Posts by Krishna Ramanujan

SFQ tomato disease resistant

New Tomato Bred to Naturally Resist Pests and Curb Disease

By Krishna Ramanujan / April 3, 2023

A Cornell researcher has completed a decades-long program to develop new varieties of tomato that naturally resist pests and limit transfer of viral disease by insects. A Cornell researcher has completed a decades-long program to develop new varieties of tomato that naturally resist pests and limit transfer of viral disease by insects.    Martha Mutschler-Chu,…

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SFQ vr farm tour

Virtual Reality Farm Tour Expands Access to Urban Agriculture

By Krishna Ramanujan / April 4, 2022

The pandemic has hindered farm visits and peer-to-peer learning between farmers, which were already difficult to arrange. A new Virtual Reality urban farm tour aims to change that. One way farmers learn best practices is through their peers, but the pandemic has limited in-person meetings. And when it comes to urban farming, a growing practice…

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New Cornell Sugarhouse Sweetens NY’s Maple Industry

By Krishna Ramanujan / October 4, 2021

The Cornell Maple Program has opened an advanced, New York state-funded maple research laboratory, an upgrade that will enable research on how to produce the highest-quality syrup, develop new maple products and improve existing ones – all at commercial scales. The Cornell Maple Program has opened an advanced, New York state-funded maple research laboratory, an…

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SFQ vineyard grape vine

Cheap, User-Friendly Smartphone App Predicts Vineyard Yields

By Krishna Ramanujan / July 5, 2021

Cornell engineers and plant scientists have teamed up to develop a low-cost system that allows grape growers to predict their yields much earlier in the season and more accurately than costly traditional methods. The new method allows a grower to use a smartphone to video grape vines while driving a tractor or walking through the…

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A manure cover and flare at a farm in Kings Ferry, New York.

Green Practices Can Negate Climate Emissions on New York Farms

By Krishna Ramanujan / October 20, 2020

New York agriculture has the capacity to mitigate its own greenhouse gas emissions, two Cornell researchers say in a state-funded report commissioned by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.  The 65-page report “New York Agriculture and Climate Change: Key Opportunities for Mitigation, Resilience, and Adaptation” provides a scientific assessment of opportunities and…

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Elizabeth Bihn, director of the Produce Safety Alliance, conducts a food safety training.

Study Finds Food Safety Practices Benefit Small Farmers

By Krishna Ramanujan / October 20, 2020

A new Cornell study finds that when small-scale farmers are trained in food safety protocols and develop a farm food safety plan, their access to new markets leads to gains in revenue.  The costs of implementing food safety practices to prevent foodborne illnesses have been viewed as a threat to the financial well-being of fruit…

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SFQ African Rice Farmers Image 2 Tool

African rice farmers test traditions against NY climate

By Krishna Ramanujan / January 13, 2020

In 2013, Nfamara Badjie and his wife, Dawn Hoyte, bought a 6-acre farm in Ulster Park, New York, in the Hudson Valley. They soon realized the fields were muddy – almost wetlands – but Badjie didn’t mind.  “I said, ‘That’s the one I’m looking for, the wetland is good for the rice,’” Badjie said, flashing an easy smile. “Dawn said, ‘No, you can’t…

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