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No-till planting of pumpkin into a killed winter rye cover crop is a system used by growers in a number of states, including Indiana. Advantages mentioned by producers in addition to soil health benefits from the cover crop include cleaner pumpkins at harvest, and in rainy seasons, less mud in the field at harvest time. This paper reports on a project to develop a workable no-till system at a university research farm that can be used for demonstration and in future research to better understand and improve production practices. The trial included two methods for killing rye in no-till systems: herbicide applied at the boot stage of rye and roller-crimping at the time of planting. Jack-o-lantern pumpkins produced greater yield in conventional tillage than in no-till in this trial. The effects of tillage treatment on marketable yield were similar for direct-seeded and transplanted crops, with conventional plots producing 40% more by number and 58% more by weight than no-till plots. In direct-seeded plots, the conventional treatment produced the largest marketable pumpkins, 22% heavier than in no-till plots. In transplanted plots pumpkin size was not affected by tillage treatments. Weed pressure differed among the tillage treatments before in-season control measures in July: herbicide-killed rye and conventional tillage had more weed pressure than roller-crimped rye. For direct-seeded crops, emergence was slower and more variable in no-till treatments than in conventional tillage. The longest delay in emergence occurred where rye was killed by roller-crimping. Key challenges that remain for direct-seeded no-till pumpkins are achieving good furrow closure and reducing seed predation. For both direct-seeded and transplanted pumpkins, the next steps include exploring ways to overcome other factors that reduce growth and yield. Certainly pumpkin yield is not the only measure of success in this system–the benefits of reduced tillage and biomass input to the soil that have been documented by many others also have much value.

No-till planting of sweet corn into a killed winter rye cover crop is not a widely used practice in Indiana, but has potential to provide soil health benefits such as reduced compaction, improved soil water-holding capacity, reduced evaporation from soil surface, in addition to other benefits. This paper reports on the second year of a project to develop a workable system at a university research farm that can be used for demonstration and in future research to better understand and improve production practices. The trial included two methods for killing rye in no-till systems: herbicide at the boot stage of rye, and roller-crimping either before or after seeding. Emergence and stand establishment problems in no-till plots last year led to changes in methods this year: weight was added to planter units for no-till plots, and irrigation was applied soon after seeding. An early and main season sweet corn cultivar responded similarly to treatments. Compared to conventional tillage, marketable ear number was reduced for sweet corn no-tilled into rye. When rye was killed by rolling, the number of marketable ears per plant was less than when rye was killed with herbicide. Marketable yield differences appear related to differences in emergence timing and uniformity. In rolled plots harvest was delayed approximately 10 days. Future work on the no-till system should include continued improvement in stand establishment as well as considering whether changes in nutrient and other management practices are warranted.

No-till planting of sweet corn into a killed winter rye cover crop is not a widely used practice in Indiana, but has potential to provide soil health benefits such as reduced compaction, improved soil waterholding capacity, reduced evaporation from soil surface, in addition to other benefits. This paper reports on a project to develop a workable system at a university research farm that can be used for demonstration and in future research to better understand and improve production practices. The trial included two methods for killing rye in no-till systems: herbicide and roller-crimping either before or after seeding. An early and main season sweet corn cultivar responded similarly to treatments. Compared to conventional tillage, marketable yield was lower for sweet corn no-tilled into rye. The yield differences appear largely due to differences in emergence. Emergence was best with conventional tillage, and better in no-till plots when rye was killed with glyphosate than when rye was rolled. In rolled plots harvest was delayed approximately 1 week. To improve the no-till system it will be important to improve planting depth and covering of seed and assure adequate soil moisture at planting.

This is a compilation of 12 research trial reports from four land-grant universities in the Midwestern United States. Crops include cantaloupe, pickling cucumber, pepper, potato, pumpkin, summer squash and zucchini, sweet corn, tomato, and watermelon. Somecrops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. One report addressed plant spacing for sweet corn and one addressed soil block for production of tomato seedlings. A list of vegetable seed sources and a list of other online sources of vegetable trial reports are also included.

High tunnels are a low-cost technology that can strengthen local and regional food systems by facilitating the production of high-quality fruits and vegetables during and beyond the frost-free growing season. The potential for high tunnels to improve crop quality and yield has been established with research trials, but there is a lack of research on the farm-level impacts of high tunnels, or comparisons between organic and conventional farming systems. This survey of high tunnel users in the U.S. Midwest state of Indiana finds that farmers have been successful with extending the growing season, as nearly half of the respondents are now harvesting in the cooler months and planting earlier in the spring. Farmers also reported significant increases in the productivity and quality of their crops year-round, and improvement in their farm’s economic stability. Farm-level impacts were similar for farmers using organic and conventional farming practices, although farmers using organic practices were more likely to increase their off-season production than their conventional counterparts. Overall, high tunnels hold potential as a tool for increasing the availability of fresh vegetables and fruits for local food systems, thus increasing the viability of Midwest farms.

This is a compilation of 15 research trial reports from four land-grant universities in the Midwestern United States. Crops include cantaloupe, pickling cucumber, pepper, potato, pumpkin, summer squash and zucchini, sweet corn, tomato, and watermelon. Somecrops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. One report addressed plant spacing for sweet corn and one addressed soil block for production of tomato seedlings. A list of vegetable seed sources and a list of other online sources of vegetable trial reports are also included.

This paper reports on fifteen bicolor, two yellow, and two white supersweet sweet corn entries that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center in Wanatah, Indiana.

This paper reports on six bicolor sugar-enhanced or synergistic sweet corn entries that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center in Wanatah, Indiana.

Tomatoes are a common crop grown in unheated greenhouses, commonly called high tunnels. Production in these structures has increased in recent years. This trial was conducted to evaluate varieties for their performance as a summer-harvested crop in soil-based high tunnel production systems. Five hybrid determinate varieties or line, one hybrid indeterminate, and one open-pollinated indeterminate variety were compared for yield, earliness, fruit size, and quality.

This is a compilation of 19 research trial reports from six land-grant universities in the Midwestern United States. Crops include green beans, cantaloupe, cucumber, ornamental corn, pepper, potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet corn, tomato, and watermelon. Several crops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. One report addressed specific growing practices: plant spacing for sweet corn.

Pumpkins are grown on 5,000 acres in Indiana with an average yield of 6.75 tons per acre. Successful pumpkin production requires the use of varieties that yield well and produce pumpkins of the size, shape, color, and quality demanded by the market. Genetic resistance to the fungal disease powdery mildew is present in some varieties. This trial was designed to evaluate performance of pumpkin varieties in northern Indiana with and without treatment for powdery mildew. The trial included fourteen orange jack-o-lantern size pumpkins, one small or 'pie' pumpkin and one specialty yellow pumpkin.

Tomatoes grown in unheated high tunnels can suffer significant loss in quality due to yellow shoulder disorder, particularly in susceptible varieties. This paper reports on a preliminary trial to determine whether incidence and severity of the disorder could be influenced by applying potassium fertilizers. Plots with higher leaf potassium content tended to have less fruit with severe yellow shoulder disorder, but increasing the amount of potassium fertilizer applied did not significantly reduce the disorder. From this study it isn’t possible to make specific recommendations for reducing yellow shoulder disorder with potassium applications.

This is a compilation of 21 research trial reports from six land-grant universities in the midwestern United States. Crops include dry beans, cantaloupe, cucumber, pepper, pumpkin, sweet corn, summer squash, winter squash, strawberry, tomato, watermelon, and winter melon. Several crops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoop houses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. Three reports addressed specific growing practices: the use of poly-coated urea to supply nitrogen to sweet corn, potassium fertilization for high tunnel tomatoes, and use of cereal rye cover crop in butternut squash.

This paper reports on seven bicolor and two yellow sugar-enhanced or synergistic sweet corn entries that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center in Wanatah, Indiana.

This paper reports on thirteen bicolor, two yellow, and three white supersweet sweet corn entries that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center in Wanatah, Indiana.

This is a compilation of 21 research trial reports from four land-grant universities in the Midwestern United States. Crops include cantaloupe, pickling cucumber, pepper, potato, pumpkin, summer squash and zucchini, sweet corn, tomato, and watermelon. Somecrops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties. One report addressed plant spacing for sweet corn and one addressed soil block for production of tomato seedlings. A list of vegetable seed sources and a list of other online sources of vegetable trial reports are also included.

This is a compilation of 19 research trial reports from six land-grant universities in the midwestern United States. Crops include bok choy, cantaloupe, cucumber, pepper, pumpkin, sweet corn, squash, tomato, and watermelon. Several crops were evaluated in high tunnels or hoophouses. Most trials evaluated different cultivars or varieties, including one investigating cantaloupe variety influence on cucumber beetle presence and incidence of bacterial wilt. Four reports addressed specific growing practices: the use of poly-coated urea to supply nitrogen to sweet corn, biochar use in a high tunnel bag culture system, use of cereal rye cover crop in butternut squash, and pollinizer planting patterns for seedless watermelon.

Trials on mini sweet peppers and other specialty sweet peppers in the Midwest have not recently been reported. We undertook this project to compare yield and fruit characteristics of hybrid and heirloom peppers grown in high tunnels using organic and conventional production methods.

Indiana sweet corn acreage harvested for fresh market averaged 5,233 acres annually from 2011- 2013, with a yield of 63 hundreweight per acre (149 crates or 3.1 tons per acre) and an annual value of $13.9 million (USDA NASS, 2014). Sweet corn fields for fresh market sales are located throughout the state. In northern Indiana, bicolor corn is most commonly grown. Varieties with improved eating quality are of interest to both producers and consumers. The term ‘supersweet’ commonly refers to sweet corn with two copies of the shrunken-2 (sh2) gene that have high levels of sugar in the kernels and little conversion of sugar to starch. ‘Augmented’ or improved supersweet varieties have been bred for better eating quality, including reduced pericarp toughness. Producers are also interested in yield, ear size, appearance, and agronomic characteristics. This paper reports on 23 bicolor, three yellow, and three white supersweet sweet corn entries that were evaluated at the Pinney-Purdue Agricultural Center in Wanatah, Indiana.