To help the Northern New York apple industry with a farm gate value of $16 million, the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is funding orchard improvement research and grower education focused on improving fruit quality through systems management, precision orchard thinning, and precision irrigation techniques.

Apple grower Tom Everett says:
“Dr. (Terrence) Robinson has had trials comparing four different growing systems in our orchards since 2002. His research work has been the clearest indicator of what types of systems work best for our operation. He has calculated the best return on investment for the different systems and that has helped us and all the growers in the region.”

Read more. . .

 

 

Though it is too late to improve corn yields now (early September) it is possible to perform an end-of-season corn stalk nitrate test (CSNT) as a kind of ‘postmortem examination’ to help guide future nitrogen application decisions. The CSNT reflects N availability during the growing season and helps a grower make adjustments in N management in future growing seasons.

Read more here from NNY CCE Regional Field Crops Educator Kitty O’Neil. . .

Click here for Cornell fact sheets on nitrogen basics, N credits from manure, N leaching index, and more. . .

 

The Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) associations of Northern New York are asking growers to report any findings of leek moth, a pest that prefers onions, garlic, chives, shallots, leeks and other Allium crops.

Cornell University and CCE researchers working with a Northern New York Agricultural Development Program grant to trap the pest to identify its range say that if leek moth becomes established in the major onion production areas of New York, the economic damage could be significant to the $54 million industry.

Read more

Northern New York is getting on the Juneberry super fruit bandwagon. With funding from the farmer-led Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, one of the largest Juneberry research nurseries will be established at the Cornell Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, NY.

Read more

 

To help farmers, small business owners and individuals learn about the new federal health care reform law known as the Affordable Care Act, the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Associations of Northern New York will hold free workshops at six regional sites in September.

Read more