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 …

Got Downy Mildew?

As you know from previous What’s Hoppening posts, the first signs that a plant is infected with downy mildew will be basal spikes. But these are not the only symptoms of downy mildew. As the season progresses, aerial spikes and infected leaves will begin to appear. Like basal spikes, aerial spikes are indicative of systemic …

April Showers Bring May…Downy Mildew

Although the rain is a welcome change from last year, all this moisture indicates that it is prime downy mildew season! Since April 15, we have had 8 days with a high likelihood for infection at the hopyard at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT, compared to only 2 at this point last year. Downy …

Recruiting NE Hop Growers for Pest and Nutrient Management Project

Our University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops & Soils (NWCS) Team is currently recruiting Northeast hop growers for a 3-year NE-SARE project looking to advance pest and nutrient management strategies for Northeast hop production. As a participant, you will have access to the following opportunities. Complete an introductory survey that allows us to collect basic …

Hop Cone Disease Symptoms

Why are my hop cones black? Harvest is approaching quickly and for some may be well underway! This season’s wet conditions have resulted in high disease pressure on the hop plants. These diseases are now starting to show up on the cones of the plant. At this time, we have identified primary fungi downy mildew …

Come On Over to Our Hopyard, 7/23

Join us this Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for our annual Crops and Soils Field Day at the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh. The day will include tour stops to our hopyard where we will discuss critical hop insect and disease pests and our research–including new trials on bio fungicides–to …

3 Things that Matter in Pest Scouting: Location, Location, Location

“There are three things that matter in property: location, location, location.” We have found that location also matters in growing hops, particularly this spring. Southern Vermont has been exceptionally dry for long periods, while northern parts of our region have been soggy, to say the least. The cool, wet conditions that we’ve been experiencing in …

Time to Manage Downy Mildew

Question: Have we mentioned yet how critical downy mildew management is to the success of our Northeast hopyards? Answer: Yes, but the importance of managing this disease cannot be overstated–downy mildew can wipe out your crop for the year and even cause hill death in sensitive varieties, so please be on the lookout. Our bulletin, …

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