The IPM Scouting Guide publications for vegetable crops are valuable resources for growers. This information can also be easily accessed through the Veggie Scout Website. Be sure to bookmark this website for easy access in the future. This website provides…

Sclerotinia diseases can infect numerous vegetable crops and can be known by many different names. The most commonly affected vegetable hosts include beans (white mold), cabbage (head rot), lettuce (drop), and tomato (timber rot). Vegetable crops in commercial production (field…

Blackleg and bacterial soft rot of potato can occur in both commercial fields and home gardens. If “seed” potatoes are infected from the previous season, this season’s plants may fail to emerge or become stunted. Disease spread to potato tubers…

Pythium diseases can affect a large number of vegetable crops. Vegetables produced in structures, such as greenhouses or high tunnels, may be at an increased risk for disease losses once the pathogen is introduced. Infections may impact above and below…

The University of Kentucky Vegetable Extension team provides numerous resources for commercial vegetable growers regarding production and pest management. The following list details the resources provided by University of Kentucky specialists in horticulture, entomology, and plant pathology. College of Agriculture…

Botrytis gray mold can affect numerous vegetable crops resulting in damage to plants and fruit. The disease occurs in field, high tunnel, and greenhouse production; however, conditions in protected agriculture environments (greenhouses and high tunnels) often lead to greater disease…

Warmer temperatures mean spring is right around the corner, and gardeners everywhere are ready to get plants in the ground. However, prior to planting, growers should develop a plan for this year’s vegetable garden. A thoughtful approach to garden layout…

Home gardeners and commercial growers likely have placed their seed orders or have last year’s seed saved. Over the next few weeks, many will plant those seeds in order to establish transplants for spring and summer gardens. In some cases,…

The latest version of the UK Extension publication, Vegetable Production for Commercial Growers (ID-36) is now available for 2024-2025.  This comprehensive publication contains a wealth of information on all aspects of commercial vegetable production and pest management, from variety selection to marketing,…

A new resource is now available for commercial vegetable growers. The MyIPM for Vegetables app is now available and includes resources for commercial production of tomatoes and cucurbits (cucumber, pumpkin, squash, and watermelon). Growers can access information about plant diseases…

Spring may feel far away, but planning begins during the cold months of winter. Seed catalogs, store displays, and online retailers present a number of different options (Figure 1). However, successful production begins with the selection of the right seeds…

This past week, a tomato sample was received by the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory because the client suspected an insect leafminer. The insect causing the damage is tomato pinworm (TPW), Keiferia lycopersicella. This is a southern pest that is common…

Corn silk fly has been found in late-planted/late-harvested sweet corn in several locations in South Central and Western Kentucky. While UK entomologists are still waiting for molecular confirmation of the species from the USDA APHIS, the morphological identification indicates it…

Cucurbit downy mildew is the most economically important disease of cucurbits in Kentucky. The movement of cucurbit downy mildew is monitored on the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting page of the IPM pipe website. Cucurbit growers can sign up for free…