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A close-up of a blueberry on the cover of a midwest fruit pest management guide publication

2026-2027 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide now available

May 1, 2026

The 2026-2027 Midwest Fruit Pest Guide has been updated and the PDF files are available for download. New this year, the spray guide has been divided up into separate sections by fruit family and you can download specific sections, making it...

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A field planted with rows of green plants with standing water in the field

From Northeastern Illinois (St. Charles): Spotty frosts and continued rain create flooding and planting delays

May 1, 2026

If you established a cover crop last fall or earlier this spring, the persistent April rainfall likely worked in your favor. Across northern Illinois, April weather was highly variable but ultimately warmer and much wetter than normal, shaping planting conditions throughout the western Chicago...

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April of weather extremes

May 1, 2026

Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist, provided this article.April has continued our very warm and active spring, with average temperatures that have been 5 to 10 degrees warmer than average statewide (Figure 1). The warmth has pushed soil temperatures into the 60s and 70s statewide, well ahead...

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From St. Louis Metro East: Spring is here again

May 1, 2026

One final regional update from Elizabeth Wahle. And the cycle begins again for 2026. Asparagus harvest is ongoing and a good crop overall is being reported. Plasticulture strawberries are in week two of harvest and as usual for early berries, could benefit from some heat and...

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Listeriosis - What it is and how to prevent it

April 1, 2026

Listeriosis is a disease caused by the bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. Listeriosis is often acquired from consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Foods often...

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What specialty crop growers need to know about the Dicamba over-the-top in soybeans for 2026

April 1, 2026

In February, the USEPA announced that three dicamba-containing products were approved for over-the-top (OTT) applications in soybean fields in 2026, with validity for only two years pending further review. Those three products are: Stryax (Bayer), Engenia (BASF), and...

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From Southwestern Illinois (Waterloo): Perennial fruit crops moving ahead despite cold weather

April 1, 2026

We have been on the spring roller coaster for temperatures in southern Illinois. March 15-17 saw temperatures plummet, with March 16 not even getting above freezing. We saw lows down to the upper teens across the area. However, by the weekend we were pushing 90 degrees for high...

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ginger rhizome seed stock with bluish gray mold on edge

Ginger grant update: Illinois ginger growers' rhizome seed issues and learning opportunities

April 1, 2026

Heading into year two of the Illinois Ginger Growers Collaborative project, fourteen small farmers and six Extension field staff have just received their ginger rhizome seed pieces. Four varieties of ginger rhizome seed from two different vendors are being evaluated for vigor, disease incidence or...

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map of illinois with blue and green colors showing low temperatures across the state

From St. Louis Metro East: Growers may have lucked out following temperature roller coaster around St. Patrick's Day

April 1, 2026

The luck of the leprechauns may have been with growers this St. Patrick’s Day. By that I mean apples and peaches in Southern Illinois were/are all in bud development stages sensitive to below freezing temperatures, and we definitely got below freezing. Where the luck came in is...

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From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Storm damage from early March changes research plans

April 1, 2026

The mid March cold snap brought temperatures in the 18 to 22 degree range across southern Illinois. Double row covers on plasticulture strawberries did not provide enough protection to save flowers from popcorn up to full bloom in maturity. Flowers in tight bud were saved for the most part. As of...

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Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Latest Posts

2026-2027 Midwest Fruit Pest Management Guide now available

From Northeastern Illinois (St. Charles): Spotty frosts and continued rain create flooding and planting delays

April of weather extremes

From St. Louis Metro East: Spring is here again

Listeriosis - What it is and how to prevent it

What specialty crop growers need to know about the Dicamba over-the-top in soybeans for 2026

From Southwestern Illinois (Waterloo): Perennial fruit crops moving ahead despite cold weather

Ginger grant update: Illinois ginger growers' rhizome seed issues and learning opportunities

From St. Louis Metro East: Growers may have lucked out following temperature roller coaster around St. Patrick's Day

From Dixon Springs Ag Center: Storm damage from early March changes research plans

Blog Authors

Nathan Johanning

Bronwyn Aly

Nick Frillman