Central Michigan vegetable update – Aug. 22, 2018

Rain showers brought 2-3 inches of much needed rain to the area this week.

Weather

Rain showers brought 2-3 inches of much needed rain to the area this week. This gave many irrigation systems and the people who tend and maintain them a much needed break. Temperatures have been moderate with highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s.

Crops

Potato harvest is underway with chip potatoes being harvested and direct shipped from the field and table stock being dug as needed to supply fresh sales. Colorado potato beetle is present in relatively low numbers. Continue monitoring for potato leafhoppers and tarnished plant bugs.

Sweet corn harvest continues. Western bean cutworm larvae are present in ears of unsprayed corn on many farms and we are seeing a low amount of corn earworm larvae as well. It is noteworthy that tar spot was detected in field corn in Montcalm County last week. If you suspect tar spot in sweet corn planting, please contact myself or your local Michigan State University Extension educator, or submit a sample to MSU Diagnostic Services free of charge so we can track the presence of this disease in Michigan.

Harvest of a wide range of crops is underway in market gardens

Powdery mildew remains a concern for many squash and pumpkin plantings.

Insects

European corn borer second generation flight continues but is tapering off. European corn borer can be a pest of a broad range of crops including sweet corn, potatoes, peppers and many others. Continue to monitor these crops for egg masses

Japanese beetle adults are still active in many crops. In the vast majority of casesc damage is localized within plantings and spot treatment may be necessary in some of these cases.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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