In the news

Phil GriffithsLow altitude, high-flying beans to benefit Africa [Cornell Chronicle, 2/13/2012] – “To consider sub-Saharan Africa a region only for subsistence farming is to overlook opportunities for small-holder growers to produce crops with much higher values. The ability to expand green bean production into marginal areas at lower altitudes would provide new opportunities for farmers, but it requires the development of new varieties that combine heat tolerance with multiple rust resistance genes,” says Phillip Griffiths.

Nina BassukNew USDA hardiness map means warmer winters for Ithaca gardeners [Ithaca Journal, 2/8/2012] – “This is one of the ways people figure out what plants to grow in their back yards. It tells them what plants will survive over the winter,” said professor Nina Bassuk, the program leader at Cornell’s Urban Horticulture Institute. “In many cases, with a slightly warmer climate in the city area you can have a much more diverse planting palette, and it gives people confidence to try plants they wouldn’t have tried before.”

Ian MerwinFarmers Wait To See Mild Winter’s Effect On Crops [Jamestown Post-Journal, 2/13/2012] – “People shouldn’t be worried about the cold weather. They should be worried about the warm weather. Fifty degrees is the magic number. If temperatures get above 50, it could cause significant damage,” says Ian Merwin.

New teaching vineyard in Yates County expands vines, wines resources [Cornell Chronicle, 2/13/2012] – Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) and Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) have agreed to establish a teaching and demonstration vineyard at the Anthony Road Wine Co. in the Yates County town of Torrey. The 2.5-acre vineyard will serve as a site where CCE’s Finger Lakes Grape Program can conduct applied research projects and demonstrations for current and prospective grape growers in the Finger Lakes region and beyond.

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