The “Expo” is Virtual this year and begins the week of February 21, 2022
The New York State Integrated Pest Management Program is proud to be part of this annual event. Bryan Brown talks weed management on Thursday of Week Two.
After postponing the in-person 2022 Empire State Producers Expo due to the spike in COVID numbers in early January, we are happy to announce plans for a virtual Expo. The sessions are spread out over a three-week period, starting Monday, February 21. One or two sessions will run each day, starting at 11:45. Attendees can join for a short time each day, rather than sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours at a time.
Altogether, 27 sessions are planned, and most sessions include DEC credits. Sessions will focus on weed management, soil health, IPM tomatoes, hemp, brassicas, snap beans, sweet corn, cut flowers, and greenhouses. New this year are sessions on Agroforestry, pesticide safety, Lanternflies, and labor – how to prepare for H-2A audits and Creating Positive workplaces. We will also have a session providing guidance on the water withdrawal permits.
DEC credits will be available.
Week Two
Monday, February 28
Track One, Session One and Two 11:45am-2:20pm HEMP 1, organized by CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Team, SCNY Dairy and Field Crops Team, and CCE Harvest NY, DEC CREDITS
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Tuesday, March 1
Track One, Session One 11:45am-1:05pm HEMP 2, organized by CCE Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Team, SCNY Dairy and Field Crops Team, and CCE Harvest NY, NO DEC CREDITS
Track Two, Session One, 11:45am -1:30pm SNAP BEANS: STRESS MITIGATION, organized by Julie Kikkert, CCE Vegetable Program, and Steve Reiners, Cornell DEC CREDITS
Track Two, Session Two 1:30pm – 3:05pm PESTICIDE COMPATIBILITY, organized by Mary Centrella, CCE Pesticide Safety Education Program, DEC CREDITS
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Wednesday, March 2
Track One, Session One and Two 11:45am – 2:00pm, HERBICIDES- ACTIVITY, MODES OF ACTION, SYMPTOMOLOGY and MOVEMENT organized by Lynn Sosnoskie, Cornell University, and Thierry Besancon, Rutgers University, DEC CREDITS
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Thursday, March 3
Track One, Session Two 1:30pm-3:25pm COVER CROPS FOR WEED MANAGEMENT, organized by Bryan Brown, Cornell NYSIPM who will also be presenting. DEC CREDITS
Summary: Which cover crops are best for weed management? How should they be used most effectively? How to maintain cover crops between rows of black plastic? These hot topic questions will be explored by five different speakers – two researchers, two educators, and one farmer. Dr. Bryan Brown will start off the program with a broad overview of cover crop rotation considerations in the context of weed seedbank management. Dr. Thomas Björkman will provide his top three tips for success then delve deeper, with discussion of the best species to use for different situations. Jean-Paul Courtens will discuss his use of sunn hemp – a relatively new cover crop to many farmers – and what he has learned from using it on small-and large-scale organic farms. Then Judson Reid and Dr. Thierry Besançon will each provide highlights from their separate trials using living mulches between rows of plasticulture vegetables. It will be interesting to see if they have the same take-home message!
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Friday, March 4
Track One, Session One, and Two, 11:45am-2:15pm AGROFORESTRY, organized by Cornell Horticulture program, Samantha Bosco NO DEC CREDITS
to learn more or register, VISIT the Empire State Producers Expo’s EXPO PAGE