Soil, forage testing lab opens BY SHEILA MILLER BUCK “Don’t worry about the smell in here it’s nothing that will hurt you I’m just ashing forage samples,” assures Richard Croyle stepping out of Wed nesday’s wind and into his laboratory. Croyle recently opened his own soils and forage testing lab here to serve Lancaster County and other area farmers with fast results in forage and soil analysis. The lab is set up in a small white building next to Wenger Equip ment, Inc., a John Deere dealer Coming south from Lancaster on Route 272, it’s located just past the intersection of Route 372. The name of the laboratory is Biometrics presently displayed m roughed-out letters. The front window advertisement announces soil testing, forage testing, moisture, fiber, pH, mmerals, and protein are found within Croyle, a bearded chemist and owner of Biometrics, eases himself In one of many lab procedures, the chemist receives . - Jgc adds detergent solution to forage samples to the mail He says three-handful samples can determine fiber analysis The solution will be he sealed in plastic bags and enclosed in a placed on a hot plate and “digested.” Croyle mamla envelope for mailing into the lab. ®Tye sets the pace in soybean drills , * Sizes to fit your operation 80" to 360" models with 3 point and pull type hitches * Adjustable internally fluted seeders adjust to dispense soybeans, wheat, barley, oats, or rice gently and at the rate you desire * Double-disc openers slice open the seed bed, placing the seed in front of the disc beanng—assunng uniform seed placement without scatter For stubble or no till planting— Tye’s New Stubble Drill does the job. into his cushioned business chair and begins to discuss his venture ‘I set up shop,” he said, “around the first week of December But before coming into the area, I did a marketing survey which showed there was a definite need for a testing service here ‘ Soil and forage samples from local farms were being sent out Now, with my lab set up in Lan caster County, I feel I’ll be offering a service which will locally benefit farmers ” When asked why he chose Lancaster County rather than another part of the state, Croyle confesses he and his family always liked the community, and more practically, there is a large con centration of dairy cattle requiring a large amount of forage testing Croyle, himself, is originally from Blair County and the com munity called Holidaysburg He admits he did not grow up on a farm, but worked summers duung high school on his uncle s dairy TiH a trail’ through the stubble with Tye s new STUBBLE DRILL Individu ally mounted spring swivel coulters with 1" wide fluted blades “till a trail” through stubble, straw and other crop residue prepanng a mini seed bed For over 16 years farmers have been counting on Tye for tough, reliable Jy* °? ers the complete . f line of press wheels on the equipment. market to assure you total Tye sets the pace with most complete control dniimg line of dnlls—sizes, types and acces sones on the market PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER OR - HAMILTON EQUIPMENT, INC. WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS 567 South Reading Road, Ephrata, Pennsylvania 17522 Phone (717) 733-7951 Exit 54 on Interstate 81, Raphme, Virginia 24472 Phone (804) 377-2628 taun As he sips a cup of steaming coffee, Croyle recollects the many steps that led him to his present occupation • After high school graduation, I went to Penn State and studied zoology I received my Bachelor of Science Degree in 1966 "I decided to continue my education at Penn State, and received my Master’s in animal nutrition in 1968 and may PhD in 1972 ” After leaving the scholarly confines of the University’s campus, Croyle was employed bv a biological corporation that manufactured medical products. He stayed with Dexter Corporation for eight years Then, said Croyle, a move to a chemical company in Bellefonte came about. He remained in the employ of Supelco, a company which makes environmetal testmg chemicals for the science of chromah 'aphy, until he decided One Drill is all you need... in Lancaster Co. With the help of his computer, Dick Croyle, owner of Biometrics, says he can have forage and soil test reports in the mail to farmers within 72 hours from receiving the samples. to embark on his own business venture. Since he opened his front door last December, Croyle claims business has been good he’s done several hundred tests so far, and it’s the off season for soil and forage testing In his testing lab, Croyle says he sticks to the basic analysis and hasn’t gotten into any exotic testmg yet His forage program tests hay, silage, haylage, total mix rations, and even manures for recycling, giving a complete analysis for percent moisture, dry matter, crude protein, digestible protem, acid detergent fiber, crude fiber, T D.N , calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, estimated net energy, and trace elements The cost of this total test is $l6. Croyle emphasizes his testmg service has a rapid turnaround time "Within 72 hours after a sample is received, a report is in the mail,” he says. How can one man working alone provide such prompt, accurate service 7 Croyle walks over to a work bench where what appears to v," "v. vwv * J' /V* . -**&*'•,' S*, w - • -i-c - * ~ Sir ~ ** *• v *«■*>»•* *>y»^ The Tye folding row marker provides wide marking widths without tall marker arms Lancaster Fannins, Saturday, February 28,1981—A29 f- n }\ \ \ be a portable typewriter and portable television are set up Actually, this is a computer, Croyle explains The program analysis of test data appears on the video screen within a thousandth of a second, and a printer sets the information m type in 70 seconds, the boasts Not forgetting his soil testing program, Croyle notes his test methods and reporting system parallel the Penn State test. He says the results are presented in histogram or graphic form so farmers can see the proportions of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium they have Recommendations for fertilizer and lime, using new SMP methodology, will be included, too. Croyle stresses the importance of farmers giving the testing lab all the information they can on the field being tested, such as sod type, cropping history, and manure application. ‘ ‘This preliminary information is important in order to get the total picture from the testing.” For farmers who use minimum or notillage methods in planting (Turn to Page A 37) LOOKING FOR A NEW TASTE? 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