Cornell entomologist Dr. Elson Shields, who, with long-term funding support from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP), pioneered the use of native nematodes to manage alfalfa snout beetle (berry crops pests and now corn rootworm as well) has shared an article (also posted below) on “The True Cost of Alfalfa Snout Beetle on Your Farm.”  

The alfalfa snout beetle and biocontrol nematodes science and protocols built through nearly three decades of NNYADP-funded research on farms in northern New York has been requested by farmers and agricultural professionals in multiple U.S. states and Canada, and has even brought visitors from as far away as Russia to learn about this groundbreaking research. To see the NNYADP Alfalfa Snout Beetle Solution Research History: visit https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/field-crops/research-projects/.

Our Canadian neighbors are now experiencing ASB destruction in their alfalfa crops. The “Field Crop News” recently published by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) recently posted the Shields’ article. OMAFRA Forage and Grazing Specialist Christine O’Reilly wrote this following introductory note: Alfalfa snout beetle is an invasive species. A 2008 survey confirmed its presence in Leeds & Grenville, Prescott & Russell, and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry counties. At that time, over 150 km² were infested. Dr. Shield’s research on biocontrol nematodes was originally to help producers manage ASB, but more recent results suggest they are also effective against corn rootworm when used in conjunction with other best management practices.

FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The long term funding of the pioneering biocontrol nematode research by the NNYADP was made possible by the funding support of the NNYADP by the New York State Legislature and administration of that funding by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

The True Cost of Alfalfa Snout Beetle on Your Farm
by Elson Shields, Department of Entomology, Cornell University

January 2021.  When alfalfa snout beetle (ASB) becomes fully established on your farm, its presence cost you $300-$600 per cow annually.  The higher producing dairies are hit harder than the lower producing dairies because the higher producing dairies are more reliant on their production of high quality alfalfa and grass forage to maintain their high milk production.  This is an unbelievable amount of loss caused by ASB and is ignored by many in the NNY Agribusiness community.

It takes about 10 years for alfalfa snout beetle to become fully established on individual farms after its initial invasion.  ASB damage is frequently missed and stand loss is often blamed on winter kill, until there is a massive migration of adults out of a field or someone uses a shovel to dig yellowed plants in the fall and finds the larvae.  ASB often kill out the alfalfa on the high spots in the field first, a symptom which should draw attention from the truck windshield driving past.  The best time to survey a field/farm for ASB is during October with a shovel to dig and examine yellowing alfalfa plants.  At this time of year, ASB larvae are large, white and easy to identify.

ASB is flightless and has a 2-year lifecycle, so movement around the farm is by walking or hitching rides on farm equipment.  The practice of cutting an infested alfalfa field and then moving to a non-infested field next to harvest is the most common way ASB is moved around the farm.  During 1^st harvest, ASB adults can be easily observed on the harvesting equipment.  Over the 10 year period, ASB causes more fields to die out from “perceived winter kill”, resulting in less alfalfa to harvest and more required off-farm purchases of replacement protein, so the increasing costs of feeding the cows is spread out over the 10 year period and often overlooked.

The cost of alfalfa snout beetle to the dairy operation is two prong and can be broken down into two different areas.

1) The cost of forage loss from the field loss and the cost of replanting

Alfalfa is an expensive crop to plant with the required PH adjustment for yield, cost of the seed and the cost of land preparation required for good germination and plant stands (~$140/ac).  As a general rule in a NNY 3-cut system, the cost of establishing the crop are not covered with the on-farm production of protein until the beginning of the third crop year.  If farms cannot keep their alfalfa stands viable through the 3^rd and 4^th production years, the cost of establishing the stand outweighs the benefit of growing alfalfa. Depending on the speed that ASB eliminates the alfalfa stand, the alfalfa stand could be lost in a single year or over a 2-3 year period with grass filling in the open spaces.  In a NNY 3-cut-4-year rotation alfalfa production system, the cost of alfalfa snout beetle killing out the alfalfa stand ranges between $200 and $400 an acre.  In a NNY 4-cut-3-year, the cost of alfalfa snout beetle killing out the alfalfa stand ranges between $200 and $500 an acre.  These cost estimates are a combination of the loss of crop yield and the cost of re-establishment of the alfalfa field.

2)  The cost of purchasing off-farm protein to replace the alfalfa protein which is no longer available on the farm.

A more hidden cost of alfalfa snout beetle is the cost of the increased protein purchases to compensate for the lack of protein produced on the farm due to the loss of alfalfa from ASB damage.  The “off farm purchase protein costs” is directly impacted on the farm’s ability to manage the remaining grass in the field for high protein production. Below are presented various scenarios typical of NNY farms impacted by alfalfa field loss from ASB.

Table 1:  The cost of extra soy required in the diet when ASB impacts the production of alfalfa on the farm and causes widespread alfalfa stand losses.  Estimates are based on the diet of 30% forage and 70% corn silage.  While many farmers claim to produce higher quality grass, analysis of grass forage suggests that the 15% and 11% protein cover the common range of grass quality.

% Alfalfa in Stand        15% protein grass                           11% protein grass
100                                  $9.30/cow/month                                   $16.80/cow/month
(clear seeded)                    $112/cow/year                                       $201/cow/year
100 cow dairy                     $11,200/year                                          $20,100/year
————————————————————————————————-
50:50                               $4.70/cow/month                                  $8.40/cow/month
(alfalfa:grass)                    $56.40/cow/year                                    $100.80/cow/year
100 cow dairy                    $5,600/year                                           $8,400/year

***These estimates were provided by Michael Miller, W.H. Miner Institute and Everett Thomas, Oak Point Agronomics

In summary, the cost of additional purchases of soy protein once ASB becomes establish on the farm ranges from $4.70 to $16.80/cow/ month or $56.40 to $200 per cow/year Add to this the cost of losing alfalfa stands and spending money to replant the stands and the cost per cow increases another $200-$500 /year and the loss to the dairy from ASB is significant. In NY, the “rule of thumb” is that it requires 1 acre of forage to support 1 cow.  As a result, the cost per acre and cost per cow of forages are often used interchangeably in discussions. This is the reason that money making dairies become under severe financial pressure within 10 years of ASB moving onto the farm.

The Alfalfa Snout Beetle Solution:
Due to the long-term research support by the NNY dairy farmers, Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP), NYFVI, state of NY and Cornell University, ASB can be controlled on a farm for many years with a single application of native NY biocontrol nematodes (entomopathogenic) on each field.  The cost of this application is in the range of $40-$60 per acre.  The presence of ASB on your farm is costing you between $50-$200/year every year and the solution to ASB is a single expense of $40-$60; a one-time expense.  To date, nearly 28,000 acres of NNY ASB infested land has been treated for ASB located on >140 farms.  In those fields, alfalfa stand life has increased back to 4-6 years compared to the previous ASB ravaged 1-2 years.

Northern NY farmers who have initiated a program of applying biocontrol nematodes to your farm, please continue because it is saving/making you money to control ASB.  In addition, talk to your neighbor about controlling his ASB because your control would be better if your neighbor was not producing millions of ASB to flood into your alfalfa stands.

Northern NY farmers who have not applied biocontrol nematodes for ASB control are bleeding profits and are spending unnecessary scarce money on purchases of soy protein when they could be growing it themselves.  In addition, you are creating a problem for your neighbor who is trying to control this insect and you need to work with your neighbor to control ASB for both of your benefit.

For more information about ASB control with biocontrol nematodes contact:
. Mike Hunter, CCE Field Crops Specialist, Phone (315) 788-8450, ext. 266, Email:  meh27@cornell.edu
. Kitty O’Neil, CCE Field Crops and Soil Specialist, Phone 315 379-9192 ext 253, Email:  kitty.oneil@cornell.edu
. Joe Lawrence, CCE Dairy Forage Systems Specialist, Phone 315-778-4814, Email:  jrl65@cornell.edu

To purchase Biocontrol Nematodes for your farm, contact:
Mary DeBeer, Moira, NY, Phone:  (518) 812 –8565, Email:  md12957@aol.com

 

NNYADP Alfalfa Snout Beetle Solution Research History:

Research Projects: Alfalfa

Canton, New York: December 16, 2020.  Research conducted by a team of veterinarians and dairy specialists with Quality Milk Production Services, the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, and Cornell Cooperative Extension evaluated how different teat end treatments impact cow health under winter conditions. Based on their findings, the researchers recommend several best management practices for dairies milking in colder temperatures. A Northern New York Agricultural Development Program grant funded the project.

A six-week mid-winter trial evaluated two types of post-milking teat dips: a powdered chlorhexidine acetate teat treatment and a foaming 1 percent iodine dip. The final dataset totaled 331 cows that were milked three times a day. The cows were housed in freestall barns bedded with sand or sawdust or in a tiestall barn with foam mattresses bedded with sawdust. All cows received pre- and post-milking dip treatments.

Teat skin chapping and thickening of the outer layer of skin on the teat ends can reduce the ability to achieve clean teat ends. This creates the opportunity for increased environmental bacterial pathogen colonization and thus increases the risk of mastitis and higher somatic cell count. The 331 cows in the study were evaluated for clinical mastitis and subclinical mastitis infections, somatic cell count, linear score, teat skin condition, and teat end score.

At the start of the trial, the percentage of udder quarter samples with a negative culture test for the powdered treatment group was 66 and for the iodine dip group, 65. At the end of the trial, the percentage of quarter samples with a negative culture test for the powdered treatment group was 79 and for the iodine dip group, 86.

While there was no difference in clinical mastitis between the two groups, the powdered treatment group showed a greater risk of new subclinical infection (odds ratio of 1.59) and had a greater risk to have a positive culture result for a minor mastitis organism (odds ratio of 1.63) or Staph. aureus infection (odds ratio of 2.32) at the end of the trial.

There was no difference in number or odds ratio for coliform or Streptococcus spp. infections. The researchers found no significant difference between the two study groups as to teat skin condition, teat end scoring, or linear scoring.

To reduce the risk of cold climate-related mastitis infections, Heather Dann, Ph.D., a research scientist with the William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, N.Y., suggests the following as best management practice for dairies milking in colder temperatures and in situations where cows may be exposed to cold and windchill in the barn or going to and from the milking parlor:

• Use hygienic milking protocols
• Make sure milking equipment is properly functioning
• Continue using an effective post-milking teat dip
• Remove excessive post-milking teat dip from teat by gently blotting to reduce moisture waiting for dip to dry to prevent freezing
• Troubleshoot barn and parlor facilities to reduce opportunity for windchill
• Maintain dry and clean bedding.

The average temperature of 42 degrees Fahrenheit in the barns during the trial was moderate for a northern New York winter. The researchers emphasize that different results might have been recorded under harsher, more typical winter temperatures.To read the complete Powdered Teat Dip Post-Milking Under Cold Weather in NNY report, see the Research: Dairy Research projects tab at www.nnyagdev.org.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

NNYADP Dairy Calf Diarrhea Pathogens Research Part of Dairy Days Webinar Series; Learn Results on January 15

Canton, N.Y.; December 8, 2020. Which pathogens cause diarrhea in pre-weaned dairy calves and can farms more precisely target treatment to the specific causal agent? And, will precision treatment have a positive impact of their milk production potential?

Participants in a free Dairy Days Calf Management webinar will learn the preliminary results of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded research investigating these questions. The webinar will take place via Zoom on Friday, January 15, 2021, from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Regional Dairy Specialists Casey Havekes and Lindsay Ferlito conducted the research in collaboration with Dr. Robert Lynch, a veterinarian with the Cornell PRO-DAIRY Program, and with Sarah Morrison, Ph.D., a research scientist with Miner Institute.  Ms. Havekes will present the group’s findings during the January 15th webinar as part of a four-session agenda.

The 2014 National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Calf Health Report identified neonatal diarrhea, or scours, as the leading cause of death in pre-weaned heifers. A 2017 Northern New York Agricultural Development Program project indicated that calves between the ages of eight and 31 days were most commonly treated with antibiotics for diarrhea.

“The project was designed to identify the most prevalent enterpathogens, including bacteria and viruses, that cause diarrhea in pre-weaned heifer calves, with a long-term view toward being able to reduce antibiotic usage when appropriate,” Havekes explains.

Earlier research trials have observed that bacterial causes account for only 30 percent of diarrheic calves, yet the NAHMS report of 2011 indicated that more than 87 percent of diarrheic calves were treated with antibiotics.

“This research collected approximately 100 fecal samples from calves on farms across northern New York. The aim of this research was to establish baseline data for next-step research to validate an on-farm test that would allow farmers to quickly diagnose the cause of scouring  in their calves and thus to precisely target treatment to the specific cause,” Havekes notes.

The research also evaluated how access to water and electrolytes was implemented on farms as a recovery tool for diarrheic calves.

The January 15 webinar is the final webinar in four days of dairy industry webinars featuring dairy specialists, veterinarians, and agricultural industry representatives from the U.S. and Canada. The January12-15, 2021 series is free via Zoom. Contact Casey Havekes at 315-955-2059 for details or register online at https://ncrat.cce.cornell.edu/event.php?id=1367.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature and administrated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Learn more at www.nnyagdev.org.

There are important considerations from a milk feeding standpoint for calves on dairy farms in Northern New York’s cold weather climate.  A study funded by the NNYADP and conducted by Miner Institute, shows the importance of best calf management practices in the winter season as temperatures decrease, across housing types, and as the requirements of calves increase for proper health and growth. This research evaluated how increasing nutrients supplied impacted or improved the growth and health of dairy calves on regional farms.

Winter Calf Feeding Project Results: The Effect of Increasing Total Amount of Nutrients Supplied through Milk or Milk Replacer on Calf Growth & Health in Multiple Housing Systems during Winter Months in NNY, 2019

For a print copy of this report by mail, leave your name and mailing address in a message to 315-465-7578.

On November 24, 2020, at 7 pm, Northern New York Maple Specialist Adam D. Wild, director of the Uihlein Maple Research Forest at Lake Placid, NY, will be the final presenter in the Fall 2020 Cornell Maple Program Virtual Workshop series. He will include information on the second-year results of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP)-funded research into whether re-tapping maple trees in one sap season can increase single-season syrup production.  To register for the six-program Cornell maple virtual series, go to https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6MrFc7JTqE2oh1j.

Changing weather patterns are causing maple producers in northern New York to seek information on the best time to tap trees for maximum production value. Research conducted outside of northern New York has indicated that tapping for early sap run and re-tapping later in the maple season could potentially increase syrup production yields by at least 20 percent or $6 per tap profit. The farmer-driven NNYADP- funded trials in 2019-2020 tested that opportunity under northern New York conditions and regionality played a role in the results. Click here to read the report: https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/mapleforest/maple/.