But hey, this one’s a big deal with broad implications. Meeting Cornell University’s high standards for extension outreach is all-important. Extension educators are Cornell’s front line, bringing timely, quality information to that ever-changing landscape called farming. Our weekly conference call brings seasoned experts and newbies together, each one with their eyes on the ground, sharing…Continue Reading Conference Call? Call Me When It’s Over!
Computer or Calendar? — Choose NEWA for better IPM
Traditionally, pest management practices were applied on a calendar basis, following somewhat of a cookbook approach. However, with the newer classes of pesticides being produced today that are more target specific, timing of applications using the knowledge of a vineyard pest and the conditions that cause it to become a problem has become even more…Continue Reading Computer or Calendar? — Choose NEWA for better IPM
Efficacy Goes Organic
New York ranks fourth in the nation for number of certified organic farms and sixth in vegetable production, ringing the registers at more than $14 million. Organic practices help healthy crops shrug off many insect pests — disease pests too. But if you’re a grower, you know some pests persist despite well-designed farming system. So for…Continue Reading Efficacy Goes Organic
Woolly or not, hemlock woolly adelgid could fall victim to this winter’s cold snaps
The hemlock woolly adelgid is an aphid-like insect that attacks eastern and Carolina hemlocks — and can even kill trees in 3-5 years. Adelgids are tiny, but because they live crowded together, their fuzzy white wax coverings make trees look like they’ve been flocked for Christmas. Adelgids have moved into New York these last few…Continue Reading Woolly or not, hemlock woolly adelgid could fall victim to this winter’s cold snaps
Clean It Up – Sanitation Key for Grape Black Rot
Pruning of grapevines will be in full swing soon and dropping fruit mummies to the ground can greatly aid in controlling black rot. Black rot is a potentially devastating fungal disease infecting leaves, shoots, berries and cluster stems. Susceptibility to black rot varies greatly by variety but can be a concern for many American, French…Continue Reading Clean It Up – Sanitation Key for Grape Black Rot
Eastward Ho!
Critters that did little damage before agriculture replaced natural ecosystems can prove tough customers when provided easy access to hundreds of thousands of acres of their favorite food. Even so, sometimes such pests are content to stay on their home turf until … until …. The western bean cutworm (WBC for short) is a High…Continue Reading Eastward Ho!
Weather Instrument Calibration
Accurate weather information — temperature, rainfall, wind speed — can improve farm decisions on crop inputs. IPM forecasts delivered via NEWA, the Network for Environment and Weather App’s, www.newa.cornell.edu, significantly improve plant disease and insect management results. Accuracy depends on instrument calibration and maintenance; as simple as checking a rain gauge and cleaning out debris….Continue Reading Weather Instrument Calibration
eNEWA for Grapes Beta Testing
Would you like to see the current weather and grape pest information found on the Network for Environment and Weather Applications (NEWA) without having to click through the website? Then eNEWA-grapes is for you. eNEWA-grapes is a daily email that contains current weather and grape pest-model information from a station (or stations) near you. The…Continue Reading eNEWA for Grapes Beta Testing