Specialty Crops

Illinois state climatologist, Trent Ford, shared this updated freeze risk alert for next week. After a warm March and first week of April, unseasonably cold air is going to move into the Midwest and bring a risk of widespread freeze across Illinois. The updated forecasts from the GFS (American) and...

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

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...

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,...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

One of the key decisions farmers make is about where to plant crops. This question becomes even more important if you plan to grow fresh fruits and vegetables that will likely be eaten without cooking. The field in which fresh fruits and vegetables are grown can greatly impact their safety, and the...

Nearly 110 growers from Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin joined us for the Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference in Rockford on Monday, February 17. This year’s conference was set up in the same format as last year with 3 different tracks and breakout sessions throughout the day....