OMAFRA - Vegetables: Cucurbits
Cucumber, Muskmelon, Watermelon, Pumpkin, Squash

| News & Alerts | Crop Management | Pest Management | Food Safety |
| Harvest & Postharvest | Business & Innovation | Weather & Climate |
| Environmental Stewardship | Specialists & Services | Vegetable Statistics |
| Tools & Additional Resources |

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News & Alerts

Text

• What's Current in Hort Crops
• Ontario Agriculture Events Calendar (OntAg - Farms.com)
• Crop Conferences & Meetings
• Vegetable Crop Updates
• HortMatters Newsletter
• Vegetable Viewpoint Newsletter
• ON Organic Newsletter
• Market Information - Infohort (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)

Audio

• Sound Advice Radio Reports - Audio Crop Updates

Use web apps to stay informed

• Agricultural List Servs & Mailgroups
• Podcasts

Crop Management

| Managing the Crop | Soil, Fertility & Crop Nutrition | Irrigation | Organic |

Managing the crop - Growing the crop, transplants, season extension and more. Recommended resources:

• Crop & Pest News & Alerts
• Cucumber Production
• Growing Vegetable Transplants in Plug Trays
• Pollination of Vine Crops
• Pumpkin & Squash Production
• Recycling Farm Plastic Films
• Season Extension
• Storage of Vegetable Plug Transplants
• OMAFRA's Vegetable Crop Production Publications
• Vegetable Seed Companies
• Where to Find Vegetable Variety Trial Information

Soil, Fertility & Crop Nutrition - With field vegetables, it all starts with the soil. You can find the dirt on soil, fertilizer recommendations, and more on these OMAFRA index pages:

• Nutrient Management - Index Page
• Soil Fertility & Crop Nutrition - Index Page
• Soil Management - Index Page
• Soil Water Management - Index Page
• Soil Management on Organic Farms - Index Page

Recommended soil, fertility & crop nutrition resources:

• Cover Crops
• Cover Crop Seed Suppliers
• Fertility - Cucurbits
• Fertilizer Recommendation Tables
• Phosphorus and Potassium Soil Testing and Fertilizer Recommendation System in Ontario
• Soil Fertility Handbook
• Soil Sampling and Analysis for Managing Crop Nutrients
• Sources of Soil Diagnostic Tools
• Spent Mushroom Substrate
• Understanding Nitrogen

Irrigation - Water supply, timing, amount, fertigation, permits. Filter out the information you need with the resources below:

• Irrigation - Index Page
• Soil Water Management - Index Page
• Water - Index Page

Recommended irrigation resources:

• Irrigating Vegetable Crops
• How to Prepare for Irrigation During Water Shortages
• Improving On-Farm Food Safety Through Good Irrigation Practices
• Irrigation Management - Best Management Practices Publication
• Permit to Take Water Consulting Services
• Permit To Take Water Workshops
• Permits to Take Water - MOE
• Soil Moisture Monitoring Equipment Suppliers

Organic - Browse these pages for information on organic production, certification, and the business side of organic agriculture:

• Organic Agriculture - Index Page
• Organic Crops - Index Page

Recommended organic crop resources:

• Introduction To Organic Farming (html) (pdf)
• Organic Food and Farming Certification
• ON Organic Newsletter
• Starting an Organic Farm (html) (pdf)

Pest Management

| Pest Management - General | Diseases & Disorders | Insects | Nematodes |
| Weeds | Pesticide Safety |

Find information on cucurbit pest management in the recommended resources, below:

Pest management - General - recommended resources:

• Ontario CropIPM - Integrated Pest Management Training Online or on CD (Order # AF141)
• OMAFRA's Vegetable Crop Production Publications
• Crop & Pest News & Alerts
• Crop Scouting - Resources for Vegetable Crop Scouts
• Homemade Pesticides
• How Weather Conditions Affect Spray Applications (html) (pdf)
• Integrated Pest Management - Best Management Practices Publication
• Ontario's Cosmetic Pesticide Ban
• Ontario Minor Use Program (progress on pesticide registration for minor use crops)
• Organic Pest Management
• PMRA Pesticide Label Search
• Pesticide Spray Drift Video
• Sprayer Calibration Calculator

• Using Propane-Fired Cannons to Keep Birds Away From Vineyards

Diseases & disorders - Recommended resources:

• 2011 Downy Mildew Control Stategy for Cucurbit Crops
• Downy Mildew of Greenhouse Cucumber
• Effects of Air Pollution on Agricultural Crops
• Walnut Toxicity

Insects - Recommended resources:

• Leafminers Attacking Field Vegetables and Greenhouse Crops
• Managing Cutworms in Vegetable Crops
• Managing Wireworms in Vegetable Crops
• Tarnished Plant Bug Damage on Vegetable Crops in Ontario

Nematodes - Recommended resources:

• Bulb and Stem Nematode in Onions and Carrots
• Sampling Soil and Roots for Plant Parasitic Nematode
• Soil Fumigation Services

Weeds - Recommended resources:

• Guide to Weed Control - Online (Pub. 75)
• Guide to Weed Control Supplement (New herbicide registrations)
• Guide to Weed Control: Tables
• Herbicide Mode of Action Categories
• Ontario Weeds Publication (Pub. 505)
• Ontario Weeds - Weed Gallery
• ontarioweeds.com (knowledge base of weed information)
• Weeds in Ontario - Index Page

Pesticide safety - Recommended resources:

• Pesticide Application and Safety
• Pesticide Storage, Handling and Application - Best Management Practices online
• Ways to Avoid Pesticide Spills

Food Safety

These index pages will get you to the information you need:

• Food Safety & Traceability - Index Page
• Food Safety - Index Page
• Food Safety for Ontario's Agriculture Industry - Index Page

Recommended food safety resources:

• Improving On-Farm Food Safety Through Good Irrigation Practices
• OMAFRA's Vegetable Crop Production Publications

Harvest & Postharvest

Find information on harvest, cooling, storage, grading, inspection, and postharvest issues in the recommended resources below:

• Cantaloupe Grading & Packing Manual
• Chilling Injury of Horticultural Crops
• Field Cucumber Grading & Packing Manual
• Foods of Plant Origin - Inspection Programs - Index Page
• Grading and Labelling Fruits and Vegetables
• Ontario Marking Requirements for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables at Retail
• Sizing and Laying Out A Short-term (Summer) Refrigerated Storage for Fruits and Vegetables
• Traceability
• Troubleshooting Cold Storage Problems
• Tunnel Forced Air Cooler for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
• OMAFRA's Vegetable Crop Production Publications

Business & Innovation

Sharpen your pencil and browse OMAFRA's business and innovation resources:

• Agricultural Business Management Information - Index Page

Business planning - Recommended resources:

• Cost of Production and Budgets
• Financial Management (including agreements & forms)
• Human Resources
• Business Structure
• Business Strategy
• Diagnosing and Managing Cash Flow Problems
• Options For Farmers Dealing With Financial Difficulties

Marketing & value added - Recommended resources:

• Business Information Bundle for Food and Beverage Processors
• Marketing and Value Added Ventures
• Evaluating the Feasibility of Business Opportunities
• Improving or Expanding Your Food Business
• Minimally Processed Fruit and Vegetables Good Manufacturing Practices Guidebook
• Start, Manage and Grow A Business: Food Processing
• Your Guide to Food Processing in Ontario (pdf-1.29mb)

Farm programs - Recommended resources:

• Programs and Services for Ontario Farmers (pdf-788kb)

Innovation - Recommended resources:

• Bioproducts
• Research & Innovation - Index Page
• Premier's Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence

Weather & Climate

You can't control the weather, but you can be prepared. And it's always a good topic of conversation.

• Adverse Weather Information - Index Page
• Ontario Climate Information - Index Page

Recommended weather & climate resources:

• Air Pollution Injury on Potatoes
• Chilling Injury of Horticultural Crops
• Climate Zones and Planting Dates for Vegetables in Ontario
• Effects of Air Pollution on Agricultural Crops
• Freeze Protection Methods for Crops
• Growing Degree Days in Ontario - A Description
• Irrigation Resources
• Water Management - Best Management Practices Publication

Environmental Stewardship

You can find lots of information on these index pages:

• Energy Conservation & Generation - Index Page
• Environment - Index Page
• Soil Fertility & Crop Nutrition - Index Page
• Soil Management - Index Page
• Soil Water Management - Index Page
• Water - Index Page

Recommended environmental stewardship resources:

• Best Management Practices Manuals
• Green Energy Business Information Bundle for Farmers
• Potential Sources of Funding for Environmental Stewardship
• Protecting Farm Streams Near Horticultural Crops

Specialists & Services

• Agriculture Development Branch Staff Directory
• Leaf and Petiole Tissue Analysis Program
• Accredited Soil Testing Laboratories in Ontario
• Pest Diagnostic Clinic - University of Guelph
• Sources of Crop Inputs
  • Air Induction Nozzles
  • Containers
  • Cover Crop
  • Irrigation Equipment
  • Pest Monitoring Equipment
  • Plasticulture
  • Vegetable Seed

Vegetable Statistics

• Ontario Horticultural Statistics
• Market Information - Infohort (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)
• Processed Food and Beverages (Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada)
• British Columbia Field Vegetable Statistics (pdf)
• Nova Scotia Agricultural Statistics
• Prince Edward Island - Agricultural Statistics
• Québec - Statistiques économiques de l'industrie bioalimentaire
• USDA - National Agricultural Statistics Service - Vegetable Reports

Tools & Additional Resources

For your library or the seat of your pickup truck:

• OMAFRA's Vegetable Crop Production Publications
• OMAFRA Crop Publications & Products (electronic & print)

Additional online resources:

• Crop Links - Vegetables (External links)
• Online Vegetable & Pest Newsletters (External links)

Tools:

• Field Pocket Guide (record book for crop production)
• Field Scouting
• Ontario CropIPM - Integrated Pest Management Training Online or on CD (Order # AF141)
• Ontario Vegetable Research Reports - Searchable Digital Archive
• PMRA Pesticide Label Search
• Sprayer Calibration Calculator
• Ontario Weeds - Weed Gallery
• ontarioweeds.com (knowledge base of weed information)