Pumpkins are typically planted in Ohio from late May through June. This year, a wet start delayed planting in many areas, followed by a stretch of moderate drought in midsummer.
“Pumpkins and squash are about 90% water,” Jasinski said. “When it’s hot and dry, some fruit won’t size up fully, or smaller fruit may abort altogether.”
The silver lining?
Drier conditions reduced the prevalence of common fungal diseases like powdery mildew, downy mildew and Phytophthora, lessening the need for chemical management.
“While disease pressure was relatively low, growers did see increased insect pressure from pests like striped cucumber beetle and squash bug,” Jasinski said. “Those are managed through crop rotation, hybrid selection and pesticide applications when thresholds are exceeded.”
Acreage steady, but prices may climb
Though Ohio ranks among the top 10 pumpkin-producing states, it differs from states like Illinois that have a large pumpkin-canning sector. In Ohio, nearly all pumpkins are sold fresh either in stores or directly to consumers at farm markets and pick-your-own patches.
That makes local demand and retail conditions particularly important.
“Unlike in states with large processing sectors, demand in Ohio is driven by agritourism and direct sales,” said Gabriel Lade, associate professor in the CFAES Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics and holder of the C. William Swank Chair in Rural and Urban Policy. “Given the warm, sunny weather this fall, I’d expect an uptick in demand at local patches.
Source : osu.edu