With funding from the farmer-led Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP), Cornell University researchers are undertaking a comprehensive diagnosis and assessment of the diseases that impact corn and soybean crops in the NNY region.
“The systematic assessment of corn and soybean diseases in the Northern New York region is long overdue,” says Cornell University Plant Pathologist Gary C. Bergstrom. “The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is funding a proactive disease evaluation that will create a benchmarking database as a management tool to help growers maintain strong production and profitability.”
Corn and soybeans are high value crops as livestock feed and cash crops for Northern New York farms. Cornell University estimates the Northern New York corn grain industry alone to have an annual value of $50.6 million. From 2011 to 2012, the value of the regional soybean crop, grown on some 300,000 acres, increased $1.37 million to $5.39 million. NNY soybean exports have more than tripled since 2010.