The OSU Extension Fruit & Vegetable Report is written/published collectively by OSU Extension staff across the state.

Tillage Options for Annual Vegetables

Different kinds of tillage equipment vary widely in their level of soil disturbance. Some tools work the ground to a fine tilth for planting, while others cause minimal disturbance or target only the area where the crop will be planted. Certain vegetable crops succeed better with certain tillage types than others. The following will provide a brief rundown on several common tillage systems and their respective benefits and drawbacks. 

Conventional tillage consists of a primary tillage event to turn over the soil and provide a basis for further secondary tillage that is used to further chop and bury vegetation/residues and prepare the seed bed. A moldboard plow is one of the most common types of primary tillage, inverting the topsoil and fully burying surface vegetation. A chisel plow can also be used for primary (as well as secondary) tillage and involves fracturing the subsoil using shanks tipped with chisel points in a way that does not turn over the topsoil. Secondary tillage implements include a disc harrow, which uses steel discs to slice up soil clumps, weeds, and residue. Newer high-speed discs perform better at faster operating speeds compared to traditional types. 

Tillage equipment uses a variety of tools to fracture and mix the soil as well as chop and bury residues. Top to bottom – chisel plow, vertical tillage implement, high speed disc, and strip till unit. Photos by Chris Galbraith, OSU Extension. 

Conservation tillage refers to tillage systems that create considerably less disturbance, leaving > 30% of the soil surface covered with residues. The advantage is reduced erosion, increased organic matter, and improved soil structure and quality. Various conservation tillage practices include:

• No-Till is a very common production system where the soil is not disturbed at all by tillage operations and crops are planted into the previous year’s residues. The advantages of eliminating tillage are well-established – no-till maintains soil structure, conserves organic matter, retains moisture, and prevents runoff. The potential downsides are also well known and include greater difficulties in accessing the field for planting during wet springs, delayed soil warming early in the season, and greater reliance on chemical weed control. Large-seeded vegetables like sweet corn or pumpkins are more typically grown in no-till production.
• Vertical Tillage is a shallow form of tillage designed to work the soil minimally while leaving residues on the surface for ground cover benefits. This tool helps incorporate soil amendments or chop up residues to more manageable sizes while side-stepping the more disruptive effects of conventional tillage. Vertical tillage equipment consists of fluted coulters, chopper reels, rolling baskets, and other features that open up the ground for warming and speeds decomposition by chopping/sizing residues, all in a way that has less negative repercussions than the heavier forms of tillage achieved by a plow or disc harrow.
• Strip Tillage is the method of tilling only in strips where the crop will be planted, leaving soils undisturbed in between the strips. A typical row unit will include a coulter to slice through residue, followed by a row cleaner to clear the way for shanks, wavy discs, conditioners, and other attachments that help create a finely tilled strip. This method offers the best of both worlds by preparing a worked area that warms quicker than the inter-row zones while also retaining cover on top of most of the soil. Row units can further be set up to apply fertilizer or a fumigant to the strip during the same pass. Vegetables commonly grown in strip-tillage systems include sweet corn, squash, carrots, potatoes, and more.
• Ridge Tillage is similar to strip tillage except that strips are formed as raised ridges to promote better drainage and aeration. Ridge tillage tends to be less common than strip tillage, particularly in vegetable production. 

Crop updates

Vegetables

Cucurbits

Downy mildew continues to spread throughout Ohio, with the clade that can infect squash, pumpkins, and watermelons being reported in Fulton county. You can continue to track the spread on the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting website. 

Cucurbit downy mildew symptoms on upper leaf surface (top image) and lower leaf surface (bottom image) of cucumber. Photo by Frank Becker, OSU Extension. 

Fruiting Vegetables

Harvest of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra are all well underway. Verticillium wilt, Pythium fruit rot, and Phytophthora capsici have been causing problems in some fields. Preventative practices for managing these pathogens by promoting proper drainage and preventing spread from infected to non-infected fields can help in reducing disease severity.

Pythium colonizing pepper fruit. Pythium appears as white, “cottony” fungal growth on fruit while Phytophthora spores on fruit more resemble powdered sugar. Photo by Chris Galbraith, OSU Extension.

Sweet Corn

Western bean cutworm catches in NW Ohio have decreased as of late, with high numbers still being reported in NE Ohio. Corn earworm and European corn borer catches remain low. Check out the most recent OSU C.O.R.N newsletter for most recent trap counts. Japanese beetles remain a pest on sweet corn, as well as other crops. Insecticide options include Assail (acetamiprid), Baythroid (beta-cyfluthrin), Warrior II (lambda-cyhalothrin) and other products. See this article from Iowa State University on the biology of this pest and spray thresholds.

Japanese beetles feeding on corn silks. Photo by Frank Becker, OSU Extension. 

Fruits

Elderberry Fruits “Disappearing” from the Cluster (Cymes).

Dr. Gary Gao, Professor and Small Fruit Specialist, OSU South Centers

Ed Brown, the Agricultural and Natural Resources Educator with OSU Extension in Athens County, reached out to Gary Gao for answers on a question from a grower about fruits “disappearing” from the clusters or cymes of elderberries. There are several possible reasons for this phenomenon. The most common reason is bird feeding. As elderberry fruits turn color, birds typically start eating them. These little fruits are the perfect size for a lot of birds. Netting is the most effective way to keep birds out of the planting. It is important to put the netting on before fruits turn color. 

Elderberry bushes with ripening fruits under bird netting. Photo by Gary Gao, The Ohio State University.

There are other possible reasons. Japanese beetles can feed on florets causing the elderberry plants to set fewer fruits. Herbicide damage from 2,4-D or Dicamba is getting more and more common. These chemicals could cause fruits to abort. More studies need to be done to verify this hypothesis.

Mineral nutrient deficiency can be a possible cause too. Boron is one element that is important for fruit set. Tissue testing will help determine if boron levels are too low. If they are, a foliar application of boron will help increase fruit set in the future.

Ripe elderberry fruit cymes. Photo by Gary Gao, The Ohio State University.

Cross pollination can increase fruit set. Elderberries can set fruit when only one cultivar is planted. However, planting two different cultivars that bloom at the same time will significantly increase fruit set cyme size.

Follow this link https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-0110 for more information on elderberry production in Ohio and possibly beyond.

Net Grapes for Preventing Bird Depredation

Dr. Gary Gao, Professor and Small Fruit Specialist, OSU South Centers

Some of the cold hardy grape cultivars, such as Frontenac, Frontenac Blanc, and Frontenac Gris, have reached veraison at OSU South Centers in Piketon, Ohio. Veraison is the onset of fruit ripening and change of fruit color of grape berries. This is the time when birds started poking fruits for sugar and moisture. All of the punctures are the perfect sites for attracting bees and wasps. These wounds also cause fruits to rot and make grapes less marketable. Birds can peck the fruits off. All of these activities can cause severe yield loss. In the case of wine grapes, fruit and wine quality will also suffer.

Frontenac grapes at veraison. Photo by Gary Gao, The Ohio State University.

Veraison is the time to net the grapes to prevent bird depredation. Many grape growers use this method. There are many different nets out there. Since we grow mostly hybrid grapes on high wire cordon, we put the netting over the row. Our netting material is a black plastic netting that comes in a large roll. We bought a Netter-Getter a few years ago. This tractor mounted net applicator is typically operated by three people. One person drives the tractor and two other people follow behind to drape the net over the entire vine. 

Bird netting being applied to grapes. Photo by Gary Gao, The Ohio State University.

If you grower Vinifera grapes, side netting is the preferred method. We do grow several short rows of Cabernet Franc and Regent. They are trained on the Vertical Shoot Positioning system, or VSP.

Typically, the size of the openings is typically half an inch or smaller. Netting is quite an effective method in preventing bird damage. It is by no means perfect since birds can still peck the fruits through the openings. Raccoons and other animals can manage to get the netting to eat the fruits.

Frontenac grapes with bird netting applied. Photo by Gary Gao, The Ohio State University.

Other methods of bird damage prevention are bird distress calls, noise makers like propane cannons, and scarecrows. There is not one method that is 100% effective. 

It is important to get the net on the grapes as soon as they turn color. As a matter of fact, it is better to do this sooner than later. Sometimes, birds may just peck the green grapes off just for the fun of it!

Upcoming Events: 

August 23, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Agriculture Technology Field Day

August 24, 5:30 – 8:00 pm, OSU Extension Pumpkin Field Day

September 19 – 21, Farm Science Review

September 27, Wooster, OH, Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day

December 5th – 7th, Grand Rapids, MI, Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, & Farm Market Expo 

January 4th – 5th, Ohio Organic Grain Conference

The OSU Extension Fruit & Vegetable Report is written/published collectively by OSU Extension staff across the state. 

View a recording of the OSU Extension Bi-Weekly Fruit & Vegetable Report below:

Crop updates

Vegetables

Cole Crops

  Flea beetles are always a difficult foe in brassica plantings since they are often hard to scout for and can leave large amounts of damage in relatively short time frames. In research performed in 2022 by Dr. Ashley Leach, it was found that pyrethroids (e.g., Bifenture EC, Hero) and anthranilic diamides (e.g., Harvanta) performed best to control flea beetle populations and damage. However, if you frequently struggle with flea beetles, consider using their biology against them. You can plant a super tasty preferred brassica (turnip greens) which may keep them away from your primary crop. Alternatively, you can also plant other brassicas (like Kale) that aren’t preferred by flea beetles and can often take a high amount of damage. Often, flea beetles are a problem earlier in the season and later in the season under cooler temperatures. 

Cucurbits

  Downy mildew has been reported in various regions of northern Ohio, warranting a ramp-up in preventative fungicide applications. Read this recent VegNet article from Sally Miller for further information and chemical recommendations. You can also track the spread on the Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecasting website. 

Cucurbit downy mildew. Symptoms used for identification include necrotic lesions on the upper leaf surface (A) and dark, “velvety” spores on the underside of the leaf (B). Photo source: Hausbeck Lab, Michigan State University. 

  Powdery mildew is also showing up. Despite their similar names, powdery mildew and downy mildew are not even in the same taxonomic kingdom (downy is a water mold or “oomycete”, while powdery is a true fungus). Consequently, there are no fungicides that pull double-duty in controlling both pathogens. For information on products with efficacy in controlling powdery mildew, check out another recent article on the topic in VegNet. 

Squash bugs are out and actively laying eggs. Their copper colored egg masses can frequently be found on the underside of leaves within the veins and on leaf stalks. These pests can vector the viral disease Yellow Vine Decline, as well as cause cosmetic damage to the fruit. Threshold is met if you are finding 1 egg mass per plant. The adults are difficult to control via chemical application, so it is important to frequently scout in order to time insecticide applications to when the egg masses have hatched and nymphs are active on the plant. Spray penetration into the canopy may also limit application efficacy. 

Fruiting Vegetables

Tomato Hornworms have been observed in field tomatoes. Their massive defoliation and fruit feeding, as well as frass piles can key you into the area of active hornworm feeding. Hand removal can typically resolve minor infestations. If worms are found with white cocoons on their backs, leave them be. These are beneficial, parasitic wasp cocoons. These wasps will continue to combat hornworms throughout the season. 

Tobacco hornworm, a close relative of the tomato hornworm and fellow voracious pest of tomatoes, with parasitic wasp cocoons projecting from its body. Photo by Joe Boggs, OSU Extension. 

Verticillium wilt has been a frequent issue in eggplant this season. Initial foliar symptoms present as yellowing and dieback, typically starting at the leaf tip and working down the main vein towards the leaf petiole. While symptoms can provide some idea of disease presence, this disease can only be confirmed by testing the roots and crown at a diagnostic clinic. 

Leafy Greens and Herbs

  Second generation carrot weevil oviposition will be continuing in parsley (and related Apiaceae crops). Options are limited to control carrot weevil in crops like carrot and parsley. Trapping using Boivin Traps will help direct management efforts, but will be no silver bullet. The threshold used to manage carrot weevil in carrots is to make an insecticide application when weevils reach 1.5 beetles per trap. Celery and carrot have significantly more insecticidal options than parsley (only Baythroid). 

Carrot weevil adult. Photo source: University of Massachusetts Extension

Sweet Corn

Corn earworm and European corn borer catches across the state have been relatively low. Western bean cutworm numbers, on the other hand, have been quite high in northern Ohio. See the most recent C.O.R.N newsletter for trap catch data. Western bean cutworm is typically controlled by the same insecticides used for other lepidoptera sweet corn pests. Check out this Michigan State University Extension article on western bean cutworm management considerations.

  Japanese beetle pressure has been high this season on numerous crops including sweet corn. There have been reports of the beetles clipping silks prior to pollination, interfering with ear development and quality. This factsheet from Purdue Extension provides several insecticides for Japanese beetle control in corn, many of which are also labeled for sweet corn.

  Corn smut is a conspicuous, often sporadic fungal disease affecting sweet corn. A key symptom is the formation of grey galls that are the spore-bearing structures. Rupturing of the smut galls during harvest can taint the ears with black spores, making the sweet corn unmarketable. Corn smut is most prevalent in plants that have undergone physical damage that creates an infection entry point for the pathogen. Preventative control practices consist of crop rotation, destruction of galls before spore dispersal, and minimizing mechanical injury to plants.

Corn smut on sweet corn tassel. Photo by Chris Galbraith, OSU Extension. 

Fruits

Tree fruits

Peach harvest has begun in eastern Ohio. Japanese beetle damage has been severe in some apple orchards this season. Codling moth should be slowing down now. Most growers will be making their second insecticide application to control this pest in the next week. Third generation oriental fruit moth will be showing up soon. San Jose Scale pressure should also be steadily decreasing and won’t warrant further intervention until next season. Apple maggot is still moving into orchards in plenty of sites (north and central)- keep those red sticky traps out. Spray if traps are catching >5 flies/trap. We haven’t had too many complaints about stinkbugs in orchards yet, but start trapping now if you are concerned. 

Grapes

  Herbicide drift damage in vineyards (as well as other specialty crops) is a continued problem. Cassie Brown and Doug Doohan of OSU created a series of fact sheets in the past that address properly preparing for and responding to herbicide drift damage. Find the collection of factsheets here.

Some growers are beginning to apply netting over grape vines to minimize losses from bird damage.

Auxin (group 4) herbicide damage on grapes resulting from spray drift can present as cupped leaves and distorted new growth. Photo by Chris Galbraith, OSU Extension. 

Upcoming Events: 

August 23, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Agriculture Technology Field Day

August 24, 5:30 – 8:00 pm, OSU Extension Pumpkin Field Day

September 19 – 21, Farm Science Review

September 27, Wooster, OH, Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day

December 5th – 7th, Grand Rapids, MI, Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, & Farm Market Expo 

January 4th – 5th, Ohio Organic Grain Conference

The OSU Extension Fruit & Vegetable Report is written/published collectively by OSU Extension staff across the state. 

View a recording of the OSU Extension Bi-Weekly Fruit & Vegetable Report updates from 7-14-2023 at:

Ag Robotics

  An exciting new area in agricultural innovation is the field of ag robotics. Integrating robotic implements into modern farming addresses numerous issues that hit specialty crop production particularly hard, such as the price, availability, quality, and dependability of farm labor. Autonomous equipment offers the possibility of achieving consistent, reliable results to routine fruit & vegetable production operations. 

  A recent field tour in Ontario put on by the Ag Robotics Working Group showcased a number of new robotic farming equipment from companies such as Naio Technologies, Agrointelli, Korechi Innovations Inc., and Carbon Robotics. The machines demonstrated at the event were mostly autonomous carriers for implements like planting units, cultivation tools, mowers, soil samplers, disease monitoring sensors, etc. This multi-functionality makes the robots more versatile than if they were designed to only perform a single task. At the field tour, the Carbon Robotics laser weeder stood out as the only machine that needed to be pulled/powered by a tractor. However, the laser weeder’s strength lies in its selectivity – the equipment was capable of differentiating weeds from the crop with “deep-learning-based computer vision”. Upon recognition, thermal lasers target the weed’s growing point while leaving the crop unscathed. The laser weeder that was demonstrated was not autonomous in its mobility, but in its ability to identify weeds for termination (and continuously improve its ID ability through experience) using AI programs.

  What was striking about the field day was that many of the stops were not at testing facilities or factory floors. They were at farms where the robots were already out in the field working, performing tasks like strip tillage and cultivation. While the concept of a robot may still seem like a futuristic notion, their use in modern agriculture is becoming more established by the day and is leading to new possibilities for fruit and vegetable production, in the Midwest and across the globe. 

Current developments in ag robotics – top to bottom: Naio Oz autonomous farming assistant, Agrointelli Robotti field robot, Naio Ted autonomous finger cultivator for vineyards, and laser weeder from Carbon Robotics uses AI to recognize and terminate weeds. Photos from Chris Galbraith, OSU Extension. 

Rely 280 Label Update

The EPA has released a new supplemental label for Rely 280 herbicide (glufosinate) for controlling weeds in row middles with a hooded sprayer or for use as a burndown prior to transplanting for cantaloupe, cucumber, summer squash, watermelon, tomato, and peppers. This supplemental label is good through December 1st, 2025. Contact your local BASF technical service representative for more information on restrictions and to obtain the label. 

Herbicide Drift 

Thomas Becker, Lorain County Educator
  Over the course of the last month or so, there have been a number of calls about vegetable plants that don’t look very thrifty. They aren’t really showing signs of a disease, but the foliage looks distorted or twisted, and the plant just isn’t growing like it was before. One thing to be looking out for this time of year is damage from herbicide drift. If you suspect damage from herbicide drift, one of the first things to do is consider the potential sources of the drift. This can be difficult, as growth regulators like 2, 4-D, can volatilize and travel quite a long way. Chemicals like this are used in the lawn care and agriculture industries, or may even be used by homeowners. It is important that if you suspect herbicide injury, you consider what has been done on your own property and then have conversations with neighbors to see if you can determine the source of the drift. There are certain crops that are more susceptible to herbicide drift. The list includes but is not limited to grapes, tomatoes, fruit trees, watermelon, and certain ornamentals. Some of the signs of herbicide drift are distorted growth, leaf cupping, chlorosis, and the death of the plant in severe cases. Symptoms can vary depending on the chemical that was applied. If the plant does not die from the drift injury, yields may be reduced due to the exposure. 

Herbicide drift symptoms in tomato. Photo from Thomas Becker, OSU Extension.

If you aren’t certain that what you are dealing with is injury from herbicide drift, you can always take a plant sample to our Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic in Wooster to help rule out the possibility of disease. There are some viruses that cause symptoms that can look similar to herbicide drift injury. If no pathogens are detected, then there could be a good chance you are dealing with drift injury. One way to help prevent injury in the future would be to make sure you plant your crops in a site that would be protected from surrounding yards or fields that are up-wind from your property. Be careful when applying herbicide to your yard – make sure that you are following the label instructions and being mindful of the weather conditions before you spray. You can also make use of resources like DriftWatch to help report areas that grow specialty crops so that applicators are more aware of the location of these important crops. 

If you determine that you are dealing with injury from herbicide drift and can identify the source, the best course of action would be to try and work something out directly with the applicator. Beyond that, you can contact the Ohio Department of Agriculture and file a complaint as long as it is within 30 days of when the drift occurred. 

See these resources for more information on herbicide drift: 

• “Herbicide Drift and Drift Related Damage” – Penn State Extension
• “Herbicide Injury and the Problem of Spray Drift” – Ohio State University Extension
• “Noticing herbicide drift in your garden?” – University of Minnesota Extension

Crop updates

Vegetables

Cucurbits

Striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs, and squash vine borer are out at full force (check out the video below). Squash bugs can be difficult to kill. Pyrethroids and Neonicitinoids typically work best to control outbreaks. Make sure to continue to scout after application- sometimes these populations will need repeated interventions. Bacterial wilt has been sighted in cucumber, a pathogen which is vectored by cucumber beetles. Recent high winds in northwest Ohio have caused some stem damage to melons. 

Cucurbit downy mildew has been detected in Ontario and recently in Michigan, but has not yet been detected in Ohio. Track the spread of the disease on The Cucurbit Downy Mildew Forecast website.

Fruiting Vegetables

Viral diseases vectored by thrips and aphids are being seen on tomatoes. Aphids are exceeding economic levels in peppers, and whiteflies are also causing some damage. Please see the following piece for further information on thrips and aphids from Dr. Ashley Leach:

2023 Considerations for Aphids and Thrips

Dr. Ashley Leach, Professor and Extension Specialist, The Ohio State University

Normally, I don’t worry too much about aphids or thrips. Outbreaks of either pest typically arise as a secondary outbreak rather than being the primary pest concern. Often, aphids and thrips are checked by voracious natural enemies (Figure 1). But that’s not this year. Aphid and thrips pressure has been high across the board in 2023. In the right conditions- typically hot and dry- these insects can run rampant even in the presence of natural enemies. Although, it should be noted that natural enemies have a hard time in hot, dry conditions. For example, some Minute Pirate Bugs, will lay fewer eggs in hot, dry conditions.  So, it can be a combination of factors, natural enemies struggling to establish in the hot, dry conditions while thrips and aphids take advantage of the weather to reproduce more rapidly.

Not sure if you have thrips and/or aphids? Thrips and aphids will impact leaf tissue in different ways. Aphid infested leaves typically curl in response to infestations (Figure 2). These guys have straw-like mouthparts and will typically stay in place and suck on plant tissues (like it was a Big Gulp). Aphids are normally found on the undersides of leaves. However, they will migrate to the tops of leaves if the infestations are large enough. Thrips, however, are highly mobile. If they see you checking them out, they will move quickly to make an exit. Thrips have rasping-sucking mouthparts, so the associated damage typically looks silvery (Figure 2). When thrips feed, they are puncturing multiple plant cells which makes for a lot of damage, giving way to a “bleached” appearance by the end of the season. Many thrips are thigmotactic (Word of the day!) which basically means they like to hang out in small, tight places like flowers or plant crevices.

If you have an infestation that needs treatment, consider the following insecticide options (table below) There are some really nice -highly selective- compounds that will provide excellent control without compromising the natural enemy community. Please keep in mind that these products are not listed in all crops, and products can have varying Pre-harvest intervals (PHIs). Mind your pyrethroids. Thrips and aphid populations can flare with repeated pyrethroid applications, so I would try to avoid this insecticide class (think Warrior, Bifenture, Capture). Pyrethroid insecticides are broad spectrum products and kill resident natural enemies, thus increasing the likelihood of outbreaks. Other pests in the field may force your hand, but make sure to scout the following weeks for aphids and thrips. 

For further information on specialty crop entomology, check out Dr. Leach’s lab webpage.

Fruits

Apples

Second generation codling moths are hitting traps now, so it’s time to protect apples against codling moth infestations in fruit. San Jose Scale crawlers are likely active now, so time your sprays accordingly if you worry about infestations on fruit. Apple Maggot sprays should be timed now if traps are catching >5 flies/trap. Wooly apple aphid (WAA) populations are rising (more about aphids below). Japanese beetles have become a nuisance throughout the state. While annoying, these beetles are unlikely to cause significant damage. Typically, insecticide is recommended when we see defoliation exceeds 20-30%. 

Small fruits

  Herbicide damage from auxin herbicides (dicamba and 2,4-D) is being seen in grapes. Symptoms include twisting/curling of shoots and cupping of leaves. Learn more by checking out this factsheet from Oregon State University.

    Dr. Gary Gao has numerous berry crop research projects in development. See below for an update on a project on growing long cane raspberries:

Long Cane Raspberry Production

Dr. Gary Gao, Professor and Extension Specialist, The Ohio State University

  Long cane raspberry production is a very promising system for Ohio. Growers in Canada can produce around 22,000 lbs of raspberries per using the long cane raspberry plants from nurseries and grow them under high tunnel with fertigation. We are in the second year of our long cane raspberry project. This project is funded by an Ohio Department of Agriculture through a Specialty Crop Block Grant. Our project officially started in late 2021 and will last two years. 

  What is the long cane raspberry production? Long cane raspberry production system is a relatively new raspberry production method where raspberry bushes with long floricanes (5 feet and 10 inches) are produced in high tunnels or greenhouses, stored in coolers in autumn and winter and then shipped to growers in spring for planting and fruiting in summer. Growers can plant these “ready-made” plants with fruiting canes in a soilless media and a protected environment like a high tunnel or an unheated greenhouse or even under solar panels for fruit production in summer. This new and innovative system could help growers get around the problems of poor soil drainage that limit new cane growth and fluctuating spring temperatures that damage floricanes. The long cane production has been very popular in Europe and Canada. This approach has not been a viable option for growers in Ohio because there was not a nursery that grows and sells long cane raspberry plants.

Long cane raspberry trial plot at OSU South Centers at Piketon on July 12, 2023. Photo by Dr. Gary Gao, The Ohio State University.  

As a part of this project, I took a field trip to the Onésime Pouliot Farm in Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, Québec, Canada to learn how long cane raspberry production is done on a commercial scale. Their raspberry bushes were at the peak harvest when I visited the farm on August 11, 2022. It was neat to see the “walls” of raspberries. Instead of growing them in the traditional high tunnels, the growers there designed an umbrella like structure to protect plants and fruits from rain and wind. All plants were grown in coco coir and fertigated with water-soluble fertilizers. They have been doing this for three years now. They also grow long cane raspberry plants for sale in Canada and US. I got to taste some freshly picked raspberries that day. Bonnie Lewis, Glen Mor, Kwanza, Skye, and Tulameen were the featured cultivars. Bonnie Lewis, Glen Mor, and Skye are not available in the US yet. I was very impressed by their yields and fruit quality. 

I was able to secure an import permit from USDA-APHIS in 2022. We were able to import several hundred plants from Canada in 2023. The plants came in large crates on a semi-truck in May 2023.

I am very happy to report that we made progress. We are able to grow the long cane raspberry plants extremely well. The plants are loaded with lots of green fruits as of July 18, 2023. They will start ripening around late July. Fruit harvest will likely last several weeks. I am very hopeful that the long cane raspberry production will become a standard production system for growers in Ohio and beyond.

If you want to learn more about long cane raspberry production system, register now for our free Specialty and Cover Crop Field Night by visiting: go.osu.edu/fieldnight

Come join us for a two-part, online and in-person, hybrid workshop to take a closer look at innovative production techniques for specialty crops, with a focus on long cane raspberries and tomatoes, and new types of cover crops to promote healthy soils. Part I will be online only via Zoom. Part II will be held in person at The Ohio State University South Centers in Piketon, Ohio. A meal will be included. Please see the event flyer for more information. 

Upcoming Events: 

July 27, 9:30 am -11:30 am and 5:00pm – 8:00pm, Specialty and Cover Crops Field Night

August 23, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm, Agriculture Technology Field Day

August 24, 5:30 – 8:00 pm, Western Ag Research Station Pumpkin Field Day

September 19 – 21, Farm Science Review

September 27, Wooster, OH, Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day

December 5th – 7th, Grand Rapids, MI, Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, & Farm Market Expo 

January 4th – 5th, Ohio Organic Grain Conference