July 2026 | Volume 17, Issue 6
Inside this issue:
- IPM Vegetable and Fruit Scouting Tips
- Maggots in Cole Crops and Alliums
- Ten Years of Managing Grower-Friendly Apple Trees Created at the Maryland Research and Education Center in Keedysville, Maryland
- What Is Cyclosporiasis?
- Recent High Temperatures Could Reduce Yield and Quality in Some Vegetables
- Weather Update- July 16, 2026
- University of Maryland Extension Events
-
Vegetable Production Guide Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations (EB-236)
Vegetable Production Guide Mid-Atlantic Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations (EB-236) -
Spray Program for Multi-Small Fruit Plantings
Spray Program for Multi-Small Fruit Plantings -
Common Fruit Herbicides*
Common Fruit Herbicides*
Weather Update- July 2026
The weather information contained in this chart is compiled using the data collected using the Online Phenology and Degree-Day Models site (https://uspest.org/cgi-bin/ddmodel.us). The Drought Map is from U.S. Drought Monitor (https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/) Information is available for free for all to use.
| Location | Base 50°F |
|---|---|
| Annapolis (MD029) | 2260.6 |
| Baltimore, MD (KBWI) | 2104.9 |
| Chestertown (016 MD) | 1953.0 |
| College Park (KCGS) | 2172.5 |
| Frederick (KFDK) | 1921.7 |
| Garrett County Airport | 1391.4 |
| Greater Cumberland Reg (KCBE) | 1881.0 |
| Hagerstown (C1323MD) | 1971.0 |
| Jarrettsville MD | 1747.9 |
| Mont. Co. Airport | 2028.5 |
| Patuent River Naval Air MD/ Lexington Park | 2231.1 |
| Pocomoke City (MD070) | 2158.8 |
| Ridgely (005MD) | 1977.0 |
| Salisbury/Ocean City (KSBY) | 2095.1 |
| Vienna (MD038) | 2356.3 |
| Waldorf | 1923.4 |
Upcoming UME Events!
Anne Arundel County Urban Farm Tour and Ice Cream Social
Date: July 23, 2026 | Thursday
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. | Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Description: You are invited to the Anne Arundel County Urban Farm Research Clinic (AAUFRC) Urban Farm Tour and Ice Cream Social at the Anne Arundel Extension Office located at 97 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD on Thursday, July 23, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:30pm. Ice cream will be served at 5:00pm followed by a walking farm tour that begins at 6:00pm. This year the AAUFRC will highlight hops, wine grapes, apples, peaches, blackberries, sweet corn and flour corn varieties, pumpkins, gourds, high tunnel vegetables and herbs, cut flowers, market gardening, and bee keeping.
This event is free. If you need special assistance to participate, please contact the Anne Arundel County Extension office at 301-226-7470 by July 22nd.
Registration for Urban Farm Tour and Ice Cream Social is on-line at Eventbrite.
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Farm Succession and Transition Web Series
The free program will assist Maryland farm families in starting the succession and transition planning process, including building strong communication around difficult family conversations, understanding health insurance options for farmers, and defining an effective succession plan. A grant funds the program through the Northeast Risk Management Education Center.
Each session will run for one hour beginning at noon. The schedule is as follows:
- July 28 at noon – Communication Skills, presented by Dr. Alex Chan, Ph.D., UME
- August 4 at noon – Health Insurance Options for Farmers, presented by Jesse Ketterman, Ph.D., UME
- August 11 at noon – Defining an Effective Succession Plan, presented by Paul Goeringer, J.D., LL.M., AREC
Participants can attend one or all three sessions, depending on their interests. For more information or to register, go to https://go.umd.edu/SuccessionWebinars. For more information, please contact Paul Goeringer at
lgoering@umd.edu
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Crops Twilight, Barbecue & Ice Cream Social
Date: August 4, 2026 | Tuesday
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. | Cost: Free, but registration is required.
Description: You are invited to a Fields Crops Research Twilight, Barbecue and Ice Cream Social at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center (CMREC), 2005 Largo Road, Upper Marlboro, Maryland on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, from 4:00 to 9 PM. A barbecue dinner will be served at 4:00 pm followed by homemade ice cream prior to the evening tour. University of Maryland Extension Educators and Specialists will showcase their field crop, vegetable and fruit research plots. Barbeque begins at 4:00 PM, Ice cream Served at 5:15 PM, Crops Twilight at 6:00 PM.
Please arrive on time as the wagon tour will start promptly at 6:00 PM.
This event is free. However, a reserved meal ticket is required. If you need special assistance to participate, please contact the Anne Arundel County Extension office at 301-226-7470 by August 3rd.
Registration for Crops Twilight is on-line at Eventbrite.
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Cover Crop Showcase
Date: August 19, 2026 | Wednesday
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Cost: This is a free event and lunch is included.
Location: Kings Grant Farm 7029 Quakerneck Rd. Chestertown, MD.
Description: Learn about cover crop planning and management and weed management in cover crops, and the latest results from the Maryland "planting green" research trials. Activities include: Interactive drone and cover crop related equipment demonstrations, Tour strip trials showcasing 14 species of summer cover crop & Interactive soil pit demonstration. Pesticide & Nutrient Management Credits Available.
Register at go.umd.edu/covercropshowcase or by calling 410-651-1350
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IPM Webinar Series:
The series meets on the third Thursday of every month from 12 to 1 pm. For more details and registration, visit https://go.umd.edu/ipmwebinar. Maryland Pesticide Credits are available. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, please contact Hayden Schug at 301-226-7502.
Aug 20, 2026: Common Diseases Right Now and How to Manage Them - Dr. Ana Cristina Fulladolsa, Plant Diagnostician, University of Maryland Plant Diagnostic Lab
Sep 17, 2026: Root-Knot Nematode Management in Vegetable Crops - Ben Beale, University of Maryland Extension
Oct 15, 2026: Precision herbicide application - Dr. Travis Ford, University of Maryland Extension
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Event: Maryland Crop Scouting School at CMREC (Clarksville)
Date: September 24, 2026 | Thursday
Time: 9:00 am to 2:45 pm | Cost: $10
Location: Central Maryland Research and Education Center, 4240 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD 21042
Description: Join us for a hands-on Crop Scouting School focused on building practical skills for identifying and managing pests, diseases, and crop issues in the field. Participants will learn how to scout effectively, recognize key problems, and make informed management decisions using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles. This program is designed for farmers, crop consultants, and ag service providers looking to improve their field diagnostics and decision-making. This event covers common pests in row crop and vegetable production systems.
Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maryland-crop-scouting-school-at-wye-tickets-1988090629591?aff=oddtdtcreator
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Hiring and Retaining Farm Employees – What you Need to Know and Do
Are you trying to find, hire and keep great employees? Is it a bit confusing and time-consuming? Do you know where to start and who to involve? Are you worried about the legal considerations when having non-family members employed? This course will help you sort through all these questions and concerns. Navigating this process doesn’t have to be difficult as this course will share with you. Through the four modules of this course, you’ll get important information and resources you can adapt for your own operation. For more information, go to https://agrisk.umd.edu/grant-proposals/hiring-and-retaining-farm-employees
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Discover more upcoming events from University of Maryland Extension!
Browse our full calendar and find programs near you!
Maryland has a network of weather stations (Maryland Mesonet) that is administered by the University of Maryland's Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, in partnership with the MD Department of Emergency Management. Each mesonet site measures air temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, rainfall, snow depth, and soil moisture and temperature at five depths, most at 1-minute intervals. The measurements are available to Maryland citizens from the Mesonet website (https://mesonet.umd.edu/index.html).
Extensión en Español Check out Extensión en Español, a Spanish language blog by two UMD professors, Anahí Espíndola (Entomology) and Macarena Farcuh (Plant Sciences & Landscape Architecture). https://extensionesp.umd.edu/
They cover a range of topics, including fruit, pollinators, pests, soils, and pesticides.
Vegetable & Fruit News Volume 17 Issue 6 - Download PDF
Vegetable & Fruit News is a research-based publication for the commercial vegetable and fruit industry available electronically from April through October. Published by the University of Maryland Extension Agriculture and Food Systems team.
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EDITOR
Emily Zobel University of Maryland Extension Agent - Dorchester County
501 Court Lane, Room 208
Cambridge, MD 21613
Phone: (410) 410-228-8800
Email: ezobel@umd.edu
Note: Registered Trade Mark® Products, Manufacturers, or Companies mentioned within this newsletter are not to be considered as sole endorsements. The information has been provided for educational purposes only.