Lowville, N.Y.; April 22, 2020.  Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension has posted a video highlighting how the science of biocontrol nematode use developed in Northern New York is now helping corn growers in Texas and New Mexico. The video is posted at https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/nny-farm-videos.

The 20-minute video includes Elson Shields, Ph.D., the Cornell University entomologist who applied long-term support from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program to pioneer the science for using a combination of naturally-occurring NY-adapted nematodes as a biocontrol for crop pest management.

The video begins by acknowledging that biocontrol nematodes have been successfully applied to protect more than 25,000 crop acres in New York. That application has been made to manage alfalfa snout beetle, the first crop pest impacted by the biocontrol nematode protocol developed, refined and proven by Shields and Cornell research technician Antonio Testa. Their subsequent success at similarly reducing corn rootworm populations in NY field trials caught the attention of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension entomologists Patrick Porter, Ph.D. and Ed Bynum, Ph.D.

With Shields’ help, biocontrol nematodes were applied to corn fields on Gary Frost’s working farm in Dalhart, TX, in 2017-2019 with excellent establishment and significantly improved corn plant root protection.

The Texas A&M “Results of Entomopathogenic Nematode Studies for Control of Corn Rootworm 2017-2019” video, produced by Porter, Bynum, Shields, and Katelyn Kesheimer of Auburn University, Alabama, can be viewed at https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/nny-farm-videos.

Based on the success in Texas, private consultants in New Mexico requested a trial there. In May and June of 2019, biocontrol nematodes were applied to 900 long-term corn acres impacted by major rootworm problems on a dairy farm near Roswell, NM. That trial also tested the effectiveness of using a center pivot system for applying the biocontrol nematodes. Six hundred core samples taken in November 2019 showed excellent biocontrol nematode establishment.

Meanwhile, back in New York State in 2018-2019, Cornell Cooperative Extension Field Crops Specialist Michael E. Hunter worked with Shields to evaluate application of the U/V-sensitive biocontrol nematodes via liquid manure application. The success of that research is reported on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/2019-nnyadp-projects/.

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.

Northern New York; April 15, 2020. Farmers now have a new way to apply biocontrol nematodes to protect crops critical to dairy and livestock agriculture, thanks to research funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program.

“Dairy farmers and crop growers have been interested in biocontrol nematodes since we proved their effectiveness at reducing populations of the alfalfa snout beetle, the most destructive pest of alfalfa, and now see potential to do likewise with corn rootworm, a significant threat to field corn production,” said Elson Shields, Ph.D., Cornell University.

Shields pioneered the use of a combination of two native NY-adapted nematodes for pest management in field crops, berries and other crops. The application of biocontrol nematodes is now being tested in multiple crops across the U.S.

In 2018 and 2019, Cornell Cooperative Extension Field Crops Specialist Michael E. Hunter developed a project to test application of the biocontrol nematodes via liquid manure. The current protocol applies the biocontrol nematodes in a water solution in the evening hours due to the nematodes’ sensitivity to U/V rays.

Hunter conducted field trials on six farms in Northern New York. He explained the hypothesis behind his trials.

“If biocontrol nematodes could be successfully established through liquid manure application that would accomplish significant benefits: combining two field operations into one to save time and labor, protecting the nematodes from damaging U/V light so application can be made at any time of day versus only evening hours, protecting crops using a biological means, and providing farmers with an additional method for application to encourage use of this biocontrol,” Hunter explained.

Soil sampling in 2018 confirmed establishment of the biocontrol nematodes applied in liquid manure in all trial fields on the six participating farms. In 2019, Hunter achieved successful establishment at a lower rate of nematodes per acre.

“The 2019 field data shows the lower rate of application is just as effective for establishing the biocontrol nematodes and lowers the cost to encourage farmers to adopt the use of this biocontrol,” Hunter said.

The complete “Evaluation of Alternative Application Methods of Biocontrol Nematodes in Alfalfa and Corn” report is posted 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.

Click here for more on the NNYADP biocontrol nematode research success story

 

 

Lake Placid, N.Y.; April 2, 2020.  Maple production research by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) is helping NY maple producers evaluate and add opportunities to increase sap and syrup production. The Northern New York maple industry has grown from a $3.25 million annual industry in 2008 to an estimated $10-plus million industry with room yet to grow. (see page 7 of the Jan. 2019 NNYADP Annual Report).

With an NNYADP grant, Adam D. Wild, director of the Cornell University Uihlein Maple Research Forest, Lake Placid, N.Y., is conducting trials to test the feasibility of re-tapping maple trees to increase single-season sap production.

“Recent projects here that looked at the optimum time for tapping maple trees indicated that early tapping to capture early season sap runs and re-tapping later in the season could have potential to increase syrup production yields by at least 20 percent or produce a $6 per top profit increase,” says Wild.

“The data from the most recently-completed trial were not as expected, most likely as a result of the northern New York weather and short maple season in 2019. Although one could say it was an ideal season for consistent sap flow, the flow did not fully start until March 15 and quickly ended April 19,” Wild explains.

Four re-tapping treatments were tested in 2019 with no statistically significant differences observed with any of the methods. The best result was seen with the trees tapped March 1 and not re-tapped. Trees that had a second dropline and spout added near the end of the season were second best with an 18.5 percent increase in production over trees tapped at the same time but not re-tapped.

For now, Wild says, “It is not recommended to re-tap maple trees unless a distinctly clear slowdown of sap flow is observed. We need more data before any clear guidelines can be determined.”

Wild is replicating this re-tapping trial in 2020 to obtain data under another year’s conditions.

In late March 2020, sap continued to flow in the northern climate where the Uihlein Maple Research Forest is located. With temperatures slowly starting to warm and days projected not to freeze, Wild will soon be re-tapping the trees there. The 2020 data will be posted later this year at www.nnyagdev.org.The results of past Northern New York Agricultural Development Program maple projects on the timing of tapping, the impact of tubing size for sap collection, and initiating the cloning of NNY “sweet tree” maples are posted 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. Learn more at www.nnyagdev.org.

For NNYADP maple research updates, click here

Northern New York. Dairy farmers may have an opportunity to add income through enhancing their breeding bull selection. Research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) provides information to help dairy farmers decide if adding a crossbreeding enterprise for beef production would be a good addition for their dairy business.

Cornell University Beef Extension Specialist Dr. Michael Baker notes that according to the USDA Market News, in New York, Holstein-beef crossbred bull calves can bring up to a $100 per head premium compared to purebred Holstein bull calves, however, the majority of these calves born in New York are raised outside of New York.

“Given the abundant supply of high-quality forage in Northern New York, producers have the potential to raise calves to feeder weights of 300 to 800 lbs. or to finish them using feed refusals from their dairy enterprise,” Baker says. “This can provide an additional income stream for dairies as well as a supply of calves for the burgeoning beef stocker industry.”

Baker notes that market competition will increase when the type of calves arriving at auction are segregated. The result?

“Calves with a vetted sire selection and raised with birth, health, and nutrition protocols are bringing the highest premiums according to one semen supplier and livestock auction owner. Those with no sire selection are bringing smaller premiums,” Baker explains.

The NNYADP research describes how using Expected Progeny Difference (EPD) data points can help dairy farmers make a good-fit beef breed bull selection for their milk cows.

“Holstein cows should be bred to beef sires whose traits complement the cows’ genetic makeup, are economically-competitive to feed, and meet consumer demands for beef quality,” Baker summarizes.

He adds that other considerations for bull selection, based on studying EPD data points, are traits that indicate the opportunity for good average daily weight gain and ribeye quality.

Four farms in Northern NY assisted this NNYADP project; data was collected on 125 calves born to Holstein cows bred to an Angus beef breed bull. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets provided additional funding to support USDA grading of 100 calves to develop economic value data.

On Saturday, March 28, 2020, Baker will be among the speakers at the “How to Get a Better Price for Your Beef or Dairy Animal in the Ring at the Auction Barn” 11 am open house-luncheon at the N.N.Y. Farmers Marketing Co-op, 8204 NY Route 26, Lowville, N.Y. The event is co-sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County. For more information, call the Co-op at 315-376-7441.

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. For more information, see www.nnyagdev.org.

Click here to read the NNYADP 2019 Final Report for Where’s the Beef in Value-Added Dairy-Beef Crosses Research Project