In the news

Broccoli Could Be A Week Old When You Buy It On The East Coast — These Scientists Have A Solution [Business Insider 2013-09-09] – A team of agricultural scientists, led by Thomas Björkman, was tasked in 2010 with breeding a heat-tolerant broccoli that can survive in different growing conditions in the East, from northern Florida to Maine. Many hundreds of crosses have been tried over the last several years, but only five varieties of eastern-grown broccoli have made it to market so far. In the process of adapting broccoli for Eastern growers, breeders are also looking at ways to improve broccoli’s taste, color, resistance to disease, and nutritional value. The stage has been set for creating the world’s best and freshest broccoli.

Cornell Field Day gives tips to farmers, gardeners [Ithaca Journal 2013-09-13] A Cornell University agriculture program has extended a hand to gardeners and small farmers from across the state. They were invited to the Cornell Family Field Day, which was hosted last weekend by Cornell and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York at Cornell’s Thompson Research Farm in Freeville, N.Y. Anu Rangarajan is featured in accompanying video.

Farmers who donate to food banks can reap cash [Cornell Chronicle 2013-09-06] – New York growers who donate produce to food banks as part of the “Glean NY” initiative will be reimbursed for the cost of harvesting the fruits or vegetables, thanks to a donation from The Wal-Mart Foundation to the Food Bank Association of New York State.

NNY Apple Growers Evaluating Orchard Improvement Techniques [NNYADP news release 2013-09-06] – “Controlling the final fruit number on an apple tree is a critical process for profitable fruit growers,” says Cornell University Horticulture Professor Terence Robinson. “Only 3 to 10 percent of the initial flowers and fruitlets should be carried to harvest for the best economic value.” Robinson and his research team have developed a precision thinning technique that helps growers prevent too many fruits from reducing apple size and yield.

Maintaining High-Wear Areas on Natural Grass Fields [Athletic Business 2013-09] -With foot traffic of athletes comes potential headaches for turf managers. “The soils seal up and don’t let water in, and so they puddle at the surface,” says Frank Rossi, associate professor of horticulture at Cornell University. “If the surface grade is compromised, where the water can’t move along it to get away, then you can’t grow grass. That’s it. It’s not any more complicated than that. It happens in goalmouths. It happens down the center of football fields. It happens every place foot traffic gets focused.”