MN Fruit & Vegetable IPM News - Vol. 1, No. 7

Fruit and leaf diseases are of concern at this time of the year, especially when you have high moisture/absence of drying conditions.
Make a map of your fields now, while you have time before harvest, indicating weed problems. Note perennial weed problems (Canada thistle, quackgrass), annual grasses, and annual broadleaves. This will help you make effective weed control choices at renovation time.
On new plantings, monitor the effectiveness of your weed control efforts. Remember that weed control in the establishment year is critical for lifetime productivity.
Maintain irrigation levels of at least one inch per week, especially important for berry sizing.
Clean up the farm. Drive up to your farm with the eyes of someone who has never been there before. What are your impressions? Good signage and clear traffic patterns? Mowed parking areas? Does it have an attractive appearance?
Place road signs and indicate your anticipated dates of harvest. Update phone messages. Place newspaper ads.
Be prepared for cash management. Have deposit tickets and bank stamps ready; make a trip to the bank for petty cash. Set up your registers and scales.
Schedule portable toilets to be in place at harvest.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, hutch002@umn.edu
Jeanne Ciborowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ag. Resources Division,jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us
Suzanne Wold-Burkness, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, woldx018@umn.edu

The Newsletter is published weekly from May through August, cooperatively, by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Minnesota (U of MN). Reports are posted on the U of MN and MDA web sites on Fridays. If you have suggestions and/or comments, please send your contributions by 4 p.m., Tuesday to Jeanne Ciborowski, 651-297-3217, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us , MDA, 90 W. Plato Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55107-2094. You can access the Newsletter at the U of MN web site in htm. format at: www.vegedge.umn.edu/MNFruit&VegNews/mnindex.htm and at the MDA web site in pdf. format at: www.mda.state.mn.us/biocon/fruitreports/default.htm

Partial funding for this publication is provided through partnership agreements with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the RMA Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program. These institutions are equal opportunity providers.

DISCLAIMER

References to products in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may have similar uses. Any person using products listed in this publication assumes full responsibility for their use in accordance with current manufacturer directions.

Last Revised June 17, 2004.
The University, including the Minnesota Extension Service, is an equal opportunity educator and employer. ©1999-2004 Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Contact copyright@extension.umn.edu for information on reproduction or use of this material.