AlB—Lancaster Finning, Saturday, July 31,1982 Potato Day features cameras, computers & fighting Pringle’s BY DICK ANGLESTEIN LANDISVILLE - The latest in potato research, ranging from using cameras and computers to help grow them to the latest in spraying fashions and progress in the fight against Pringle’s, was featured at a field day in Lancaster Lebanon County graduate student Mark Gronceski photographs potato plants as part of research being con ducted at Penn State's Southeast Lab at Landisville. County that continued from early morning to well after dark on Tuesday. In addition to the overall em phasis on potatoes, the field day included some preliminary results on trials of double cropping com and soybeans after barley. In Don Daum, Penn State extension ag JUtheast Research Lab during Potato Field engineer, explains rotary nozzle spraying Day on Tuesday, equipment to one of the groups touring the general, the studies show that raising double crop corn for grain should be forgotten, for silage is a better bet, but soybeans bring the blackest bottom line as far as double cropping is concerned. The Pennsylvania Potato Field Day was held at three different locations - Penn State’s Southeastern Field Research Lab and the county potato farms of Noah Kreider and Clair Graybill. At the Southeastern Research Lab, 10 different research projects were outlined to participants. At each of the research plots, Penn State personnel explained the particular study that was being conducted. In one of these studies, Lebanon County graduate student, Mark Gronceski, had a 35 mm. camera set up on a long tripod seven feet above some potato plants. 6030 Jonestown Rd. Harrisburg Pa. 17112 717-545-5931 Interstate 81 Exit 26 Diesel fuel injection and turbo charger specialists. Locally owned and operated with over 25 years in business. Authorized Sole A Service For: • American Bosch • CAV • Robert Bosch • Simms • Roosa Master • RotoMaster • Airesearch • Schwitzer ASSOCIATION Of= DIESEL SPECIALISTS W* Alto Swrvfcw: • IHC • Caterpillar • Cummins • General Motors injectors • Allis Chalmers • Blowers, governors etc. • Bacharach Tools Daily Shipments by UPS, Parcel Post, or our representative who is in area regularly. (m) utility Building Systems 7 KEENER RD„ LITITZ, pa. 17543 PH: (717) 626-5204 YOUR RELIABLE BUILDER • DAIRY • BEEF • SWINE • POULTRY • HORSE BARNS • ALL PURPOSE BUILDINGS Cablevey BUILDING SPECIAL Feed 60’ Wide by 120’ Long Building Systems As Low As *OO per Sq, Ft. “I’m using both infra-red and color film to photograph these potato plants,” Gronceski ex plained. “This work is being coordinated with the remote sensing aerial infra-red photography which is now being done in York, Lancaster and Lebanon counties by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Plant Industry. “We’ll be comparing these' photos taken seven feet off the ground with what is seen from the aircraft so that the aerial photography can be better in terpreted.” Gronceski also is using regular color film in the study because it is more economical. The photographic studies can help detect insect damage, measure loss of plant leaf and trace plant damage by analyzing the color shadings in the plants. While remote sensing of grain MILLER DIESEL INC. fields has been quite common from aircraft and satellites, this ■is believed' to be the first such research involving potatoes. The use of mini-computers was demonstrated for many on-farm purposes, including when spraying should be done for two potato problems'- late blight and the green peach aphid. Art Hussey, of Agronomy Ex tension, demonstrated the com puter systems, which cost about $2,000 and are now making then appearance in County Extension Offices. In addition to the blight forecast program, they could be utilized for various records keeping and other management purposes, such as involving the purchase or renting of additional land. In a discussion of sprayer technology, Don Daum, Extension Ag Engineer, reviewed three types of sprayers, which were later demonstrated on the Kreider farm. They included the boom sprayer, the air blast and the new rotary nozzle. (Turn to Page Al 9) Schukl & Feed S' i v.
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