Research highlights 2020
Cornell AgriTech research impact was felt broadly across New York state's food and agriculture industries last year. New fruit and vegetable varieties and discoveries in disease and pest management in 2020 will help shape the success of producers and processors for years to come. Exciting new research grants awarded last year will also enhance our ability to deliver innovative solutions to New York industries, which will help our state stand out as a global leader in food and agriculture.
3 new crunchy and complex apple varieties released
In September 2020, Susan Brown, Herman M. Cohn Professor of Agriculture and Life Science, released three open release apple varieties, which means they are available to orchards in New York state and across the U.S. without licensing exclusivity. Brown said this gives growers a competitive edge by allowing them to replace older apples with what today’s consumers want — crunch, complexity and a new twist on an American classic.
Cordera (NY 56)
"For us, disease resistance makes the performance of NY 56 stand out in our orchard. Of course, it always comes down to flavor, and we think it has that too."
- Mark Bowker, orchard crop expert at Wegman’s organic farm
Pink Luster (NY 73)
"NY 73 has generated substantial interest at our orchard given how pleasingly different it is from the routine common list of apples. Some of the visitor comments we have heard are that it has beautiful color, medium to large size making it fun and easy to pick, wonderful mild tart flavor and very smooth enjoyable skin texture."
- John Halsey, owner of the Milk Pail in Southampton, New York
Firecracker (NY 109)
"Unique varieties like this help my orchard standout. I started testing this apple and the other new apples in my orchard because I wanted to offer something new, exciting tasting and visually appealing to my retail and u-pick customers."
- Keith O’Neill, owner of O’Neill Orchards in Lafayette, New York
New cherry tomato released
Cherry tomatoes are a staple in home gardens, farm fields and local food markets, but growing them can be a challenging undertaking. A new variety called Cherry Ember, released by Phillip Griffiths, associate professor of horticulture, provides improved yield and shelf-life while enhancing both visual and culinary appeal.
Since 2013, a mysterious phenomenon has been killing apple trees across North America, leaving growers panicked and scientists bewildered. The phenomenon has been named rapid apple decline (RAD) for its sudden onset, which causes apple trees to quickly deteriorate and die. Two scientists from Cornell AgriTech are analyzing apple tree roots as a potential cause.
Kyle Wickings, associate professor of entomology, is using acoustic technology to develop efficient and affordable ways to manage soil-dwelling pests — and prevent damage from the predators they attract. The new project will take place over 18 months in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, which has been one of Cornell’s long-standing partners for sustainable turfgrass research.
Organic field crop farmers in the Northeast and Upper Midwest are facing an increasing number of challenges related to more extreme weather events and pest and disease outbreaks. Sarah Pethybridge, associate professor of plant pathology and plant-microbe biology, will examine how the rolled-crimped rye system impacts the management of white mold, a disease that commonly affects organic soybeans.
Like most plants, proper nutrient uptake is critical to vine health and fruit yield. But identifying deficiencies in nitrogen, potassium, magnesium and other key nutrients is a challenging, labor-intensive and expensive process for vineyard managers. Terry Bates, senior research associate at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory, and Justine Vanden Heuvel, professor of horticulture, are developing more innovative measuring mechanisms to help growers improve vineyard nutrition.
The infestation rate of spotted winged drosophila is greater in late-season berries, such as blueberries and fall raspberries, resulting in many New York state growers not wanting to grow late-season berry plantings. Research from Greg Loeb, professor of entomology, indicates that exclusion netting might be a viable control mechanism.
A multidisciplinary, Cornell-led team of scientists has been selected for a $750,000 NASA grant to combine their expertise in remote sensing, climate and earth system computer modeling, plant pathology and genomics to better understand how plant pathogens that travel the globe with dust particles might put crops at risk, especially in places where people struggle to eat.