October 31, 2008
Vegetable growers' meeting to highlight proper fungicide use
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - With the increased interest in vegetable growing throughout Indiana, Purdue University experts will be hosting a Nov. 24 meeting at the Fulton County Fairgrounds, in Rochester, Ind., for growers to learn about proper ways to grow plants and manage pests in commercial vegetables."More and more people are getting into vegetable growing, which is why we are having the meeting to try and give them some educational tools to help them out with this process," said Mark Kepler, Purdue University Cooperative Extension educator.
The meeting, which begins at 1 p.m., will feature three Purdue Extension specialists who will talk about topics aimed toward helping vegetable growers. The specialists will be Liz Maynard talking about growing melons, Rick Foster talking about different types of insects, and Dan Egel speaking about the proper ways to manage fungicide resistance.
"Fungicides can cause diseases in vegetables that can get worse over time as the fungi mutate and do not respond to a certain fungicide application," said Egel a Purdue Extension plant pathologist. "If a particular fungicide does not work, growers should try one that has a different mode of action."
A mode of action code must be on all fungicides, and it allows the user to know the product's chemical makeup and if it will work with another fungicide to eliminate a particular disease.
The cost to attend this event is $20 and an additional $10 for those interested in receiving credit towards recertification of a private pesticide applicator license. Those wanting to attend the meeting must register by Nov. 19. For more information, contact Mark Kepler at (765) 223-3397.
Writer: Ashley Bechman, (765) 494-8402, aabechma@purdue.edu
Sources: Mark Kepler, (765) 223-3397, mkepler@purdue.edu
Dan Egel, (812) 886-0198, egel@purdue.edu
Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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