New York and Northeast fruit and vegetable growers will benefit from a cornucopia of projects funded for 2010 by the Northeast Region of the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. New York-based projects addressing horticulture include:
- Reducing climatic and disease risks through minimum-tillage systems for vegetables. Anusuya Rangarajan, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
- Cultivation of shiitake mushrooms as an agroforestry crop for New England. Ken Mudge, Cornell Forest Farming and Mushroom Cultivation Program, Ithaca NY
- Sustainable pest management in high tunnel winter greens production. Judson Reid, Cornell University, Penn Yan NY
- Low-to-no-heat hanging baskets. Judson Reid, Cornell University, Penn Yan NY
- How to use season extension effectively for winter market sales: Investigating planting dates, types of covers, and fertility. Robert Hadad, Cornell University, Lockport NY
- Optimizing strawberry production with a reduced tillage system. Laura McDermott, Cornell University, Hudson Falls NY
- Improving the profitability of onions grown on aging muck soil that has high pH. Christine Hoepting, Cornell University, Albion NY
- Developing Integrated Pest Management protocols for Northeast organic apple production.
Peter Jentsch, Cornell University, Highland NY - Small-scale commercial Juneberry establishment and marketing. James Ochterski, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County, Canandaigua NY
- Determining the potential for organic material use in Northeast commercial pear production. Peter Jentsch, Cornell University, Highland NY
- Efficient and safe food handling for small-scale vegetable producers. Molly Shaw, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Tioga County, Owego NY
- Shelf life and marketing window extension in sweet cherries in New York. Craig Kahlke, Cornell University, Lockport NY
- Improving the yield and quality of sweet potatoes grown in New York. Charles Bornt, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Troy NY
- CNY Bounty: Strengthening community through enhancing marketing and distribution opportunities for farmers. Susan Parker, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, Morrisville NY
Find project summaries at the NESARE website.