Willsboro Research Farm Open House

Willsboro, NY – June 16, 2022

The Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm will hold an open house on Thursday, July 7 from 1:30pm to 4:00pm.  A tour of the facilities and research plots will leave the main office (48 Sayward Lane, Willsboro) at 2:00pm.  Light refreshments will be provided.

Research topics featured at this year’s open house include early season high tunnel broccoli and cabbage production, strawberry growing systems, alternatives to neonic seed treatments, corn silage variety evaluations, a grain corn variety trial, soil health plots, a canopy sensing robot, cover crops, male sterile forage sorghum, juneberry nursery and production trials, Aronia variety plantings, a honeyberry variety trial, and forage and grain plots of winter triticale and winter rye.

In 1982 E. Vreeland Baker, a Willsboro farmer and entrepreneur, donated his 352-acre farm to Cornell University for agricultural research and demonstration.  The facility serves to connect Cornell faculty in Ithaca with the challenges and issues facing North Country farmers.  The Willsboro Research Farm is part of the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station.

This event is free and open to the public.  For more information call 518-963-7492.

Michael Davis- Research Associate
Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm
48 Sayward Lane
Willsboro, NY  12996
mhd11@cornell.edu

Soybean Aphids

Soybean aphids have been reported at high infestation rates on a few fields in western NY. This is most likely the 1^st generation of soybean aphids migrating off buckthorn. Buckthorn species (Rhamnus spp) are the overwintering host of soybean aphids.  The soybeans with high infestation rates were the beans that did not have and insecticide seed treatment. A few of these fields were sprayed to control the aphids.

For more information view the following website:

https://cals.cornell.edu/field-crops/soybeans/insects-soybeans/soybean-aphid.

190 soybean aphids on a leaflet

soybean aphid and nymph

Field Corn Pheromone Trapping Network

We will be transitioning from black cutworm and true armyworm to western bean cutworm and fall armyworm in the next few weeks. The interactive map will include all of these captures as well. We are including fall armyworm because of the amount of damage it had done later in the season last year.

Pheromone Moth Bucket Trap.

western bean cutworm in a pheromone trap- Photo by Jaime Cummings

Potato Leafhopper in Alfalfa

Potato leafhopper has migrated to NYS on the storms we have received. They overwinter in the southern US and travel north in late May into June. They have been laying eggs and the nymphs will emerge soon. Nymphs do most of the damage to alfalfa because they can occur at very high infestation rates. To avoid damage start scouting for this pest. If you see the V-shaped yellowing of the leaf tips, it is too late. The damage to yield and quality has happened. For thresholds, please view the following site: https://cals.cornell.edu/field-crops/forages/insects-forage-crops/potato-leafhopper

Potato leafhopper damage-yellowing

Potato leafhopper v-shaped yellowing damage

Black cutworm in Field Corn

There was one more intense catch with black cutworm this last week in Seneca Falls. The black cutworm season is about over even if we continue to get flights of moths. Once the corn reaches the V6 stage of growth black cutworm does not continue to feed. If the corn is younger than V6, it is best to get out and scout fields. The threshold is 5% or more of the plants have been cut is the point to employ management. For more information, please few the following website:

Black Cutworm

https://cals.cornell.edu/field-crops/corn/insects-corn/cutworms

Interactive Field Corn Pheromone Moth Trapping Network Map 

Black Cutworm Degree Day Accumulations by Location through June 30, 2022

*Intense Catch is over 15 moths in a week.

Black Cutworm Degree Days (Base 50⁰ F) Lifecycle Growth Stages

Degree Days               Stage                           Feeding Activity

0                                  Moth Capture              Egg Laying

90                                Eggs Hatch

91-311                         1st to 3rd Instar           Leaf Feeding

312-364                       4th Instar                     Cutting Begins

365-430                       5th Instar                     Cutting Begins

431-640                       6th Instar                     Cutting Slows

641-989                       Pupa                            No feeding