MOIRA, N.Y. — Agricultural entrepreneur Mary DeBeer will present information on the use of native New York nematodes as a biocontrol for farm pest management at the February 2023 Crop Congresses to be held February 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Lowville, New York, and February 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Miner Institute in Chazy, New York. The program at each location includes lunch. For cost and registration, contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at 315-778-3929, tlm92@cornell.edu.
Ms. DeBeer established DeBeer Agri Service and her own biocontrol nematode rearing laboratory in 2016 at her family farm and spraying service in Moira, New York. DeBeer’s enterprise was sparked by research funded by the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) aimed at developing a solution for an invasive pest that was destroying alfalfa crops fed to dairy cows and other livestock.
DeBeer learned how to rear and apply the biocontrol nematodes with guidance from entomologist Dr. Elson Shields and research support specialist Antonio Testa, who pioneered the science and developed the protocol for using persistent native New York nematodes as a means for managing alfalfa snout beetle, corn rootworm, and a complex of berry root weevils.
The February 21 and February 22 Crop Congresses also include presentations on the results of NNYADP-funded soybean herbicide trials and field crop weed control updates by Cornell University Cooperative Extension Field Crops Specialist Michael Hunter.
Other sessions at both locations include how to maximize on-farm use efficiency for high-price fertilizers by Cornell University Cooperative Extension Crops and Soils Specialist Kitty O’Neil, and an overview of seed corn maggot research by Ken Wise of the New York State Integrated Pest Management program.
The February 22 Crop Congress at Miner Institute also includes an update on NNYADP-funded agricultural tile drainage research by Miner Institute Research Scientist Laura Klaiber, and a presentation on the results of Miner Institute corn biologicals testing during the 2022 growing season by Miner Institute Forage Agronomist Allen Wilder.
Funding for the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program is supported by the New York State Legislature through the New York State Assembly and is administered by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.
–Northern New York Agricultural Development Program
RECOMMENDED ARTICLES
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) has announced fourteen farm-based research projects underway in 2022. Project funding is being applied to a diverse range of research focused on high priority needs or opportunities identified by the farmer-driven NNYADP. Funding for this research is supported by the New York State Legislature […]
CANTON, N.Y. — The biocontrol nematode science developed in northern New York to manage alfalfa snout beetle is now being tested for the reduction of other agricultural pests, namely corn rootworm, in the Midwest. With a long-term commitment from the farmer-driven Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) to find a solution, Cornell University entomologist […]
MOIRA, N.Y. — Can a nature-based pest management protocol that has helped protect alfalfa, corn, berry crops, and some organically grown root crops do the same for an organic potato crop? This month, a potato grower in Franklin County and biocontrol nematode laboratory owner Mary DeBeer of DeBeer Seed and Spraying in Moira, New York, […]
