By Blake Jackson
The Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) is exploring the viability of new commercial nut and fruit crops for regional farmers.
Early results from field trials of hazelnuts, chestnuts, and cold-hardy pecans, funded by the farmer-driven program, are now available at www.nnyagdev.org.
These trials, hosted at the Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, New York, are part of a larger project evaluating new commercial fruit and nut crops for northern New York.
In addition to the nut crops, the project includes high-value fruits like juneberry, elderberry, honeyberry, and aronia.
Commercial growers from each of northern New York’s six counties are participating in the research. The nut crops were planted between 2023 and 2024, with early findings showing promising establishment and even the first hazelnut harvest in 2024.
"With enough growing seasons now, we are now seeing the natural stressors that impact established crops and beginning to develop best practices for managing pest, disease, and climate-related impacts,” said Willsboro Research Farm Manager Michael H. Davis, Ph.D.
The trials also focus on high-antioxidant, high-phytonutrient "super fruits" that offer significant economic potential through fresh fruit sales, u-pick operations, and value-added products.
In 2025, research will address challenges such as spongy moth infestations in juneberry and honeyberry plots. In 2024, renowned honeyberry expert, Dr. Robert Bors, visited the farm and suggested that low organic matter and the use of landscape fabric might be hindering honeyberry yields. This year's research will include nutrient management and alternative mulching strategies.
The aronia trials faced challenges with heavy rains, Japanese beetles, and a soil fungus. The research team will adjust irrigation practices and implement pest management strategies in response.
The elderberry trial, slowed by deer browsing in 2023, rebounded in 2024 after protective measures were installed.
The NNYADP research team includes experts from SUNY Plattsburgh, Cornell University, and the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission.
Results reports and updates are available on the NNYADP website and presented at various field days and grower events.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-brzozowska
Categories: New York, Crops, General