Get ready for
the alfalfa boom
How soon will the first cutting of
alfalfa be ready to harvest? The
answer is “soon”, so get ready
now. Plan to make the first cut as
early as possible, whether it goes
for hay or silage.
How early is early? The rule of
thumb of 1/10 bloom, but this
stage is not always apparent.
Another rule is cut when you can
see the basal buds near the crown.
1 like that one better.
In southeastern Pennsylvania
you can safely cut about May 17 -
25. Farther north, or at higher
elevation, it may be a little bit
later.
The mam purpose of early
cutting is for quality forage. We
now have plenty of evidence from
the Pennsylvania State Alfalfa
program that early cut alfalfa
tests about 20 percent crude
protein often as high as 22
percent, and total digestable
nutrient (TDN) content also is
highest at this tune.
The payoff is not only in higher
percentage of crude protein and
TDN, but also higher total yield of
these nutritional factors. There
may be some loss of tonnage, but
this is made up in higher quality.
i%j Fertilizer... Bag or Bulk!
/ FERTIIIZER /
SPECIAL ANALYSIS
8-24-8 CORN SPECIAL
0-10-30 ALFALFA SPECIAL
4-8-16 TOBACCO SPECIAL
6-12-18 TOBACCO SPECIAL
4-16-10 SOYBEAN SPECIAL
4-12-24 SOYBEAN SPECIAL
REGULAR ANALYSIS
10-20-20 6-24-24
20-10-10 32-0-10
15-15-15 26-13-13
22-12-18
8-32-16
19-19-19
12-36-12
10-20-10
6-18-26
(And others)
LANCASTER, PA RICHLAND. PA.
717-299-2541 717-866-5701
DANVILLE. PA.
717-275-4850
Tl)e
Oair^
Business
By
Newton Bair
Is the reduced tonnage from
early cutting significant?
No it isn’t Our observations of
the practices recorded by the top
growers in the Penn State Alfalfa
program have shown that by
making the first cut early you will
gam enough tune to make an extra
cut, also of high quality. Depen
ding on your location, an extra cut
may be a third, fourth or even a
fifth harvest for the season.
What about ■ praying?
Forget about spraying the first
growth of alfalfa. Some alfalfa
weevil will probably be seen, but
by the tune you see very many, it's
time to cut anyway. In most cases,
when the first harvest is off, the
weevil is already pupating and no
longer a menace. If the weevil
larva are still chewing when the
first cut is off, spraying the stubble
is very effective and cheaper than
spraying a standing crop.
Whether you are praying or
spraying, get on your knees for
best results. Check things out of
close range. If the larva are
crawling and eating spray. If
they are still and pupating don’t.
Nature will take care of them from
here on, at no cost to you
Leafhoppen
Don’t worry too much yet about
500 Running Pump Rd. t Box 5177
Lancaster. Pa. 17603
In Pa. 1-800-732-0398 Outside Pa. 1-800-233-3833
the leafhopper. The experience of
the last several years has been the
leafhoppers arrive in full force on
or after June 15, just in tune to
clobber the third crop of alfalfa
If you don’t have a sweep net. get
one, or borrow one from your
neighbor Start sweeping your
fields in early to mid-June to cuum
leafhoppers
Briefly, here is how you use a
sweep net.
Select at least 5 random sites
in a field. As you sample a site,
take a long step between each
sweep.
Make 20, 180 degree sweeps
with the net at each site, sweeping
3 to 4 inches below the top of the
plants.
-- After 20 sweeps, swing the net
back and forth several tunes, to
force the insects into the small end
of the bag.
►- Count all the adults and
nymphs of the leafhopper, and
record.
After you sweep 5 sites, you can
calculate the average number of
insects per sweep. Example: If,
after 20 sweeps of the net at 5 sites,
you have collected a total of 60
hoppers, divide 60 by 100 = 0.6
hoppers per sweep.
If the population is high (50 or
more in 20 sweeps) you can reduce
the number of sweeps to save tune.
Your decision on whether to
spray depends on two things, the
height of the alfalfa; and the
average number of insects and
nymphs per sweep.
For example, if you count 0 5
(one half) hopper per sweep of the
net, and the alfalfa is only 6 inches
high, spray immediately. If the
alfalfa is 9 to 10 inches high at that
count, resample again in 5 days. If
the alfalfa is 12 inches or more in
height, a count of 2 or more insects
per sweep may justify spraying,
but if it is only a week from har
vest, cut instead of spraying. Then
spray the next cutting.
R/K AGRI SERVICE , INC.
CHARLOTTE HALL, MD.
301-884-4604
301-932-6527
Most serious damage to alfalfa
from leafhopper occurs at the 4” to
10” stage of growth
Quick tips on haymaking
Mow alfalfa early in the morning
so it has all day to dry
Rake in single windrows before
noon the next day Rake while hay
is still tough, and don’t be afraid to
spend up so tht the windrow is
fluffy
Avoid baling when the hay is
bone dry Best hay baling tune is
Jersey bred heifers
attracts new buyers
MERCER While some folks,
these days, aren't enjoying the
high prices dairy cattle brought a
year or two ago, Pennsylvania
Jersey breeders had a lot to smile
about as this year’s Bred Heifer
Sale averaged more than last year.
Held recently at the Mercer 4-H
Park, 29 bred heifers averaged
11,126 and grossed $32,680, a
contrast to last year’s average of
$1,084.
Florence Robinson, secretary
treasurer for the Pennsylvania
Jersey Cattle Club, explained that
a lot of new buyers kept the bidding
bvely for the annual event.
Jane Moore of Franklin paid
$1,835 for the high-selling heifer.
Consigned by New Wilmington
dairymen Richard and Gerald
Moose, Spring Run Earl Shasta is
sired by Generator HL Earl and
out of Spring Run QS Shen, a high
testing animal with records to
13,720 pounds of milk and 888
pounds of fat. The top-seller is due
in June to Bnarcliffs Black Magic
Fredoma breeder Donald Koontz
had the high bid of $1,560 for a
Bnarcliffs Soldier Boy daughter
BrvmwH «soMter Bov Candace.
UPPER MARLBORO, MD.
Three M Farm Service
301-627-8700
301-627-3300
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 15,1982—017
late eveamg, after leaves begin to
take on a little moisture
Pray for ram while it’s growing
and sun while it's curing'
Acid preservatives do not im
prove the feeding quality of hay'
Use only in situations where hay
must be baled at high moisture
(about 20 percent for legume hay i
For hay between 20 - 25 percent
moisture, apply at least one
quarter actual propionic acid per
50 pound bale
consigned by Thomas Williams of
Middletown, is due to M.V F
Banner A 1 and out of Bryncoed
Cynthis Chira with records to
14,005 pounds of milk and 535
pounds of fat.
Walebe Samson Quincy com
manded J 1,350 and got the bid from
Dean Moose of New Wilmington
Consigned by Walebe Farms, Inc.
of CoUegeville, the heifer is sired
by Gratnhil Leader Sophia Samson
and out of Walebe Mack Quince
The heifer is due to Bnarcliffs
Black Magic
A Soldier Boy daughter, con
signed by Joseph Shield* of
Summerville, also nailed down an
|1,350 bid. Debra Stoudt of Bem
ville purchased Bnafcliffs Secret
Laura who is out of Milestone
Secret Dairy Mae The heifer is
due in July to Quicksilver Noble.
Hillcrest Jersey Farm of Volant
donated a three-month-old calf to
the sale Celias Penny Pickles was
purchased for $4OO by Michael
Lusk of Charleroi The young
heifer is sired by Celias Master of
Fallneva and out of MP
Quicksilver Pansy Penny
FERTILIZER MATERIALS
BAG OR BULK
46-0-0 UREA
33 J / 2 -0-0 AMMONIUM NITRATE
30-0-0 NITROGEN SOLUTION
21-0-0 AMMONIUM SULFATE
38-0-0 NITRO-FORM
18-46-0 DAP
13-52-0 MAP
0-46-0 TRIPLE
0-0-50 SULFATE OF POTASH
0-0-60 MURIATE OF POTASH
0-0-22 K-MAG
20% ZINC
90% SULPHUR
32% BORATE
0-0-37 SULPHUR COATED UREA
0-20-0 SUPER
MICRO-MIX
CALCIUM NITRATE
NITRATE OF SODA-POTASH
JAMES H. McKENNY
Sales Representative
Southern Maryland
m
/ KKTUI2M f