This year’s Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days will feature a full day’s vegetable program on Feb. 7, 2024, at the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, Michigan. My goal for this session is to report on the local research happening right here in southwest Michigan, and topics that apply to growers in this area. I have also built in some time before lunch to have a discussion on priorities for Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center (SWMREC) projects. I want to do things here that matter to southwest Michigan vegetable growers like you!
For folks who have not been to Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days before, there is an equipment and industry trade show, big group lunch and a wine tasting after the sessions close on Feb 7. Parking for the event is on the north side of the Mendel Center off of Yore Road. Enter through the north doors. Here is a GPS point showing the doors to enter.
9:00 a.m. – Introduction and Variety Trials
Ben Phillips, vegetable specialist at SWMREC, will lead an introduction activity and report on the tomato, cucumber, pickle and summer-harvested broccoli and cauliflower variety trials from 2023, including initial observations on cucumber trellising.
9:40 a.m. – Viruses in Squash
Zsofia Szendrei, vegetable entomologist on campus, will discuss virus management options in squash, which is in response to the high rates of mosaic virus observed in summer squash down here last summer.
10:00 a.m. – Plasticulture Onion Trial
Natalie Constancio, a student in Szendrei’s lab, performed an experiment comparing plastic mulch colors and materials on the health of transplanted sweet onions.
Click here to read more msu.edu
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zbynek-pospisil
Categories: Michigan, Crops, Fruits and Vegetables, Education