Soil Health
The Cornell Soil Health Test can be used to determine your field's soil management for percentage of water-stable aggregates. A soil with low % water-stable aggregates has poor crop emergence, more crusting, more runoff, reduced root growth, increased root diseases, and fewer beneficial microbes to cycle soil nutrients.
Vegetable farms using conventional tillage and few cover crops had an average of just 18% water-stable aggregates, while farms using reduced tillage or extensive cover cropping averaged 36-39%. Innovative growers are now beginning to adopt both strategies to improve soils even more.
In addition, the Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture program is working with a number of conventional and organic vegetable growers on increasing the use of a wide range of cover crops to fill open niches in rotations to improve soil health and grow nitrogen.
SOIL HEALTH CATEGORIES
Use of Lime in Orchards
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Thorough incorporation of adequate amounts of lime prior to planting a new orchard is essential. The topsoil (0-8 inch depth) should be adjusted to pH 7 and subsoil (8-16 inch depth) to pH 6.5. An adequate liming program based on soil tests should be the first consideration in developing orchard fertilization plans. Lime is the most economical source of calcium and magnesium. Regulation of soil pH through liming is also necessary to achieve optimal response to other nutrient elements. Fruit from Honeycrisp plantings can suffer from a physiological disorder called bitter pit (BP). The mitigation of BP requires the implementation of multiple tactics, of which the maintenance of soil pH around 7.0 helps.
Sample Orchard Soil Health Test Results
Mike Basedow, Tree Fruit Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
An example output from a soil health assessment from the Cornell Soil Health Laboratory.
22 Ways to Optimize High Tunnel Production in 2022
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
High tunnel systems vary a lot - from super simple to all the bells and whistles - depending on grower goals, crops, finances, etc. so it's hard to make one list of improvements that fits everyone's situation. Maybe you've done all these things, or maybe you don't need to. Hopefully there's something in the list below that's helpful to your high tunnel management in the coming year!
Herbicide Shortage: How to Plan for the 2022 Growing Season
Ethan Grundberg, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
There is a lot of speculation about a herbicide shortage for the 2022 growing season, which will impact weed management decisions starting with fall applications. The two main active ingredients that we're hearing about right now are glyphosate (Roundup, others) and glufosinate (Liberty, others), both associated with an increase in cost. There will likely be limited supplies of other pesticide active ingredients as well, but in the short term, a shortage of these two active ingredients poses some major challenges for corn and soybean production. The purpose of this article is to discuss ways to minimize the impact of herbicide shortage on corn and soybean production in the Midwest. As you search for alternatives to these two herbicides you may have already determined that weed control guides produced by University Extension and Industry will become your most important tool for planning your herbicide purchases for many years to come.
How to Take a Soil Sample
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
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Soil sampling is an important part of managing your crops, but it's important to do it correctly. In this video, ENYCHP vegetable specialist Amy Ivy demonstrates how to take a soil sample.
Recording of Fitting Cover Crops in Vegetable Systems Webinar Nov 8, 2018
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
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This is a recording of an hour long webinar held by Amy Ivy and Chuck Bornt of the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program and Mike Davis of the Cornell University Willsboro Research Farm on Nov 8, 2018.
A copy of the PowerPoint is included in the 'read details' section below. With funding from the Northern NY Agricultural Development Program.
It's Time to Test Your Soils
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Fall is the best time to test your soils so that any amendments you add, especially if you need to change your pH, have time to take effect before the next growing season. Both lime (which raises pH) and sulfur (which lowers pH) need months to work. If you put this off until spring your soil may be too wet and the soil labs get backed up with all the other last minute samples, so try to get this important task done this fall.
Reduced Tillage in Organic Systems Field Day Program Handbook
Amy Ivy, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Why you should pay attention to pH and alkalinity
Teresa Rusinek, Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
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Adjusting Water pH and alkalinity improves the performance of pesticides and other products you use during crop production. In high tunnels and greenhouses, injecting sulfuric or citric acid avoids nutrient tie up in soil and media.
ENYCHP Field Cultivation Day
Anne Mills, Field Technician
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
On Saturday July 25th, farmers from across the Hudson Valley gathered at the Farm Hub for an afternoon dedicated to demonstrating innovative cultivation equipment in action on the farm's expansive vegetable fields.
Cover Crops for Vegetable Growers Website
Carol MacNeil, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
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This website enables growers to use a broader range of cover crops to improve soil health in many ways. Cover crop descriptions, seeding, seed sources, cost and management challenges are included.
Phytophthora Webinar 3: Management practices to reduce P-Cap on the farm
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This recorded webinar features Dr. Meg McGrath for a discussion of fungicides for P-Cap, crop rotation strategies, and the use of biofumigants to control P-Cap in infected fields.
Making the Most of Cover Crop Mixtures
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Cover crops are an important tool that farmers can use to generate benefits and services on the farm and for society, including improved soil health, nutrient supply to cash crops, weed suppression, insect pest management, forage production, pollinator resources, and clean water and air. There are many different cover crop species to choose from, and each cover crop species has different abilities to provide the services described above. Planting a mixture of cover crop species is one strategy that can be used to enhance and diversify the benefits that a cover crop provides. This article will describe some of the basic concepts to consider when planning a cover crop mixture, such as meeting different farm management objectives, selecting complementary species, and methods for establishing cover crop mixtures.
Preventing Muck Soil Erosion by Reducing Tillage in Onion Production
Christy Hoepting, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Cornell Vegetable Program
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The problem with using conventional tillage practices for onion production on muck soils is that it results in the subsidence of muck via wind and water erosion and oxidation of organic matter at a rate of one foot every 10 years, which is not sustainable for preserving these non-renewable natural resources for long-term productivity. Onions are one of the most valuable vegetable crops produced in New York State with the majority of the 13,000 acres being grown on muck soil. Producing onions using conventional tillage practices results in degradation of soil health and increased subsidence.
Webinar: How do I know if I have P-Cap in my Fields?
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
The first in a 3-part series, this pre-recorded webinaris presented by Dr. Chris Smart, Cornell University.
Flooding in 2011 spread Phytophthora capsici into fields with no history of the disease. Growers who have not managed P. capsici previously could inadvertently and permanently spread the disease to additional fields and could experience high rates of crop loss due to improper management of the disease. Understanding of P. cap will reduce the probability of these negative outcomes on eastern NY farms.
Webinar: How do I know if I have P-Cap in my Fields?
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
The first in a 3-part series, this pre-recorded webinaris presented by Dr. Chris Smart, Cornell University.ÃÂ
Flooding in 2011 spread Phytophthora capsici into fields with no history of the disease. Growers who have not managed P. capsici previously could inadvertently and permanently spread the disease to additional fields and could experience high rates of crop loss due to improper management of the disease.ÃÂ Understanding of P. cap will reduce the probability of these negative outcomes on eastern NY farms.
Webinar: Farming with P-Cap: Managing Your Crops and Minimizing Spread
Laura McDermott, Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
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In this pre-recorded webinar, Dr. Michael Mazourek, plant breeder at Cornell University, and Dr. Chris Smart, plant pathologist at Cornell University Geneva Experiment Station lead a discussion about how to minimize the impact of Phytophthora capsici on your farm.
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Upcoming Events
2025 Eastern New York Fruit and Vegetable Conference
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February 19 - February 20, 2025 : 2025 Eastern NY Fruit and Vegetable Conference: February 19 - 20, 2025
Albany, NY
Join us for our Annual Eastern NY Fruit and Vegetable Conference with two days filled with informative sessions on Tree Fruit, Vegetables, Small Fruit, Grapes, Bedding Plants and other related topics and visit with more than 50 vendors!
Northeast Extension Fruit Consortium 2025 Winter Webinar Series
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February 12, 2025
February 19, 2025
February 26, 2025
March 5, 2025
March 12, 2025
: Northeast Extension Fruit Consortium Winter Webinar Series
February 12, 2025 noon - 1:30pm(link is external) Brian Moyer, Penn State Extension will discuss 10 Common Marketing Mistakes.
February 19, 2025 noon - 1:30pm(link is external) Dr. Maria Gannett, UMass Extension Fruit and Vegetable Weed Specialist will discuss Basic Orchard Weed ID and Management.
February 26, 2025 noon - 1:30pm(link is external) Dr. Anna Wallis, Senior Extension Associate, NYS Integrated Pest Management and Dr. Kerik Cox, Associate Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology Section, Cornell AgriTech will dig into Why Did My Scab Program Fail in 2024?.
March 5, 2025 noon - 1:30pm(link is external) Dr. Srdjan Acimovic Assistant Professor, Tree Fruit and Specialty Crop Pathologist at Virginia Tech University. This presentation will cover the biology and environmental conditions that favor bitter rot on apples; the management options and new areas of research this apple disease.
March 12, 2025 noon - 1:30pm(link is external) Dr. Jason Londo, Associate Professor, School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section, Cornell AgriTech and Dr. Renae Moran, Tree Fruit Specialist Professor of Pomology, University of Maine will discuss Understanding Cold Hardiness Risks in Fruit Crops.
From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan
January 7, 2025
January 14, 2025
January 21, 2025
January 28, 2025
February 4, 2025
February 11, 2025
February 18, 2025
February 25, 2025
March 4, 2025
: From Seed to Success: Turn Your Idea into an Actionable Plan
Do you need a business plan for your farm? Do you have an idea for a new venture, but aren't sure if it will work? This program is for you!
This course is designed for existing farm businesses or those planning to undertake a new farm business venture. Students will work with their farm's data, and the goal of the class is for participants to have a draft of a written business plan for a specific business venture.
During the course, you will learn to:
- Assess whether or not a business idea is a good fit for you.
- Develop a marketing strategy to make a profit
- Use financial tools to evaluate if your business has the potential to be profitable
This online course meets from January 7-March 4, 2025. All course content is available online so you can work on it at your own pace. There will be weekly webinars where you can meet other students and interact directly with the instructor on the content. These webinars will be recorded.