Be on the lookout! Keep an eye on your cucurbits for powdery mildew!  

Powdery mildew is a very common disease on
cucurbits (cucumbers, zucchini, squash, melons). Powdery mildew is likely to
first appear within a month and continue throughout the season. This video
shows the identification, life cycle, and scouting technique, and describes
biofungicide options for powdery mildew on cucurbits – https://youtube.com/watch?v=00mAyMRwuKE&t=24s 

The 2016 research report Evaluating the Efficacy of Organic Approved Fungicides for the Control of Powdery Milldew in Squash can be found here: https://bit.ly/2tjRyQO 

Image: Powdery mildew on squash leaf, Alburgh, Vermont, 2016.

This season the NWCS team is interested in collecting smut infected grain heads with a goal of identifying all smut disease that are present in the Northeast. We are looking for farmers to notify us if they spot smut in their small grain fields. Smuts are one of the easiest grain diseases to spot in the field (Image 1. Loose smut infected wheat head, Burlington, VT).

As winter and spring grains begin to head out and flower, you can start to see the visual signs of smut. There are several types of the smut pathogen found in the Northeast: Loose smut (Wheat = Ustilago tritici / Barley = U. nuda), False loose smut (Barley = U. nigra / Oats = U. avenae), and Covered smut (Barley = U. hordei).

Loose smut: During spike or head emergence, diseased heads emerge slightly earlier than healthy ones and appear as a mass of dark brown spores covered with paper-like membrane. This membrane tears easily as healthy plants begin to flower, and windblown spores infect the embryos of developing seed. After the fungus invades the grain seed embryo, it remains dormant until the seed is planted and germinates. Infected plants appear to be normal, but develop smutted heads.

Covered smut: Infected plants are often stunted and heads may not completely emerge. During spike or head emergence, diseased heads emerge at the same time, or slightly later than healthy ones and appear as mass of dark brown spores covered with paper-like membrane. This membrane ruptures at plant maturity or during threshing, and the spores infect healthy seed and soil. Covered smut spores are not typically wind-dispersed. The fungal spores remain dormant on seed coat until the seed is planted and germinates. Infected plants appear to be normal, but develop smutted heads.

Planting contaminated seed, especially in organic systems, can exponentially increase grain infection rates, resulting in yield reductions; 100% of the smutted heads are lost. Eating smut infected grain poses no harmful health effects and doesn’t appear to impact baking quality.

Control

• If you find smutted heads in your fields, do not save the seed.
• Plant certified or otherwise high-quality, disease-free seed.
• Plant resistant varieties.
• Infected seed can be treated with various fungicides in conventional systems.

**If you find smutted heads in your fields, please contact Erica Cummings, erica.cummings@uvm.edu, phone: (802) 656-5392.

We began our industrial hemp research program in 2016 with the help of program donations – thank you!  Interest in the crop and research-based guidance has continued to grow, and we need your help to keep this research project going.  Please view our Industrial Hemp web page – http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/hemp to see the research and current information.

Our goal is to raise $25,000 specific for our Industrial Hemp Research Project to keep the research going and help our farmers succeed!  Please help support our Hemp Research and visit our crowdfunding page today – http://go.uvm.edu/givenwcs

Here are some quick Industrial Hemp updates –

Visit our Industrial Hemp web page to view the 2017 research reports as well as related articles – http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cropsoil/hemp

 We also have the presentation on Hemp production and processing that was given during our 2018 Grain Growers Conference – Growing and Processing Hemp (PDF) with Marc Bercier and Hannah Windatt from Eastern Ontario.

February 13, 2018

REMINDER: Upcoming Sales Closing Dates

RMA wants to remind producers about upcoming Sales Closing Dates for crop insurance coverage.  Sales closing dates vary by crop, state, and county, but in Vermont, most spring-planted crops have a sales closing date of March 15, 2018. The deadline for growers of nursery crops is May 1.

Federal crop insurance is critical to the farm safety net. It helps to mitigate the inherent risks farmers and ranchers face, from natural disasters to market related challenges. In order for producers to obtain coverage, they must to apply for coverage by the Sales Closing Date for the production year. Producers should contact their crop insurance agent soon to discuss dates and new options available. 

For more information, visit the USDA Risk Management Agency web site at:

https://www.rma.usda.gov/

Jake Jacobs

UVM Ag Risk Management and Crop Insurance Education program

Morrill Hall, University of Vermont

jake.jacobs@uvm.edu

We have some great opportunities coming up that we wanted to share with everyone.  Please see below.  If you have any questions, please contact Susan Brouillette at 802-524-6501 or susan.brouillette@uvm.edu.

2018 Nutrient Management for Vegetable Farmers – is an informative, fun, and free workshop for all vegetable growers to insure you are compliant with Vermont’s Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs).  Offered in 5 locations on 5 separate dates in February and March 2018.  View flyer for details and registration information.

2018 Winter Farmers Meeting – scheduled for Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at Champlain Valley Equipment in St. Albans.  Free event.  Online registration – wintermeeting.eventbrite.com. 4 Water quality training and 4 Custom manure applicator credits are available.

2018 No-Till Cover Crop Symposium – scheduled for Thursday, March 1, 2018 at DoubleTree Hilton, formerly known as The Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center.  View go.uvm.edu/ntcc for more details and to register.

2018 8th Annual Organic Dairy Producers Conference – scheduled for Thursday, March 15, 2018 at Vermont Technical College.  2018 Organic Dairy Producers Conference Sponsor and Exhibitor opportunities are available (click for further information). Registration, flyer and details to follow.