D2B—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 6,1980
Computer shows success in
hay marketing program
UNIVERSITY PARK A determining nutrient content
revolutionary new in- of crops, backed by new hay
strument capable of marketing standards, should
Fertilizer theory
(Continued from Page 026)
Most growers’ soils were
very low in calcium ac
cording to the ratio theory.
But 92 percent of the
Delaware com leaf samples
tested high m calcium.
These observations have
led Liebhardt to conclude
that there’s no reason to
have a particular ratio
between these elements as
long as they’re present in
adequate amounts.
Aside from the basic
fallacy of the BCSR theory in
terms of plant need, with the
materials we have to work
with - calcitic limestone,
dolomitic limestone, and
potash - it’s very difficult
from a physical standpoint
to achieve the ratios called
for, said the scientist.
“Suppose the ratio calls
for 100 units of potassium.
You have 50 and want to add
50 more. On our soils you
would have to apply
anywhere from five to 12
units of potassium just to
raise the soil test one unit,
because of the chemistry
involved. The BCSR system
ignores this factor,” he said
The concept is a
philosophical way to look at
soil fertility. It’s appealing
because it’s so simple. But
it’s not based on field
research, he said Plants
don’t respond to nutrient
concentration in this fashion.
What happens to the
nutrients depends on the soil
and growing conditions,
rather than on some ar
bitrary ratio between
nutrients
The concept does have
possibilities if it is modified,
he feels. “Our data suggest
that our liming objective
should be a pH of 6.0. This
will be achieved with a
calcium plus magnesium
saturation of 75 percent,
ATTENTION
4-H & FFA
CLUB MEMBERS
North Harford
High School Farm of
Harford Co., Md
proudly presents a
select consignment
of 14 head of
Chiangus feeder
steers & hfrs to be
sold at Sechnst Sales
Co Livestock Auc
tion, Stewartstown,
Pa. or Monday Eve ,
Dec. 8, 1980 at ap
prox. 830 P M Pro
spective buyers may
contact the high
school at 301-
838-4266 if they
wish to see the
calves prior to sale
day These fine
calves will weigh ap
prox 450-550 lbs
and are partly halter
broken
Sales Manager
ROBERTL
SECHRiST,
Sales Manager
which is what the original
work in New Jersey
suggested Our work shows
that wide variations in
calcium and magnesium
saturation levels do not
affect the yield of either corn
or soybeans, as long as the
pH is not excessive.”
Based on his findings,
Liebhardt concluded,
“Anybody who adds
materials containing
calcium or magnesium to
balance up theoretical ratios
to satisfy some pi edeter
mmed level - at least on
sandy, poorly buffered
coastal plain soils like those
m Delaware - is wasting
their money.
Tinkering with ratios to
get some ideal number not
generated by research
doesn’t make sense. As long
as the pH is right and basic
nutrient levels are adequate,
farmers ought to be able to
get good yields,” he con
cluded.
Close & Fresh
Cow Dispersal
Located just off Rt. 15 on Canoe Camp Creek
Rd., 2 miles from Mansfield, PA. Watch for
auction arrows off Rt. 15.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18
12:30 Sharp
75 High Grade Holsteins 75
Most of these cows are fresh or will be fresh in the
next 15 days Interstate tested, shot for shipping fever.
If you need fresh cows, be at this sale
Terms; Cash or good check. Lunch Available. Sale
under cover.
Owners,
ROD PARTHEMER &
BUTCH WATKINS
Auctioneer Arlow Kiehl
Sales Manager Gordon Wood
Mansfield, PA
717-549-4901
For the most m advertising coverage
and preparing your sale
Call Wood’s Auction Service
COMPLETE
DISPERSAL
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20
11:00 A.M.
On the Devine Ridge Road, 1 mile from Route
706 in Rush, Pa. Rush is 10 miles from Mon
trose, Susquehanna Co.
65 HOLSTEINS-MACHINERY
MILKING EQUIPMENT
34 mature Registered and Grade Cows and 30
heifers. 1 Service age bull
This dairy to freshen in next 3 months.
(4) IH Tractors, Gehl 800 chopper, (3) Gehl
unloading wagons, steel bale wagons, Badger silo
unloader, Gehl Grinder-Mixer, Manure Spreader, NH
#479 Haybine, IH corn picker, IH 4 row planter, Zero
1000 gal bulk tank, Bou-Matic pipeline, Patz bam
cleaner with 500 to 6GO ft of chain, 3250 bu round steel
grain bin, etc , etc
Watch next week’s issue for complete listing
Sale by
JOHN & CAROL FREDENDOLL
Owners
Jim Adnance & Sons, Auctioneers
Montrose, Pa
717-278-1574
make it possible to price hay
on the basis of its feeding
value, it was reported
Monday during joint
meetings of crop scientists in
Detroit, Michigan.
Known as an “infrared
spectre computer,” the
instrument was described by
JohnS Shenk of Penn State.
The computer scans
forages and other crops
within two minutes to
determine nutrient content.
The computer was
developed at Penn State in
cooperation with personnel
of the U S. Department of
Agriculture’s Regional
Pasture Research
Laboratory.
To test the technology,
Shenk and associates
collected forage samples at
three hay markets m 1979
and ran the samples through
the computer back at Penn
State Then last spring they
mounted the computer into a
mobile van and demon
strated the process at a hay
market, at state fairs m
Wisconsm and Michigan,
and at Penn State’s Ag
Progress Days.
Response by farmers
changed over five weeks of
analyzing hay samples at the
1980 market, Shenk noted.
During the first two weeks,
little attention was paid to
the posted results beyond
expressions of curiosity.
By the third week, farmers
bringing hay from the same
mow were finding the
analyses to be repeatable
This built confidence in the
method Buyers began to
study the analyses as well as
hay for sale on trucks.
He said some farmers
selling low quality hay began
to refuse analysis arid
buyers showed little interest
m purchasing their hay.
“During the fourth week,
several sellers with high
quality hay wanted us to
contmue the testing,” he
stated. “By the fifth week,
more farmers were
requesting that we contmue
the service.”
Shenk said the infrared
spectro computer does not
give the buyer or the seller
an advantage at the market'
but it does provide a basis
for auctions to function most
equitably.
“We demonstrated that
the instrument could be used
to analyze hay under
marketing conditions
without disrupting the sale in
any way,” he observed
And he reported that
truckloads of hay can be
sampled and analyzed every
two to five minutes. This
makes it possible to post the
hay analysis and grade on a
truck before the sale.
“With proper educational
programs directed toward
both the seller and buyer of
ESTATE LIQUIDATOR APPRAISER i s
V s * -w »o» I*4 Pillow Po 17010 ? y^\f
X Phone 751 6004
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13,1980
V 4< * rr sis ixjt n
Ski R»urv4f*p JP ““' | " T.
,7 «i -
// S|__”x_
2 Mlll.f R*«4
/ O
*—RT 30—
9 PARCELS 120 ACRES
PARCEL *1 • 70 ACRES partially wooded
PARCEL *2: 6 6 ACRES with a 1 acre pond
existing septic system and well
PARCEL *s* I ACRE partially wooded with
approved perk test and probes
PARCEL *4. 1 ACRE partially wooded with
approved perk test and probes
PARCEL *S: 1 ACRE partially wooded with
approved perk teat and probes
PARCEL *4 2 ACRES wooded with approved
perk test and probes
PARCEL *7 3 4 ACRES partially wooded
with approved perk test and probes
2 3 ACRES wooded with approv
ed perk test and probes
PARCEL *9 33 ACRES partially wooded
NOTE Parcels *1 and *9 have a combined ap
proximate iota! of 257 000 bd ft of virgin
timber (White Oak 81 431 Red Oak
96 764 Hickory 24 611 "tulip Poplar
30 455 Chestnut 17 138 Black Walnut
1300 Misc 5717)
For additional information phone (717) 362 9596 or (717) 758 6004
TERMS. 10% Down Cash or Certified Check Further terms and conditions to be
given day of sale
-
,Wjl%
ALLEN SKAFFER. ATTORNEY
wlQsJt* DOCKEY & dockey. auctioneers
■ DEPPEN, APPRENTICE
hay, analysis and grading
with this computer has a
great potential for
establishing an -improved , Efficient feed formulation,
basis for hay marketing,” he he indicated, usually re
affirmed. quires blending of hay or
Hay sampling was found to
be the major factor affecting
the accuracy of this new
method to analyze forage
quality.
Shenk said the ultimate
value of this new technique
is for the farmer to use the
IfccdyeCMUf rfuctcaH,
EMELINE $. HEVEL ESTATE
★ HOUSEHOLD & ANTIQUES ★
SATURDAY, DEC. 13
4:00 P.M.
R.D. #1 Pafmyra, Pa. - north on Railroad St. -
west on Ridge Rd.
2 pc. living room suite, sofa bed, upholstered
rockers, end tables, parlor stand, sm. oak stand, floor
& table & dresser lamps, B&W TV, radio & TV comb.,
sm. oak rocker, Ig gold leaf picture frame, port
stereo, child’s chord organ, 2 typewriters (1 elec.),
White elec, sewing machine, Hoover upright vacuum
cleaner, Bissell carpet sweeper, wicker fernery, oak
chairs, blue glass top cocktail table, 2 pine blanket
chests, 4 pc. bedroom suite w/cedar wardrobe,
massaging mattress, 3 pc. bedroom suite w/bookcase
headboard (light gray color), old wooden bassinet, oak
clothes tree, formica top breakfast set w/6 chairs, 2
base cabinets, wooden bench, kerosene lamp, wooden
rake, apple butter stirrer, 2 old dolls & doll clothes, an
niversary clock, elec, clocks, Meyer stone bowl, lots of
dishes still to be unpacked - some depression, salt &
pepper shakers, cooking utensils, sm. elec appliances,
Hot Point upright freezer, Kenmore auto, washer,
Speed Queen wringer washer, alum, chase lounge,
lawn furn , alum step ladder & step stool, slot racing
set, HO tram set (Lionel), mm. gull course game,
children’s & other books, Boulan rotary mower, garden
tools, many more items too numerous to mention
Auctioneer
Ralph B. Heisey,
838-5083
* This furniture in excellent condition.
••Refreshments available - not responsible for ac
cidents.
PUBLIC SALE
AT 1:00 P.M.
PA Turnpike.
2 MIIIS TO YORK ROAD, TURN LIFT
AND PROCEED % Mill TO MILLER ROAD,
TURN LEFT V* MILE TO PARCELS Of LAND.
results back at his farm in
making up nutritionally
balanced rations.
haylage, silage, brewers
yeast, etc., into the most
nutritious feedstuff.
The computer in a van can
help the farmer decide on
the best combination of feed
ingredients.
LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES SOUTH
OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.
TAKE EXIT 13 OFF 1-13, WEST ON RT. 3t2,
' 70 ACRES
Parcel *1
WOODED
m 6 4 fl
' ? oio
33 ACRES
Parcel *9
WOODED '
K.D WILLIAMS. OWNER
WOODED
yz o
r*t
N«1 ••