The Soybean and Small Grains Congress

On February 5th and 6th, Bryan Brown and Jaime Cummings of the NYSIPM Program presented their latest findings to the farmers, agricultural consultants and agribusiness associates attending the Soybean and Small Grains Congress meetings in Batavia, NY and Waterloo, NY.

Photo of Jaime Cummings speaking to audience
Field Crops and Livestock IPM Coordinator Jaime Cummings

This event was sponsored by the Northwest Dairy, livestock and Field Crops Team, an outstanding regional agriculture program from Cornell Cooperative Extension serving a nine-county region in western New York. The team’s specialists work together with Cornell faculty and extension educators statewide to provide service to the farms large and small whether dairy, livestock, hay, corn, wheat or soybean focused. They are part of the Cornell CALS’ Pro-Dairy program outreach.

map of New York with the NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team Counties shown in red.
Caption: NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team counties

On Wednesday, February 5th, the meeting took place in Batavia. Besides NYSIPM staff, presenters included Mike Stanyard (CCE NYNY Team), Dennis Pennington (Small Grains Specialist from Michigan State University), Gary Bergstrom (Cornell University Plant Pathologist), Jodi Putnam (Field Crops Specialist from CCE), Mike Helms (Pesticide Management Education Program, Cornell University), and Dan Wixted, (Pesticide Management Education Program, Cornell University). With such experienced trainers as these, attendees heard valuable information that will serve them well once the 2020 field season begins.

Bryan Brown shared his recent research trial on managing waterhemp in soybeans. Effective Programs for Controlling Waterhemp in Soybeans

Photo show Bryan Brown speaking to the audience
Dr. Bryan Brown speaks about his work reducing weeds in soybeans.

Jaime Cummings presented her research survey results on biocontrol use of a parasitoid on the cereal leaf beetle. Cereal Leaf Beetle: History, Biology, Management and Biocontrol

On Thursday, February 6th, the same team of presenters spoke to an audience in Waterloo, NY.

Congratulations Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Team. Their educational programs and individual assistance cover a wide area of best management practices and as well as dairy farm business. For dairy farms, a bilingual dairy specialist provides producers with employee training and human resource facilitation in Spanish. Educational and support venues range from on individual farm management team meetings and troubleshooting to multi-day classroom and hands-on training and from ongoing farmer group discussion meetings to thematic day long symposia.

As to the success of this year’s S&SG Congress?  Mike Stanyard shared this: I want to thank all of you for making the 2020 S&SG Congresses a success!  It was a very well-rounded program and I have received plenty of comments about the quality of the presentations.  I know the growers took home some very valuable information.

Photo of Mike Stanyard of Cornell.
Mike Stanyard (Ph.D.) CCE, NWNY Dairy, Livestock & Field Crops Team

Photos: Ken Wise