Blog Posts

Tractor sprayer
Read article: Training and testing options for the remainder of the pesticide application season
Training and testing options for the remainder of the pesticide application season
Do you still need to obtain your Illinois pesticide applicator or operator license? Now that the in-person pesticide safety education clinics have...
green strawberry plants growing in rows on black plastic mulch
Read article: Strawberry plasticulture field observations from southern Illinois
Strawberry plasticulture field observations from southern Illinois
As strawberry plasticulture growers are closing in on the end of the fall growing season for the annual production system, the impact of the...
Bacterial wetwood: symptoms, causes, and management tips photo of tree trunk with wound that has discoloration below it on the bark
Read article: Bacterial wetwood: symptoms, causes, and management tips
Bacterial wetwood: symptoms, causes, and management tips
As the autumn leaves fall from our trees, the trunk and branching structure become more prominent and visible. This transformation can add new...
A stack of recently cut logs
Read article: The Hidden Dangers of Sharing Firewood: Protecting Our Trees
The Hidden Dangers of Sharing Firewood: Protecting Our Trees
If there is one certainty for all humans is that we are drawn to natural elements. Two of the best examples are how we can become transfixed when...

News Releases

Pink and orange blooming zinnia flowers speckled with white powdery mildew on leaves
Prevent, protect zinnias from powdery mildew
URBANA, Ill. — The summer is always a little brighter in the garden when brightly colored zinnias are among the various plants. Zinnias are heat and drought-tolerant plants that attract a variety of summer pollinators. This flower thrives early in the season, but as summer temperatures rise and...
old style telephone on tan backdrop
Helpline answers Home Gardening Questions
Have a gardening question?  The Master Gardener Helpline at the University of Illinois Extension is open for the season. Designed to help the home gardener with their questions, the helpline is staffed with Master Gardener volunteers who will provide a research-based...
Youth teams standing at a crop scouting station discussing plants with a researcher.
Illinois crop competition calls for youth scouting teams
URBANA, Ill. — The Illinois Youth Crop Scouting Competition is not just any competition. It is a unique opportunity for agriculture students to showcase skills and knowledge while working on a team competing for a prize...
pumpkins and mums near wagon
Holiday favorite gourd is good to go for 2022
Few of us stop to wonder how that slice of pumpkin pie made it onto our plate, but if it weren't for the Illinois pumpkin industry and plant pathologist and Extension specialist Mohammad Babadoost, the classic fall...

Videos

Identification and Control of Woody Invasive Plants

Invasive shrubs, trees, and vines are a serious threat to native plants and natural areas in Illinois. Species such as Amur honeysuckle and common buckthorn can grow so dense that they nearly block all of the light to the forest floor. Vines, like Oriental bittersweet can wrap around trees so...