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Field
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By LAUREL SCHAEFFER
Staff Correspondent
LEESPORT - Devoting a
day to hopefully broaden
their knowledge on crop
production, many Berks
County farmers gathered at
the Berks County
Agricultural Center, here on
January 15, as the County
Extension Service held their
annual Crops Day.
Discussed during the day
long program were subjects
concerning field crop
production ranging from
alfalfa, com weed and insect
control, .and herbicide
performance, to wet soil
problems and small grain
varieties and pest control. A
FARMERS AgCREDU
CORP. PJ
S East Main Street, Lititz, PA 717-626-4721
With every gallon of
Soil Conditioner you
buy you will receive
1 gallon of Gro.
10-20-10.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 27,1978—35
production
at Crops Day
farmer’s panel on com
production was also con
ducted. David Schantz,
Alburtis; John Hix, Bem
ville; and Dennis Sattazahn,
Womelsdorf, briefly
discussed their production
practices from tillage to
herbicide application.
All three men had par
ticipated in yield contests
but used different farming
techniques. Hix told his
fellow countians that nearly
all of his com acreage is
chisel plowed and disced
twice before planting.
Sattazahn and Schantz both
use conventional tillage,
plowing their ground with
moldboard plows.
Sattazahn then uses a
rotary hoe and cultimulcber.
Schantz told the area far
mers that he works his
ground two or three times to
prepare a good seedbed. All
three farmers also agreed on
liming and keeping the soil
nutrients at reasonable
levels. Schantz has been
liming his ground every
other year while Hix limes
every three years. All men
stressed fertilizer usage and
herbicide application as
well.
Schantz and Sattazahn
have their herbicides
sprayed on as soon after
planting as possible. Hiz
explained that herbicides
are sprayed on to his com
fields prior to planting, from
a tank mounted on a disc.
The herbicides are applied
as the soil is disced a second
time.
Program speakers in
cluded Wayne Hinnish, Bill
McClellan, and Elwood
Hatley, agronomy
specialists, Penn State; and
Steve Fisher, F.M.C. Cor
poration.
It was noted that Berks
County produces 79,000 acres
of hay, about 50,000 of which
are alfalfa; 66,500 acres of
com harvested for grain and
2,200 acres harvested as
silage. The county also
produces approximately
1,500 acres of wheat; 7,000
acres of barley; and 14,000
acres of oats.