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.
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CONTACT
HIESTAND
DISTRIBUTORS INC.
RDI, Marietta, PA 17547
Phone |7171426-3286
(Dealerships Available)
&