NNY
Agricultural Research Farms
Cornell
Baker Research Farm at Willsboro
Website: Willsboro Research Farm
This 351.12-acre farm is located 1.5 miles north of Willsboro at the
entrance to the Willsboro Point peninsula with Lake Champlain bordering to
the east. The farm is on the gently rolling lacustrine plain adjacent to
Lake Champlain. Elevations range from a low of 100 feet at the shoreline
of Lake Champlain to a high of 240. The weather station on the farm is at
an elevation of 180 feet, at a latitude of 44o 23' and at a longitude of
73o 23'.
The climate in the area is characterized as cool temperate with a 150-day
growing season. The soils on the Willsboro farm were developed in glacial
till (Bombay), deltaic or glacial lake sands (Stafford and Cosad), and
glacial lake clays (Kingsbury).
Sites established to determine a background water quality level are used
to sample tile drainage effluents from various actively farmed fields. The
water sampling protocol is implemented on the basis of seasonal flow
patterns. The primary parameters analyzed are nitrate, phosphorous,
sediment and pesticides.
Six sites on the farm have been developed for soil-water-plant studies,
including a study designed to monitor water and soluble constituent
movement processes through a Kingsbury clay soil under various cultural
practices for field crops. The further development, testing and refinement
of preferential path simulation and prediction models are important
components of this study.
Another study site is for the evaluation of soil hydrologic and nitrogen
fertilization effects on the predictability of mineralizable soil nitrogen
for optimum use efficiency by corn and the potential for nitrate leaching.
Another site accommodates a study designed to determine tillage effects on
soil hydraulic properties and chemical leaching and their spatial and
temporal variability.
Other areas on the farm are managed for yield trial evaluation of
varieties of spring and winter small grains and to investigate dairy
manure management on perennial grasses for economically, profitable high
yielding, high quality forage and for the study of the nutrient management
concerns of dairy farmers.
