The big question on everyone’s mind is whether the peach crop has been affected by the recent cold snap. Experience tells us -9°F is the benchmark temperature of concern for peaches, where there is an ever-increasing risk of bloom thinning and cambial damage as temperatures approach and drop past...

Rain, rain, glorious rain!!!  We are happily finally getting some much-needed rain in quantities that actually can help us recover the depletion of soil moisture from over the first month of this year.  The nice part is that it really is not hampering any major field activities right now...

Just like growers who attend winter meetings to increase their knowledge and skills, Extension educators are continuously learning new or updated information to provide current, relevant research-based information to individuals, families, and groups that we serve. I recently attended the 2023...

Illinois producers and agribusiness leaders are increasingly seeking new opportunities to boost local food systems. Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), Illinois Specialty Growers Association (ISGA) and the Illinois Farmers Market Association (IFMA) are excited to announce the return of the From Food to...

The cover crops, spring oats and crimson clover, seeded on October 4 in our “treatment” high tunnel have established very well. The spring oat crop is expected to winter kill and the crimson clover will continue to grow until termination in the spring. The outside temperature reached an overnight...

The active ingredient chlorothalonil (e.g. Bravo, Daconil) is undergoing the registration review process, and the public comment period is now open through January 17 for the EPA’s Chlorothalonil, Proposed Interim...

Hydroponic production allows for different configurations or growing systems that can include gutters, rails, troughs, buckets, slabs, and bags, as well as different substrates or growing media including perlite, coconut coir, rockwool, and more. Couple production system versatility with controlled...

Apples are in the ‘EverCrisp’ window, and the pumpkin crop looks great. The corn and soybean harvest has been in full swing since the third full week of September, and most of those days have been rain free. According to the US drought monitor, the St Louis Metro east is running...

Cover crops were seeded on October 4 in preparation for year two of the Illinois Department of Agriculture HR 133 grant: Strategies for Improving Biological Control of Insect Pests for Vegetable Growers Utilizing High Tunnels. The process Seeding of spring oats at 30 lbs/acre,...

With our research partner, Freeport High School Student Vegetable Farm, the annual strawberry plants study has continued to grow well into September. In July and August, we removed runners and cleaned the beds weekly to reduce pest pressure (yellow jackets, lygus bugs, small mammals). While these...