Your crops are vulnerable! Hail, wind, drought, flood and more can threaten your crops and your livelihood. Learn how crop insurance and other programs provide protection for crop loss. This workshop is free for growers.

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Bill Steenwyk...As we near the end of the 2009 growing season, and the publication of these weekly Vegetable Crop Alerts, I would like to offer a brief tribute to Michigan's vegetable producers. Although my work is primarily confined to eight West-Central Michigan counties, I know that my comments will apply to growers anywhere else in our two peninsulas.

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The 2009 North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals is now available online at http://sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm.

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I am excited to join MSU as the new vegetable entomologist and look forward to meeting and working with growers, colleagues, extension educators and industry personnel. My goal in this position is to provide research support to solve vegetable insect problems in Michigan and to help implement new pest management methods. I am dedicated to tackling problems that growers are facing in their production and would like to maintain an active dialogue between the vegetable industry and academia.

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I'm delighted to announce that Dr. Zsofia Szendrei has joined the faculty as our new Vegetable Entomologist! She will start work on August 16, 2009. Dr. Szendrei joins us from a position as Research Associate at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Watch the Vegetable CAT Alert for more updates. Her CV can be viewed here. -- Ernest S. Delfosse, Professor and Chairperson.

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If you are seeking practical training on improving soil quality, working with compost, manures and cover crops and managing pests, consider attending the 2009 Soil Building workshop on August 14 for field crops and August 15 for vegetables.

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The North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE), 2009 Youth and Youth Educator call for proposals is now available. You can find the call for proposals on the NCR-SARE website at: http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm

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By Darryl Warncke... The nitrogen (N) status in soils can be quite dynamic, ever changing with soil moisture and temperature conditions. As soils warm in the spring, available N is released from crop residues, animal manures or soil organic matter by microbial decomposition.

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By Vera Bitsch... During this past April, the total number of hired workers was estimated at 903,000 individuals; that’s down by 2 percent from a year ago. In the reference week, 680,000 individuals were hired directly by farm operators. The average number of hours worked stood at 40.1, down 2 percent compared to last year’s 40.8 hours.

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By Dan Brainard... Cold, wet soils have contributed to poor stands of many vegetable crops this spring, and it appears that colder than normal temperatures will continue at least through the end of the week. Below are some common problems that contribute to poor stands under these conditions, and a few tips for avoiding them.

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By Eric Hanson... A high tunnel tour and meeting will take place on June 17 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center 1791 Hillandale Road, Benton Harbor, Michigan.

All are invited to tour the MSU high tunnel research facility and discuss results of vegetable, berry, and sweet cherry trials with Ron Goldy, Greg Lang, and Eric Hanson. Haygrove representatives will be present to answer questions.

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Rufus Isaacs...The United States Environmental Protection Agency has recently released an "Endangered Species Protection Bulletin" for Karner Blue butterfly in Allegan, Monroe, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo and Oceana counties in Michigan. This announcement makes it seem like a new restriction, but it is not.

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By Mathieu Ngouajio... Almost every growing season, there are reports of growers experiencing poor stand establishment in both the field and the greenhouse. This year is likely not going to be different. The causes of poor stand in the field or in the greenhouse are multiple and include soil borne diseases, residual herbicide, insects, nematodes, pH, high EC (electrical conductivity), chemicals from plant residue etc.

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By Mathieu Ngouajio... Row covers are used for many reasons including, season extension (frost protection), insect exclusion, heavy rain, and hail protection. When the main objective of row covers is to increase temperature, it is important to understand several factors including: row cover type, material used, level of temperature increase, and frost protection ability.

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By Mathieu Ngouajio... Vegetable growers in regions with a temperate climate like Michigan do not have a lot of flexibility because climatic conditions restrict the growing season to a very narrow window. Because of this narrow window of production, most crops reach maturity at the same time, harvest is synchronized, and all growers hit the market at the same time.

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By Vera Bitsch... The most significant change in the latest revision of the I-9 form is the requirement that all acceptable documents must be unexpired, including the U.S. passport.

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Darryl Warncke...Fall is the time of year when harvesting activities are beginning to wind down, but it should also be the time to reflect on the past year and begin planning for next year. The following is a brief listing of items to consider.

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Mark your calendars, on September 18 there will be an equipment day for vegetable farmers featuring demonstrations that may help streamline many steps of small-scale vegetable production including...

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Vera Bitsch...The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) has updated enforcement procedures for field sanitation standards in 2008. Inspections may be based on complaints or referrals, as well as, programmed inspections, which are conducted by MIOSHA personnel as time permits where they see hand-labor operations in the field.

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Attend one of these informational meetings during August to better understand the new water use legislation signed into law by Governor Granholm on July 9, 2008. There are four locations to choose from...

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Vera Bitsch...This April, the hourly wage for agricultural workers in the United States stood at $10.60, up 40 cents from a year ago. Field workers received $9.65, up 30 cents from a year ago. Livestock workers made $10.32, up 63 cents from a year ago. This wage rate includes supervisors and other workers, such as bookkeepers and pilots. 

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Vera Bitsch...The Senate Appropriations Committee approved legislation sponsored by Senators Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Larry Craig (R-Idaho) that would provide relief to the agricultural employers and farmworkers on May 15. The legislation was attached to the Iraq supplemental spending bill.

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Leslie Johnson...Many people harvest morels who don’t hunt other mushrooms because morels are relatively easy to identify and there aren’t any other mushrooms that are easily confused with them. True morels have pitted caps rather than ridges or folds or wrinkles, and the morel cap is attached to the hollow stem at its base.

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For those that have questions arise concerning centennial farms, there is an excellent website to highlight the heritage of Michigan farms.

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Vera Bitsch...While many federal laws protecting equal employment opportunity exempt small businesses, Michigan laws do not. Michigan laws protect religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, marital status and disability. As long as the specific disability is unrelated to the individual’s ability to perform the duties of a particular job or position with or without reasonable accommodation. Whether an applicant is a union member or an applicant’s veteran status also are questions that should have no place in employment decisions.

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Darryl Warncke...Each year farmers are offered new materials or nutrient management programs that are advertised to improve crop vigor, growth, produce quality and yield, or increase the availability of nutrients. With higher fertilizer prices and limited supplies, it appears that more of these materials will be offered this year than in past years.

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Vera Bitsch...Each quarter, the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture releases farm labor statistics for the national level, broken down by regions. This article is based on the NASS release of February 15, 2008, and the data describe the situation during the week of January 6-12, 2008. While the data is considered reliable at the national level, data of individual regions often have a higher margin of error.

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Vera Bitsch...The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has posted a revised I-9 form on its website for employers to use with new employees (http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9.pdf). To order forms, call toll-free at 1-800-870-3676. For forms and information on immigration laws, regulations and procedures, call the National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

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Bernard Zandstra...Several new herbicide registrations have been issued for vegetable crops during the past year. Growers should have copies of the labels in their possession before use. Recommendations for most of these uses are included in MSU Extension bulletin E-433, 2008 Weed Control Guide for Vegetable Crops.

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Sara Long...When MSU researchers decided to evaluate grower irrigation practices in southwestern Michigan, they discovered that some growers were running their drip irrigation systems upwards of eight hours per day. Producers were employing this practice as insurance that crops were receiving enough moisture, however costly nutrients were being washed away – not an efficient use of water or nutrients.

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Natalie Ebig Scott...Daryl Warncke, MSU professor of crop and soil sciences, and MSU Extension regional vegetable educator Jim Breinling initiated a Project GREEEN study in 2005 aimed at increasing spinach production in Michigan to meet market demand. Breinling was approached by a local food processor that had the demand for frozen spinach but not the supply—not enough growers were producing the green leafy veggie.

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One quarter of the United States honeybee population has been lost to colony collapse disorder (CCD), and interest is growing in alternative pollinators such as native bees. A new Michigan State University Extension bulletin is available for farmers and other landowners interested in exploring practices to enhance native pollinators on their property.

“Conserving Native Bees on Farmland” (E-2985) provides straightforward information about creating attractive environments for native bees. The bulletin teaches the reader about various native bee species and gives recommendations about nesting sites and food resources.

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Adam Montri and John Biernbaum...Using protected cultivation for extended season production is not a new idea. But given the current environment of reduced availability and increased cost of fuel together with increased emphasis on farm profitability and local economy, it is one that has the potential for new impact. Farmers and researchers alike have recognized the benefits these simple structures provide.

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Lyndon Kelly...New wells and surface water withdrawals in Michigan installed February, 2006 that are capable of pumping 100,000 gallon per day (70 gpm) are now required to register with Michigan Department of Agriculture prior to beginning to pump. All water withdrawals that reported prior to 2006 are considered properly registered.

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Mathieu Ngouajio...In the near future, most large scale asparagus growers will continue to establish new production fields from one-year-old crowns. However, there has been some interest in experimenting with greenhouse-grown transplants as alternative planting material, at least on a small scale. Asparagus establishment from greenhouse-grown transplants is not new, but has not been widely used by Michigan growers for several legitimate reasons. Those interested in plug production have reported that transplants were turning white in the greenhouse and were wondering if there was a problem with those transplants.

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Bernard Zandstra...SelectMax, a postemergence graminicide, has been labeled for several additional vegetable crops. It now may be used on asparagus, snap beans, herbs, leafy greens and peas. The normal use rate for SelectMax is 9-16 fl oz per acre. Use the high rate for control of perennial grasses and annual bluegrass. The preharvest interval for asparagus is one day; 21 days for snapbeans, 14 days for herbs, 14 days for leafy greens, and 21 days for succulent shelled peas.

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Lyndon Kelley...How to achieve the most agronomical and economical start from irrigation during planting season is important. Achieving the maximum uniform germination and emergence can be assured through proper early season water management. Irrigating fields prior to or just after planting, can keep the planter moving and still meet the “plant into moisture” requirement.

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Walter Pett...Zachary Huang, MSU Department of Entomology, maintains a website (http://www.cyberbee.net/) that provides useful information about honey bees and beekeepers. One service of this site allows growers to find beekeepers that provide honey bee colonies for pollination services.

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Roberta Dow...This workshop is designed for pesticide applicators working with nurseries, greenhouses, vegetables, floral, forest and other small acreage settings.

June 14 from 6:00 – 9:00 PM
Northwest Horticultural Research Station
6686 Center Rd.
Traverse City, MI

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Zachary Huang...If you have been listening to the radio or reading papers the last few weeks, chances are that you have already heard about the alarming honey bee die-offs around the country. The phenomenon is officially named “colony collapse disorder” (CCD). This disorder has the media all excited because it is large in scale (25 states are affected), came in quick (colonies that were fine in August/September became collapsed around October/November), and hit people hard (many beekeepers with hundreds to thousands of colonies are losing 50-90 percent of their colonies). The worst of all, we do not yet know what causes it.

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Mary Hausbeck...See the updated table of daily spore counts in Michigan. Currently we are only monitoring the Monroe County site. Please see the updated county map of confirmed downy mildew reports.

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For a complete list of articles and information on downy mildew published in the Vegetable CAT Alert newsletters, visit: http://www.ipm.msu.edu/downymildew.htm

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Joy Landis...The crops are growing and so are the web resources we are offering at MSU for vegetable production. Here are some sites to check if you haven’t visited our webs recently. The MSU Vegetable Area of Expertise Team has collaborated with the MSU IPM Program on many of these sites.

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Jim Breinling...The EPA approved vegetable crop uses for BrowseBan, a non-lethal deer repellant in Michigan and several other states. BrowseBan was developed by Kalsec Inc., Kalamazoo, Michigan.

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Bernard Zandstra...Prowl H2O recently received a federal label for use on carrots. The label currently is a supplemental label, which should be available from BASF or dealer representatives.

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