Canton, New York; November 9, 2020. Five farms in northern New York joined with producers statewide to contribute data to the Cornell University updating of the New York Phosphorus Index (NY-PI), a means of scoring farm fields to identify the risk of phosphorus (P) loss. As a testimony to the stewardship ethic of New York’s farmers, 90 percent of the 33,000 fields tested statewide for the NY-PI update had moderate soil test phosphorus levels below 40 lbs. P/acre where additional P is recommended for optimal crop growth.

The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program funded the regional NY-PI assessment as well as whole farm nutrient balance evaluations for farms in northern New York. The results of northern New York farms’ participation in the NY-PI 2.0 project and the Whole Farm Nutrient Balancing project are now posted at www.nnyagdev.org.

The NY-PI evaluation scored fields based on their risk of phosphorus runoff loss based on transport derived from factors such as proximity to streams or other watercourses, flooding frequency, soil erosion, and vegetated buffers. Best management practices to reduce the risk of P loss include how and when fertilizer and manure are applied, as well as the use of cover crops and manure-spreading setbacks.

New York’s farmers have made many changes including a significant reduction in fertilizer use resulting in improved whole farm P balances. The NY-PI 2.0 is valuable tool that builds on these successes and incorporates new science. It helps farmers, certified nutrient management planners, and natural resource managers with decision-making for optimal use of manure and fertilizer for agriculture environmental sustainability, efficient crop production, and sustainable farm business economics.

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.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA were NY-PI 2.0 project partners with Cornell University. More information on the NY-PI 2.0 is posted at nmsp.cornell.edu/publications/pindex.html.

Looking to increase your milking efficiency and save time? See the NNYADP report on “Assessing Automatic Cluster Remover Settings on Milking Unit Time-On, Total Milk Yield, and Teat Condition in NNY Dairy Herds” report. Project leader Dr. Paul D. Virkler, D.V.M., with Quality Milk Production Services noted, “Reducing the milking time per cow 27 seconds added up to a gain of 15.8 minutes per milking shift. . . with no additional labor cost and no detrimental effects on milk production or udder health.”

Dr. Virkler is currently in Year 2 of a project “Assessing the Effect of E-Learning Training Systems on Milk Quality and Parlor Performance.” The project is working with milk parlor employees on several NNY farms.

Click here to read the Milking Unit Time-On report: https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/research-news/research-projects/

Click here to read the Year 1 results of the milker training project: https://nnyagdev.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/NNYADPDairyeLearningReport1920FINAL.pdf

Left: Cornell PRO-DAIRY Forages Specialist Joe Lawrence speaks about no-till methods for dairy farms at the 2019 Soil Health Field Day at McKnight’s River Breeze Farm in Chase Mills, N.Y. Right: NNY farmers and NNY ag professionals discuss no-till methods and soil health strategies at McKnight’s River Breeze Farm in Chase Mills, N.Y. Photos: CCE North Country Regional Ag Team

Northern N.Y. ; October 30, 2020. Cornell University Cooperative Extension researchers funded by a Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) grant worked with farms in the NNY region to identify optimal sampling levels for seven key soil health indicators. This findings of this research work to more accurately assess the restorative effectiveness of farms’ efforts to improve soil health over time.

Because soil health improvements are slow and subtle, more precise and accurate sampling strategies are needed. The goal of this NNYADP-funded research project was to identify specific sampling guidance for farms, county Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), and other agencies that often use soil health testing as part of their environmental conservation and crop management work. Participating farmers were from Chazy, Fort Covington, Madrid, Malone, Sackets Harbor, West Chazy, and Willsboro. The complete report is posted on the NNYADP website at www.nnyagdev.org.

Soil health supports both crop growth and environmental stewardship. Soil type and texture, climate, topography, and land management all influence soil health. Improvement in soil health occurs gradually and can vary within a single field. Sampling sites for the NNYADP-funded project were selected with the use of aerial soil maps.

Cornell University Cooperative Extension (CCE) regional soils and crops specialist Kitty O’Neil, Ph.D., led the research with assistance from SWCDs, CCE, and the Cornell Nutrient Management Spear Program. Soil samples are collected in spring and fall at two soil depths in row crop fields on the participating farms.

Soil sample analysis determined the number of samples needed to detect a 10 percent improvement in soil health based on soil pH, soil organic matter, surface hardness, subsurface hardness, within-field phosphorus, aggregate stability, and soil respiration.

The number of samples needed varied widely across the indicators under evaluation. The least variable soil health indicator within a field in this project was soil pH. The most variable within-field soil health indicator was soil phosphorus.

The data from this project will be compared with historical yield data to investigate linkages for additional soil and crop management enhancement.

As a general guideline, based on this project’s findings, the researchers suggest a minimum of 40 to 50 subsample locations per field for farmers who wish to begin monitoring soil health status and improvements over time on a broad scale. To evaluate individual soil health components, more intensive sampling can be done.

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. Learn more at www.nnyagdev.org.

Click here to read the NNYADP Soil Health project results

The success of the NNYADP-funded project for the Surveillance of Johne’s Disease in NNY Sheep Flocks has led to Extension receiving a NESARE grant for a new Johne’s disease study in NNY goat herds.

Click here to read the NNYADP final report and fact sheet on the sheep study, conducted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets:
https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/livestock/research/.

For more information on the goat project, contact Betsy Hodge, CCE St. Lawrence County, 315-379-9192, bmf9@cornell.edu.

The September 10, 2020 issue of Hoard’s Dairyman includes a Milk Quality section article on the NNYADP-funded project that is developing online training for milking staff. The article by project leader and Quality Milk Production Services veterinarian Paul D. Virkler and three colleagues summarizes year-one of the project and identifies issues that the research team is now working to address. One of those issues is one that many employers in all fields can relate to: how to keep employees engaged. For the dairy industry, literacy is also often a stumbling block.

Virkler notes that the pilot year of the project “clearly showed a need for ongoing milker training and that an online platform can work on some levels…”.

With permission from Hoard’s Dairyman, a W.D. Hoard and Sons Company, Fort Atkinson, WI, we share this link to “Online worker training has its hurdles” by Paul D. Virker, D.V.M., Paula Ospina, D.V.M., Valeria Alanis Gallardo, D.V.M., and Wolfgang Heuwieser, D.V.M.

NNYADP research report: Assessing the Effects of E-Learning Training Systems on Milk Quality and Dairy Parlor Performance