In the news

Northeast Farmers’ Berry Crops To Be Targeted By More Bugs [American Agriculturalist 2013-03-11] – “[The spotted winged drosophila, an introduced pest from Japan] will likely plague berry crops across the entire Northeast in 2013. Growers will need to be vigilant about scouting, timely harvests and treating with insecticide. There are no other known measures to deter this pest,” write Kathy Demchak and Marvin Pritts, chair of the Department of Horticulture. “Organic growers, in particular, will likely be hit hard by SWD.”

Ready to plant: ‘Iron Lady’ tomato punches out blights [Cornell Chronicle 2013-03-14] – If the name fits, grow it: “Iron Lady” is the first tomato to resist three major fungal diseases — early blight, late blight and Septoria leaf spot — plaguing New York’s growers for years. For farmers, this new tomato dramatically reduces the need for expensive fungicide. Iron Lady is available to both producers and home gardeners for the upcoming growing season. Favoring the Northeast’s moist, cool conditions, one or more of these diseases occurs yearly, prompting Martha Mutschler-Chu, Cornell professor of plant breeding and genetics, to create tomatoes that resist late blight and early blight.

Invasive weeds could shed light on climate-coping [Cornell Chronicle 2013-03-13] – While other species are expected to suffer from environmental fluctuations, changes in temperature may help invasive weeds expand their ranges. Many weeds are capable of relatively rapid genetic change as well, further enhancing their ability to colonize new areas, says weed ecologist Antonio DiTommaso, associate professor of crop and soil sciences and the Richard C. Call, Director of Agricultural Sciences.