WEST LAFAYETTE — It's time to start thinking about vegetable production, and along with this activity comes the task of keeping insects and weeds out and the vegetables disease-free.

The Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers 2007 is available with the latest tips and information to help vegetable producers grow a safe and healthy crop.

The guide contains practical information that vegetable growers can use day in and day out.

"Last year, cucumber and pumpkin growers struggled with the disease downy mildew, and many used a popular fungicide that was not effective," Dan Egel, Purdue University Extension region pest management specialist and contributor, said. "The vegetable production guide provides effective alternatives to use and should be considered for use this year."

The guide can be downloaded at no cost at http://www.btny.purdue.edu/Pubs/ID/ID-56/

"The Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers is designed to help growers of all sizes tailor their management techniques to get the best results for their operation," Egel said. "The annual guide is a summary of currently suggested vegetable varieties, seeding rates, weed control, insect control and disease control measures for

growers in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Missouri."

New features to the guide include a page highlighting what's new and a section describing how to submit plant samples to diagnostic laboratories. Photos have been added in many sections, and updates have been made to a variety of recommendations and information on disease, weed and insect management.

The 2007 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide is a collaboration among the University of Illinois Extension, Purdue Extension, Iowa State University Extension, Kansas State University and Kansas State Research and Extension, the University of Minnesota Extension and the University of Missouri Extension.