - Managing late-season corn earworm - Hayden Schug, University of Maryland Extension
- September 18th - Neo-P and other strawberry diseases - Dr. Mengjun Hu, University of Maryland
- October 16th - Cover crops for weed management - Dr. Dwayne Joseph, University of Maryland Extension
Pesticide Credits will be available but vary by date. Please contact Emily Zobel (ezobel@umd.edu) or Hayden Schug (hschug@umd.edu) for more information.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Emily Zobel (ezobel@umd.edu) or Hayden Schug (hschug@umd.edu).
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Event: Vineyard Sprayer Best Practices: Expert Forum Discussion
Date: April 15, 2025 | Tuesday
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm.
Location: Online.
Description: Discover how to enhance your vineyard’s efficiency and productivity with an informative workshop on vineyard sprayer practices. For more information and to register to receive the Zoom invitation. https://extension.psu.edu/vineyard-sprayer-best-practices-expert-forum-discussion
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Event: In Person, Lab 'n Lecture: Understanding and Complying with the New PSR Ag Water Assessment Rule
Date: April 23, 2025 | Wednesday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Cost: $20
Location: Wye Research & Education Center, 124 Wye Narrows Dr, Queenstown, MD 21658
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/produce-safety-rule-agricultural-water-assessments-workshop-tickets-1276550830899
For more information: If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this activity, contact Margaret Todd at motodd@law.umaryland.edu
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Event: In Person, PSA Produce Safety Rule Grower Training
Date: May 10, 2025 | Saturday
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Cost: $45
Location: 10789 Stewart Neck Road Princess Anne, MD 21853
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/psa-produce-safety-rule-psr-grower-training-princess-anne-md-tickets-1233875257109?aff=erelexpmlt
For more information: If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this activity, contact Margaret Todd at motodd@law.umaryland.edu
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Event: Weed Management Workshop for Small Farms
Date: May 22, 2025 | Thursday
Time: 9 am - 12:30 p.m. | Cost: $10
Location: 3901 West Bay Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21225.
To register online, go to https://go.umd.edu/smallfarmweed2025. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Emily Zobel (410)-228-8800.
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GAP Training Classes: Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training courses are eight hours of produce safety information. The goal is to have your farm's food safety plan initiated while you are in class. Classes form as requested. https://ume.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d5sq5Gbuqhm5nD0
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Hiring and Retaining Farm Employees – What you Need to Know and Do
Are you trying to find, hire and keep great employees? Is it a bit confusing and time consuming? Do you know where to start and who to involve? Are you worried about the legal considerations when having non-family members employed? This course will help you sort through all these questions and concerns. Navigating this process doesn’t have to be difficult as this course will share with you. Through the four modules of this course, you’ll get important information and resources you can adapt for your own operation. For more information go to https://agrisk.umd.edu/grant-proposals/hiring-and-retaining-farm-employees
Extensión en Español Check out Extensión en Español, a Spanish language blog by two UMD professors, Anahí Espíndola (Entomology) and Macarena Farcuh (Plant Sciences & Landscape Architecture). https://extensionesp.umd.edu/
They cover a range of topics, including fruit, pollinators, pests, soils, and pesticides.
Download Vegetable & Fruit News, Volume 16, Issue 1 (PDF)
Vegetable & Fruit News is a research-based publication for the commercial vegetable and fruit industry available electronically from April through October. Published by the University of Maryland Extension Agriculture and Food Systems team.
Subscribe to Fruit and Vegetable News
EDITOR
Emily Zobel
University of Maryland Extension Agent - Dorchester County
501 Court Lane, Room 208
Cambridge, MD 21613
Phone: (410) 410-228-8800
Email: ezobel@umd.edu
Note: Registered Trade Mark® Products, Manufacturers, or Companies mentioned within this newsletter are not to be considered as sole endorsements. The information has been provided for educational purposes only