Search Results for: extension

June 26, 2017.  How healthy are the bees in Northern New York?

The results of a first-ever survey to identify the presence of key parasites and pathogens in regional bee colonies are now posted at www.nnyagdev.org.

The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program provided a small grant a survey of Northern New York bee colonies to contribute to regional knowledge and educate regional beekeepers on practices to better maintain the health of their bees and their businesses.

“This project documents for the first time the levels of key parasites and viruses in commercial and hobby bee colonies in Northern New York,” said project leader Emma Mullen, a Honey Bee Extension Associate with Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

The data on the levels of 8 viruses in the NNY bee colonies contributes to a statewide database on the factors influencing pollinator health and identifying current management practices by beekeepers.

Thirty-one beekeepers with colonies in Northern New York provided data to the survey that notes:

. NNY bee colony winter losses of 21.3 percent, summer losses of 6.17 percent from October 2015 to September 16, 2016; the statewide average for that time was respectively 28 percent and 7 percent.

. Varroa mites, considered the most detrimental and widespread parasite of bee colonies, were significantly higher in bee colonies in NNY than in other regions of the state in 2016.

. Levels of Nosema, a parasitic fungal pathogen found in the bee digestive system, were significantly lower by 65-82 percent in bee colonies in NNY than in other regions of the state.

The research continues in 2017 to determine the main predictors for colony loss.

“Considerable evidence points to parasites and pathogens as a leading factor of bee colony loss and statewide beekeepers continued to experience unsustainable colony losses, averaging one-third of their operation in 2016, though less so in Northern New York,” Mullen said.

The cost to replace a single colony of bees ranges between $100 and $200.

Among the practices Cornell University and Cornell Cooperative Extension educators are encouraging beekeepers to pursue to encourage bee and colony health are detailed recordkeeping of colony observations and management, heightened monitoring for Varroa mites, and an Integrated Pest Management approach for disease and pest management.

Seventy-three percent of beekeepers in NNY reported already keeping records of colony inspections of growth, health, and productivity.

The average honey harvest by beekeepers in Northern NY is 46 lbs. of honey per hive.

The 2016 Improving Beekeeping Management Practices to Increase Pollinator Health and Honey Production in Northern New York report, data tables, and a NNY Beekeeper Directory are posted under the Horticulture tab on this website.

The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program provides research and technical assistance to the six northernmost counties of New York State: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence. 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 download high res jpg of photo at top of page

Event Notice:  August 1, 2017, 6-8 pm, CCE Lewis County, Lowville:  NNY bee health project leader Emma Mullen presents a bee health workshop on parasites, pathogens and pesticides in NYS. Cost: $5/person, pre-register by July 27 before 4 pm wth 315-376-5270.

May 15, 2017.  The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has announced grant awards for 24 projects. The research projects are focused on dairy animal health, crop disease and pest prevention and management, forage supply options, agricultural nutrient management and farm stewardship, and beef, fruit, vegetable and maple production.

A complete list of the 2017 Northern New York Agricultural Development Program grant projects is online under About Us: Projects at www.nnyagdev.org.

The grants issued by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program are made possible by State Budget support of the program that prioritizes research and technical assistance to farmers in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. The Program received $600,000 in the 2017-2018 New York State Budget. The funding is supported by the New York State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

‘Our thanks go to the New York State Senate for the funding that allows us to address the agricultural challenges and opportunities unique to Northern New York. Our project results support the sustainability of the agricultural economic engine so critical to communities across the region,’ said Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chair Jon Greenwood, a dairy producer in St. Lawrence County.

‘The funding provided through the leadership of Senators Patty Ritchie, Betty Little and Joe Griffo with support from their Agriculture Committee colleagues and our regional legislators enables on-farm applied research and trials under real-life conditions,’ noted Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chair Joe Giroux, a dairy operator in Clinton County.

‘State funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program represents an investment that is applied across the diverse agricultural sectors in Northern New York to enhance production efficiency, animal health, environmental stewardship, and farm sustainability. This is especially critical in times of low milk prices that impact our farm-based economy regionwide,’ said Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Co-Chair Jon Rulfs, a dairy and orchard producer in northeastern NNY.

‘I have seen first-hand how the vital research conducted by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is impacting New York farmers,’ said Senator Patty Ritchie, who Chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee. ‘I have no doubt the results from the 2017-2018 research projects will go a long way in helping to improve the bottom lines of New York farmers, which will help solidify the future of our state’s leading industry.’

‘This year’s budget contained many important initiatives. Always a priority for me is support for our farmers including funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program,’ said Senator Betty Little. ‘I know the grants being announced today will be put to good use and will help many local farmers do what they do even better. I am so grateful for their hard work, appreciate that they keep us well-fed, and for the jobs and revenue they create that are important to our economy.’

Senator Joe Griffo said, ‘With significant funding once again secured by the State Senate on behalf of the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program, I am hopeful that our farmers will be able to continue the innovative research programs necessary to increase their efficiency and to develop new methods for sustainable success.’

Those receiving Northern New York Agricultural Development Program funds for 2017 projects include Quality Milk Production Services, Canton, NY; W.H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute, Chazy, NY; Cornell University research leaders and extension educators; and the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station at Willsboro Research Farm, Willsboro, NY.

Northern NY; May 8, 2017.  The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has announced the results of vegetable research providing market growers with an unexpected insight into the production challenges associated with the increasingly popular cherry-type tomatoes. The project report, which includes data on labor efficiency, weed control, and brown leaf mold susceptibility, is posted here.

‘This research funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program responded to growers struggling with controlling the rampant growth of the cherry-type tomato plants and questioning whether the time they spend pruning this vigorous tomato is worth the effort,’ said project leader Amy Ivy, a vegetable specialist with the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program.

The Northern NY trial evaluated and compared the labor, efficiency, and yield of three different tomato training systems: an intensively pruned single leader, a standard double leader, and a less intensively pruned four-leader system.

‘Most growers feel the intensive system takes too much time, but our research showed that it took less time to train and harvest than the less intensive system which became a tangle of vines that slowed the work,’ noted Ivy.

‘Comparing yield and efficiency of harvest with each treatment revealed additional significant difference to help growers decide which system may work best for their individual time and income goals,’ Ivy added.

In addition to taming the rampant growth of the cherry tomato, another challenge high tunnel vegetable growers face is the disease of brown leaf mold. This project included a variety trail comparing a popular but brown leaf mold-susceptible variety, Sun Gold, with three disease-resistant varieties in terms of taste and productivity. Sixty growers and volunteers taste tested the four varieties of cherry tomatoes; results are noted in the final report online.

This research in 2016 also included field trials at the Willsboro Research Farm, Willsboro, NY, to evaluate 13 single or mixed summer cover crop options for weed suppression in field-planted vegetable crops.

The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is a research and technical assistance program serving all agricultural sectors in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.