White Mold in Dry Beans

Sclerotinia white mold (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is a fungal pathogen that affects a wide range of crops including dry beans. It infects the flowers on the dry bean plant. White mold thrives in cool, moist conditions, such as those associated with the end of the growing season here in the northeast. Now is the time when …

Cool Season Annuals and Late Summer Seedings of Perennials

If you’re in need of some more feed, want to extend your grazing season, or want to get a jump on seeding new perennial stands for next year, now is a great time to do it. This time of year, can be challenging for new seedings if we have hot dry weather. But with ample …

What’s growing on your crop? Grain head diseases of cereal grains

Grain head diseases in cereal crops are critical to pay attention to as they can cause significant yield loss and lower the quality of the seed. Some pathogens, including Fusarium head blight (FHB) and ergot, are also highly toxic to both humans and livestock. Many of the head diseases covered in this blog are also …

Kicking Off Year Two of Our USDA CARE Grant in Hemp Fiber: A Visit to Our Partner Farm

Beginning in the 2023 growing season, the Northwest Crops and Soils team (NWCST) embarked on a three year USDA CARE grant entitled Hemp Fiber: Building Farmer Capacity to Meet the Opportunities and Challenges of a new Market. The grant features 5 research trials on the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh and one trial at our …

Biosecurity Considerations for Dairy or Livestock Farm Service Providers & Extension Personnel

Prevention of the spread of livestock disease is the responsibility of anyone who works with or on farms.  Be prepared to take the appropriate measures to protect the farms you visit and minimize the risk of introducing disease. When visiting any livestock farm: or sanitize boots upon entering the farm premise and when leaving with …

The NOVUS C.O.W.S. Program – A Tool for Making Progress

It’s no secret that dairy production and management are constantly evolving systems.  The day-to-day chores of milking, feeding, cleaning and the fixing of all things that break may sometimes feel redundant.  The long term and big picture of these tasks is that we can always do better – make improvements to save money, save time, …

What’s growing on your crop? Foliar diseases of cereal grains

Foliar diseases in cereal grains are important to pay attention to as they can suppress photosynthetic mechanisms which are needed to produce a healthy grain head. Foliar diseases can lead to reduced vigor, growth, and yield. If your grain is infected earlier in the season there is a greater chance of yield loss, if favorable …

The Effect of Edge-spraying a Broad-spectrum Insecticide to Control Hop Arthropod Pests while Retaining Beneficial Arthropods

Aroostook Hops, Westfield, ME Project Summary (full report available at www.aroostookhops.com) The purpose of this project was to determine if a broad-spectrum OMRI-certified insecticide can be used to control major pests of hops (including leafhoppers) to increase hop productivity without creating other pest management challenges or a reduction in beneficial arthropods. We used pyrethrin treatment …

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