Zone management within fields can result in better use of resources and/or more stabilized crop yields over time.

Learn more in the “Yield-Stability Management Zones for Higher Yields and Better Nitrogen Allocation” report just posted on this website.

The project work was funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and led by Dr. Quirine M. Ketterings, director of the Cornell Nutrient Management Spear Program.

 

Lowville, NY; February 15, 2019.  The steadily increasing presence of Western Bean Cutworm in New York State and the pest’s feeding damage to corn silage crops raised a concern for dairy farmers. Does crop damage by the insect create the opportunity for mycotoxins to form in the silage, posing a risk to livestock health, crop yield, and farm economics?

Two years of research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and conducted by the Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY Program helps put that concern at ease.

“Prior to this study in Northern New York, no clear relationship had been proved or disproved by any other research. Over the course of this two-year study in Northern New York, we did not see any evidence that Western Bean Cutworm damage is an added risk factor for mycotoxin development in corn silage crops,” said project leader and Cornell CALS PRO-DAIRY Dairy Forage Specialist Joe Lawrence.

The research data is detailed in the Understanding the Interaction of Western Bean Cutworm Damage and Mycotoxin Risk in Corn Silage report posted under the Field Crops Research tab on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

Using the Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation Program, a collaboration by Cornell University and the University of Vermont, as a testing platform, Lawrence sampled corn from 49 silage hybrids planted in St. Lawrence County in 2017 and from 77 silage hybrids planted in St. Lawrence and Essex counties in Northern New York in 2018.

“Results from the trials in Northern New York revealed large differences in the number of corn hybrids damaged by Western Bean Cutworm, however, despite the damage present, surprisingly few hybrids tested positive for measurable mycotoxins,” Lawrence noted.

Additionally, Cornell Cooperative Extension crops specialists and agribusiness professionals identified fields with Western Bean Cutworm damage across Northern New York and collected forage samples at corn silage harvest. Although significant damage was observed, only two of six sample sets showed any mycotoxins and toxin levels were low.

Best practices for corn production, silage management, and storage can greatly reduce the risk of mycotoxin development, but climate-stressed and pest-damaged corn can be more susceptible to mold that can spawn a variety of mycotoxins. A number of mold species may develop on corn ears, but relatively few produce mycotoxins. The most prevalent species of mycotoxin-producing mold identified each year in New York is one that favors wet weather conditions.

Lawrence advises growers to remain vigilant in their crop scouting for Western Bean Cutworm and to continue to follow the best management practices that reduce the risk for mold, particularly in years where weather conditions are more conducive to mold development.

“It is important to note that the results of this specific research do not reflect what may occur in corn harvested for grain as the time between silage harvest and grain harvest offers additional exposure time for pest or disease damage to occur,” Lawrence added.

For growers wondering how Western Bean Cutworm impacts crop economics, Lawrence offers data from the 2018 NNYADP trials that showed despite Western Bean Cutworm damage to corn kernels, in some plots with up to 60 percent of ears with some level of damage, the pest’s feeding did not correlate to any negative impact on silage yield or forage starch content.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
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Understanding the Interaction of Western Bean Cutworm Damage and Mycotoxin Risk in Corn Silage Report

YouTube: Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation Program 2018 Results (statewide) presentation by Joe Lawrence

News from the Farmer-Driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program

Following written protocols helps prevent and reduce calf health issues

Northern N.Y.; February 11, 2019.   Dairy calf health research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and conducted by Cornell University Cooperative Extension dairy specialists demonstrates the value of keeping good calf health records and following proper calf management and, when needed, treatment protocols.

In 2018, Cornell Regional Dairy Specialist Kimberley Morrill, Ph.D., worked with eight dairy farms in Northern New York to analyze dairy calf treatment protocol impact on calf health and costs. With assistance from Cornell PRO-DAIRY Dairy Herd Health and Management Specialist Robert Lynch, Morrill collected and analyzed more than 6,200 on-farm treatment records for non-lactating dairy heifers from birth to calving on eight Northern New York dairy farms.

The data analysis included age and treatment by illness, treatment frequency, farm compliance with established protocols, and standardized drug cost per animal per event and in total for the eight-month study period from January 1 to August 31, 2018. Written on-farm protocols were followed to treat 91.64 percent of the illnesses over the eight-month period.

“Following best management practices that have been developed with the herd veterinarian and other consultants to prevent and reduce calf health issues from ear infections to respiratory illness early in life positively impacts calf growth, future milk production, and farm costs. This type of research supports opportunities to enhance animal welfare, farm efficiency and consumer confidence in dairy products,” said Morrill.

This research builds on previous projects evaluating the impact of environmental conditions, housing, ventilation and climate stress on calves on Northern New York dairy farms. Learn more on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

An abstract of this research project has been submitted for consideration for presentation at the June 2019 meeting of the American Dairy Science Association (ADSA). ADSA featured Morrill’s NNYADP dairy research focused on reducing calf respiratory illness at its 2018 annual meeting.

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

CLICK HERE to read the full NNYADP report on calf health protocols research

 

Northern N.Y.; January 15, 2019.  Dairy farms face a variety of challenges, including how cold weather affects their animals. Progressive research by the farmer-led Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) is advancing the science-based understanding of how climate and farm management practices impact dairy calf health in the winter season.

Dairy farmers across the six-county Northern NY region have participated in the NNYADP research focused on calf health evaluation by Cornell University Quality Milk Production Services, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute.

A series of NNYADP research projects conducted since 2015 have focused on how adjusting housing type, bedding, the number of calves in a pen, temperature, airflow, wind chill, humidity, and ammonia concentration in calf pens can help reduce the rate of respiratory illness in pre-weaned calves under extreme cold stress.

Proper winter care of calves positively influences weight gain in the young animals and, longer-term, their future milk production and calving potential.

A dairy calf health risk assessment tool, built by Cornell Cooperative Extension using data collected from NNYADP dairy calf research projects since 2012, helps farmers identify on-farm environmental and farm management factors that can be adjusted to achieve the greatest positive impact on calf health.

“We have seen a reduction in winter-related calf health issues, primarily respiratory challenges, on the farms that have implemented management changes based on the research data and the calf health risk assessment,” says Kimberley Morrill, Ph.D, Cornell Cooperative Extension Regional Dairy Specialist.

The calf health risk assessment tool is available to agricultural educators by contacting Morrill at 315-379-9192. Training is required to conduct the on-farm evaluations.

Other NNYADP research into the variable climate, environmental and farm management factors related to heat stress on dairy calves and cows is providing the basis for adapting best care practices for application farm-by-farm and by season. Learn more on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website at www.nnyagdev.org.

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

Northern N.Y.; January 9, 2019.  The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has posted its annual report at www.nnyagdev.org. The 12-page document highlights the Program’s practical research and real-world results in terms of the local and statewide economic, agronomic and environmental stewardship value.

The diversity of soils, micro-climates and agricultural sectors across the six northern counties of New York State make Northern New York an ideal research area.

Testimonies from farmers and research specialists offer personal and professional insight into the value of the NNYADP projects’ science-based, field-tested results focused on enhancing dairy, crop, maple, fruit and vegetable production and efficient return-on-investment as well as soil health and water quality management practices.

Multi-year NNYADP projects are progressively building farm- and field-specific datasets and adding critical mass to regional, state and Northeast datasets to form the science-based basis for whole-farm nutrient mass balancing. This work demonstrates how farmers can more efficiently apply fertilizer and manure to meet natural resource stewardship goals without losing crop yield or quality.

The NNYADP has commissioned a first-of-its-kind project for New York State. Miner Institute has begun evaluating how the use of tile drainage interacts with soil, crops, and water resources in a project located along Lake Champlain. The work includes a comparison of water quality and crop yield and quality from tiled and naturally draining fields.

With the same precision management goal, the NNYADP farmer committee is credited for its acumen in identifying the need to reevaluate nutrient application guidelines due to advances in corn breeding and production practices. This work helps farmers reduce the use of fertilizer and manure resources where not needed and apply such nutrients as nitrogen and phosphorus only where crop uptake and benefit are expected.

Recent NNYADP projects have addressed challenges and opportunities related to climate adaptability for cows, crops, and conservation; as well as developing birch syrup as a niche product to help Northern NY maple producers grow into the region’s $10 million annual sales potential as identified by Cornell University.

Other NNYADP research is building on food buyer, consumer, and farmer interest expressed in the NNY local food hub feasibility survey, and providing valuable pollinator-friendly information to the emerging NY honey industry and to NY apple growers.

The cold-hardy grape research nursery at Willsboro has just begun evaluating new varieties suggested by growers, plant breeders and the leading academic programs for production in New York State, and early commercial-scale production data from the “super fruit” Juneberry nursery at Willsboro is now encouraging on-farm trials.

As evidence of the combined long-term commitment by New York State and the NNYADP to funding and finding a solution to the devastating alfalfa snout beetle, the annual report notes that the biocontrol application developed in NNY has not only restored alfalfa production regionally but is now finding use to manage pests in other crops across New York State and elsewhere in the U.S.

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