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