Vegetables

Proposed rule to increase onion assessment rate

The USDA has issued a proposed rule in conformance with Executive Orders 13563 and 13175, which would increase the assessment rate from $0.10 per 50-pound bag or equivalent of Walla Walla sweet onions handled to... more »

Virus spread complicates produce growing, markets

Editor’s note: This story was written in early April, as the industry and officials were still adjusting their approach to a global pandemic. The new coronavirus in March shut down or slowed most U.S. businesses,... more »

Cantaloupe diseases present differently than in watermelon

Watermelon is the key cucurbit in South Carolina, but the Eastern-type cantaloupes grown for muskmelon are important, too, and both face immense pressure from foliar disease. The fungicide program for watermelon is well developed, but... more »

Excess water raises disease issues in vegetables

The National Weather Service stated that “2018 was the wettest year on record in Pennsylvania.” This past 2019 summer was looking like another wet year, but the rains shut off mid-summer. Excess water can be... more »

Tillage key to weed control for Southeast fall broccoli

Heavier rainfall and greater weed pressure in the eastern U.S. make weed control in broccoli tougher than in the arid states of California and Arizona where most of the country’s broccoli is grown. This makes... more »

Driscoll’s starts selling ‘Berry Big’ strawberries

Driscoll’s in May will begin selling “Berry Big Strawberries,” which it is marketing as larger-sized strawberries, each requiring more than one bite to finish. The quantity of the berries is limited, and “captures the beginning... more »

USDA destroying flowers to eradicate Ralstonia bacteria

Federal officials are working with greenhouses in 39 states to destroy infected pink geraniums and prevent an invasive bacterium from infecting vegetable crops. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recently confirmed a Ralstonia... more »

Strawberry consumption improves heart health in teenaged males

The 2019 Berry Health Benefits Symposium resulted in a collection of papers recently published in the journal Food & Function. Among the papers was “Effects of short-term consumption of strawberry powder on select parameters of... more »