Cornell receives $1.2M to thwart potato pest

A Cornell University research facility devoted to controlling a potato pest will receive $1.2 million in state funding to assist with upgrades, officials announced Friday. Funding to upgrade Cornell’s quarantine facility for the golden nematode — the only one in the nation — will help to protect potato farmers’ crops, state Sen. Tom O’Mara said in a statement. O’Mara, in partnership with other state senators, secured the funding to assist with the first phase of renovations. The golden nematode is currently quarantined to eight counties in New York, including Steuben County. The pest can lead to total crop failure if uncontrolled, and its spread could lead to domestic and international trade embargoes, according to a news release from Cornell. More