By Blake Jackson
On July 2, 2024, over 75 professionals from the seed industry, including growers, researchers, educators, and experts, gathered for the 2024 Cornell Seed Grower’s Field Day.
Held adjacent to Cornell’s Ithaca campus at the NYSIP Foundation Seed Barn, the event featured insightful field tours of research plots.
Highlights included updates from faculty, staff, and graduate students of the School of Integrative Plant Sciences' Plant Breeding and Genetics Section.
Professor Mark Sorrells led discussions on breeding small grains for enhanced quality and disease resistance, focusing on varieties such as winter wheat, barley, oats, malting barley, emmer, spelt, and hulless oats.
Assistant Professor Virginia Moore, along with senior research associate Julie Hansen and graduate student Leah Treffer, provided updates on alfalfa breeding efforts using USDA seedbank resources, forage yield trials, and the development of varieties compatible with intermediate wheatgrass in grain-forage systems.
Research support specialist Solveig Hanson shared advancements in cover crop and pulse breeding, while graduate student Luis Monserrate presented findings from hemp fiber variety evaluations.
Additionally, Alejandro Calixto, director of New York State Integrated Pest Management (NYSIPM), discussed upcoming regulatory changes impacting neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments.
The event underscored Cornell University's commitment to advancing agricultural innovation and fostering collaboration among industry stakeholders.
Photo Credit: cornell-university
Categories: New York, Crops, Education