SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Cole Crops session at the 2017 Empire State Producers Expo on Thursday, January 19 will provide an update on heat tolerant broccoli varieties, information on a new breeding program for kale at Cornell University, and an update on the spread of swede midge, a pest of brassicas in New York.
In light of the Eastern Broccoli Project, whose objective is to develop a year round local supply of high quality broccoli in the Eastern U.S., Project Leader, Dr. Thomas Bjorkman will provide an update on the project including heat tolerant varieties and tips for plant population/fertility and post-harvest handling. Cornell University recently launched a new breeding program for kale and M.Sc. candidate, Hannah Swegarden with Dr. Phil Griffith’s breeding program will share how they are breeding diverse quality traits in kale for the emerging Northeast markets. Finally, Christy Hoepting, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program, will give an update on swede midge spread and management as issues of this relatively new pest of brassicas have increased recently in New York.
This Expo session was organized by Christy Hoepting, CCE Cornell Vegetable Program. DEC credits will be available.
Cole Crops
Thursday, January 19, 2017
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
The 2017 Empire State Producers Expo is January 17-19 at the OnCenter Convention Center in Syracuse, NY. This annual show combines the major fruit, flower, vegetable, and direct marketing associations of New York State in order to provide a comprehensive trade show and educational conference for New York and neighboring producers. Attendees can expect presentations by Cornell Cooperative Extension personnel and highly regarded speakers from across the country. Panel discussions feature some of the top industry experts and growers in New York. Between educational sessions, attendees can visit the trade show featuring over 150 commercial vendors and non-profit exhibitors.
Educational sessions offered at the 2017 Empire State Producers Expo include commodity specific programs in berries, cabbage, processing vegetables, hops, grains, cut flowers, tree fruit, sweet corn, tomato, onion, potato, Cole crops, root crops and specialty crops; and focused programs in water management and irrigation, weed management, wildlife management, soil health, post-harvest handling, biopesticides, beginning farmer, marketing using social media and apps, transplant and greenhouse production, climate and forecast models, GAPS, labor, and hard cider production. DEC pesticide recertification credits and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) credits will be offered during the appropriate educational sessions.
For more information about the Expo and to register, visit the NYS Vegetable Growers Association website at nysvga.org/expo.
—Cornell Cooperative Extension
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