Cornell Cooperative Extension
(Cazenovia, NY – March 2013) The Madison County field crops meeting will be held Friday, April 5, with registration beginning at 9 a.m. at Empire Tractor, 2893 Route 20 East, Cazenovia.
Lunch will be provided courtesy of Empire Tractor and requires pre-registration. Call Empire Tractor at 315.655.8146. Three-and-a-half pesticide recertification credits have been applied for.
This year’s meeting will include a presentation on minimizing the effects of invasive species, such as deer, turkeys, crows, geese, pigs and bears in forage crops. Ashley Meyers from state Department of Environmental Conservation Region 7 is in charge of damage control permits issued to farmers and will give guidance as to when a permit is required.
Potato leaf hopper management will be presented by Mike Hunter, field crop educator and Ag & Natural Resource Program leader in Jefferson County. He’ll give an overview and demonstration of active scouting and treatment techniques and help guide a producer’s decision between scouting and treatment vs. planting potato leaf hopper-resistant alfalfa varieties.
GPS and precision farming technologies will be the topic of a producer panel including Joe Szalach, GPS sales manager at Empire Tractor. Karen Baase from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County will moderate.
Don Nelson, DEC pesticide certifier, will provide an update on regulatory compliance and review the basics in reading labels. He will be followed by Ron Gardner from the Pest Management Education Program at Cornell University, who will provide a lively presentation on personal protective equipment and safeguarding against the often-hidden and potentially dangerous effects of pesticide poisoning.