030—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 11,1982 McDonnell dairy NORRISTOWN - With in creasing amounts of conservation work being done on farms in Montgomery County, the Mon tgomery County Conservation District had a tough job selecting this year’s Outstanding Con servation Farmer. Twelve candidates were in the running as they each completed large amounts of conservation work on their farms to control soil erosion. After numerous discussions and balloting, the McDonnell Dairy Farm was (Continued from Page 029) Breakthroughs in agricultural research for the most part aren’t dramatic. They’re little successes that add to other little successes that eventually improve a process. A new soybean variety doesn’t revolutionize agriculture, but it does make it more productive. A new tillage technique such as no till doesn’t increase yields, but it does reduce fuel consumption. And the seemingly pointless basic research that means little or nothing to everyone but the researcher, when carried to its conclusion adds one more block to a foundation that eventually becomes a breakthrough. And not all that needs to be known about agriculture is known by any means. Look around at the way our food is produced now compared to 50 years ago and then try to think ahead 50 years. It will take a few breakthroughs and some gradual progress to keep us adequately fed. And that says nothing about the pressures coming from the en vironmentalists, the land developers and others who have impact on farm productivity. That’s why the researchers keep looking and once in a while they find something. Here’s an example. A researcher in Michigan thinks he has some plants that are toxic to other plants. By proper selection and management, he believes these plant killers could take over some of the work of weed control chemicals. In fact, this Michigan State horticulturist, A 1 Putnam, is doing field trials with cover crops that he thinks will help control weeds m subsequent economic crops. So far he’s singled out two varieties of sorghum and one of sudan grass that seem to have this yet unidentified natural weed killer. He’s found that by planting these cover crops and then killing them with chemicals or allowing them to winterkill and then planting other crops in the residue, he’s able to get as high as 95 per cent effective weed control with certain weeds. And he feels that within a few years enough will be known so that this natural her bicide can be used commercially. To give you some idea of the time frame of agricultural research, Putnam’s work goes back more than half a century to earlier work done by crop scientists in the area of "soil sickness.” At that tune, researchers became aware that certain plants had toxic effects on certain other plants, and that somehow this poison seemed to be transmitted through the soil. Building on these discoveries, the horticulturist was able to identify some of these toxic crops. He then set about finding what plants were compatible with them and what plants were not. Out of this came the production pattern of planting toxic plants as cover crops. Putnam believes that more research is required to find out exactly what weeds are being controlled and how to improve the accuracy of the dosage. So far his natural weed killers’ effectiveness selected as the winner of this year’s award. The farm is a family run business which includes a retail dairy store operation. The Mc- Donnell brothers, Frank, John, and William farm several hundred acres in the East Greenville Pennsburg area. Smce at least 1975, they have been active in the conservation field. McDonnell’s were one of the first m the county to install a detailed animal waste facility involving separation of solids and liquids. Farm Talk ranges between 65 and 95 percent. He also thinks it’s unlikely that researchers will ever find one natural herbicide that will control the broad spectrum of weeds that trouble farmers. Therefore, he thinks they will be just part of an arsenal of weed control weapons. That includes everything from crop rotation to changing chemicals to the use of natural weed killers. That’s just one example of agricultural research that’s m progress right now. Maybe to some it seems siUy, maybe even a waste of money. But when you look at the • potential, the millions of dollars that it could save and the en vironmental concern it could solve, its impact is far-reaching. Maybe it’s not as dramatic as hybrid com, but it certainly has the economic potential. earns conservation honors , . conservation practices such as When they purchased their Macoby Creek. Today* these stripcropping, conservation present farm, two large four to five gullied areas no longer exist as two tilings and storage terraces to foot deep gullies existed which large grassed waterways have mention a few have been installed eroded sediment directly into the taken their place. Numerous other over the years. Are YOU \ Satisfied?... A FREE System Analysis could be the^answer. Let us help you with your concerns. For a FREE System Analysis and a demonstration of the Bou.-Matic® Prin ciples of Good Milking, call us. the Quality Milk s People, CUMBERLAND FARM & DAIRY SERVICE 4550 Dairy Road Chambersburg, PA 17201 717-263-0826 MENDENHALL DAIRY SUPPLY R.0.H4 Brookvilte, Pa. 15825 814-849-5539 TRI-STATE AUTOMATION Route 9, Whitehall Rd. Hagerstown, MD 21740 301-790-3698 Duane Clarke, left. 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