Vegetable, small-fruit production webinar series starts Dec. 19

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A series of monthly, Web-based seminars covering topics related to vegetable and small-fruit production issues will kick off Dec. 19.

 Presented by Penn State Extension’s Vegetable and Small Fruit Program Team in the College of Agricultural Sciences, the monthly webinars will be offered from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, with time for questions and answers. 

Target audience

Aimed at those involved in commercial production of vegetables and small fruits on any scale, the webinars will provide access to timely updates in commercial vegetable and small-fruit production for extension educators, producers and industry representatives in Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

“Because these presentations are so convenient and don’t require participants to travel, they are ideal for busy growers,” said Lee Stivers, extension horticulture educator. “No software downloads are needed, and registration gives you access to handouts and recordings. So even if you miss the live webinar, you can catch it on the recording.”

Topics

Planned webinar topics include the following:

Dec. 19: Irrigation in a Hot, Dry Season. 

Jan. 8, 2013: Nutrient Management and Fertigation. 

Feb. 20, 2013: Good Ag Practices (GAPs) Farm Food Safety Update.

March 13, 2013: Recognizing and Protecting Pollinators for Vegetables and Small Fruit Production.

March 27, 2013: Cucurbit Pest Management Strategies: Organic, Biorational and Conventional. This webinar extends until 2:30 p.m. 

Fee

The cost for the webinars is $10 per session or $35 for the entire series of five. The fee includes access to handouts and webinar recordings.

Registration

Register for the webinars online at http://agsci.psu.edu/vegetable-production-webinars or by phone at 724-627-3745. For more information, contact Stivers at 724-554-8815 or by email at ljs32@psu.edu.

Related publications and information also are available on the Penn State Extension Vegetable and Small Fruit Production website at http://extension.psu.edu/vegetable-fruit, covering topics such as vegetable gardening, organic vegetable and fruit production, potato diseases in Pennsylvania, ever-bearing strawberries, fungicide resistance management, mid-Atlantic berries and commercial vegetable recommendations.