2026 Field Crops Webinar Series

Join us for our winter webinar series focused on corn and soybean production in the Northeast. 

Soybean Production in the Northeast - January 21, 2026 

Impacts of Seed Treatments on Beneficial Insects in Field Crop Production - February 4, 2026 

Corn Hybrid Selection, Pests of Field Crop Seeds and Seed Production - February 18, 2026 

Soybean Production in the Northeast

Wednesday, January 21, 2026  12:00-1:00pm 

This webinar will cover the fundamentals of soybean production in the Northeast. Topics will include nutrient recommendations and timing of application, identification of key pests, and how to manage them. 

Guest Speaker: Mike Stanyard

Mike has been a field crops specialist for the Cornell Cooperative Extension Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program for the past 20 years. He is also the team leader and responsible for providing leadership for planning, conducting, and evaluating a comprehensive educational program in crop production and protection for the commercial field crops, dairy, and livestock industries for nine counties in NWNY.  He is responsible for the management of all grain crops from planting to harvest and specializes in integrated pest management of weeds, diseases, and insects.

Impacts of Seed Treatments on Beneficial Insects in Field Crop Production 

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 12:00-1:00pm 

This webinar will share research on the impacts of seed treatments on predatory insects and the effect of this on overall crop yield and quality. 

Guest Speaker: Dr. John Tooker 

John Tooker, PhD, is a professor of entomology and extension specialist in the Department of Entomology in the College of Agricultural Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, in addition to the Pennsylvania State IPM Coordinator. 

Corn Hybrid Selection, Pests of Field Crop Seeds and Seed Production 

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 12-1:30pm 

This webinar will include a review of corn hybrid performance for the northeast and how to interpret performance trial information. It will also cover seed protection and the role and need of genetic improvements or seed treatment in northeastern production systems. 

Guest Speakers: Joe Lawrence & Dr. Mike Hunter 

Joe Lawrence is PRO-DAIRY’s Dairy Forage Crop Production System Specialist and focuses on dairy forage systems management, drawing from his experience working with the NY dairy industry as a private sector certified crop advisor (CCA) and as a Field Crops Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension. The program works to integrate agronomic management of forage crops with harvest and feeding practices to optimize the use of forages in the dairy ration. He leads a multi-disciplinary team to implement the annual Commercial Corn Silage Hybrid Evaluation program in NY and Vermont.  

Mike Hunter, PhD,   spent 25 years as a regional field crop specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s North Country Regional Ag Program before joining the Cornell IPM team, where he works with diverse audiences to inspire and encourage adoption of integrated pest management practices in field crops across New York. A Certified Crop Adviser and NYS Commercial Pesticide Applicator, Mike represents Cornell University on the New York State Agribusiness Association Board of Directors. His areas of expertise include corn and soybean weed control, herbicide resistance management, field crop insect, and disease control.

Pesticide Applicator Credits pending