Abstract

New York's vegetable farmers are able to make sound IPM-based pest management decisions, thus reducing pesticides, increasing profits and sustaining a safe and plentiful food supply.

Issue

Commercial vegetable producers, both conventional and organic, face many pressures to remain competitive within the industry. The market demands high quality at a low price while expecting all the food safety issues to be satisfied. Vegetable producers want Integrated Pest Management (IPM) information on pest and production practices that will aid them in making better management decisions. This information will accomplish their needs to reduce pesticides, increase profitability and satisfy food safety and environmental marketplace demands.

Response

Multiple techniques have been employed to bring the commercial vegetable growers of New York the IPM information that they need. During the summer, twilight educational meetings are held every month during the growing season in counties throughout eastern New York. Topics for the twilight meetings are chosen by grower advisory groups. At these meetings, small trials are highlighted, Cornell faculty are invited to talk about their research, and growers share their success in various production techniques.

The Pest Status Report (PSR), a weekly email newsletter, is sent out to over 200 vegetable growers throughout New York. A Monthly "Vegetable IPM Newsletter" is also produced going to most of the eastern New York counties.

Various field trials and demonstrations are carried out throughout eastern New York. Various IPM technique demonstrations were done in Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Herkimer, Washington, Clinton, Columbia, Ulster and Orange counties.

Impact

As a result of the newsletter, trials and demonstrations, growers are better able to make sound management decisions based on proven research. They are reducing pesticides, increasing production and profits while doing so in a sustainable, safe way to the environment. Sweet corn growers use IPM information to time or reduce pesticide sprays on their crops, thereby affecting 2000 acres of sweet corn. Tomato producers are able to increase production, with higher quality on less acreage, using fewer pesticides, thereby affecting over 200 acres of tomato production. The potato leafhopper trial enables organic potato growers to select varieties that will withstand leafhopper damage and increase productions and profits, thereby affecting over 1000 acres of potatoes. Onion growers are better able to choose a cover crop that will help reduce insect and disease problems in the following year's onion crop, thereby affecting over 4000 acres of onions.

The newsletter reaches 500 or more commercial vegetable growers giving them timely information that enables them to reduce the use of pesticides and increase productivity through reduced loss and increased quality.

With attendance of 900 commercial vegetable producers at the 24 various meetings held throughout 2004, the IPM program in Eastern NY is reaching its intended audience.

Funding Sources

• Private (e.g., commodity groups, foundations, companies)
• Academic Programs Instructional Support (e.g., Institutional Challenge, Multicultural Scholars, Nat'l Needs, Hispanic Ed)
• Federal Formula Funds - Extension (e.g., Smith Lever, RREA)

Key Personnel

• Cornell Cooperative Extension and Cornell: Stephen Reiners, Kevin Ganoe, Leslie Hulcoop, Abby Seaman, Ted Blomgren, Tom Zitter, Chris Smart, Don Halseth
• Ruth Hazzard (UMASS)
• Rich Bonanno (UMASS)
• Jude Boucher (Uconn)
• Vern Grubinger (University Vermont)
• David T. Handley (University of Maine)