It’s been a stressful year for farmers, from having to deal with flooded fields to managing new, destructive pests.

Three speakers at the New York Farm Show will talk about some of the biggest issues facing farmers on Feb. 22 starting at 11 a.m. in the Bistro Room of the Arts & Home Center.

These FarmEd seminars are presented by American Agriculturist.

Sally Flis of The Fertilizer Institute, based in Washington, D.C., will talk about the 4R’s of nutrient management: applying the right fertilizer source at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place.

The Fertilizer Institute and The Nature Conservancy teamed up to launch the 4R New York Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program in the summer of 2018. The program encourages ag retailers, service providers and other certification professionals to adopt proven practices through the 4R’s concept of nutrient management. Flis will speak at 11 a.m.

At 1 p.m., Tim Weigle, senior Extension associate at Cornell’s Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory, will talk about spotted lanternfly and its effects on agriculture.

Spotted lanternfly has affected grape and orchard growers in Pennsylvania, but it also has the potential to affect field crops, too.

Weigle will give an overview of the spotted lanternfly and its status in New York state.

At 2 p.m., Ken Smith, executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County, will talk about “Managing Ticks and Tick Risks on Your Farm.”

Ticks have always been a concern for farmers as they can spread lyme disease, but the discovery this past summer of the longhorned tick in Westchester County has many concerned about its potential effects on agriculture.

The longhorned tick has spread diseases to humans in other parts of the world and research is ongoing to see what sorts of impacts it will have in the U.S.

For more information on this year’s FarmEd presentations, go to newyorkfarmshow.com or contact Chris Torres, editor of American Agriculturist, at 717-673-8862 or [email protected].

The New York Farm Show is co-presented by American Agriculturist and the Northeast Equipment Dealers Association.