Growing degree days since April 1: 3070 GDD (Average (11 year): 3060) at Springfield (From the Illinois State Water Survey Degree-Day Calculator)
4 inch soil temp: 76.9° F at Springfield (10 am 4-inch Soil Temperature Under Bare Soil; From the Illinois State Water Survey Illinois Climate Network)
Hot dry weather and aphids. Conditions could not be more favorable for aphids across the spectrum of susceptible plants right now. An important consideration for aphid control is at what growth stage is the plant that we are dealing with. A timely example is that of pumpkins. At our recent pumpkin field day, Dr. Rick Weinzierl explained to us that if pumpkins are infested with aphids right now, we must consider if the vines are nearly ready to die back or if the fruit is still growing. So, if vines are dying back, a normal process prior to harvest, one might consider NOT spraying for the pest. However, aphids, by nature of how they attack plants create honeydew on the fruit. This makes the fruit "dirty" in appearance (see above photo) and necessitates cleaning before trying to market. An informational article on the seasonal nature of aphids, written by Dr. Weinzierl, can be found here.
The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act: What it means for you and your farm Webinar. U of I Extension, along with Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Illinois Farmers Market Association and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition will present a webinar on October 3 covering the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The webinar will run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. There is no charge for the webinar, but registration is required. For more information and to register click here.
Source: University of Illinois at Urbana