Fruit and Vegetable Crop Update

Growing degree days since April 1: 3203 GDD at Springfield (Average (11 year average 3174) (From the Illinois State Water Survey Degree-Day Calculator)
4 inch soil temp: 61.4°F (10 am 4-inch soil temperature under bare soil) (From the Illinois State Water Survey Illinois Climate Network)

Organic Cost Share Resources Issued by NOP. USDA National Organic Program (NOP) has announced a revised Frequently Asked Questions document and a new fact sheet to support the Organic Certification Cost Share Programs. These programs reimburse individual organic operators up to 75% of their certification costs up to $750 per category of certification. Information about the Illinois Program is available at http://www.agr.state.il.us/organic-cost-share/

Working Towards a Thriving Year-Round Local Food System with High Tunnel Workshop. Learn how high tunnels are being used by farmers to connect with their markets without pause, provide a more balanced income, and contribute to a healthy, vibrant community throughout the year on November 3 from 1:00-4:00 pm at LLCC in Springfield. For more information and to register, click here.

Fall is a Good Time to Control Perennial Broadleaf Weeds. Perennial broadleaf weeds–those that survive winters as tubers, roots, rhizomes, or crowns–can be difficult to manage in vegetable crops. Canada thistle, field bindweed, and horsenettle are common examples. Applying control measures at key times in the weed life-cycle is important. Late summer and fall before a killing frost is one of those times. At this time of year, perennial weeds move sugars out of leaves and down into underground storage organs. There, the energy-rich compounds will remain until spring, when they are mobilized to provide energy for growth of new stems, leaves, and roots.

A number of herbicides move along the same pathway in plants (the phloem) as sugars do, including glyphosate, 2,4-D, and dicamba. When these phloem-mobile herbicides are applied to perennial plants at this time of year, they move down into the underground storage organs and kill or disrupt growth and development of those plant parts. The result is a weakened or dead plant the following spring. For herbicides to be most effective, leaves of the perennial plant should be healthy and green at the time of application. Control can be improved if it is possible to till weeds a week or so after herbicide application, let them regrow, and then make a second application. Combinations of herbicides work better than a single ingredient. Refer to herbicides labels for rates recommended for specific weeds at the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers (ID-56). (Dr. Liz Maynard, Purdue University) For organic control strategies, check out Weed Management on Organic Farms.

Source: University of Illinois