Northern New York Agricultural Development
Grants
Northern New York Agricultural Development Program
2008 Projects in Detail
These projects were selected for funding by the farmer-driven Northern New
York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) through a Legislative
appropriation made possible by the long-term support of Senator Elizabeth
Little and Senator James Wright who recently left the Senate for a private
sector position and Northern New York legislative representatives region
wide. Find more information on the NNYADP online at
www.nnyagdev.org, or contact
NNYADP Program Co-Chairs Jon Greenwood, 315-379-386-3231; and Joe Giroux,
518-563-7523
The 22 projects funded by the Northern New York Agricultural Development
Program for attention in 2008 range in focus from dairy herd management and
preventing and treating mastitis to the enhanced production of biofuels,
field crops, livestock, fruit, and maple products and helping farmers cope
with livestock and plant diseases and pests.
Alfalfa Snout Beetle Research Shows Breakthrough
Northern New York Agricultural Development Program research into controls
for the alfalfa snout beetle (ASB), now found in nine New York counties
including all of Northern New York, has seen a breakthrough in dealing with
the crop pest that can destroy an entire crop of alfalfa in one year.
Cornell researchers report now-promising success with using nematodes to
decrease ASB populations to manageable levels. They will continue that work
and will also field test ASB-resistant varieties of alfalfa on NNY farms in
2008.
Biofuel Production Research in NNY Adds Cool Season Grasses in 2008
Farmers interested in the potential to produce biofuels are working with
Cornell researchers with Northern New York Agricultural Development Program
funding to measure the potential for energy (BTUs) and ethanol produced per
acre by warm season grasses planted on Northern New York farms in 2007 and
for cool season grasses that will be planted this year.
NNYADP Funding Enables Quick Response to Brown Root Rot
Brown root rot is a disease recently identified in alfalfa and forage
grasses in the Northeastern U.S. including in Clinton, Lewis and St.
Lawrence counties. A Cornell University research team has received funding
from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program to identify the
alfalfa and grass varieties that perform better than others in the presence
of brown root rot fungus as an initial step toward controlling the fungal
disease.
Reducing or Eliminating Dairy Diseases Focus of Two Dairy Projects in NNY
The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has provided funds
for dairy herd management projects. One will evaluate the efficacy of
possible treatments for the two most prevalent causes of mastitis � E. coli
and Klebsiella bacteria. One will assess a grass-alfalfa ensiling technique
that could reduce or eliminate a cause of Johne�s disease, a chronic and
progressive disease that affects dairy cows.
Four NNYADP Projects Will Maximize Use of Farm Nutrients
Four agricultural environmental management projects will evaluate the use of
nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur on corn and alfalfa, to
increase the efficient use of manure and fertilizers to maintain crop
quality and yield while enhancing environmental stewardship. A side benefit
of this type of research is often the opportunity to save input costs by
learning how to maximize the use of existing on-farm resources.
Increasing Soil Health on NNY Farms
Farm soil health has declined due to such factors as soil compaction and
weed, disease and pest pressure on farm fields. A Northern New York
Agricultural Development Program-funded project will train farmers to use
the recently developed Cornell Soil Health Test that integrates physical,
biological and chemical soil measurements as a means for identifying trouble
spots for attention.
NNY Field Crop Trials Evaluate Soybeans for Cows and People, Cereal
Varieties for Grain and Straw, Corn Hybrids for Livestock and Biofuel
Processors
Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded field crop trials
in 2008 will assess food-grade soybeans for human consumption and forage
soybeans for use as dairy cattle feed, will evaluate cereal varieties for
grain and straw production, and will continue the annual evaluation of corn
hybrids for the production of grain and silage to feed livestock with grain
data also valuable for producers interested in growing corn for sale to
ethanol processors.
Amaranth Added to Organic Production Trials of Sunflowers, Soybeans,
Alfalfa and Timothy
Organic production trials of spring and winter wheat, flax, and dry beans
will continue at the Cornell E.V. Baker Agricultural Research Farm in
Willsboro. Amaranth will be added to the crop rotation there with
sunflowers, soybeans, alfalfa and timothy. Field work will produce an
evaluation of production systems and an analysis of the profit potential of
each crop.
NNYADP-Funded Research to Beef Up NNY Livestock Industry
More than 13,000 beef cattle are raised on Northern New York farms. One of
two Northern New York Agricultural Development Program-funded beef
production projects will determine the threat of liver flukes, parasites
that affect growth rates and reproduction efficiency in beef and dairy
cattle. A second project will help beef producers more accurately grade
their animals to improve finishing those animals more consistently to meet
consumer market demands.
Making Maple Syrup Sooner: NNYADP Research Looks at Early Season Tapping
The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program Maple Advisory
Committee gave its highest priority ranking to research on the value and
consequences of early season tapping as a way to adapt to climate change
that suggests the start of the sap season is now one week earlier than in
past years.
First NNY Cold Hardy Grape Varietal Wines Expected in 2008
With funding from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program,
Northern New York grape growers with Lake Champlain Grape Growers
Association have been working for the past two years with horticultural
researchers with Cornell Cooperative Extension�s Northeastern New York
Commercial Fruit Program and the Cornell University Grape Program on the
Willsboro Wine Grape Trial. In 2008, they will taste the fruits of their
labor in the vineyard established in 2005 at the Cornell University E.V.
Baker Research Farm. In the fall of 2008, the project participants will
process grapes from the 25 wine grape cultivars at the Willsboro farm, and
some who have simultaneously tested cultivars in their own vineyards, to
produce 25 Northern New York varietal wines.
Modernizing NNY Apple Orchards
Apple specialists will work with three Eastern Northern New York growers who
contribute to the 5,000-acre, $16-million apple industry of NNY. With
Northern New York Agricultural Development Program funding, they will
modernize their orchards by planting new apple varieties, winter hardy
rootstocks, and by testing new less labor-intensive production systems.
Restaurants Responding to High Tunnel Research in NNY
Regional restaurants in Northern New York that are expressing increasing
interest in more locally grown fruits and vegetables are creating an
exciting opportunity for extending not only the growing season but the
economic impact by using high tunnels. High tunnels are unheated
greenhouse-like structures that allow fruit, vegetable, flower and nursery
stock growers to palnt earlier and harvest later in the Northern New York
region. The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has provided
funding to continue evaluating the use of high tunnels in NNY in 2008.
Learn more about the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program and
its many completed projects at
www.nnyagdev.org.
