July 31, 2019.  To help Northern New York farmers be alert to newly emerging field crop diseases and trends, the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) funds an annual field crop diagnosis and assessment project. The data produced by the survey is critical to farmers locally and statewide. The annual evaluations, revived in 2013, provide farmers with real-time alerts in the current growing season, and add to multi-year data tracking that identifies trends and indicates emerging and re-emerging challenges.

“Northern New York farmers are increasingly faced with important management decisions that require real-time knowledge of plant diseases. The regional survey provides data to help them select crop varieties with disease-resistance and plan management practices to most cost-effectively and efficiently respond to the current-day threats and year-to-year variability,” says project leader Michael E. Hunter, a Cornell University Cooperative Extension Regional Field Crops Specialist.

Hunter and Cornell University Cooperative Extension Regional Field Crops and Soils Specialist Kitty O’Neil collaborate with Cornell University Plant Pathologist Gary Bergstrom, Ph.D. to respectively detect potential issues and collect crop samples in the fields, and analyze them at the Bergstrom Lab at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

Thirty-two farms located across the six-county Northern New York region that includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties participated in the most recently completed survey.

The NNYADP-funded survey also includes 19 sentinel cornfields and 18 sentinel fields of soybean, chosen to maximize the diversity of environments and cropping practices that can impact disease potential. In 2018, across the NNY survey area, seven corn diseases and six soybean diseases in total were identified and diagnosed.

“We are seeing an increasing number of growers using an integrated approach to managing field crop diseases on their farms. There are growers that are now paying closer attention to disease-resistant crop varieties, crop rotations, tillage practices, soil fertility management and fungicide selection based on the crop diseases identified in this regional survey,” Hunter notes.

The results of the 2019 field crops disease diagnosis and assessment survey will be posted on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org and disseminated to growers, crop consultants, agribusinesses and extension field crops educators at crop meetings and field days locally and statewide.

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.

August 1, (Rain Date: Aug 2), Watertown, NY
NNY Soybean Weed Control Field Day
Hosted by Freeman Farms, in soybean field on the corner of NY State Route 126 and Plank Road (County Route 163) in the town of Rutland. GPS Coordinates are Latitiude: 43.95038 Longitude: -75.7576. Free and open to the public. 1.25 NYS DEC pesticide applicator credits (Categories 1A, 10, 21) and CCA CEUs available.

Join Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Regional Field Crop Specialist Mike Hunter to discuss soybean weed control programs and take a guided walking tour through the soybean herbicide plots in the field. Over 25 pre, post, and two pass herbicide programs to view. This field day provides a chance to compare the various herbicide programs, learn about herbicide sites of action, and herbicide resistance management strategies.

This on-farm research project was made possible through funding from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program

Info or in case of inclement weather on August 1: contact Mike Hunter at 315-778-8602 or meh27@cornell) to confirm if field day will be moved to the following day

July 11, 2019.  As a testament to the success of the solution developed after many years of research that Cornell University entomologist Dr. Elson Shields and Research Support Specialist Tony Testa began at Peck Homestead Farm in Great Bend, NY, young farmer John D. Peck shares photos of his most recent alfalfa mix crop and notes, “The alfalfa that continues to grow well is a testament to the research done here after the devastation alfalfa snout beetle had caused.”

The Peck Homestead Farm family hosted alfalfa snout beetle on-farm research trials, funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, for more than two decades in support of the long-term commitment required to develop a science-based, field-proven response to the devastating crop pest. The crop loss at the farm was significantly impacting milk production loss.

The development of the protocol for using native NY nematodes as a biocontrol for alfalfa snout beetle by Shields and Testa included an investigation into the pest’s history in Europe, creating a greenhouse protocol for rearing the biocontrol nematodes, and field trials. They pioneered and proved the protocol, showing that the nematodes will persist and spread (as they have at the Peck farm: see photo at left), making it possible for a single application to inexpensively provide relief from the pest that left unattended can destroy an entire field of alfalfa in a single season.

Following the many years of testing and proving the protocol on northern NY farms, Shields and Testa were able to attract additional funding from such groups as the New York Farm Viability Institute, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, and entities in Texas, New Mexico and other states to extend the biocontrol testing and use across New York State and well beyond not only to protect the alfalfa crops so valuable to the dairy and livestock industries, but other crops as well.

This groundbreaking science and research prompted a contingent of Russian agriculturalists to visit Northern New York and to specifically meet with Dr. Shields. On that visit, they also heard from John D.’s father, John E. Peck, about the early research efforts on their farm.

Shields and Cornell Cooperative Extension NNY Field Crops Specialist Mike Hunter have received New York State Integrated Pest Management Awards for their work on alfalfa snout beetle management (July 11, 2019): https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/2019/07/11/congratulations-ipm-award-winners/

Click here for the research history of NNYADP-supported ASB biocontrol nematode research.

 

 

July 11, 2019.  Congratulations go to Cornell University Entomologist Dr. Elson Shields and Cornell Cooperative Extension Northern New York Regional Field Crops Specialist Michael E. Hunter for their recent New York State Integrated Pest Management Excellence Awards. Please read about each well-deserved award in the press releases as linked below.

Elson Shields: Senior Worm Wrangler Safeguards North Country Crops, wins Excellence in IPM Award
Mike Hunter:  North Country Cutworm Crusader and Worm Wrangler Honored with IPM Award

 

Chazy, N.Y.; July 9, 2019.  Researchers with the W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute in Chazy, N.Y., are reminding dairy farms that adding sprinkler systems and fans over stalls and feed areas can reduce the negative impact of heat stress on dairy cows, add to cow comfort and well-being, and contribute to farm profitability.

“As expected, summer heat can adversely impact cow comfort and milk production to varying degrees. We encourage farmers to work with agricultural educators to determine what measures can be taken to match the appropriate heat abatement systems to individual farm facilities,” noted Miner Institute Director of Research Katie Ballard.

With funding from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) in 2015, Miner Institute staff began evaluating the factors, including the type of heat abatement system a farm uses, that influence the severity of the impact of heat stress on dairy cows.

The NNYADP-funded research continues this summer with the focus broadened to include heat stress impact on cow comfort in terms of body temperature and rumen health. Miner Institute is currently pursuing what is believed to be the first research into how rumen health is impacted during times of high heat. The research includes monitoring rumen pH. Additionally, body temperature, activity level, and drinking behavior are being tracked to assess the direct impact of heat events on the cows.

The researchers work with the dairy herd at Miner Institute and on four participating northern NY farms has provided insight into how different housing systems and heat abatement measures can increase cow comfort and protect milk and milk component production. The research settings have included a tiestall, 4-row and 6-row freestall barns, and a converted tiestall barn, and different bedding types.

Results from this work have been reported at American Dairy Science Association meetings and submitted for future presentation to illustrate the scope of the research across trials in multiple years on consistently participating farms.

The annual reports are posted under the Dairy tab on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org. The NNYADP has also funded research evaluating how to reduce cold and warm season climate stress on dairy calves.

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.