Ear To The Ground June 16 2015
NNY CCE Dairy & Field Crops Team June 16, 2015
Ear to the Ground
By Kitty O’Neil, Ph.D, kao32@cornell.edu
The North Country has mostly made up for earlier water deficits with recent rains. Precipitation across Jefferson, Lewis, St.Lawrence, Franklin, Clinton and Essex Counties have erased our drought status and now soil moisture levels are mostly considered adequate or excessive across the region. Some moderately well or poorly drained fields are now ponded or flooded in spots. A few locations in Jefferson and Lewis Counties remain below normal precipitation. The June 9 Northeast Drought Monitor still categorized much of NNY as
‘Abnormally Dry.’
For the past couple of weeks, air temperatures have been a bit cooler than normal.
1DFN= difference from normal; 2 precipitation days = number of days with ≥0.01” precipitation.
First cutting alfalfa and grass yields were disappointing. Many farmers reported less than half the expected number of bales or silage loads off many fields. Alfalfa suffered the dry weather better
than most grasses. Second cutting may rebound significantly due to abundant soil moisture. Second cutting of grasses will always depend on grass species and harvest timing as some species begin to slow their growth in the warmer part of the summer. Alfalfa growth is more consistent during that time frame.
A few pest and disease problems have been identified across NNY and the state in general. Brown root rot was diagnosed along Lake Champlain. True armyworm, black cutworm and soybean aphids have been found in Western NY. Alfalfa mosaic virus and white mold was found in alfalfa in Central NY. Western Bean Cutworm trap monitoring is set to begin across the state this week or next– watch here for updates.
Additional resources:
1. Weekly Crop Progress &Condition Report. 2015.New York USDA-NASS. http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/New_York/Publications/Crop_Progress_&_Condition/index.asp
2. US Drought Monitor – Northeast. 2015. The National Drought Mitigation Center,Lincoln, NE. http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/RegionalDroughtMonitor.aspx?northeast
3. NYS Weekly IPM Report. 2015. Cornell University Cooperative Extension and Integrated Pest
Management. http://blogs.cornell.edu/ipmwpr/2015/06/11/nys-ipm-weekly-field-crops-pest-report-
For more information about field crop and soil management,contact your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or Kitty O’Neil, Regional Field Crops and Soils Specialist, Cornell University Cooperative Extension, 315-379-9192 x 253; kitty.oneil@cornell.edu.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Northern New York website is www.ccenny.com. Cornell
Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.
Building Strong and Vibrant New York Communities
Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. NYS College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, NYS College of Human Ecology,and NYS College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, Cooperative Extension associates, county governing bodies, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.
Last updated July 26, 2019