University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign College ofAgriculture Cooperative Extension Service 69 Mumford Hall 1301 West Gregory Drive Urbana, Illinois 61801 HelpingYou PutKnowledgetoWork Illinois Universityof Illinois Cooperative atUrbana Champaign Extension CollegeotAgriculture Service .»' \ I i (UNIVERSITJY KSS^ ll --cm, 1 EGRJCULli // I Midwest Vegetable Production Guide <- Commercial Growers *" for fC 5 1993 * %C2o. 7 /to. 5-'#» 4 University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service // H ^ // Illinois Poison Information Centers St. John's Hospital 800 e. Carpenter Springfield, IL 62706 (800)252-2022 (Central & Southern Illinois) Swedish American Hospital 1400 Charles St. Rockford, IL 61104 (800) 543-2022 (Northern Illinois) Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital 1653 W. Congress Parkway Chicago, IL 60612 (312)942-5969 Outside of 312 calling area: (800)942-5969 (Chicago and Northeast Illinois) abbreviations for pesticides PHI Pre-Harvest Interval, the minimum allowable time indaysbetween the latest pesticideappli- cation and crop harvest AI Active Ingredient COC Crop Oil Concentrate D dust formulation DF,DG dry flowable or water dispersible granule for- mulation E,EC emulsifiablc concentrate F flowable formulation G granular formulation L,LC liquid concentrate formulation W,WP wettable powder formulation The information given herein is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsementby Universityof IllinoisCooperative ExtensionServiceis implied. Insect,disease,and weed control recommendationsin thepublicationarevalid only for 1993. Ifregistrationfor any of the chemicals suggested is changed during the year since the time of publication (December, 1992), we will informallarea and countyExtension workers. Ifin doubt about theuseofanychemical,check with yourExtension agent or chemical company representative. The authors and University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service assume no liability foromission or foruseormisuseofinformation contained herein. Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers 1993 Editors Purdue University: RickFoster, Entomology (Lead Author);Richard Latin,Botanyand PlantPathology; JamesSimon,SteveWeller, Horticulture. UniversityofIllinois: RickWeinzierl, Entomology;DarinEastburn,PlantPathology; JohnMasiunas, Horticulture. Iowa StateUniversity: HenryTaber, Horticulture. UniversityofMissouri: BruceBarrett,Entomology. Contributors Purdue University: Gerald E. Brust,RickFoster, Entomology;RalphGreen, Richard Latin,Botanyand PlantPathology; DennisScott,JamesSimon, Ed Tigchelaar,SteveWeller, Horticulture. UniversityofIllinois: RickWeinzierl, Entomology;DarinEastburn,PlantPathology; JohnMasiunas, Horticulture. Iowa StateUniversity: MarkGleason,PlantPathology;HarleneHatterman-Valent,Weed Science; VinceLawson,HenryTaber,Horticulture; Donald Lewis, Entomology. UniversityofMissouri: BruceBarrett,ClydeSorenson, Entomology; EinerPalm, Hal Shafer, PlantPathology; RayNabors, Area ExtensionSpecialist. Lincoln University: Dyremple Marsh,David Sasseville,Horticulture. Contents Reference Information Page Crop Recommendations, cont Page Soil Sampling and Analysis 2 Carrots 78 Useof Plastic Mulch 2 Cauliflower 37 Irrigation 3 Collards 83 Time from Pollination to Market Maturity 4 Cucumber 44 Yields ofVegetable Crops 4 Dry Bean 87 Postharvest Handlingand Storage Life 5 Eggplant 54 Farm Labor Law Information 6 Endive 83 Precautions with Pesticides 6 Herbs 83 Useof Bees with VegetableCrops 8 Kale 83 Field Re-entry Standards for Pesticides 9 Lettuce (Head and Leaf) 83 Fungicide/Insecticide Compatibility Chart ... 10 Lima Bean 87 Insect Management Strategies 11 Mint (Peppermint and Spearmint) 57 Insecticides & Acaricides Registered For Muskmelon 44 Use on Midwest Vegetables in 1993 14 Mustard 83 Common Namesof Registered Insecticides 15 Onions (Bulband Green) 59 ... Weed Management Strategies 16 Parsley 83 Herbicide Effectiveness Guide 23 Parsnip 78 Common Names of Registered Herbicides .... 24 Pea 62 Herbicide Reference Guide 25 Pepper 65 Disease Management Strategies 27 Potato 69 Common Namesof Registered Fungicides 30 Pumpkin 92 .... Fungicide Reference Guide 31 Radish 78 Soilborne Disease and NematodeControl 33 Rhubarb 76 Calibration of Application Equipment 113 Snap Bean 87 Spinach 83 Crop Recommendations Squash 92 Asparagus 34 Sweet Com 96 Beet 78 Sweet Potato 102 Broccoli 37 Tomato 104 Brussels Sprouts 37 Turnip 78 Cabbage 37 Watermelon 44 /\G Library Soil Sampling and Analysis Maintaining mineral soil at a soil pH 6.0 to 6.8 and Soil samplesshouldbetakenat thesametimeofthe organicsoilatasoilpH55to5.8isrecommendedformost year, preferably fall or early spring. Soil pH will vary vegetablecrops. Soil pH shouldbeadjusted onlyonthe seasonally, making comparisons between winter and basisofasoil test,whichshouldbeconducted routinely. summersamplesdifficult. Samplescanbeanalyzed for Ifyoursoil haslittlenatural bufferingcapacity,low clay pH,limeindex,availableBrayPI phosphorus,exchange- content and low cation exchange capacity (GEO, then able potassium, calcium, magnesium, CEC, color, and annual soil tests are recommended. Such sandy soils texture. Thelimeindexdeterminesthetons/acreoflime include those found along the Wabash, Illinois, required forthefield. Thelimerecommendationshould Kankakee,and Mississippi rivers. be broadcast and worked into the entire plowlayer. In pH LowpH(oracid)soilscanbeasignificantproblemin atidbdliettioolnatrogtehvearrioauttiionneswiantseorilpHtessht,osuolidlsbtehattesatreedsfuosrcseapl-t most vegetable producing regions. Vegetables grown pH.ThepH(salt)providesamoreaccurateestimateofthe under acid soil conditions lack vigor and yield poorly. trueacidityinthesesoiltypesbysimulatingtheeffectsof Undersevereconditions,visibleinjuryonthefoliagecan fertilizersaltsonsoil pH. occurasaresultofmagnesiumdeficiencyand/ormanga- nesetoxicity. The problem canbeeasily prevented and Soil samples should be sent to a commercial soil corrected for the next cropby a proper lime application testinglaboratory. Atestinglab'sfertilizerrecommenda- basedonsoilanalysis. MagnesiumdeficiencyinlowpH tionsforthevegetablegrownina particularfield willbe soils can be corrected by an application of dolomitic moreprecisethanthefertilizerrecommendationsgivenin limestone. Inlowmagnesium,highpHsoils,magnesium thispublication. Becausesoillabsusedifferentanalytical can be applied as a soluble Mg salt. Be sure to inquire methods, different results and fertilizer recommenda- aboutthemagnesiumcontentinthelimestone. tions mayoccur. Nitrogen recommendationsareon the basisofpastcroppinghistoryand soil characteristics. Soil samples for testing should be representative of pH thefield,aslargevariationsinsoil canoccurinagiven field. Instructionsfortakingsoilsamplesareavailableat yourcountyExtensionagent'soffice. Use of Plastic Mulch Blackplasticmulchlaidbeforeplantingaidsinweed the ground can be worked after a heavy rain. Plastic control, reduces root pruning, and gives profitable mulch shouldbelaidovermoistsoil. Iftheplasticislaid increases in early yields. While black plastic is more overdrysoil,itwillactuallydelaysubsequenttransplant effective for melon production in Illinois and Indiana, growth. Itisbetterthattheplasticbelaidatmiddaysothat clearplasticismoreeffectivethanblackinnorthernIowa. itcanbestretched tight. Donotoverstretchbecausecool Despite the increased weed control problem with clear nightsmayactuallycause theplasticto tear. plastic,itstillmaybeadvantageoustouseit forveryearly Theseedbed should beasfineaspossiblesoyoucan production. Thenew wavelength sensitivemulchesare getagoodcovering;rototillingispreferred. Theplasticis superiortoblackplastic forearliness,butnotaseffective laid byburyingabout 2inchesofeach edge. as clear and their cost is currently restrictive. Because leaching is retarded, less fertilizer is lost, and nitrogen Adisadvantageofplasticmulchisdisposalattheend sidedressing are often unnecessary with the plastic of the season. Many landfills do not accept plastic mulch. If nitrogen needs to be added, it can beapplied mulches. Photodegradable plastic mulches have been later through theirrigation system. developed, but their season-long persistence has been a problemandtheydegradeintosmallpiecesofplasticthat Trytolaytheplasticasearlyintheseasonaspossible, contaminate the environment. Biodegradable plastic suchasfrommidtolateApril. Itshouldbelaidassoonas mulchesarenotyet widelyavailable. . Irrigation and Water Management Vegetables require an adequate supply ofmoisture throughout their entire growth. While the frequency and amountofwatermayvaryupontheindividualvegetablecrop,theageofthecrop,currentsoilmoisture,andtype ofsoil and weather conditions, generally 1 to 1.5 acre inchesofwaterare required each week. Effective Rooting Depth ofSelected Vegetables Shallow Moderate Deep (6-12") (18-24") (>36") Beet Brussels sprouts Asparagus Broccoli Cabbage Lima Bean Carrot Cucumber Pumpkin Cauliflower Eggplant Squash, winter Celery Muskmelon Sweet Potato Greens & Herbs Pea Watermelon Onion Pepper Radish Potato Spinach Snap Bean Squash, summer Sweet Corn Tomato Irrigationisimportanttoensurethatcropsgerminateand emergeproperly,establishgood uniformstands and growvigorously. Inadequatemoistureatthebeginningofacrop'sgrowthcanresultindelayedanduneven emergence,poorstandsandloweredyields. Monitortheamountofrainfallandbaseirrigationschedulingonthe wateruseofthecropandthesoilmoisture. Mostvegetablesgrowbestat50%-80%soilmoisture. Whenirrigating, bringthesoil'smoisturecontenttofieldcapacitywithintheeffectiverootingzoneoftheindividualvegetable. Do not wait until crops show signs of wilting or poor growth to irrigate. While nitrogen may be applied through trickleirrigation(fertigation),itisstillrecommended that50%oftotalNbeappliedinapreplant,broadcastform. Ifplasticmulch isbeingused, be sure that the soil is moistprior to laying themulch. Transplants putinto adrysoilundera mulchoftendopoorlybecauseoftheincreased difficultyinuniformly'rewetting'thedrysoil. Shortagesofadequate waterduring specific developmental stagescan seriouslyreduce vegetable quality andcauselargeyieldlosses. Ashortageofwaterduringthesedevelopmentalstagesmaycausepoorheadorroot formation incolecrops; incompletepollination, fertilization,and seeddevelopmentincornorbeans; canoccur in rootcropsand tipburn in salad greens. Moisture stressin sweetcorn can result in fewerears,uneven tipfill and smaller ears. Water stress also may affect the plant'sresistance to pests. The most critical period of water availability for vegetables is listed below*. Crops should receive adequate water during these stages and throughouttheentiregrowingseason. Watershortagesduringthesecriticalperiodscanresultinyieldreductions as high as 60%, dependingon thecrop. Keep in mind however, that water shortages even duringnon-critical stagesofplant development can still result in 10-20% yield reduction. Crop* Most Critical Period 1 broccoli, cabbage head development cauliflower, lettuce 2. carrot, radish, beet, turnip root enlargement 3. sweet corn tasseling and ear development 4. cucumber, eggplant, pepper, flowering, fruit set and maturation melon, tomato 5. bean, pea flowering, fruit set and development 6. onion bulb development *For transplants, transplanting and stand establishment represent a most critical period foradequate water. Approximate Time from Pollination to Market Maturity Under Warm Growing Conditions Vegetable Days to Market Maturity Bean 7-10 Corn, market 18-23* Corn, processing 21-27* Cucumber, pickling (3/4-1 1/8 inch in diameter) 4-5 Cucumber, slicing 15-18 Eggplant (2/3 maximum size) 25^0 Muskmelon 40-50 Okra 4-6 Pepper,green stage (about maximum size) 45-55 Pepper, red stage 60-70 Pumpkin,Jack-o-lantern 90-120 Pumpkin, Baking 65-75 Squash, summer,Zucchini 3^4** Squash, winter, Butternut 60-70 Squash, winter, Hubbard 80-90 Squash, winter, Table Queen or Acorn 55-60 Tomato, mature green stage 35-45 Tomato, red ripe stage 45-60 Watermelon 40-50 * From 50% silking ** For a weightof 0.25-0.5 lb. Yields of Vegetable Crops Expected Yields in Tons perAcre Crop Average Good Excellent Asparagus 1 1-2 2 Bean, snap 2 4 5 Cabbage 13 15 20 Corn, sweet 3 8 10 Cucumber, slicing 4 12 15 Cucumber, pickling, hand harvest 7 10 12 Muskmelon 8 12 16 Onion 15 20 25 Pepper, green 5 10 13 Potato (fall) 10 15 20 Tomato, fresh market 6 13 15 Tomato, processing 20 25 35 Watermelon 8 12 20 POSTHARVEST HANDLING AND STORAGE LlFE OF FRESH VEGETABLES Carefulattentionshouldbegiventothepostharvesthandlingand storageoffreshmarketvegetables. Lack ofadequaterefrigerationandcoolingwillresultinashortenedshelf-lifeand lowerqualityofthefreshvegetable. Thefollowinglistofrecommended storageconditioninformationhasbeenmodified fromLorenz&Maynard's Knott's Handbookfor VegetableGrowers. ^fnrage Conditions HighestFreezing Relative Relative Vegetable Temperature CF) Temperature CF) Humidity (%) Storage Life Broccoli 31 32 90-95 10-14 days Cabbage, late 30 32 90-95 3-4 months Cauliflower 31 32 90-95 2-4 weeks Corn 31 32 90-95 4-8 days Cucumber 31 45-50 90-95 10-14 days Muskmelon 30 36-40 85-90 5-10days Watermelon 31 40-50 80-85 2-3 weeks Pepper, green 31 45-50 90-95 2-3 weeks Pepper, ripe 31 40-45 90-95 1 week Potato, early 31 Note' 90 Note1 Potato, late 31 Note2 90 Note2 Pumpkin 30 50-55 70-75 2-3 months Squash, winter 30 50-55 50-75 Note3 Tomato, mature-green 31 55-70 85-90 1-3 weeks Tomato, firm-ripe 31 45-50 85-90 4-7days Mostsummer-harvested potatoes arenot stored. However, theycanbeheld 4-5 monthsat 40Tifcured 4 or moredaysat60-70*Fbeforestorage. Theycanbestored 2-3monthsat50Twithoutcuring. Potatoesforchips should be held at 70Torconditioned forbest chip quality. Fall-harvested potatoes should be cured at 45-60T and high relative humidity for 10-14 days. Storage temperaturesforseedortablestockshouldbeloweredgraduallyto38-40*F. Potatoesintended forprocessing shouldbestoredat 50-55T. Thosestoredatlowertemperaturesorwithahighreducingsugarcontentshould be conditioned at 70T for 1-4 weeks or until trial cooking testsare satisfactory. Winter-squashvarietiesdifferin storagelife. TableQueensquashcanbestored for35-55days;Butternut,60- 90 days; Hubbard, 180 days. Care should be taken not to keep the temperature too low. Cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, sweet pepper, potato, snapbean, squash and tomato are among the most susceptible vegetables to chillingor freezinginjury. Someofthetypicalsymptomsofcoldinjury whichcanmakethevegetablesunmarketableincludepitting,water- soaked spots, browning and surface decay . Farm Labor Law Information Toobtaininformationabout the Immigrationand Reform Actand current related farm/laborlawswhich specify employerresponsibilities and seasonal agricultural worker status, contact: In Indiana: Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). John Klemme, Officer in Charge, 950N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. INS Toll-free Hotline: (317)226-6009. Migrant Farmworkers Project. Nancy Hale, Director, 151 N. DelawareStreet, Suite 1800, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Toll-free: (800) 869-3505 or (317) 631-4910 ext. 236. In Illinois: Travel Control Section, Immigration and NaturalizationService, 10W. Jackson, Chicago, IL 60604, (312) 353-7334. (Migrant FarmWorkersand Farm Labor) Departmentof Labor, 310S. Michigan Ave.,Chicago, IL60604, (312) 793-2804. In Missouri: Information unavailable. In Iowa: IowaDept.ofEmploymentServices,Attn: GeorgeSelser,BureauofFieldOperations,1000EastGrandAve., Pes Moines, IA 50319-0209(515)281-5854 Precautions with Pesticides Most of the pesticides you use are designed to poison or otherwise manage pests. Unfortunately, many managementpesticideproductsmay poisonpeople,pets,livestock,wildlife,ornamentalplantsandothernon-target organisms. Pesticide applicatorsand their families have the potential to be exposed to a greaterdegree than non- agricultural employees. Therefore, it is important to do everything possible to keep all exposures to an absolute minimum. Youmustprotectyourfamilymembersandfieldworkersandotherpeoplefrompesticideinjuries. Mostpesticide accidentsresultfromcarelesspracticesorlackofknowledgeaboutsafe handlingofpesticides. Thetimeyou spend tolearnaboutthesafeuseofpesticidesisaninvestmentinthehealthand safetyofyourself,yourfamily,andothers. TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyhascertainrestrictionsontheuseofpesticidechemicals. Theserestrictions applytotheuseofchemicalsappliedtocontrolinsects,mites,plantdiseases,weeds,nematodesandotherpests. Such restrictionsmayprohibit theuseofa chemicalorallow residuetolerancesonharvested vegetables. Agrowermust knowwhatchemical touseoneachvegetable;howtoapply;thepost-treatmentre-entryinterval,ifany;whentouse thechemicalswithrespecttofarmworkerand/orpickersafety;andtheenvironmentandtheharvestofeachvegetable crop. Thegrowermustfollowalllabel instructionsregardingharvestrestrictions(1)toassuretheconsumerthatthe food isfreeofdangerous residuesand (2) tocomply with thelaw to preventseizureofhiscrop. • Onlymix theamount ofa pesticide that you can useinoneday. • Ifyoudohaveleftoverspraymix,thebestwaytodisposeofitisbyapplyingittoalabeledcropinalegalmanner. • Neverdisposeofsurpluspesticidesinaway thatwill resultin thecontaminationofgroundorsurfacewaters. • Rinseall emptycontainersthree timesbeforedisposal. • Pourtherinse waterinto thespray tank. Punctureorbreak triple-rinsed containers to facilitatedrainageand toprevent reuse foranyother purpose. • Thendisposeof thecontaineraccording tolabel directions.