Lancaster farming. (Lancaster, Pa., etc.) 1955-current, January 17, 1976, Image 18
ia~ Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Jan. 17, 1976 No-till advantages, drawbacks (Conboutd from Pjge I| pointed out that there arc some drawbacks To begin with, it won’t work on every farm, nor on every type of soil Fur thermore, no-lill planting involves cover crops which arc used as mulch for weed control. Once killed off with chemicals (another primary factor in making no-till work), the cover-crop acts as a mulch. This mulch will help keep moisture within the soil, but will also serve as Order 2 price released NEW YORK - A uniform Receipts from dairy farm price of $lO.lO per producers totaled 754,087,802 hundredweight (46 5 quarts) pounds, 1.3 percent of for December milk 9,426,690 pounds more than deliveries to pool handlers in December 1974, Mr. under the New York-New Wilson reported. Handlers Jersey marketing orders utilized 409,014,864 pounds of was announced today by these receipts or 54.2 percent Thomas A. Wilson, market for fluid milk products administrator. The uniform (Class I). In December 1974 price was $10.13 in the Class I utilization per- November 1975 and $7.87 in centage was 52.9. For December 1974. December 1975, handlers The butterfat differential was 11.9 cents for each tenth of a pound of fat above or below 3.5 percent. a haven for insects and other pests. Therefore a fanner must be very much aware of his pest problems and a spraying program is essential. Joe Newcomer, extension agronomist from the University of Maryland, noted that the mulch con serves moisture, but it also holds back the soil warming process in the Spring. Consequently, germination can be delayed ap- paid $ll.OO for Class I milk compared with $9.22 a year ago. proximatcly 10 days. No-till that the cover crop be planting Involves a different allowed to grow to a height of style of equipment and this 18 to 20 Inches, at which time could mean additional ex- it should be sprayed with a penses if machinery must be herbicide for an “instant purchased or custom-hired, kill.” The crop is left there as But of the approximately a mulch. Planting should be 1,500 people present at the at about this time, and a meeting, which featured residual spray should be informative talks, slide applied to prevent weeds presentations and indoor as from coming up later, well as outdoor exhibits, The idea of no-till planting most were familiar and has been around for cen enthused about no-till turies in one form or practices. another, but it has only been Young, for example, about 15 years since the believes that no-till has practice was picked up by definite advantages and modern agronomists and stated that his own records farmers. Most of the early prove that com can be raised development came from for far less than USDA’s farmers themselves who official estimates indicate, tried to save time, fuel, He added that for him the money, and labor. Their costs have been shaved down innovations and home-made to 98 cents per bushel in planters were eventually some instances. picked up by major equip- He also said that no-till raent manufacturers for planting offers the farmer a refinement and mass wider range of planting production, and the idea has dates, including during been spreading rapidly ever times when fields would not since. This new technology be fit it conventional plan- has also spurred the ting methods were to be chemical industry since used. Weed control is also successful no-till depends on better as far as he is con- chemicals, cemed because of the effects Lime is very important in of the cover crop. any well-balanced soil Since the cover crop, nutrition program, and no usually rye, is such an im- till planting is no exception, portant factor in no-till the farmers were told. Some planting, the management of concern had been expressed this phase is given high about the application and priority. It is recommended efficient use of fertilizer, but OuttardMntra GEORGE HEATH, DISTRICT MANAGER Mechanicsbure 697-1166 ALEXANDRIA LEBANON MAX ISENBERG 669-4027 BALLY LONGACRE ELECTRIC 845-2261 CAMP HILL LLOYD SULTZBAUGH 737-4554 EAST EARL ZIMMERMAN EQUIPMENT ELLIOTTSBURG HAMBURG H DANIEL WENGER 488 6574 HONEY BROOK ZOOK’S FARM STORE 273 9730 KIRKWOOD LANDIS &ESBENSHADE 786 4158 445-6409 CARL BAER 582-2648 according to the experts and users of no-till, that’s no real problem. The fertilizer doesn’t move down through the soil as quickly, but it docs reach the plant, someone reassured the group. There was one valid concern however - and one which was acknowledged by those who have been practicing no-till for a number of years. Soil compaction will take place in certain soils and they will therefore have to be re-worked from time to time, either with a conventional or chisel plow. While most of the 1,500 persons present at the day long meeting were familiar with no-till, it is a relatively new technique. Simply defined, no-till planting is placing seeds into a narrow opening in the ground. The opening is made by a specially equipped planter which eliminates the need for plowing and-or disking. It may sound simple, but it’s not. Some farmers have reported problems in getting the seed to touch the soil. The problem? When the coulters slice the soil into which the seed is supposed to drop, they press the mulch into the opening and form a “bed” on which the kernels drop. Planting depth is another critical factor which has caused some difficulty. Experts warn that seeds should not be placed more than two inches into the ground. A trailing press wheel is desirable in helping to overcome problems. M«cr>anicai un**r*r»«rH lodels and systems to suit requirements l*nur« handling - feed handling - lo unloading ite hn tha Equlpmant ib hn tha Partonnal ib midi confidant;* - ipand on It jntact your nearest Pttz dealer ited below , MARVIN HORST 272-0871 McALLISTERVII I F CLAIR SANER & SON 463-2234 MILLERSBURG LANDIS LABOR SAVERS 692-4647 MILTON LANDIS FARMSTEAD AUTOMATION 437-2375 NEWVILLE FREDB. McGILLYRAY 776-7312 PIPERSVILLE MOYER FARM SERVICE 776 8675 STREET MD WALTER WEBSTER 452 8521 THOMASVILLE KENNETH L SPAHR 225 1064 ur**f|f*on* P iL f 1 1| While still In the growing stage, machinery manufacture! and farmers arc continuing to come up with innovations which arc intdndcd to make no-till more efficient. Adapting the no-111l planter for hillside planting is one area of *j research. Some farmers have gone over to ground driven sprayers, claiming that they are safer and more accurate. In spite of some of its drawbacks, no-till planting is considered to be a valuable soil management practice. It enhances possibilities for double-cropping and reduces planting costs. It’s a soil and moisture saver and favored by conservationists. All in all, it’s considered to be an economical and en vironmentally should practice by those who have experimented with no-till The displays at the con vention centered around no till planters and sprayers as well as pesticides, her bicides, applicators, pumps, and specialized equipment. CUT HEATING COST, STAY WARM DURING POWER FAILURES, with this HEATER^ • Bi metal thermostat • Cast-iron grate • Firebrick finer • Heavy metal jacket • Shipping wt., 178 lbs • Immediately available FIRE GRATE DOUBLES FIREPLACE HEAT OUT°UT JK • No installation • 61 watt blower . • 2 in tubes • Shipping wt., 67 lbs. • Immediately available Fuelmiser Furnace Heat-Reclaimer f -»> 11 * ■Sb 4 * % i CONSERVE ENERGY AND SAVE HONEY - Operates solely on heat that is normally wasted Reduce your heatmg budget 15 to 30 percent and enjoy some free, heat COMPLETELY AUTOMATIC - EASY TO INSTALL - HEAT BASEMENT, GAME ROOM, GARAGE, OR ROOM OF YOUR CHOICE. 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