HARRISBURG - Most field
work was accomplished early in
the week before rain moved into
the state later m the week ending
May 22, according to the Penn
sylvania Crop Reporting Service,
Statewide, three days were rated
suitable for fieldwork.
Activities fortbe week included: ‘
planting oats, corn, potatoes,
soybeans, and alfalfa; harvesting
asparagus; plowing; spreading
fertilizer; spraying; and cutting
rye for silage and green chop:
Topsoil moisture in the Com
monwealth was rated surplus by 65
percent of our reporters and
adequate by 35 percent. In the
northern region, 64 percent of our
reporters rated it surplus and 36
percent rated it adequate. In the
central region topsoil moisture
was rated surplus by 73 percent
and adequate by 27 percent while
in the southern region, it was rated
surplus by 50 percent of our
reporters and adequate by 50
percent.
Planting continues behind schedule
By the end ot the week spring
plowing was' 80 percent complete
compared with 92 percent last year
and a five-year average of 89
percent complete. Plowing was
rated 77 percent complete in the
northern region, 82 percent in the
central- region and 79 percent
complete in the southern region.
Virtually all peach and cherry
trees were in full bloom or past
bloom, the same as last year.
Apple trees in the state were
virtually all in full bloom or past
compared with 94 percent last
year. The frost reported during the
past week in some locations ap
pears to have caused no extensive
damage to fruit trees in the
commonwealth.
Damage to strawberries,
tomatoes, and peppers was
reported to be extensive in some
areas because of the frost during
the week.
Statewide, 90 percent of the oat
crop was planted while oat seeding
was virtually complete at this time
last year.
Soybean planting was 12 percent
complete in the Commonwealth
compared with 33 percent last
year. In the northern region 8
percent was planted, 10 percent in
the central region, and 18 percent
m the southern region was planted.
By the end of the week 70 percent
of the potato crop was planted
compared with 84 percent planted
at this time last year. In the nor
thern region 56 percent was
planted, in the central region 68
percent was planted, and in the
southern region of the state 90
percent of the potato crop was
planted.
Statewide, 44 percent of the com
crop was planted compared with 75
percent last year and also com
pared with a five-year average of
60 percent planted. In the northern
region 31 percent was planted, in
the central region 45 percent was
planted and in the southern region
60 percent of the corn crop was
planted.
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 28,1983—A 33
By the end of the week, 43 per
cent of the barley crop was m boot
stage, and 30 percent was headed
compared with 35 percent in boot
stage and 49 percent headed last
year.
By the end of the week 50 percent fair by 33 percent,
of the wheat crop was in boot The amount of feed obtained
stage, and less than 5 percent was from pastures was rated average
headed compared with 35 percent by 56 percent of our reporters,
in the boot stage and 15 percent above average by 27 percent and
headed last year. below average by 17 percent.
Statewide, <»9 percent of our
Paraplowing
(Continued from Page A3l)
at Coshocton between July, 1970, to
July, 1973, totalled 21,360 pounds
an acre from clean-tilled, con
tinuous com and 230 pounds from
untilled, continuous com.
Since 1940, thousands of
measurements of water runoff at
the Experimental Watershed show
that runoff from clean-tilled com
reporters rated alfalfa stands
good, and 31 percent rated them
fair. However, alfalfa weevil
damage has started to increase.
Clo-tim stands were rated good
by 67 percent of our reporters and
increases with the amount of rain
that falls at intensities greater
than an inch an hour.
“But runoff is much less when
the surfact is not tilled,” Edwards
says. At Coshocton, runoff from
continuous, untilled com was
compared with runoff from corn in
a 4-year rotation, com-wheat
meadow-meadow, 1965-1972 and
1979-1982. Runoff from the con
ventionally tilled rotation com was
20 times the runoff from untilled
continuous com. In another study,
runoff from a 4-year rotation was
measured 29 years. The plowing,
discing, harrowing and com
cultivation every fourth year
caused 30 times as much runoff,
about 2.5 inches a year average, as
the runoff from the meadows, less
than 0.1 inch a year.
Com yields at the Experimental
Watershed for nine years, 1964-
1972, averaged 8 percent more
from continuous com without
tillage than from corn grown in
rotations with conventional tillage.
“That’s because some of our soils
are drouthy,” Edwards says, “and
the mulch increases infiltration
and helps hold soil moisture.”
Amerman summarizes 19 years
of no-till research, pointing out
that in addition to increasing yields
and reducing fuel and labor costs,
planting without plowing enables
farmers to grow com on many
soils and slopes without serious
erosion hazard. He says results
vary at locations with soils, slopes
and weather patterns that differ
from those at Coshocton. On a
claypen soil in Missouri, for
example, planting without tillage
increased runoff but still caused
less erosion than conventional
tillage.
York PIK handlers
YORK York County will have
three handlers for corn under the
1983 ARP/PIK Program.
These handlers are Agway, Inc.,
West York; Spangler & Sprenkle,
York; Hostetler Farm Supply,
Hanover.
Producers enrolled in the PIK
Program who wish to have their
com delivered in York County
must select one of these handlers.
Contact the ASCS Office, 120
Pleasant Acres Road, York, PA.
17402 at 755-2801 for additional
information.
MID-SOUTH TRACTOR
PARTS, INC.
Rl 2 Box 316. Sikeston, MO 63801
Mhl-Wost’s Largost and
Mott Complete Invantary
CALL TOLL FREE
Out oi Sit It: 1-800-325-7070
Missouri Rm.: 1-800-392-0929
"We Ship Anywhere"