Laura McDermott

Team Leader, Small Fruit and Vegetable Specialist

CCE Washington County
415 Lower Main Street
Hudson Falls, NY 12839

phone 518-746-2562
cell 518-791-5038
fax 518-746-2419
email Laura

Areas of Interest
Horticultrue, IPM, High Tunnel Production, & Food Safety

Crops
Blueberries, Raspberries / Blackberries, Unusual Fruit

Background
Laura McDermott has long been interested in horticulture, completing her undergrad degree at Cornell University and her master degree at the University of Florida. Laura joined Cornell Cooperative Extension in 1990 and, through the years, has fine-tuned her expertise in commercial small fruit and vegetable production including pest identification and management, soil fertility, food safety, and season extension techniques. Today, Laura leads small fruit outreach efforts in our area, serves as a liaison with grower organizations, and regularly participates in applied research and demonstration activities.

Ag Business Tuesdays - Warren County

July 25, 2017
1.5 hour appts between 9:00am to 4:00pm
Warrensburgh, NY

Are you a farmer in Eastern New York with a question about the management side of your farm business? The Cornell Cooperative Extension Eastern NY Commercial Hort Team, in collaboration with CCE County offices, is offering free farm business technical assistance appointments this summer on Tuesdays at various locations in our service region. On Tuesday, July 25 from 9:00am-4:00pm we will be at CCE Warren County.

Summer Grower Meeting

August 1, 2017
6:30- 8:00pm
Willsboro, NY

Topics will include:

Growing Red Bell Peppers and Cherry Tomatoes in High Tunnels
High Tunnel tomato fertility management
Updates on this year’s pests and disease challenges
Group discussion â€" bring your questions!

Speakers:

Judson Reid, Cornell Vegetable Program
Amy Ivy, Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture
Michael Davis, Cornell Willsboro Research Farm
 

Berry Crops Field Workshop

August 29, 2017
5pm-7pm
Stephentown, NY

These workshops are directed at the commercial berry grower.
Monitoring for pests, designing an effective pest control program, understanding cultural and chemical SWD management strategies and general troubleshooting will all be part of this workshop.
There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Cucurbit Downy Mildew (CDM) Indentified

Please be aware that Cucurbit Downy Mildew (CDM) has been identified today (Tuesday, July 18 2017) in the Mid- Hudson Valley, specifically Dutchess County. This is a fast moving and very destructive disease as windblown spores from this infection site are a primary source of infection for other cucurbit plantings in the area. Spores are easily dispersed long distances. All cucurbit types may be affected, with cucumbers being the most sensitive followed by melons. According to the CDM forecasting program, southern NY was included in the areas with a "high risk" of spore deposition and infection back on July 7th , 11th and 13th, so with the weather conditions we've had symptom development is pretty much on target (7-10 days). CDM Forecasting model can be accessed at: http://cdm.ipmpipe.org/ Please note that we had a moderate risk yesterday with a low risk for spread today (Tuesday).

If you are in the Hudson Valley or another high risk area, now is the time to apply mobile (systemic, translaminar) fungicides with an active ingredient that specifically targets DM. For conventional growers I have seen where a tank mix of Curzate plus Ranman or Zampro plus a protectant like chlorothalonil (Bravo, Initiate etc.) has done a very good job. Curzate provides some kickback or burnout activity but does not have much residual which is why it needs to be tank mixed with a second mobile fungicide or another application needs to be made 3-4 days later. Mobile fungicides are needed to control the disease from developing on the UNDERSIDE of the leaf. Fungicides should be re-applied according to disease severity and label instructions (keep pre harvest intervals in mind, maximum use rates and please rotate chemical classes using the FRAC codes found on all the labels. More information including risks forecasts and fungicide recommendations can also be found in the CCE ENYCHP Weekly Vegetable Updates

According to Cornell Pathologists Margaret McGrath, one of the better organic products evaluated is Timorex Gold (Tea Tree oil) and is labeled in NYS (click the name to see a copy of the label). See label for the rates and note that there is a 48-hour re-entry interval and do not apply within 48 hours of harvesting. Do not spray during the warm hours of the day and in hot seasons with temperatures above 95ºF (35ºC) and Do not apply this product through any type of irrigation system. Alternate with copper every 5-7 days.

If you suspect CDM please contact your local CCE ENYCHP educator for confirmation and help in establishing a treatment plan.

More information can be found on Cornell Pathologists Margaret McGrath's bulletin on "Effectively Managing Cucurbit Downy Mildew in NY in 2017 "for details. http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/NewsArticles/Cucurbit%20Downy%20Mildew%20MGT-NY-2017-McGrath.pdf

Growers looking for information on OMRI/ organic approved products for downy mildew please see: "Biopesticides for Managing Cucurbit Crop Diseases Organically" also complied by Margaret McGrath.
https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/files/2015/04/Biopesticides_Veg-Diseases_2017-cucurbits-McGrath-1hj8dln.pdf

Also see, "Efficacy of Organic Fungicides for Vegetable Diseases." Found at:
https://blogs.cornell.edu/livegpath/files/2015/04/Organic-Fungicides-Veg-Crops-Herbs-Efficacy-results_McGrath-27wvlfe.pdf

Welcome Jim Meyers: New Viticulture Specialist!

Jim has been working with wine grapes for 10 years, first as a Viticulture Ph.D. student at Cornell then as a Research Associate. Prior to coming to Cornell, Jim studied Chemistry and Biology (B.S. West Chester University of Pennsylvania), Computer Science (M.S. Brown University), and had a successful career as software technology entrepreneur. This background is reflected in his viticultural research which has focused on computational tools for mapping canopy and vineyard variability, quantifying relationships between variability and fruit chemistry, and optimizing efficiency of vineyard operations. As an Extension Associate, Jim will continue some of these research activities while also looking for new projects that provide targeted benefits to appellations in Eastern New York. Jim will kick off his new appointment by visiting growers at their vineyards to gather first hand knowledge of the sites and to discuss vineyard operations, goals, and challenges. Building a complete catalog of vineyards in a territory that runs 300 miles along the Route 9 corridor may take a little while, but Jim feels that the effort will lay a solid foundation for future program activities while also clearly differentiating the needs of each appellation.

New Resources for Berry Crops

White Rot Update

Earlier in June I sent a garlic sample to the diagnostic lab hoping that I was wrong. The sample was covered in small black sclerotia, the size of poppy seeds, and white fungal hyphae crept up the stem. The results, unfortunately, matched the field diagnosis: White Rot. Within a couple days additional calls came from up and down the Hudson Valley as well as one in Western NY with similar suspicions. These samples have also gone to the lab for verification, but it looks like the latest pest to move back into the state is this nasty fungus.