A2o—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 27,1982
Forage conference
(Continued from Page Al)
Bollinger’s efforts produced 10.2
tons per acre. However, overall
score, which includes crude
protein and TDN, was i-'st points
below Baker’s score.
The Lebanon Count dairyman
ended with 3,456 pour is of crude
protein per acre and 1 ,081 pounds
of TDN per acre from his Duffield
soil.
.Bollinger direct seeded variety
.OK 130, at a rate of 15 pounds per
acre and applied Tolban and
Furadan. He also followed after
second and third cutting with
Cygon. Bollinger alternated cut
tings with hay and haylage.
Third place honors wait to Blair
County dairyman William
England. England’s Hublersburg
soil, seeded with WL 318 produced
8.9 tons of hay equivalent per acre.
In all, England reported four
cuttings, all of alfalfa haylage.
Ronald Kopp of Dauphin County
finished fourth with 8.7 tons per
acre. Kopp seeded DK 120 into his
Hagerstown soil and followed with
Tolban. His four cuttings were
divided into three cuts of haylage
and one of hay.
With a yield of 8.7 tons per acre.
Nelson H. Wenger of Lancaster
County cornered the fifth spot in
the contest.
Wenger’s Berks Silt Loam was
seeded with RA2 and produced
four cuttings three of haylage
and one of hay.
Four out of the five top
producers worked with spring 1981
seedings, while one producer
seeded in spring 1980.
The sixth annual Alfalfa Grower
Contest was joined by a first year
competition during the conference.
the Outstanding Forage
Spokesman.
The new competition, explained
Extension agronomist John
Baylor, “will recognize producers
who can stand up and tell others
about the importance of forages
and grassland agriculture to our
economy.”
During the conference’s second
day activities, contestants gave a
brief talk and fielded response
from a four-man Extension panel
which included: economist F.A.
Hughes; forages, W.C. Templeton,
Jr.; dairy, D.L. Ace; livestock,
L.L. Wilson.
Centre County dairyman Joe
Hartle earned this year’s Cham
pion Spokesman title. Ross Omer,
Jr. of Clearfield County notched
the Reserve Champion spot.
Other top finalists included: Bill
England; Hershey Bare, Lebanon
Co.; Richard Burd, Fayette Co.;
Jim Hostetler, Mifflin Co.
During the two day proceedings
John Baylor, conference
organizer, was honored with a
standing ovation following the
_jp p»
Harold Bollingers of Lebanon County accept Reserve Grand
Champion accolades from Extension agronomist John Baylor,
who will be retiring next year. The group includes from I to r:
Newton Bair, Lebanon County Extension agent; Amy and
Harold Bollinger; and Baylor.
announcement of his pending
retirement, effective next year.
A variety of specialists were on
hand to update conference par
ticipants on the state’s forage and
seed outlook.
USDA plant pathologist Ken
Leath reported that 10 northern
Pennsylvania counties have beep
confirmed with alfalfa disease
Verticillium wilt.
The disease has been identified
in Centre, Mifflin, Indiana,
Bradford, Clinton, Crawford,
Northumberland, Columbia, Erie
and Venango Counties.
Leath, however, expressed
confidence that summer tem
peratures in south and
southeastern regions of Penn
sylvania, are high enough to be
unfavorable for extensive disease
development.
“Pennsylvania growers are
really fortunate because before
major stand losses have occurred,
resistant varieties are available.
In a few years, all varieties grown
at least in the northern half of the
state will have resistance to
Verticillium wilt,” Leath said.
“I expect that in five to ten years
the Verticillium-wilt scare will be
behind us in much the same way
as bacterial wilt and host-plant
resistance will be in control,” he
added.
However, with 88.7 million ui
losses, the potato leafhopper
continues to be the major alfalfa
pest in the state, reported en
tomologist Arthur Hower.
Alfalfa height, dry weight yield,
percent crude protein and non
structure carbohydrate root
reserves are reduced by this in
sect. Leafhopper damage can
reduce protein by as much as 30
percent and yield by 50 percent,
Hower reported.
“The insect generally arrives
during mid-May, therefore, the
first major problem occurs in the
second crop of alfalfa
“The population builds con
tinuously through mid-August so
the third crop, in a four-crop
system, is the most seriously af
fected,” he added.
Since damage by this pest is
irreversible, early detection is
important.
“Sweep net sampling procedures
set forth in the Pennsylvania
Alfalfa Pest Management
Program will give a grower
adequate warning as to the
presence and severity of the
leafhopper problem,” he con
tinued. “When alfalfa is two to six
inches tall, the decision to spray
should be made from represen
tative sweep net samples. ’ ’
But it wasn’t wilt and it wasn’t
insects that severely affected a
number of farmers in nor
thwestern Pennsylvania. Mother
This year’s top five alfalfa growers represent both the east and west of Pennsylvania.
' From left to right the group includes; grand champion —J. Allen Baker, Bedford Co.;
reserve champion Harold Bollinger, Lebanon Co.; third William England, Blair Co.;
fourth Ron Kopp, Dauphin Co.; fifth Nelson Wenger, Lancaster Co.
The Forage' and Seed Conference recognized, for the first time, the Outstanding
Forage Spokesman. The top six spokesmen are, from I to r: champion Joseph Hartle,
Centre Co.; reserve champion Ross Orner, Jr., Clearfield Co.; Jim Hostetler, Mifflin
Co.; Hershey Bare, Lebanon Co.; Richard Burd, Fayette Co.; William England, Blair Co.
nature dealt a debilitative blow in “In many areas of Europe, New the Willis L. McClellan Memorial
August with an early frost and talk Zealand and Australia, pastures Scholarship, the gift would be
focused on the feeding value of ore routinely used for dairy awarded on an annual basis to a
corn silage under those stresses. operations with great success,” qualifying student in Agronomy.
Since the energy content of explained Heinrichs. Special consideration will be given
whole-plant com varies only from I* ll ® f® Ihe large amount of to deserving students with a
60 to 70 percent on a dry matter protein in high quality forage, less specific interest in conservation
basis according to maturity and grain is normally required to get tillage.
even grain content, most weather- maxunum production. A sound For more information or
affected silage should be of basis for optimum sup- donations to the memorial
reasonably good feeding quality, plementation would be to add only scholarship, contact Penn State,
reported dairy Extension enough grain to bring the total office of gifts and endowments, 23
specialist Dick Adams. ration digestibility to 67 percent, Willard Bidding, University Park,
“More problems from moldy the point where digestibility no 16802.
feed may be expected,” Adams longer limits intake, he reported. John Rodgers of Belleville wa^
said. “Some ears and forage “I" terms of productivity, the honored as the 1982 Pennsylvania
portions were moldy when ensiled, rotational grazing or paddock Forage and Grassland Council’s
Moldy feed often is higher in system appears to work the best. Special Award,
estrogen content and lower in This provides a continuous supply The Mifflin County dairyman, a
feeding value than ususal. In rare of high protein and immature former PFGC president, helped
cases, molds produce mycotoxins pasture for grazing throughout the establish the Pa. Alfalfa Growers
that can be very toxic at levels summer. program sponsored by PFGC and
over .2 to 1 part per million in the “Graze the stands from two to the Cooperative Extension Service,
total ration dry matter. ” seven days, allowing the pasture to The 1983 PFGC executive slate
Mycotoxins, which can be remain in the growing stage for an includes: president, William
produced before or ad ter ensiling, extended period of time which Stringer, assistant professor of
can cause loss of appetite, helps keep forage digestibility at crop science at Penn State; vice
production decline, black or bloody d® P®ak,” Heinrichs suggested. president, Hershey Bare, Lebanon
diarrhea and even abortion. Before the conference ended. County dairy farmer; secretary-
Adams emphasized that com participants recognized the death treasurer, Richard Harm, Milton
gram in dry or high-moisture form of Extension agronomist Willis L. Hershey School agribusiness
is more susceptible to mycotoxin McClellan, with a proposed director; executive vice president,
problems than whole-plant silage, memorial scholarship. Known as John Baylor.
Mycotoxin screening tests are
available for suspected feeds, he
added
“When silage pH does not fall
below 4.8 to 5, botulism, en
tertoxemia, iisterellosis or
mycoloxms may be encountered.
Nitrate poisoning seldom occurs
but is more prevalent in drought
stricken com silage. Reproduction
may suffer when nitrate levels
reach two percent in the total
ration dry matter,” reported
Adams.
For those producers leaning
away from ensilage, Jud
Heinrichs, Extension dairy
specialist presented some alter
natives in pastui e management.
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HARRISBURG-The
Pennsylvania Game
Commission urges
hunters going afield
before daylight not to
load their guns prior to
the legal shooting hour.
During deer seasons,
hunters often head out
well before daylight so
they reach their favorite
hunting spots before
dawn. Some load their
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Don’t load firearms
before shooting time
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firearms before star
ting.
Hunters usually trip
on branches, roots,
rocks, etc. when
traveling in the
darkness, particularly
through the woods.
Sometimes, a gun ac
cidentally discharges
when the hunter trips or
falls, and a serious
accident can result'