National Sunflower Survey

In 2013, UVM Extension participated in the National Sunflower Survey for the fourth consecutive year. The goal of survey is to monitor regional sunflower production as well as to contribute to the national database. The survey is organized by the National Sunflower Association, which seeks to gain an understanding of yields, agronomic practices, and production constraints across a broad range of environments. Adding the region’s data to this archive helps quantify our regional systems as well as putting New England’s expanding oilseed production on the map

Oilseed Meal as a Fertility Amendment in Sweet Corn

Many Northeast growers are integrating oilseed crops such as canola, soybeans, and sunflower into their operation, in hopes of on-farm fuel production, value-added products, and/or livestock feed. Many producers are using small-scale presses to mechanically separate oil from the seed. Oilseed meal, the high-protein byproduct left after the extrusion of oil, can be milled and used as a soil amendment to increase fertility and organic matter. This material has the potential to replace high-cost imported fertilizers, especially for organic growers

Sunflower Insect Monitoring Projects

During the 2013 growing season, UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops & Soils Program conducted studies to document the prevalence and impact of sunflower insect pests. Understanding the pest pressures unique to this region is crucial in producing a viable crop. Surveys of sunflower fields in the Northeast have shown that though plant populations are similar to the national averages, estimated yields are lower, primarily due to pest issues. Entire sunflower fields have been lost to pest pressures such as birds, weeds, insects, and disease, but Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies can help sunflower growers mitigate these problems

Oral language milestone acquisition in children adopted from China

This study contains language milestone acquisition information for 14 children adopted from China between 8 and 12 months of age. A retrospective questionnaire was utilized to gain information regarding the specific ages at which these adoptees demonstrated an understanding of English along with the ages where they demonstrated proficient usage of English. Parent responses indicated that these adoptees developed English language milestones comparable to their monolingual peers, for both age of acquisition and order of acquisition. This research adds to the literature on what may be expected regarding language development in children adopted from China prior to one year of age. Results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and clinical implications

Winter Canola Survival

Winter canola (Brassica napus) is a relatively new crop in Vermont. This crop has the potential to be added into a rotation to both promote soil health and yield a crop for oil production. Generally planted in late August or early September, winter canola should produce ample vegetation and root growth prior to plant dormancy (Figure 1). Growers can often fit a canola crop in after harvesting winter grains or other early crops. Regrowth in the spring depends on the harshness of winter conditions, but generally the plants are “greening up” in April, and will enter the rosette stage and begin to leaf out soon afterwards

Sunflower Interseeding Trial

Sunflower, a relatively new crop for Vermont, has the potential to add value to a farm operation in the form of fuel, feed, food, and fertilizer. However, pest pressures, including weed competition, have limited the yield potential of Vermont sunflower in the past. The practice of interseeding, or planting cover crops between rows, could limit the early-season weed pressures and allow for a competitive advantage for sunflower, increasing yields and quality. Crops like clover, tillage radish, and annual ryegrass may also benefit long-term soil health and decrease expensive inputs by adding organic matter and nutrients into the soil

Impact of High Glucosinolate Mustard Biomass and Meal on Black Bean Yield

Brassicae crops (mustard family) contain chemicals called glucosinolates. These compounds are present in the leaves, stem, roots, and seed of the plants. When the plant biomass is incorporated into the soil these glucosinolates are broken down into a number of secondary compounds. The primary compound is isothiocyanate which can be biocidal to germinating seeds, insects, nematodes, and other microbes (fungi, bacteria, etc). In recent years, plant breeders have worked to develop high glucosinolate varieties of mustard to be used as biofumigants in crop production. These high glucosinolate mustards (HGM) are being used as cover crops and the entire plant biomass incorporated into the soil. Interestingly, the mustard is also an oilseed with a potential use in biofuel production. Extraction of the oil from the seed leaves a meal that is also high in glucosinolates as well as nitrogen. Hence, the meal used as a soil amendment could potentially provide nutrients and suppress weed and diseases

Sunflower Reduced Tillage Trial

Sunflowers are being grown in the Northeast for their potential to add value to a diversified operation as fuel, feed, fertilizer, and an important rotational crop. However, early season weed competition can limit the yields of sunflower crops, especially when wet or adverse soil conditions do not allow for mechanical cultivation in early summer. Planting sunflower into a freshly-terminated cover crop of winter rye could help reduce weed pressures. Winter rye would suppress weed germination by covering the ground early in the season, and also through the allelopathic compounds produced in the plants’ roots, which inhibit germination of small-seeded plants. In addition, winter rye, a reliable and winter-hardy cover crop, benefits water quality and soil health, adding soil stability and organic matter between cash crops. Rye has the ability to scavenge nutrients from a previously fertilized and harvested crop, minimizing fertility inputs and keeping the ground covered through the winter

Long Season Corn Silage Variety Trial

In 2013, the University of Vermont Northwest Extension Crops and Soils Team evaluated yield and quality of long season corn silage varieties at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT. Long season corn can be difficult to grow in Vermont, due to the climate’s restricted Growing Degree Days (GDDs). In addition, wet springs are becoming more common, delaying corn planting later into the season. However, on many farms, long season corn can produce higher yields and quality than many short-season varieties. The test site was at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT, which has what is considered one of the longest growing seasons in Vermont (2,259 GDDs in 2013). In this year’s trial, 24 varieties were evaluated from six different seed companies. While the information presented can begin to describe the yield and quality performance of these long season corn silage varieties in this region, it is important to note that the data represent results from only one season and one location. Compare other hybrid performance data before making varietal selections

High Glucosinolate Mustard and Potato Trial

High glucosinolate mustard (HGM) can be planted as a cover crop to suppress weeds and disease. Studies have shown a reduction in soil-borne diseases, as well as advantages in mitigating weed pressure, after planting HGM cover crops. Mustards, and many other cruciferous plants, contain glucosinolates, which are allelopathic, meaning they produce biochemicals that affect the growth and survival of other organisms. High glucosinolate mustard varieties have high levels of glucosinolates and have been shown to suppress the growth of weed seedlings, as well as helping to reduce soil-borne disease. The glucosinolates in HGM plants hydrolyze into molecules called volatile isothiocyanates, which are partially responsible for allelopathy. Little research has been done in the Northeast to quantify the effects of HGM cover crops in reducing skin disease in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum). Potato demand hinges on appearance, as consumers often refuse individual potatoes with skin defects such as common scab or rhizoctonia, and potatoes for seed are rejected if they have significant damage to skin quality. Rhizoctonia, a soil fungus, is particularly common in cool, wet growing regions like the Northeast. Reducing these skin diseases would increase the marketable yields of potato crops. High glucosinolate mustard cover crops would provide additional benefits to weed competition and soil health. Keeping the ground covered with a living cover crop for months after a regular-season cash crop is harvested helps to stabilize and build soil aggregates, as well as providing organic matter and scavenging nutrients in the soil. The integration of HGM cover crops into vegetable production could prove to be a beneficial introduction in multiple ways