We can’t leave out diseases. Let’s go back to the cover crop. One potential downside to growing organic rye is ergot infection. Claviceps purpurea is a parasitic fungus that can infect rye and other cereal crops. The sclerotia of the ergot fungus contains alkaloids which can be fatal to livestock and humans if ingested. Scout…Continue Reading “Weeds in Organic Squash Production” Part Three: Disease Concerns, and a Look Back Over the Season
“Weeds in Organic Squash Production” Part Two: But What About Insects?
Insects! Plant it and they will come. Or not. In a research farm setting, unlike a commercial farm, we actually WANT pests to show up so we can conduct a trial. But sometimes we plant it and they don’t come… In fact, there’s a joke that if you want a pest to disappear for a…Continue Reading “Weeds in Organic Squash Production” Part Two: But What About Insects?
“Weeds in Organic Winter Squash Production” A Look at 2021’s Field Research: Part One
Our next series of posts looks at a 2021 field trial by NYSIPM’s Bryan Brown, Marcus Lopez, and Abby Seaman. For full details, read their complete posts throughout the season.: What’s the best way to manage weeds in organic winter squash? Many farmers use black plastic mulch. Others cultivate. And small-scale farms may spread straw…Continue Reading “Weeds in Organic Winter Squash Production” A Look at 2021’s Field Research: Part One
Cover Crop’s Double Success for Soybeans
Mature fields of grain crops moving in the wind is a lovely sight. Having admired the beauty of ‘cereal rye’ in a field, I asked NYSIPM Integrated Weed Management Specialist Dr. Bryan Brown if rye has been part of successful weed suppression efforts. The answer is yes, but even better, there’s anti-fungal benefits too….Continue Reading Cover Crop’s Double Success for Soybeans
Our 2018-2019 Annual Report #6- Certified Crop Advisor Training; Saving the Douglas-fir
Certifiably IPM Growers and crop consultants need training like everyone else, so they go to school. The Northeast Region Certified Crop Advisers (NRCCA) offer regional and international certifications. NRCCA has online courses and a three-day intensive training conference covering four competency areas. And did we mention exams? Becoming a certified crop advisor takes dedication. The…Continue Reading Our 2018-2019 Annual Report #6- Certified Crop Advisor Training; Saving the Douglas-fir
Our 2018-2019 Annual Report: #5 Pollinator Habitat, and NEWA
If You Build It, Will They Come? Dwindling bee numbers is a problem. The question is not should we protect pollinators and create habitat, but how? What’s the best method? The most economical? The best bee habitats—made up of plants of varying sizes and bloom times—are easy on the eye. They’re also excellent real estate…Continue Reading Our 2018-2019 Annual Report: #5 Pollinator Habitat, and NEWA
Our 2018-2019 Annual Report: #4 In the Weeds and For the Birds
In the Weeds Herbicide resistant weeds. Got ‘em? Worried about ‘em? There are some bad ones out there. Some of the baddest in New York are horseweed, waterhemp, and Palmer amaranth. A result of repeated exposure to the same chemical sprays, these plants have given us all a lesson on the power of selection pressure….Continue Reading Our 2018-2019 Annual Report: #4 In the Weeds and For the Birds
Highlights from the Northeast Mechanical Weed Control Expo
Today’s post is from Bryan Brown PhD, NYS IPM Weeding tools have come a long way! Last summer, Eric Gallandt invited me to present the results of my latest “stacked” cultivation trials at the Northeast Mechanical Weed Control Expo. I brought my camera along to document the exciting exhibits by vendors and other researchers. Stacked…Continue Reading Highlights from the Northeast Mechanical Weed Control Expo
Soybean Disease Workshop at Cayuga County ‘Shop Meeting’
Soybean Disease Identification, Expansion of Soilborne Soybean Diseases and the Soybean Cyst Nematode in NYS, and Considerations for Soybean Seed Treatment Options for these Threats Cayuga County CCE specialist Ron Kuck held a shop meeting at Dumond’s farm in Union Springs on February 19th. Jaime Cummings, Field Crops and Livestock IPM Coordinator at NYSIPM shared…Continue Reading Soybean Disease Workshop at Cayuga County ‘Shop Meeting’
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. This event was sponsored by the Northwest Dairy, livestock and Field Crops Team, an outstanding…Continue Reading The Soybean and Small Grains Congress