Deborah Aller1, Kaitlin Shahinian2, Joseph Amsili3, Harold van Es3 1Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County, 2Suffolk County Soil and Water Conservation District, 3Soil and Crop Sciences Section, Cornell University Interest in soil health concepts, practices, and testing has grown rapidly across the United States as farmers, researchers, and the general public increasingly recognize the central role of soils in food production, water quality, environmental sustainability, and climate adaptation and mitigation. Further, it is well known that land managers have a tremendous c ..read more

Martin L. Battagliaa, Quirine M. Ketteringsa, G. Godwina, Karl J. Czymmeka,b a Nutrient Management Spear Program, b PRODAIRY, Department of Animal Science, Cornell University Introduction Conservation tillage practices and incorporation and injection of manure have increased in New York State over the last 20 years. In the future, it is expected that dairy farmers will need to make significant further progress toward no-till practices to minimize soil erosion losses and maximize soil health and carbon sequestration. Compared to surface application of manure, incorporation and injection can r ..read more

Joseph Amsili, Harold van Es, Robert Schindelbeck, Kirsten Kurtz, and David Wolfe Soil and Crop Sciences and Horticulture Sections, Cornell University The soil is a foundational resource for life on earth and its health is critical to the sustainability of agriculture and food systems. Healthy soils can lead to increased profitability and resilience to extreme weather for farmers, while also contributing to many off-farm benefits, including improved water quality and climate change mitigation. Defining realistic soil health targets and goals for farmers, professionals, and policymakers is a ..read more

Joseph Amsili, Harold van Es, Robert Schindelbeck, Kirsten Kurtz, David Wolfe, and Galia BarshadSoil and Crop Sciences and Horticulture Sections, Cornell University Soil health concepts, practices, and testing have generated a growing awareness of the soil’s central role and highlights that sustainable soil management requires an understanding of biological, physical, and chemical processes and their interrelationships. Furthermore, it is recognized that human management can significantly degrade or improve the quality of the soil. New York State (NYS), through Cornell University, has been a ..read more

The full version of What’s Cropping Up? Volume 30 No. 2 is available as a downloadable PDF on issuu. This issue includes links to COVID-19 resources on the back page. And as always, individual articles are available below: New York State Soil Health Characterization | Part I: Soil Health and Texture Effective Waterhemp Control Programs and Compatibility with Interseeding in Corn: 2019 Trials Controlling Herbicide Resistant Weeds in Soybeans: 2019 Trials Statewide herbicide resistance screening to start in 2020: Help us to help you! Report Seedcorn Maggot and Wireworm Damage: WE NEED YOUR I ..read more

Joseph Amsili, Harold van Es, Bob Schindelbeck, and Kirsten KurtzSoil and Crop Sciences Section, Cornell University Take-aways: Soil biological indicators (organic matter, active carbon and respiration) were higher in finer textured soils than coarser textured soils, but organic matter quality was higher in coarser textured soils. Soil texture exerted a strong control on a soil’s available water capacity. Organic matter improvements are more likely to increase available water capacity in coarse textured soils compared to fine textured categories. As progress is made in characterizing the b ..read more

The full version of What’s Cropping Up? Volume 29 No. 2 is available as a downloadable PDF and on issuu. Individual articles are available below: Biological Control of Corn Rootworm with Persistent Entomopathogenic Nematodes: An opportunity to try them on your farm. Western Bean Cutworm and Mycotoxins in Corn Silage 2018 Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation Results Warm-Season Grass Binary Mixtures for Biomass in the Northeast New problem weeds in NY – waterhemp and Palmer amaranth Soil Health Indicators Can Be Correlated to Agronomic Management and Crop Yield   ..read more

Joseph Amsili, Harold van Es, and Bob Schindelbeck Soil and Crop Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University Take-aways: Soil health metrics were sensitive to long-term tillage practices. Biological indicators related to labile carbon and nitrogen were best correlated with crop yields. Soil health has been defined as the “the capacity of the soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans” (NRCS). The soil health concept recognizes that biological, physical, and chemical constraints must all be addressed for the soil to reach its ..read more

The full version of What’s Cropping Up? Volume 28 No. 5 is available as a downloadable PDF and on issuu. Individual articles are available below:   “Deja Vu all over again”: Organic soybeans in a soybean-wheat/red clover-corn rotation comes in at 55 bushels/acre but high input conventional beans come in at 62 bushels/acre High Seeding Rates, Fall Herbicide Application, Split-Application of N, and a Timely Fungicide Application Did Not Increase Spike Number, Kernels/Spike, Kernel Weight, nor Yield in 2018 Conventional Wheat Survey of Farmers in New York Reveals Challenges and Opportuni ..read more

By Cedric Mason (cwm77@cornell.edu) and David Wolfe (dww5@cornell.edu) The condition of a farm’s soil has an important impact on crop production and the environment. Healthy agricultural soil holds adequate nutrients, absorbs heavy rainfall, and stores water. But in many annual production systems these functions are compromised by tillage that diminishes soil organic matter and creates compaction, ultimately restricting crop growth while increasing susceptibility to drought, erosion, and nutrient losses. Healthy soil, containing substantial levels of organic matter and beneficial pore space ..read more