Aroostook Hops, Westfield, ME Project Summary (full report available at www.aroostookhops.com) The purpose of this project was to determine if a broad-spectrum OMRI-certified insecticide can be used to control major pests of hops (including leafhoppers) to increase hop productivity without creating other pest management challenges or a reduction in beneficial arthropods. We used pyrethrin treatment …
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4th Annual Industrial Hemp Conference
The University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets invite you to the Fourth Annual Industrial Hemp Conference (click to view the conference brochure)! All information is also available at http://go.uvm.edu/conferences This event will be held virtually over two days – Tuesday, March 15, 9am—1pm …
Hop Sensory Training Courses
UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils program is hosting “The Basics of Descriptive Sensory Analysis” 2021 Sensory Training course. UVM Extension’s sensory expert, Roy Desrochers, will be the instructor for this interactive comprehensive six module virtual training program, that will be held Tuesday and Thursdays from March 30 to April 15, 8:30am to 10:00am. The …
Japanese Beetles in Hops in the Northeast
The Japanese beetle (Popillia Japonica) can be a significant economic pest in Northeastern hop yards. Japanese beetles begin to show up in Vermont at the very end of June or early July, and are most active on warm, sunny days. We spotted a Japanese beetle in our hop yard at Borderview Farm on July 1. …
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Potato Leafhoppers have Arrived!
It is leafhopper season again and those pesky insects have been spotted at our research hop yard at Borderview Research Farm, in Alburgh, Vermont. This is a great time to start scouting for insects as well as for disease to ensure proper management of all hop pests. So far, this season has not been conducive …
Early Season Management
Now is a great time to prepare for the upcoming season as plants are beginning to come out of dormancy. If you haven’t ordered your coir for the season, now is the time to do so while also taking inventory of other necessary tools and supplies such as w-clips, applicators, and pruners to name a …
What to be on the lookout for in your hop yard
The three major arthropod pests of hops in the Northeast are Potato Leafhopper (PLH), Two-spotted Spider Mites (TSSM), and Hop Aphids (HA). This incidence of these pests in hop yards is based on the weather conditions, and we found that the hop aphids preferred cool and moist conditions and populations peaked around the time of …
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Scouting for Downy Mildew
Scouting for downy mildew in the hop yard. Now that the growing season is underway, it is important to be on the lookout for downy mildew! This spring has been very rainy, and the excess moisture on the hop plants creates ideal conditions for downy mildew infections. Downy mildew produces spores in warm, moist conditions …
Stringing and Training Hops
Stringing often starts in April for many farmers in the Northeast. Stringing consists of tying coir twine to the top supporting wire of the hop trellis and stapling the bottom of twine into the ground next to the hop plant. Depending on trellising style and setup, 1-4 strings will be run to each crown, though …
Crowning and Early Season Downy Mildew Control
Hop downy mildew is currently the biggest disease concern for Northeastern hop growers. Downy mildew overwinters in the hop crown and primary inoculum will be released from the first shoots. Removal of the infected crown or the first flush of spring hop growth is called “crowning” or “scratching”. Shoot removal is used as an early season preventative measure …
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