The farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program has funded the first systematic assessment of the micro-nutrient status of soybeans in northern New York State.
To support optimal production of soybeans, an increasingly popular crop in the northern New York, the two-year project has begun establishing a database of critical crop nutrients for the six-county region that includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
In 2015, plant samples collected from 39 soybean fields located across 29 farms on the west side of the region were analyzed by the Analytical Laboratory and Maine Soil Testing Service in Orono, ME, for boron, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc levels.
The project team was most interested in learning manganese levels as application of common herbicide can decrease availability of the nutrient to plants causing growers to sometimes overapply manganese.
The complete first-year results of the project are posted on the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program website atwww.nnyagdev.org.
In 2016 the project includes collecting soil samples and field histories with plant samples, and evaluating soybean response to various levels of manganese application. The additional data will begin to identify the impact that such factors as soil type, planting date, soybean variety, soil pH, or manure or fertilizer applications may have on soybean nutrient levels.
More than 100 farmers help guide research project selection for small grant funding from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program. Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Senate and administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. NNY economic impact reports, project results and resources are online at www.nnyagdev.org.