D4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 2,1983
UNIVERSITY PARK - Penn
sylvania alfalfa growers can ex
pect to lose at least $8.5 million this
year from damage inflicted by the
potato leafhopper. That’s ac
cording to a study conducted by
Art Mower, entomologist at Penn
State University.
“When we collected our data, the
leafhopper count was at a 10-year
low," Mower notes. “In an average
year, growers will probably lose
even more. The damage we
measured was primarily from
leafhoppers and although other
insects not considered pests were
present, the study didn’t include
alfalfa weevils. And the blotch
leafmtner count was low. So you
can see why growers should be
alert to alfalfa insects.”
The leafhopper is harmful
because of its effect on the crop it
leaves behind. “Alfalfa infested by
the leafhopper produces more
fiber and less protein, thus
reducing the plant’s quality as a
feed. And, it also reduces root
reserves that the plant needs for
regrowth," Hower adds. "This
damage is less obvious than a yield
reduction, but it may be more
important economically in the long
run.”
The entomologist reports that
the leafhopper, a 1/8 inch long,
bright yellowish-green insect, does
not overwinter in' the Northeast.
He says it’s probably carried into
the region on northward air
masses from the Gulf Coast each
spring. “The insects are typically
brought m on storqi fronts and
fallout occurs all along the edge of
the frontal system," Hower ex
plains. Usually most damaging to
WHAT THIS MAN
KNOWS ABOUT
HARMING COULD
FIU.ADOOK
Farming It’s a complex
business. No surprise to you,
of course. We only mention it
because when it comes to
getting a farm loan, we know
vou don't want to have to
start at ground zero and
explain the expenses of
livestock, machinery',
construction, mortgages raid
operating expenses to a novice
loan officer.
Which is why we suggest vou
turn to Bob Badger, the head
of our Agricultural Loan
Division. Bob knows tanning
inside out and upside
down. He's Ixren helping our
community's fanners meet
their business objectives for
\vaiv So when it comes to
f.mn loans, he takes a vciv
mteivsting jxnnt of new
vonrs
Pa. alfalfa growers lose millions to pests
second and third cuttings, - the
optimum tune to scout for these
insects is from mid-June through
mid-August.
Leafhoppers cause the most
harm to alfalfa that is less than 6
inches tall. An insecticide treat
ment is called for in alfalfa less
than 3 inches tall if an average of
0.2 leafhopper is found per sweep
with an insect net 15 inches in
diameter. Alfalfa taller than 12
inches has an economic threshold
of 1.5 to 2 leafhoppers per sweep.
These figures are based upon a hay
value of $BO/ton, a control cost of
$B/acre and an average yield of
oneton/acre.
Identifying and controlling in
sects is Important to alfalfa
growers in Pennsylvania, since the
state produces more than 800,000
acres of legume annually. For
tunately, according to Bill
Angstadt of Reading Bone Fer
tilizer in Berks County, fighting
alfalfa pests has taken a turn for
the better recently.
“Foryears we’ve used a number
of different insecticides for various
insects, but we’ve never gotten the
broad spectrum control we were
after,” explains Angstadt. “Then
last year we took advantage of a
new registration for a product we’d
used for several years in com.
Lorsban 4E was labeled for 11
insects in alfalfa and we used it on
several hundred acres with good
results. The product got a good
workout because 1982 was a bad
year for both leafhoppers and
blotch leafmmers here in eastern
Pennsylvania.”
How can fanners tell when the
crop is most vulnerable to an in-
Next time vou need to talk to
it banker iilxnit financingyour
business, f iilk to the banker
who understands your
business... Bob Badger at
Bank of Lancaster County.
Visit Bob at our Strasburg
office or give him ii call rind
iLskhim to visit vou.
Bank of
Lancaster County
MnnlxT H) I.C
,\j4nniitur,il !/i,m Division
f ViiUtnju.uv.
sect outbeakV Don Baldwin,
technical service and development
specialist for Dow Chemical in
Pennsylvania, says young or
recently cut alfalfa should be
watched most closely for pest
damage.
"Growers should pay special
attention to early-season crop
growth and regrowth after cut
tings,” Baldwin advises. "For
example, a lack of fertilizer or
poor weather that would slow
spring alfalfa growth could be an
invitation to the alfalfa weevil. A
plant is m the most danger just
after it has begun its early growth.
Most of the damage is done by
weevil larvae. As larval feeding
progresses, leaves become
shredded and take on a gray ap
pearance.
If a stand doesn’t begin to green
up within three to four days after
cutting, an insecticide treatment
may be in order. Two applications
are sometimes needed to provide
full protection. Insecticide should
be sprayed when 25% of the leaf
tips are skeletonized and there are
two or more larvae per stem.
It’s impossible to over
emphasize die importance of good
scouting and timely reaction to an
insect problem. For example, by
the tune visual evidence of a blotch
leaftniner infestation has been
detected later in the season, their
feeding cycle may already be
completed. The resulting damage
will be a substantial loss of foliage
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after the next cutting. The adult
leafmmer is a tiny, dull black,
humpback fly, best recognized by
its egg laying, which leaves
pinhole marks on the leaves.
Dodds rejoins ABS
DeFORES, Wise. J. Douglas
Dodds has rejoined American
Breeders Service as Dairy Market
Manager.
Dodds joined ABS originally in
1960 as a District Sales Manager in
New York and was later promoted
to Regional Sales Manager for the
New England states. In 1968, he
transfered to ABS head office, in
DeForest, Wisconsin, to head.up
the Genetic Mating Service
Program.
In 1974, Dodds returned to the
position of Regional Sales
Manager and served in Wisconsin
until ,1978, when be left ABS to
become National Secretary to the
Ayrshire Breeders Association,
with headquarters in Brandon, Vt.
In his new position, Dodds will
coordinate company activities
involved in dairy market analysis
and the servicing of that market.
Dodds was raised on a dairy
farm near Champlain, New York.
He graduated from Cornell
University with a Bachelor’s
Degree in Dairy Science in 1950
Feeding punctures from
leafnuner might range from just a I
few to over 100 per leaflet. Cheek I
with local forage specialists f or I
treatment guidelines. I
J. Douglas Dodds
and later earned his Masters at the
University of Rhode island. Prior
to joining ABS in 1960, he served as
Dairy Specialist for the University
of Rhode island.
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