Economical and Environmental Field Crops Farming the Tactical Agriculture (TAg) Way in Eastern New York-2003

Project Leader: Ken Wise: Eastern NYS IPM Program Area Educator, Livestock and Field Crops

Cooperators:

Jeff Miller: Oneida County Field Crops Extension Educator

Kathryn Evans: Madison County Field Crops Extension Educator

Beth Spaugh: Clinton County Field Crops Extension Educator

Kevin Ganoe: Fulton, Montgomery, Otsego, Herkimer, Hamilton Counties

Area Field Crops Extension Educator

Carl Tillinghast: Franklin County Agricultural Extension Program Leader

Abstract:

The Tactical Agriculture (TAg) program is an experiential, hands-on integrated pest and crop management educational program for field crop producers, and other agribusiness personnel. Active in New York State since 1990, the TAg program teaches producers to better manage field crops, protect the environment, optimize net profitability,and reduce health risks. Participants are actively integrated into the growing-season-long program, which focuses on collection of data from their fields in conjunction with meetings to discuss critical pest and crop management issues that arise during the growing season.

In 2003, TAg programs were implemented in Madison, Oneida, Fulton, Montgomery, Otsego, Herkimer, Clinton and Franklin Counties. Five teams, consisting of 30 farming operations and 60 fields (1,200 acres) enrolled in TAg. Fields enrolled served as meeting places to discuss, demonstrate and practice IPM and ICM methods. Collectively, this years grower participants are expected to utilize their IPM and ICM training on the approximately 15,500 acres of field crops they manage.