Crop
and Soil Science
An excellent resource for cash grain farmers, hay and
forage growers, and those emphasizing pasture production
is the Cornell Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management
which is available from our office. This annually
updated publication includes general information on NYS
soil management groups, soil health, climate, soil testing,
lime requirements, and in-depth information on corn production,
growing forage crops, small grains, and soybeans.
Small
Grains
Oats, barley, winter wheat and rye are commonly grown
in our area. Of the spring grains, oats are better adapted
to a wide range of soil types and can stand low pH levels
better than barley. The recommended soil pH range for
oats is 5.8 to 6.2, whereas for barley it is 6.3 to 6.5;
barley requires a fairly well-drained site. Winter wheat
does best on fields that are moderately well-drained (no
low spots for water to stand) to well-drained and with
a pH of 6.3 to 6.5. Wheat should be planted after the
Hessian fly-free date which varies based on elevation.
Soft red winter wheat varieties are somewhat more resistant
to pre-harvest sprouting than are soft white winter wheat
varieties, and may be a better choice for producers who
do not have drying facilities available to them at harvest
time. Winter rye is the hardiest of the winter grains
and is well-adapted to much of Steuben County (avoid fields
that have low spots for water to stand). Winter rye produces
an excellent straw crop; grain yields are less than wheat
and the grain has been a bit more difficult to market.
Increasingly winter rye is being used as a cover crop
to protect against erosion and nitrogen losses. More information
about small grain production, including suggested varieties,
can be found in the Cornell Guide for Integrated Field
Crop Management.
Corn,
Soybeans, Dry Beans, Forages
Perennial forage crops are commonly grown throughout Steuben
County and harvested as hay, hay crop silage, and pasture.
Matching the right forage species or mixture with intended
use, time of cutting/harvest, pest resistance requirements,
soil drainage characteristics, and micro-climate are all
important for productive, persistant, and profitable stands.
See the section on Forage Crop Guidelines in the Cornell
Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management or check
out the Forage Species
Selection Tool website . For more general information
about forage crop production try the Forage-Livestock
Systems Home Page. The The
Forage Project contains the results of forage variety
tests conducted across NYS.
For
pastures grazed by cattle, a white clover-orchardgrass
mixture is the most common one used. Use 1 to 2 lbs of
Ladino white clover (Ladino is a tall ecotype of white
clover - there are many Ladino type varieties) plus about
5 lbs of orchardgrass per acre. In general, select a medium-late
or late maturing orchardgrass variety, especially on heavier
soils where it may be too wet to graze earlier in the
season. Tall fescue tolerates wet soils better than orchardgrass
and may be a better choice on sites where drainage is
marginal. For these sites a white clover-tall fescue mixture,
using about 8 lbs of tall fescue per acre, may be the
best choice. Be sure to purchase endophyte-free seed.
Intensive pasture use, including techniques to extend
the grazing season, can reduce forage production, harvest,
and feeding costs.
Potatoes
Potatoes have a long history of production in Steuben
County with the bulk of the current acreage concentrated
in the northwestern quadrant of the county. A number of
locally adapted varieties are available to potato growers
- call CCE for current varietal information. Many of the
varieties included in the Certified Seed Potatoes Crop
Directory were bred and field tested by the Potato Breeding
Project at Cornell with assistance from Don Halseth, Extension
Potato and Dry Bean Specialist, Department of Horticulture,
Cornell. Seed quality can hardly be over emphasized as
a prerequisite for a healthy and profitable potato crop.
High quality, certified seed from a seed grower you know
is essential for stand establishment and subsequent growth
of the crop. You can find more information about potato
production in the publication Pest Management
Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production which
is available in hardcopy from our office or on
the web .
Soil
Testing
A complete soil analysis program is available through
the Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratories. Standard tests
and lime requirements are determined on all samples and
are included with the purchase of a soil test kit which
are $12 each. Standard tests include phosphorus, potassium,
calcium, magnesium, aluminum, iron, manganese, zinc, nitrate,
pH, lime requirement, and organic matter content. Each
field, pasture, section, or similar but separate management
unit should be sampled separately so that you get an accurate
analysis for the area sampled. Lumping large fields/sections/pastures
together in one sample provides you with an average analysis
that probably does not represent what sub-areas of soil
actually are like.
For
each area/management unit to be tested, you should plan
on a minimum of about 10 soil cores that are then mixed
together in a plastic bucket. For most of Steuben County
a soil auger works best for taking soil samples and for
farms and other commercial enterprises is a tool well
worth having. Sample soils to the depth of tillage (how
deeply you plan to mix lime within the soil profile),
or to about 6-inches for pastures. The amount of lime
recommended for pH adjustment is based on the depth of
sampling/tillage/mixing. Ideally soils should not be overly
wet or dry when sampled. For areas over 10 acres in size
a rule-of-thumb is to take at least one soil core per
acre these sub-samples are all mixed together to create
the final sample that is submitted to the laboratory for
analysis again the mixed sample should be representative
of the field/area/management unit in question.
Once
all the cores are taken and thoroughly mixed to form a
composite sample air dry on a plastic surface if it is
wet, remove stones and other foreign material we need
about ½-pint per mixed (composite) sample for analysis.
Bring these to our Bath office where we can help you fill
out the
information
sheet which includes sample identification, soil type,
tillage depth, plants (crops) grown, and other information.
Pesticide
Certification
CCE offers an annual Pesticide Applicator Training session
during late winter (usually in March.) This brief training
session held in cooperation with Chris Wainwright, Pesticide
Specialist, at the NYS-DEC Office, 7291 Coon Road, Bath,
NY is designed to help individuals learn more about pesticide
application and to pass their core exam. CCE sells the
Core Manual, Certification/Recertification Workbook, and
Category Manuals that individuals need to study to become
certified applicators. Order these manuals well ahead
of when you plan to take your test. NYS-DEC holds exam
sessions once per month. Call them at 607-776-2165, ext.
23 to find out the schedule of testing dates. Questions
on certification from Steuben County pesticide applicators
should also be directed to the pesticide specialists at
the Bath NYS-DEC Office.
