—Lancaster Farm Inc, Saturday, May 20,1978
124
Com growers
(Continued from Page 120)
available to indicate that
fanners are doing a good job
of conserving the soil.”
The survey results also
show that fewer farmers are
cultivating and rotary
hoeing their com crops. In
1971, 78 per cent said they
cultivated at least once,
while only 65 per cent said
they cultivated at least once
in 1977.
Those farmers who said
they rotary-hoed their crops
in 1971 totaled 36 per cent of
the project entrants. In 1977,
Sewing winners to be named
HARRISBURG - Winners
in the Pennsylvania State
Grange’s annual sewing
contest will be selected May
23, when final judging is
held at the Grange
headquarters, 1604 N.
Second St., Harrisburg.
An estimated 2,000 entries
were judged earlier this
month at the local, or
Subordinate Grange level,
have a
nice weekend...
do something, anything
} Your Cattle the 1
Pasture They Prefer-
m
Sorghum-Sudangrass
i Hybrid from j
Strip tests prove it Cattle
preter Pioneer - brand sor
ghum-yiidangrass hybrid over
other brands That means
they 11 eat more make
■m-r. meat or milk Unbeat
able hot-weather pasture or
green-chop Can nt planted
on diverted acres
Treat your cattle to the
v 'rghum-Midanjirass hybrid
Ihe v like - 988'
SEE or CALL
YOUR PIONEER DEALER
only half as many farmers,
18 per cent, rotary-hoed.
“The energy crisis a few
years back forced many
farmers to look for ways,
such as minimum tillage, to
cut their production costs.
But since that time, most of
those cost savings have been
offset by increased usage of
herbicides and in
secticides,” the Funk
agronomist says.
“By switching to
minimum tillage, a better
environment was created for
insects and disease
organisms. But we have
according to Mrs. Leroy
Hoover, of Roaring Spring,
state director of women’s
activities for the Grange.
Local winners were judged
in county, or Pomona
Grange competition with
those winners then ad
vancing to the state finals.
State winners m each of
five categories will be sent to
New York for judging in the
National Grange com
petition.
5,6, and 8-bolt hubs and
reinforced axles for greater
structural strength 7 2''
tread to provide more sta
bility Bolter stakes adjust
able from 38” to 42” to fit
any hauling job
Short turn radius and front
steer for easy maneuvera
bility Tapered roller bear
ings to reduce friction and
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A FULL LINE OF RUNNING GEARS,
RUGGEDLY BUILT AND DESIGNED FOR
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learned to compensate for
these problems through
better usage of herbicides
and insecticides. And we are
also seeing better usage of
herbicide combinations,”
Dr. Craig explains.
He adds that if ideal field
conditions can be achieved
through these alternative
practices, then there is no
real need to cultivate.
“Cultivation is another trip
across the field that can add
to operating costs and soil
compaction.”
The Project:2oo study
indicates that farmers are
carrying their conservation
practices all the way
through the growing season.
The current trend is to
harvest early and at lower
moisture contents.
In 1971, only one percent of
the farmers were harvesting
in August. Last year that
figure was up to 10 per cent.
The percentage of farmers
who said they harvested in
September totaled seven
per cent in 1971, compared to
16 per cent in 1977.
Fifty-four per cent of the
farmers said they harvested
in October last year, up nine
per cent from 1971. Fifty
three per cent fewer farmers
harvested their com in
November last year than did
m 1971.
6, k* ,s WAGON GEARS
WETMORE
DIVISION
*v -
The study also shows a
significant increase in the
number of farmers har
vesting their com as No. 2
corn (15.5 per cent
moisture). Last year 10 per
cent harvested the crop as
No. 2 com, opposed to just
four per cent in 1971. Most of
the farmers are now har
vesting at moisture contents
of 20 per cent or less.
“Again, this shows a
significant move toward
energy conservation. The
current trend is to plant
earlier-maturing, faster
drying hybrids earlier in the
Spring, allowing earlier
harvest of drier com in the
Fall,” Dr, Craig says, ad
ding that Funk research has
put a great deal of effort into
the development of fast dry
down hybrids.
“Ninety-five to 96 per cent
of the crop is now planted in
April and May,” he says,
adding that harvesting early
and at lower moisture
contents reduced drying fuel
needs and helps prevent
bottlenecks in grain han
dling systems.
Dr. Craig says that yield
reductions which may have
been expected when farmers
began switching to
minimum tillage problems
and shorter-season hybrids
have not been expected.
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«r manv instances we better job of breeding high
have* yield characteristics into
he says He attributes this to hybrids. Farmers can now
better water holding plant „ earlier-maturing
SStfSitSSOi saysthatingood
insecticide usage, well- crop management
balanced fertility programs farmere mjygt
and hybrid research.
•‘There is no donbt that £ran
com breeders are doing a seasonhybnds.
-"TH IT
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