iOG-Unmterfarming^tunhy, February 10, *979 Sriythetic mulch improves yield. BELTSVILLE, Md. - To mulch or not to mulch. That is the question of many small-acreage farmers trying to decide whether to use synthetic mulches, which have been in use by owners of large vegetable farmers for several years. Yield data from studies done by researchers of the USDA’s Science and Education Administration may help them decide. Horticulturist Allan K. Stoner and his colleagues at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland compared several commercially available mulches with no mulch to obtain information useful to those who have nofyet tried the synthetic material. ' Average yields were higher and vegetables were usually larger from ex perimental plots covered with mulch than from the uncovered plots, and some crops were harvested earlier from the mulched plots. All of the mulches tested reduced the number of aphids infesting plants. And, since all the mulches tested were opaque, they prevented weed growth around the vegetables. The studies were carried out over a 2-year period. During the 1977 growing season scientists tested one mulch, aluminum bonded to msm cold m savings ON EVERY WINTER PURCHASED BIN See your BROCK dealer and buy your new Brock grain bin. Winter time is the best price time. It is also the time to o: make sure your bin is erected and ready for the next harvest. There’s cold cash to be saved now. BROCK. SEE HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE BY SEEING YOUR BROCK DEALER M SYCAMORE IND. PARK 255 PLANE TREE DRIVE HEY EQUIPMENT “"ggJgkS^ COMPANY, INC. Rout.3oW.stat the Centerville Exit Designers of Qualify Systems for Poultry, Swine end Groin Hendling. brown wet-proof paper, on four kinds of vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, squash, and cucumbers) and com pared yields with plots containing the same number of plants but left uncovered. The mulched plots produced heads of iceberg lettuce that weighed three times more than those grown on bare soil and cabbage weight was up 49 per cent. Yields of acom squash were 26 per cent higher in the mulched plots and the average weight of each squash was up 9 per cent. The aluminum-mulched plots also produced 82 per cent more pickling cucumbers. More significantly, twice as many cucumbers were harvested early (by July 13) from the mulched plots. “This could give farmers a jump on the market when prices are still high,” says Stoner. In 1978 the researchers collected data on yield, in sect repellency, and soil temperature from musk melon plots covered with four synthetic mulches: black polyethylene, white polyethylene bonded to black polyethylene, aluminum embossed on black polyethylene, and the aluminum-brown paper mulch tested the previous year. The same data was also collected from un- repels mulched plots for com parison. The largest number. of muskmelons (117) were harvested from the black polyethylene plots with aluminum-brown paper plots producing the second highest yield (99). Un mulched plots produced 92 muskmelons. Plots mulched with black polyethylene and those covered with aluminum black polyethylene produced 29 per cent of the crop before August 15. White polyethylene-black polyeth ylene mulched plots scored second in early fruiting. A comparison of individual fruit weight shows white polyethylene-black polyeth ylene leading at 4.7 pounds. However, these plots produced the same number of muskmelons as the un mulched plots. Aluminum brown paper produced muskmelons averaging 4.6 pounds and the black ployethylene mulched plots yielded the small musk melons averaging 4.1 pounds, slightly smaller than those from unmulched plots. Soil temperature was highest under the black polyethylene on both cloudy days and sunny days. Stoner considers it “the best all around conventional mulch” because, it absorbs heat insects causing seeds to germinate earlier and grow faster „ which results in bigger yields and earlier harvests. And, in areas where the growing season is long enough, fields can be double cropped to produce an early crop and a late crop in the same mulch. pnTZ "Manure Handlers The old strongarm method of Manure Handling gives way to new muscle from P/\TZ namely the Slurry Manure Pump and compressed-air Liquid Manure Mover These modern methods of manure movement provide simplicity, rugged construction, operational ease, dependability, plus convenience Slurry Manure Pump Slurry or free flowing manure is pumped from a 180 gallon hopper under ground through 12 in PVC pipe to the manure holding area (If bedding is used only line cut ts recommended) Stroke is adjustable and driven by tough roller chain drive/reduction unit Plunger sleeve, and one-way valves all can be removed for servicing Liquid Manure Mover Big 1700 (US) gallon below-ground pressure vessel collects slurry that is moved simply and easily by as little as 10-12 lbs of air pressure through 12 in PVC pipe to manure storage area Simplicity in design turning swmg-away hatch cover, one-way valve at bottom and flapper valve at the discharge end are the only moving parts get the prirz facts first MARYLAND DEALERS EASTON, WALTER J. HARMSEN FINDER SERVICE CO. 301-822-3085 301-348-5263 HAGERSTOWN. MD LINEBORQ.M?. TRI-STATE WERTZ GARAGE. INC FARM AUTOMATION 301-374-2672 301-790-3698 “But if I had serious disease problems, I’d use aluminum,” says En tomologist Floyd F. Smith. Reflective mulches have long been known to repel sucking insects which transmit virus diseases from plant to plant. (Turn to Page 107) imple, asy and onveniently ut-of-the Way! KENNEDYVILLE. MD JMEMO ♦ HAY, ♦ STRAW & t EAR CORN $ SALE t ♦ EVERY MONDAY ♦ AT 11A.M. ♦ EVERY WEDNESDAY ♦ 12:00 NOON NEW HOLLAND SALES STAKES, INC. . Hiom 717-354-4341 ♦ Lloyd H. Kreider, Auct. DISTRICT MANAGER GEORGE HEATH 472 Woodcrest Dr. Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 717-737-9400 CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER ALEXANDRIA MAXISENBERG 717-659-4027 BALLY LONGACRE ELECTRIC 215-845-2261 BELLEFONTE LUCAS BARN EQUIPMENT 814-383-2806 BELLEVILLE 1 MACLAY & SON 717-935-2101 CAMP HILL LLOYD SULTZBAUGH ' 717-737-4554 CHAMBERSBURG VALLEY farm AUTOMATION 717-264-3814 HAMBURG SHARTLESVILLE FARM SERVICE 215-488-1025 KIRKWOOD LANDIS & ESBENSHADE 717-786-4158 LEBANON ’ MARVIN J. HORST DAIRY EQUIPMENT 717-272-0871 McALISTERVILLE SANER FARM SYSTEMS 717-463-2606 LANDIS LABOR SAVERS 717-692-4647 MILTON LANDIS FARMSTEAD AUTOMATION 717-437-2375 PIPERSVILLE MOYER FARM SERVICE 215-766-8675 TERRE HILL TERRE HILL SILO CO. INC. 215-445-6736 WILLIAMSBURG / LONGENECKERS, INC. 814-793-3731 NEW WINDSOR. MD TRI-COUNTY FARM AUTOMATION 301-775-7365 STREET. MD WALTER WEBSTER 301-452-8521
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