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Philadelphia, New York; June 22, 2022.  Spring harvest may account for as much as half of the total forage crop yield fed to lactating dairy cows. The latest results of Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) research evaluating opportunities to increase the value of alfalfa-grass forage crops have been presented to farmers, crop consultants, dairy nutritionists, and extension educators in New York, Wisconsin, Utah, and Mid-Atlantic states. The final report for the 2021 project is posted at  https://nnyagdev.org/index.php/2021-nnyadp-projects/.

The northern New York regional climate has spurred farmers’ interest in growing winter-hardy perennial grasses in combination with alfalfa, traditionally the dairy industry’s go-to crop for highly-digestible, high protein forage to support milk production.

“Adding as little as five percent grass in an alfalfa-grass seeding will significantly increase the fiber digestibility of that forage mix compared to an all-alfalfa crop, and a one percent unit increase in fiber digestibility can bring from 0.5 to more than one pound of milk production per cow per day,” says NNYADP alfalfa-grass project leader Debbie J.R. Cherney, a Cornell University Animal Science professor.

More than two dozen farms in northern New York have participated with Cherney’s field trials. One of those farms is Michael Kiechle’s Garden of Eden Farm in Philadelphia, New York. After poor growing years in 2019 and 2020, Kiechle had used up all his reserve forage. So, he decided to add fescue, a perennial grass, to his alfalfa-timothy-red clover cropping plan and made room for the NNYADP research trial of nine meadow fescue and one tall fescue variety planted with alfalfa.

“This research perfectly dovetailed with changing my cropping plan to add fescue to see if that change would help,” Kiechle explains. It did. The four-cut harvest of the alfalfa-grasses mix in 2021 built his forage stockpile back to the point that in June of 2022 he still had bags remaining.

For 2022, Kiechle has planted an entirely alfalfa-fescue mix.

The 2021 NNYADP trial data showed that weather plays a crucial role for establishing grasses in a mix with alfalfa, with the potential to either produce no grass or a high percentage of grass in the mix.

“The grasses at Kiechle’s farm all established successfully with the alfalfa. The data collected have produced seeing guidelines to help growers avoid the too-much grass extreme,” Cherney notes.

“Since the consequence of too much grass in the mix is greater than the consequence of having a mostly pure alfalfa stand for harvest as lactating dairy feed, the meadow fescue grass seeding rate in an alfalfa-grass mix should not exceed 1 lb. per acre,” Cherney explains.

The seeding rate of 1 lb. of grass seed per acre in the 2021 trial produced 30-plus percent of grass in the mix. Cherney’s optimal percentage for an alfalfa-grass mixture is 20-30 percent of a high quality grass.

“If the grass percentage is less than 50 percent of the mix, the crude protein content of the mix is going to be sufficient for lactating dairy cows,” Cherney points out.

Data gathered over the course of the NNYADP alfalfa-grass research trials since 2013 has produced insight into the combined crop’s fertility requirements, fiber content, fiber digestibility, and lignin value.

This NNYADP research has also included the first trials in North America of one Wisconsin-bred and several European-bred meadow fescue perennial grass varieties.

Cherney’s research team included Cornell University Animal Science, Soil and Crop, and PRO-DAIRY colleagues and Cornell Cooperative Extension educators.

Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature through the New York State Assembly and is administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. NNYADP project results are publicly accessible at https://www.nnyagdev.org.

PHOTOS:
. Above, top: NNYADP alfalfa-grass trials at Garden of Eden Farm in Philadelphia, NY, included 9 varieties of meadow fescue and one tall fescue. Photo: Debbie J.R. Cherney

. Chart: This chart shows the grass percentage for 10 perennial grasses sown in the NNYADP alfalfa-grass mix trial at the Michael Kiechle Garden of Eden Farm in Philadelphia, New York, in 2021. Graphic: J.R. Cherney

June 3, 2022.  The results of Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP)-commissioned research in 2021 provide farm-based data on the importance of proper feeding management for dairy cows during the pre-calving to post-calving period. This NNYADP project was one of the first to apply the Metabolic Health Index adapted by the Overton Lab at Cornell University to identify cows that may be at higher risk of post-calving health issues. The 18-page “Evaluating Transition Cow Health on NNY Dairy Farms and Associations with Feeding Management Practices” report is posted under Research: Dairy at https://nnyagdev.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/NNYADP2021TransitionCowReport24FINAL.pdf .

“This research provided the opportunity to make a preliminary evaluation of the relationships among different metabolic health parameters of dairy cows through the pre-calving to post-calving transition period,” said project leader Casey Havekes, a Cornell Cooperative Extension North Country Ag Team dairy specialist, based in Canton, New York.

A broad range of data from 10 farms in 2021 revealed opportunities to improve pre-calving feeding management and, to a lesser extent, post-calving feeding programs.

“This first trial has identified areas to explore different feeding management strategies for the purpose of positively impacting transition cow health and post-calving performance and success,” said Havekes.

This research establishes a foundation to begin developing a statistically-accurate tool that dairy farmers and farm consultants can use to track the impact of transition cow feeding management programs and adjustments of those programs.

Specific areas identified for attention on the participating farms include particle size in the feed ration and properly mixing a ration specifically for cows in the transition period to encourage optimal nutrition during a time of increased nutrient demand to support the onset of calving and milk production.

Havekes is now analyzing reproduction and post-calving milk production data and working with the participating farms to develop farm-specific feeding programs to meet each farm’s  needs.

Cornell PRO-DAIRY Director Thomas Overton, Ph.D., who partnered with Havekes to develop the research plan, noted, “Prior to this Northern New York Agricultural Development Program project, there had been little to no research done at scale on the impact of feeding management in the dry cow diet on cow health through the transition period.”

Dr. Trevor DeVries, a University of Guelph professor and Canada Research Chair in Dairy Cattle Behavior and Welfare, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; and Dr. Allison Kerwin, dairy field research specialist, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, were project collaborators.

The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a farmer-driven research program, established by the New York State Legislature for the six northernmost counties of New York State.  Funding for the Program is supported through the New York State Assembly and administrated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Canton, New York; May 16, 2022.  The results of soil research by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has revealed a relationship between soil compaction and variable crop yield on commercial farms in northern New York. The results of this investigation are posted in the report entitled “Is Soil Compaction a Big Driver of Yield” on the NNYADP website at www.nnyagdev.org.

“This project discovered a significant relationship between soil compaction within fields and yield, using yield stability zones based on both yield and consistency,” said Northern New York Regional Field Crops and Soils Specialist Kitty O’Neil, Ph.D., with Cornell University Cooperative Extension (CCE). Dr. O’Neil led the research team for this NNYADP project.

Started in 2021, this NNYADP project has begun investigating the relationship between the variation in soil compaction severity in direct proportion to the variation in historical crop yield across a field. The project goal is to help farmers harvest optimal yield from all areas across their fields through improved soil health and ecological function within the soil.

“While soil compaction from the ground surface level to 12.6-inch depth was significant in all the yield zones in all the fields in our study, it was more severe in the consistently lower-yielding zones,” Dr. O’Neil explained.

Dr. O’Neil and CCE Regional Field Crops Specialist Mike Hunter collected more than 360 soil penetrations in each of four fields, representing 18 different soil types total on working dairy farms in October and November 2021. In some cases, sampling at depths of 12.6 inches was not possible due to high soil resistance, as much as 1,130 pounds per square inch (PSI).

While the causes of yield reduction in the lower-yielding field zones may be numerous and variable across fields or years, the on-farm research in 2021 suggests one potential cause may be increased soil compaction as revealed by this first-year data.

The farmer-driven NNYADP prioritized this soil compaction research for attention in 2021. The need to better understand soil compaction on regional dairy farms was highlighted earlier in a 2019 NNYADP analysis of nine conventionally-tilled dairy farm fields, all of which showed serious soil compaction at the surface and at depth with considerable within-field variability.

The 2021 project additionally drew upon earlier, multiple-year NNYADP research results on zone management and yield stability mapping conducted by the Cornell University Nutrient Management Spear Program. For example, a related study revealed that 90 percent of fields had significantly lower yields – an average of 15 percent loss – on field headlands. The earlier field study did not measure soil compaction.

Dr. O’Neil cautions that the 2021 project data is preliminary, saying, “This first-time data provides a starting point for evaluating soil compaction impact on crop yield over time and will serve as a foundation for developing ways to assure healthier soils in support of high quality and high yield corn as a vital crop for New York’s dairy and livestock industries.”

Healthy soils resist erosion and more efficiently cycle nutrients, both critical to agricultural environmental stewardship goals.

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

Lake Placid, N.Y.; March 4, 2022.  The latest results of maple research from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) may suggest a possible advantage of using quarter-inch tubing for sap collection vs. the current maple industry standard. The research is detailed in the “Alternative Maple Tubing That Prevents Clogging and Increases Sap Production” report posted under the Research: Maple tab at https://www.nnyagdev.org.

Maple research commissioned by the farmer-driven NNYADP has prompted the growth of the northern New York maple industry from $3.25 million in 2008, according to a Cornell University survey, to more than $12 million in 2019, with potential to reach a $15 million annual valuation. , which pilot tests the use of quarter-inch tubing to prevent clogging in sap collection lines was funded by the farmer-driven NNYADP and conducted at the Uihlein Maple Research Forest in Lake Placid, New York.

Although the early results of pilot testing of the use of quarter-inch tubing to prevent clogging in sap collection lines in 2020 and 2021 are promising, NNYADP maple project leader and Uihlein Maple Research Forest Director Adam D. Wild urges producers to be patient for more conclusive data.

“We don’t want to rush into promoting quarter-inch tubing until we are confident that plugging will not be an issue,” said Wild, who is monitoring the use of the quarter-inch tubing in gravity and vacuum sap collection systems during the 2022 maple season. Similar monitoring will be conducted again in 2023 before any conclusions can be drawn about use of the quarter-inch tubing.

Wild designed trials to address a clogging issue that producers have seen since a popular shift about 10 years ago to the use of three-sixteenths diameter tubing. Recent research has shown that sap production in a three-sixteenths tubing system drops off, due to plugging, as soon as the second year after installation.

The NNYADP trials compare sap production from quarter-inch tubing with three-sixteenths and five-sixteenths tubing as well as the ease of flow through the three sizes over multiple seasons. The larger opening in the quarter-inch line and fixtures are anticipated to make clogging less likely over time.

Quarter-inch diameter tubing, with almost twice the aperture of the three-sixteenths tubing that became popular with maple producers about ten years ago, is not currently available to maple producers. Wild adapted quarter-inch tubing used by other industries for use in these NNYADP research trials at Uihlein.

“We need to see the data to confirm our anticipation that plugging with not be an issue with the quarter-inch tubing. Over time, we would expect quarter-inch tubing would produce higher sap yields than three-sixteenths tubing and would be an alternative tubing option for producers using gravity-driven sap collection systems. The data from these Northern New York trials will tell us if that can be the case,” Wild said.

Wild has presented the results of this research to maple producers and extension educators across New York State and to the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association.

His advice to maple producers currently using three-sixteenths tubing is to follow best hygiene practices for maintaining sap flow through the narrower lines and fixtures.

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.

March 30,2022 UPDATE: Click here to hear the 17-minute webinar recording on this research

Peru, New York; February 11, 2022  The 2021 results of precision apple orchard management research funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program are now posted under the Research: Horticulture and Local Foods tab at nnyagdev.org (see About Us: NNYADP Projects tab).

The research, aimed at fully understanding how to best incorporate the use of computer-based fruit physiology modeling into timing orchard thinning practices to achieve optimal crop load and quality, includes data on the use of alternative thinning products and evaluates the economic impact.

Commercial apple orchards in northeastern New York participated in the in-orchard trials. Project leader Michael Basedow, a tree fruit specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture Program, explained the motivation for the research and its importance to Northern New York growers.

“Trees thinned earlier at bloom with alternative thinning materials in this trial may produce larger fruit at harvest and greater return bloom the following spring; however, while bloom thinning with these materials is used extensively by Washington State apple growers, it has been difficult to precisely time its application under Northern New York conditions,” said Basedow.

“Our findings from the 2021 trials validate that adequate levels of thinning can be achieved with the use of alternative thinning materials to provide Northern New York fruit growers more choices of products to choose for thinning at bloom, when they are followed by an integrated, multiple step thinning program at petal fall, fruit set, and beyond,” Basedow noted.

The 2021 trials evaluated the use of the pollen tube growth model, developed at Virginia Tech, that estimates the time between pollination and fertilization of flowers for seven varieties of apples to guide when thinning applications should be applied to reduce the number of flowers. The orchards’ response to the trial applications was quantified by using the fruit growth rate model developed by researchers at Cornell University, the University of Massachusetts, and Michigan State University.

Basedow’s work focused on the popular Gala and Honeycrisp varieties in the Northern New York orchards.

The gross crop value per acre ranged from $14,586 to $28,857 per acre, with total returns per acre from $14,541.60 to $28,827.40 depending on the variety of apple, orchard location, and type of application. These values are estimates of the gross crop value minus the cost of the thinning applications; other per acre expenses that growers incur throughout the course of the production season are not included.

Estimated production from these NNY precision orchard management research trials ranged from 1,214 to 1,307 bushels per acre with a fruit size range of 87-118 apples per bushel.

The next research steps will be to more precisely target the optimal rate of application to achieve optimal crop load with fewer follow-up thinning applications post-bloom, and to further understand the impact of weather on the efficacy of the applications.

Basedow will present the results of these in-orchard thinning trials in more detail as part of a “What’s New in Crop Load Management” webinar via Zoom from 1:30 to 4:45 pm on March 18, 2022. To register, visit https://enych.cce.cornell.edu/events.php or call 518-410-6823.

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.