Field Crop Update June 23, 2022
Erik Smith, Area Field Crop Specialist
Central New York Dairy and Field Crops
1. Field Observations
Crops are looking good! So far our insect pest pressure has been relatively low. Corn moth pests are few, and while the leafhoppers are here, their populations are still low at this point. However, bird damage has been devastating in some cases. I've seen several corn fields with crow damage (including my own research plots…), and one 20-acre field of soybeans mown down by geese (see pics). It's too late to replant at this point, but the plants will recover. Unfortunately, even though the geese were kind enough to defoliate the plants at a very early stage (and topdress the field with quite a bit of fertilizer - ahem), it's almost certain that this crop will be set back. But by how much remains to be seen.
3. Pest and disease monitoring
A. Black cutworm (BCW), western bean cutworm (WBC), and true armyworm (TAW) in corn.
This week, trap numbers remained low. This means that oviposition (egg-laying) may be low, but larval activity will be relatively high. Once again, check your fields until v6 (around 12") for cutworm damage:
B. Potato leafhopper in alfalfa. *No action needed within a week of harvest
C. Fusarium head blight in grains. As winter grains are flowering, now would be the time to decide whether to protect crops from fusarium head blight. According to the Fusarium Risk Tool, the risk in our region is currently low (yellow) to moderate (orange) except for eastern Fulton County and east of Schoharie in the Gallupville/Berne area, as well as Herkimer county north of the Mohawk where the risk is high (red) if your crops are currently flowering:
Field Crop Update June 23, 2022 (pdf; 795KB)
Upcoming Events
New York State Fiber Conference
June 9, 2024
Bouckville, NY
Theme for this year: Quality Matters
Announcements
Cash Rent and Custom Harvest Survey
To date, there is limited information available about rental rates and fees for crop harvesting. Farms can use this valuable information for their farm business planning to help improve decision making and profitability.Farmers Can Join MeatSuite For Free!
MeatSuite.com is a free resource provided by Cornell University where NY meat farmers can create a farm profile and list their bulk (wholes, halves, quarters) and bundled (i.e. Grilling Bundle) meat products.Why should farmers join?
1. It's free and easy!
2. Connect with more local customers. In the past year the MeatSuite.com farm directory had 8,300 visits from New York consumers. Farm profiles get as many as 25 views per month from potential local customers. We also spotlight MeatSuite farms on social media and bring attention and purchases to farms through highlights and giveaways.
How do I join?
Farmers can visit https://www.meatsuite.com/farmers/ to create a free farm profile. You must list at least one product for your farm's profile to go live. You'll also have access to Cornell's free Meat Price Calculator, a helpful tool for pricing your meat to make a profit.
While you're on MeatSuite, check out the "Creating Consumer-Friendly Bulk Meats" publication on the log-in page. It has tips on how to create bulk meat products that are easier for first-time buyers to say "yes" to.
If you have any questions as you create your farm profile or products, we're here to help! Please email Matt LeRoux at mnl28@cornell.edu.