—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 27,4976
86
Soil incorporation pays off
in herbicide efficiency
When a herbicide is ap
plied before planting and
incorporated, the net result
is good weed control when
it's needed most: at the time
the crop starts growing. This
means crops get off to a
vigorous start, high yielding
stands are more easily
established, and competition
from grassy and broadleaf
weeds for available soil
nutrients, moisture and
sunlight is largely
eliminated. Controlling
weeds early also frees
growers for other important
jobs during the busy spring
season. Clean fields also
make for faster, easier
harvesting and less wear and
tear on machinery.
Incorporation adds the
extra insurance that the
chemicals will be uniformly
mixed into the soil at the
right time and at the right
depth for maximum weed
control effectiveness. Mixed
into the soil with a disc or
power tiller immediately
after application, the her
bicide is protected against
dissipation by winds, rains,
or sunlight all common
drawbacks with herbicides
that are surface applied.
Further, incorporation
removes the need to rely on
rainfall to move the her
bicide into the weed seed
zone. It also eliminates the
risk of too much rainfall
preventing access to fields
when necessary.
While minimum tillage
South American
adventure film
slated for Sat.
Feugo at the southern most
tip of South America.
Using the most primitive
means of transportation, he
traveled for seven months
down the Amazon River by
means of raft and across the
Andes on the world’s highest
railroad.
Leroy Shenk, president for
the Paradise Rptary' Club,
expressed the groups high
enthusiasm for the response
to the Travel and Adventure
Series. Shenk noted that
each program witnesses an
increasing attendance, and
the accompanying proceeds
will enable the club to
continue its numerous
community projects.
Tickets for the Travel and
Adventure Series may be
purchased at the door, $1.75
each for adults and students
$l.OO.
Another in the series of
Travel and Adventure
programs sponsored by the
Paradise Rotary Club will be
held Saturday, March 27 at
the Conestoga Valley High
School, and will begin at 7:30
p.m.
Appearing in person to
narrate his own film will be
Rudi Thurau, explorer
photographer known
primarily for his treks
across South America, His
motion picture presentation
is called, “Adventure Across
South America,” and is said
to feature some of his most
exciting experiences. He has
photographed the nearly
Impenetrable Amazon
jungles, and then goes on to
the world’s highest lake,
Titicaca. He also goes on to
the ice fields of Tierra Del
practices have reduced
mechanical cultivation in
recent years, soil in
corporation offers growers
many important-advantages
in crop management and
weed control efficiency.
What’s more, it’s helping
growers move to earlier and
quicker planting.
According to agronomist
Dr. D. R. Murphy, Stauffer
Chemical Company, ex
perience over the past few
years has shown the tandem
disc followed by a spike tooth
harrow, or some other
leveling device to be the
most effective tool for
adequately mixing the
chemicals into the soil before
planting. Power driven
tillers are also recom
mended.- When possible,
application and in
corporation should be done
in the same operation. Ibis,
Dr. Murphy says, creates a
chemical barrier across the
full area of the field that
controls weed growth, even
deep germinating weed
seeds must pass through the
chemical as they grow
toward the surface. Most
herbicide specialists
recommend concentrating
the chemicals in the top two
or three inches of soil to
avoid dilution.
Incorporation equipment
and the calibrated depth and
uniformity of herbicide
placement can vary
considerably. As a very loose
rule of thumb, however, the
must herbicide will be placed
at about half the depth the
equipment is operated. If the
disc is set to operate four
inches deep most of the
herbicides will be deposited
in the top two inches.
Tooling up for soil in
corporation can be relatively
simple and inexpensive. The
first step, Dr. Murphy
reports, is to check the,
adaptability of existing'
equipment. “Smaller
acreages may require only a
simple spray boom fitted to a
tractor or tillage tools. The
spray unit can be followed by
a disc and harrow for im
mediate incorporation.”
Another workable system
consists of a tank or drum
side-mounted on a tractor to
feed a belly boom. Discs that
Look neighbor...
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AGRI-EQUIP.
RD2, Farmersville. Ephrata. PA
717-354-4271
ROY 0. CHRISTMAN
RDI (Shartlesville) Hamburg. PA 195Z6
215-562-7218 or 215-488-1904
ERB & HENRY EQUIP., INC.
22 26 Henry Avenue New Berlmville. PA
215-367-2169
WEAVER STAR SILO INC.
RD4. Myerstown. PA
717-866-5709
follow should be set to cut
slightly 'narrower than the
spray pattern. Equipment
designed for smaller farms
can cost as little as $lOO.
Larger acreages require
more elaborate systems with
'bigger tanks, pump, and
spray boom fitted to either
tractor or discs. Otherwise,
the grower can use one of the
variety of specialized kits.
These are easily assembled
units and include such
features as adjustable
booms that can be fitted to
variously sized discs and
incorporation equipment,
low friction chemical
resistant hose and uniformly
engineered nozzles. Gandy
units are often used to apply
granular materials.
Field experience indicates
I. G.’s AG. SALES
Rt 113 Box 200. Silverdale. PA
215-257-5135
LANDIS BROTHERS INC.
1305 Manheim Pike
Lancaster. PA 717-393-3906
HENRY S. LAPP
RDI, Cains. Gap PA 17527
717-442-8134
CARL L SHIRK
5 Colebrook Road. Lebanon PA
717-274*1436
DANIEL B. STOUZFUS
R 2, Lewistown. PA -
717-242-0776
that use of a spike tooth
harrow after the disc im
proves the mixing action in
the soil. A shallow set spring
tooth harrow can also be
used behind the disc with
good results. Plant floats or
cultipackers following the
discs also help mixing and
smooth the seed bed for
planting.
Soil incorporation is a
surer way to check weeds
and it takes the en
vironmental gamble out of
chemical weed control. In
the U.S. it has helped im
prove crop production in
field com, soybeans, alfalfa,
cotton, tobacco, as well as a
number of vegetable crops
including dry and snap
beans, sweet com, sugar
beets and tomatoes.
Dr. Murphy says crop
protection chemicals- that
are mixed into the soil “are
less likely to be carried into
the streams because they
are beyond the effect of
surface water or wind.” He
also out the in
corporation cuts down- on
chances of domestic animal*
or wildlife coming into
It's
contact with pestinrf.
products. lcide
Applying preplant i„
corporated herbicides ~
veiycompatiblewith normal
fertilizer practices on some
crops, such as com. “p ftr
example, a wider use ip
preplant incorporated
herbicides is anticipated on
many crops, and preplant
herbicides in combination
with fertilizers is a natural
union,” he explained.
‘lncreasingly, ap
plications are being made bv
custom operators or ex
perienced personnel on large
farms. Errors are
minimized and good pet
formance leads to increased
use,” Dr, Murphy said.
“The trend toward an( j
necessity for larger farm
units also will spur the trend
toward herbicide-fertilizer
combinations. To save an.
plication costs and sod
structure, multiple trips
over the field will have to be
reduced as much as possible.
Making one trip to put down
and incorporate herbicides
and fertilizer will gain
popularity,” he said. V
M. S. YEARSLEY & SON
114 E Market St
West Chester. PA 19380
215-696-2990
ATLEE REBERT
R 2, Liltlestown. PA 17340
717-359-5863
HARRY L TROOP
Rt 1 Cochranville. PA 19330
215-593-6731 -
SWOPE & BASHORE, iNC.
Frystown Rl, Myerstown, PA 17C67
717-933-4138