IFVN Vol. 31, No. 3 | April 2025 | Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News | Illinois Extension

Monitoring key insect pests in tree fruits using pheromone traps

March 27, 2025

Apple and peach growers, it is that time of year again to order your pheromone traps for insect pest monitoring. These traps should be used through harvest to monitor for pests. Traps are useful for monitoring many insects of fruit crops, and the most important pests for Illinois growers are listed in Table 1. What kind of traps work best? Large plastic...

Blog articles

cartoon drawing of a red shape with a sad face holding a sign with words

Protect your customers and loved ones from Norovirus

March 27, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Norovirus is the number one cause of foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States. The number of Norovirus cases reported to the...

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rows of green plants inside high tunnel with sections covered in clear plastic

From Dixon Springs Ag Center: High tunnel cover crop solarization

March 27, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Vegetable transplants are growing well in the greenhouse and should be ready for planting within our high tunnels in the next 2 to 3 weeks. Peaches are in bloom and the summer apple variety in my front yard was at tight cluster. In partnership with our local high school FFA clubs, we hosted another...

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equipment on back of tractor drilling seeds into a field

From Southwestern Illinois (Waterloo): Taking a gamble on early sweet corn planting

March 27, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

It is starting to feel like spring. Our area has actually been very dry for March until this past weekend when we got 1.23” of rain Saturday morning. Prior to that the soil was exceptionally dry, having missed multiple other storm systems. Other than 0.35” of rainfall on March 5,...

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close up of small apple fruit forming on the tree

New fruit thinner in the pipeline

March 27, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Don’t expect it for the 2025 season in Illinois but look for a new apple and pear thinner from ADAMA under the trade name Brevis SG possibly in 2026. The company’s U.S. launch will start with Washington state this year, then expand in 2026. The active ingredient, metamitron works...

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field with rows of green strawberry plants and a person pulling a white row cover off of the plants

From St. Louis Metro East: Field work ramping up with warming temperatures

March 27, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

Sprayers are up and running for the 2025 season. Plasticulture strawberries are uncovered, and the first round of fungicide has been applied, as well as the first dose of fertilizer. So far, no signs of ...

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tree seedlings in soil growing in black pots

From Central Illinois (Bloomington): Learn by doing - bench grafting

March 27, 2025

Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Growers

This past week, after much preparation and study, I bench-grafted 24 semi-dwarf apple trees with a grafting-knowledgeable friend on Thursday the 13th in Bloomington. Grafting method used was the whip-and-tongue graft. With daytime temperatures topping out at 68F, and a light breeze, we couldn’t...

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mealy bug infestation on a brussel sprout plant leaf

2024 Recap: Common pest concerns and how to control them in 2025

January 13, 2025

Over the Garden Fence

Did you have a pest issue in 2024 and did not know how to treat it? Insect pests can cause cosmetic challenges, disease concerns, and edibility issues in fruits and vegetables, which leads to product loss. Developing a pest management strategy for garden and farm systems is important to combat...

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Events

April 11, 2025

Southern Illinois Grow Gathering at St. Louis Area Foodbank
Connect, learn, and collaborate with IL-EATS partners in Southern IllinoisSt. Louis Area Foodbank will host the Southern Illinois Grow Gathering on Friday, April 11, bringing together IL-EATS lead agencies, farmers, community...

toilet suspended in air by the metal plumbing — LESS SERIOUSLY: Do you think it still flushes?