Overview

My passion for my extension/research appointment emanates from my strong desire to support New York agriculture. To support that passion, I conduct a vigorous applied research program that focuses exclusively on New York agriculture. Last year, we conducted over 50 experiments at the Aurora Research Farm and on 11 farms throughout New York State to determine the best corn silage hybrids, soybeans varieties, and management practices for corn, soybean, and wheat. I strongly believe in disseminating the results of my research program to New York growers so I extensively publish my results in extension publications and I drive through New York State during the winter presenting the research results. I also have a keen interest in the science behind my applied research so I work enough fundamental science into a few of my experiments each year so I can publish the results in journal articles. This keeps me current with the literature and keeps me active in our annual Society Meetings.

Research Focus

My research program focuses on the environmental, biotic, and management interactions that influence the growth, development, yield, and quality of corn, soybeans, and wheat in New York. I interact closely with soil scientists, animal scientists, plant pathologists, entomologists, and plant breeders in most of my research endeavors. My role in the multidisciplinary research is to quantify whole-plant physiological responses of the crop to the environmental, biotic, and crop management interactions.

Outreach and Extension Focus

My extension program, supported strongly by my applied research program, recommends the best management practices for corn, soybeans, and wheat in New York. The targeted audience for my statewide educational program includes extension educators, agricultural practitioners ("multipliers "), crop and dairy producers, and government agency personnel. I disseminate my applied research information to the targeted audience via winter workshops, the Department extension newsletter, Department extension reports, and field days. I also chaired the Crop and Soil Management Statewide Program Committee (SPC) from 1992 through 2006 in which I worked closely with committee members (agricultural practitioners, farmers, extension agents, government agency personnel, and extension faculty) in developing statewide extension activities in field crop production. Some accomplishments of the committee include development of the New York and subsequently Northeast Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) program, development of the field crops section of the Agricultural Systems Initiative, and coordination with the New York Corn Growers Association in sponsoring the annual New York Field Corp and Feed Crop Industry Days, and the New York corn grain and silage yield contests. I was appointed Department Extension Leader in July of 2007, a position that I also held from 1988 through 1995. During my tenure as Department Extension Leader from 1988 through 1995, we launched the Department newsletter, What's Cropping Up, and resurrected the Aurora Field Day, which had not been held for the previous four years.

Additional Links

• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Honors, Awards and Appointments

• Northeast Branch American Society of Agronomy: Extension Industry Award - 2005
• Northeast Certified Crop Advisor Program: Service Award - 2003
• American Society of Agronomy: Fellow - 2001
• American Society of Agronomy Certified Crop Advisor Program: Service Award - 1999

Selected Publications

• Cox, William J.,Elson Shields, and Jerome H. Cherney. Planting Date and Seed Treatment Effects on Soybean in the Northeastern United States. Agron J 2008 100: 1662?1665.
• Cox, W.J. E. Shields, and D. J. R. Cherney. Western Corn Rootworm Damage Subtly Affects Corn Growth under Moderate Environmental Stress. Crop Sci. 2008 48: 1164-1169.
• Cox, W. J., E. Shields, and J. H. Cherney. 2007. The effect of seed treatments on corn growth following soybean. Crop Sci. 47: 2482-2485.
• Cox, W.J., E. Shields, D. J. R. Cherney, and J. H. Cherney. 2007. Seed-applied insecticides inconsistently affect corn forage in continuous corn. Agron. J. 99: 1640-1644.
• Cox, W. J. J. H. Cherney, and E. Shields . 2007. Clothianidin Seed treatments inconsistently affect corn forage yield when following soybean. Agron. J. 2007 99: 543-548.
• W. J. Cox, E. Shields, and J. H. Cherney. 2007. The effect of seed treatments on corn growth following soybean. Crop Sci. 47: 2482-2485.
• W. J. Cox, E. Shields, D. J. R. Cherney, and J. H. Cherney. 2007 Seed-applied insecticides inconsistently affect corn forage in continuous corn. Agron. J. 99: 1640-1644.
• Cox, W.J., J. J. Hanchar, Knoblauch, W.A. and J. H. Cherney. 2006. Growth, Yield, Quality, and Economics of Corn Silage under Different Row Spacings. Agron. J. 2006 98: 163-167.
• Cox, W. J., R.R. Hahn, and P.J. Stachowski, 2006.Time of weed removal with glyphosate affects corn growth and yield components. Agron. J. 98: 349-353.
• Cox, W.J., and J.H. Cherney. 2005. Timing corn forage harvest for bunker silos. Agron. J. 97: 142-146.
• Cox, W.J., W.A. Knoblauch, H.M. van Es, T.W. Katsvairo, and M.A. Gloss. 2004. Economics of purchasing a yield monitor for split-planter corn hybrid testing. Agron. J. 96: 1469-1474.
• Katsvairo, T., W.J.Cox, and H.M. van Es. 2003. Spatial growth and nitrogen uptake variability of corn at two nitrogen levels. Agron. J. 95: 1000-1011.
• Cox, W.J., and D.J.R. Cherney. 2002. Evaluation of narrow row corn forage in field-scale studies. Agron. J. 94:321-325.
• Cox, W.J., and D.J.R. Cherney. 2001. Influence of brown midrib, leafy, and transgenic hybrids on corn forage. Agron. J. 93: 790-796.
• Katsvairo, T.W. and W.J. Cox. 2000. Economics of cropping systems featuring different tillage, rotation, and management systems. Agron. J. 92: 485-493.
• Singer, J.W., W.J. Cox, R.R. Hahn, and E.J. Shields. 2000. Cropping system effects on weed emergence and densities in corn. Agron. J. 92: 754-760.

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