It doesn’t pay to replant frost-damaged com WOOSTER, Ohio Combelt farmers know that if they can get com planted early in the season, it £ Tally yields better than late ted com. Often, however, northern combelt farmers find their early-planted crop tut hard by late spring frosts. An Ohio study now shows that even if the com plant dies com pletely back after being frosted, it will not only recover, but will produce significantly more gram than the same hybrid replanted following frost damage to the emerged seedlings. Results of the Ohio research were reported during the annual meeting of the American Society of Agronomy by Marshall Jones, a former graduate research associate at the Ohio Agricultural Researchand Development Center and Ohio State University. The growing point of corn remains below the soil surface even when the com is 6-8 inches tall. So the plant has a remarkable *ty to recover. When a late ig frost wipes out an early planted crop, the temptation is to get right mto the field and replant. Jones’ study was designed to compared yields of gram and silage from early-planted com undamaged by late frosts with those from moderately and severely damaged com and yields from the same hybrid replanted immediately into a frost-damaged field. The Ohio study was conducted on a highly fertile soil in central Ohio. A full season hybrid was planted April 7,1980. Then the agronomists covered some plots with plastic when frosts were predicted. Other plots were left unprotected and exposed to frost. Recommended management practices were followed throughout the season and rainfall was normal and adequate yields. W light but damaging frost oc curred May 16, Jones reported. Approximately 50-60 percent leaf damage was observed on the unprotected plants. 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The same day, after the frost occurred (May 16), adjacent plots were disked and replanted with the same full season hybrid. After the late-planted crop emerged, plants on half the plots were mechanically defoliated to simulate 100 percent damage and to observe regrowth of the later planted com. The corn planted earlier produced higher gram yields. There was no significant dif ference in gram yields between the Can home grown WASHINGTON, D.C. - It isn’t crude, but it is oil. It’s diesaveg (dee’-za-vej), a combination ot diesel tuel and vegetable oil. And according to agricultural researchers, diesaveg is coming on strong as an alter native to conventional diesel tuel. "By the end ot this decade, diesaveg could become a lairly common farm tuei,” says John Baldwin, professor ot agricultural engineering at Louisiana State University. "With the right por table equipment to crush and filter the oil, farm energy needs could be met, at least partially, from crops.” Baldwin and colleagues Billy Cochran and Lawrence Daniel have focused their attention on soybean oil and diesel fuel com binations—they call it diesol—for farm energy. And other oilseed crops hold similar potential. In fact, diesaveg is the subject ot study at several other universities and also at four USDA regional laboratories where new markets for farm commodities are researched. Alternative gasohol, have tuels, primarily gotten a lot ot at- Long Ear and Small Cobb • Fast Dry Down • Excellent Standability, Short Strong Stalk • Ideal For High Plant Populations • High Yielder For Maturity Range WE RECOMMEND TE 6925 SEE YOUR LOCAL GOLDEN ACRES DEALER Charles, Myers, Rt 2, Chambersburg, Pa - 717-263 3328 Harry Bard, Rt 5. Shippensburg, Pa. - 717-532-4471 Ralph Oaughtery, Rt 1, Brogue. Pa -717-927-5084 CJ, Wonsidlerßros., Rt l.Qoakertown, Pa -215-536-1935 Ivan Leid Harness Shop, Bowers Kohler Rd Kutztown, Pa 215-682 7926 Ralph Shook, 109 George St Pen Argyle, Pa 215 863-5185 Robert Faust. Rt 1, Andreas, Pa -717-386 5154 Elmer Ungermach, Rt 2 Palmyra, Pa 717-838 2059 Burnell Feezer, Rt 3 New Oxford, Pa -717-624-2086 Mausdale Farm Supply, Danville, Pa - 717-275-4850 Farnsworth Farm Supply, Hughesville, Pa - 717 584-2106 COME IN NOW FOR YOUR SEED NEEDS protected com and com which had received natural frost damage or which had received the simulated 100 percent frost damage. The late planted (May 16) com produced higher silage yields (dry matter basis), Jones said. However, the com planted May 16 yielded 14 percent less gram than the early planted frost damaged com which had been left to recover. Thus, farmers replanting the same hybrid on the same land after severe late spring frosts are not cuily gomg to unnecessary tention in recent years. But because ot its alcohol base, gasohol can’t be used ui the diesel engines ot most tarm machinery. In 1980, tanners used 3.3 billion gallons ot diesel tuel just to produce U.S. crops and livestock. Cost is the biggest drawback to diesaveg. The price ot a gallon ot suntlower oil ($2.24) or soybean oil ($1.92) looks steep compared with diesel tuel at around $1.20. But this may not always be the case. "Trends, especially during the 1970’5, pouits in a different direction," says USDA economist Ed Fryar. "The 5 years before the 1973 oil embargo, diesel fuel prices increased an average ot 4.5 per cent a year. But for the next 8 years, price increases averaged around 25 percent annually. ’ ’ If these trends were to continue, prices tor both diesaveg and diesel tuel would be about equal'by the middle to late 1980’s. However, energy analysts say diesel tuel prices in the next 10 years will probably not rise as rapidly relative to vegetable oil. If so, diesaveg might not be an economical substitute tor diesel tuel until; perhaps, late this cen- den'Ac® ime registered by Taylor Evens Seed Company Tulia names or numbers are variety designations SEED CORN EARLY SINGLE CROSS Ini 6925 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 10,1912—043 labor and expense they’re ac tually losing money with lower gram yields. The Ohio study was conducted m a high yield en vironment with a final population of 26,000 plants per acre at harvest. The percent yield loss from later planting m a lower yield en vironment or from a lower plant population would likely be even greater. Although the data have not been analyzed for 1901, the second year of the study turned out similarly to 1900 with one exception. The growing conditions through late Mav and early June following oil stretch diesel? tury. "If the two reach the same price, the cost ot diesel fuel will serve as a floor price tor vegetable oil," Frayer says. This means that if the price of vegetable oil starts to fall below the price of diesel fuel, more farmers will buy vegetable oil for their tractors, forcing vegetable oil prices back up to those tor diesel fuel. Ooes diesaveg have enough potential power to compete with conventional diesel tuel? Ac cording to Fryar, the answer is yes. BTU content and dynamometer tests prove him out. Gallon for gallon, the potential power of a diesaveg mixture of 75 percent diesel fuel and 25 percent vegetable oil is only 1 to 2 percent less than conventional diesel fuel. The BTU content is #2 diesel fuel— commonly used to power farm equipment—is 140,000 per gallon. Diesaveg can vary between 137,000 and 138,000 BTU’s. Ethanol (or ethyl alcohol), gasohol’s base, comes in third at 85,000 BTU’s per gallon Dvrimometer tests (which measure the driving torque of machinery) haven’t indicated any replanting were so poor that the late planted com germinated poorly and the losses of grain yield from late-planted com will be much greater than in 1900. On the basis of their study, the Ohio agronomists have one word of advice for fanners - who are tempted to replant com damaged by late spring frosts: “Don’t!” Jones, now on active duty with the U.S. Army, conducted the study in cooperation with Dr. Paul Henderiong, professor of agronomy, as part of the requirement for the M.S. degree from Ohio State. significant power difference between engines running on a mixture of 75-percent diesel and 25- percent vegetable-oil and those using straight diesel fuel. In fact, some research tests showed vir tually the same results for engines using even a half-and-half diesaveg mixture. But other problems exist. Diesaveg is heavier than regular diesel fuel, so mixtures tend to jell. And most oil and diesel fuel mixtures don’t burn completely, leaving carbon traces on engine parts. The Louisiana State researchers are experimenting with chemical additives to eliminate or stabilize the carbon and jelling problems. "Short-run tests have been promising,” says Baldwin. "It’s the longer-range use that needs more scrutiny.” But because of its availability and price, Baldwin sees diesaveg’s use more as a supplement to rather than a substitute for diesel fuel. Especially during an oil crisis, diesaveg could help replace, conventional farm fuel. To make sure the fuel really works, the LSU researchers are experimenting with three State highway tractors which will use. various mixtures of diesaveg this season and next. Another problem is that the nation cannot produce enough additional vegetable oil to replace diesel fuel entirely. "Vegetable oil cannot be con sidered a universal fuel sub stitute,” says Baldwin. “It would be a small part ot this country’s total energy picture, but diesaveg could be an essential part as far as agriculture is concerned.” If cost is a problem, diesaveg has. an alternative ot its own: used vegetable oil, called waste-oil diesaveg, oil that has already been used in preparing food. Last year, Ohio State University ran a campus bus on a mixture of 80- percent diesel/20-percent waste vegetable oil. The oil was collected from capus cafeterias and filtered, then mixed with the diesel fuel. No major mechanical problems oc curred with the bus. According to Fryar, the waste oil alternative holds a brighter future than tresh-oil diesaveg. "The price will always be less than the fresh oil variety,” Fryar. In tact, waste diesaveg is now selling tor about the same price right as con ventional fuel. ROPE IN SOME EXTRA CASH! Advertise With A Lancaster Farming CLASSIFIED AD... 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