Cornell seal
Back

Discover CALS

See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

Search for News & Stories

a handful of healthy soil

News

From trash to treasure: Recycling organic waste supports farmers, climate
“We don’t think about waste as a resource, but we should,” added Lori Leonard, professor and chair of global development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Our landfills are filling up, and nobody wants a new landfill in their...
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • PRO-DAIRY
  • Food Science
Students are checking plants in a field

News

Cover Crop Challenge lets students compete and grow
How better to learn with classmates than to soil your undies together? Students in the Cover Crops in Agroecosystems (PLSCI 4125) course learn about the importance of soil nutrient cycling by, among other things, burying a new pair of cotton...
  • Campus Area Farms
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
A man stands in a green field with two root vegetables in his hand.

News

Incentive programs doubled cover crop use by farmers

A survey of farmers in four Northeast states, including New York, found that incentive payments encouraged participants to plant twice as many acres of cover crops as they did prior to receiving funds – a change that can both improve their farms...

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Agriculture
field day attendees viewing solar panels corn crop and researcher with poster

News

Field day showcases latest crop research
More than 140 farmers, educators, consultants and researchers viewed the latest Cornell grain and forage crop research at 2023 Musgrave Research Farm Field Day in Aurora, N.Y., August 3. “As leaders in agriculture research, it’s really important...
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Musgrave Research Farm
  • PRO-DAIRY
Cows eating

News

Cereal for milk? Study evaluates trade-off of winter cereals for dairy feed
A recent study aims to help dairy farmers increase feed quality and quantity by adding winter cereals to their crop rotations. Researchers examined the interaction between forage yield, quality and harvest timing for barley, cereal rye and...
  • Animal Science
  • Agriculture
  • Field Crops

News

Soil health summit connects farmers, researchers, policymakers

Cornell hosted the second New York Soil Health Summit Dec. 13, bringing together those who aim to assist growers in mitigating and adapting to climate change while protecting farmer livelihoods and rural economies.

  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
Dry beans in a field

News

Cornell leads $3M project to grow organic dry bean industry

Cornell AgriTech is leading a multidisciplinary research project to increase the sustainability of the organic dry bean industry in the Northeast and upper Midwest by overcoming production challenges while developing improved management...

  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
Senator Gillibrand speaks at a podium

News

Sen. Gillibrand touts funds for climate-smart farming

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, visited Cornell Aug. 29 to champion agricultural conservation and climate-smart farming provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and highlight related research and...

  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • Horticulture Section
  • Plant Breeding and Genetics Section
A farmer stands in a field

News

Sustainable practices linked to farm size in organic farming

Larger organic farms operate more like conventional farms and use fewer sustainable practices than smaller organic farms, according to a new study that also provides insight into how to increase adoption of sustainable practices.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
  • Global Development Section
tractor with front mounted roller crimper

News

Searching for Successful No-till Crop Sequences

  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Agriculture
  • Field Crops
Two hands holding some soil

News

Cornell-inspired NY soil law buoys climate-change resilience
New York growers will get a sustainable boost this planting season from the new Soil Health and Climate Resiliency Act – backed up by Cornell research – and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
tractor with mowers mounted on the front in field

Multimedia

News

Weed between the lines: Inter-row mowing for weed control in row crops
During the 2021 season, Annika Rowland, a graduate student in Matthew Ryan’s Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab at Cornell University, conducted preliminary research on the use and efficacy of an inter-row mower in organic soybeans at the Musgrave...
  • Musgrave Research Farm
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
soybeans in cover crop

News

New no-till guide for organic soybean production
Farmers interested in using the rolled cover crop organic no-till soybean system can now find techniques and tips in the new guide produced by the Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab at Cornell University. The guide is by Matt Ryan of Cornell...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Agriculture
Two women harvest greens; photo shot from above looking down on their hands

News

Innovative Cornell program offers experiential learning on NYS farms

  • Global Development Section
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Agriculture
Soybeans in a field

News

$2M grant supports more sustainable path for organic farmers
In New York state, these issues threaten the ability to remain the national leader in the production of certified organic field crops – a market that yielded 166,543 acres of harvested crops and more than $46 million in sales in 2019 according...
  • Cornell AgriTech
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Global Development Section

News

Seven CALS faculty, staff members receive SUNY Chancellor's Awards

Seven CALS faculty and professional staff members have been selected for the 2019-20 State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. Visit the Cornell Chronicle, for the complete list of all sixteen faculty and...

  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Natural Resources and the Environment Section
A red CALS banner hanging from a light post surrounded by a pink blooming tree

News

Outstanding CALS students, faculty and staff honored with annual Dean’s Awards
More than 40 students and over a dozen faculty and staff were selected for their outstanding achievements in academics, teaching, advising and professional service. Because of restrictions to in-person campus events this spring, Dean Boor...
  • Animal Science
  • Computational Biology
  • Global Development Section
A loaf of bread sits cut on a wooden board

News

Researchers to explore perennial grains with $1.77M grant
One of our researchers is helping organic farmers in upstate New York start growing perennial grain crops, which can be planted once and will yield grain for multiple years — supporting commercial products such as breads, cereals, beer and whiskey.
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Food Science
  • Food
Soil sample pulled from field

News

Organic crop practices affect long-term soil health
The study also breaks down how specific components of soil health – such as the abundance and activity of soil animals and soil stability – affect crop productivity. “With growing interest from farmers in being able to harness and exploit soil...
  • School of Integrative Plant Science
  • Soil and Crop Sciences Section
  • Department of Entomology