A32—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 2,1983 Narrower rows may be key to higher wheat yields % BY DICK ANGLESTEIN LANDISVILLE Planting in narrower rows may be the most obvious key to higher wheat yields, according to a wheat management study now in its third year under the auspices of the USDA and Penn State’s Center for Cereal Research. Findings from the first two years of the study were among in formation outlined at a recent Small Grains Field Day held at Penn State’s Southeast Research Laboratory at Landisville. Wheat yield increases averaged some 8.5 bushels an acre more in five-inch row plantings as com pared to the normal seven-inch rows, according to Greg Roth, Penn State grad student involved in the study. At 14 out of 15 planting locations in Lancaster and Centre County, higher wheat yields were achieved with the narrower rows, averaging nearly 15 percent more. “There was less lodging with the five-inch rows and and no more serious disease problems,” Roth explained. The only catch to the narrower ly . p jg yellow, 16 percent was ripe and 5 percent had been har vested, as of Sunday, June 26 - the Pa. Crop Reporting Service's latest update. rows is that there is no drill that is made for five-inch rows. It was suggested that this is one area in which farmers may recommend equipment changes to manufac turers. Row spacing was just one of four main variables that were included in the study. The others included varying nitrogen applications, seed depth and seeding rates. Generally, it was found that there were no appreciable gains in yield beyond applications of 30 lbs. of N. In Lancaster County par ticularly, where heavy amounts of manure are spread on fields, higher applications of N were not beneficial. In fact, higher ap plications can decrease bushel weight and just feed certain diseases, such as Septoria. Overall, the 150-lb. seeding rate per acre was adequate. Also, there was no significant difference in seeding depth variances from three-quarters to one and one-half inches. Uniform seed coverage is important. Penn State pathologist J. A. Frank called this year “a good disease year but a bad gram-fill year.” Factors such as the mild fall that permitted too-early planting and the wet spring boosted the diseases in this year’s small grains. “There is a very high incidence of barley yellow dwarf virus,” Frank said. “And, we’ve actually seen some dwarfing this year.” The Pa. Crop Reporting Service reports that as of this past Sunday, June 26, 25 percent of the wheat crop was turning yellow, with the southern regions reporting as high as 51 percent. Positive weather this week allowed these figures to increase, thus creating favorable harvesting conditions. The New Distributor For i DIAMOND INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS Farmington, Michigan ■Diamond Systems' Modified Stair-Step Cage Layer Systems * i 69W 1 177 2 cm) 16* (40 6 cm) * (152 cm) U 63- 1 (160 cm) Powdery mildew was actually on plants already last fall, he said, but it had to be viewed in the laboratory in order to be seen. “The earlier plantings last fall actually put the plants under more disease stress,” Frank said. “We’ve seen better results from later plantings.” Septoria was described as bad FARMER BOY AG, INC. 2- and 3-High ''“l 1 I (195 6 cm) System 809 , —Diamond Systems New 4-5-6- High Stacked Layer Cage Systems Die Bad Equipment for converting old poultry houses to maximum density Exctoe Contour Cage gto* birds more room New Diamond Systems 3-High Starter-Grower SALES & SERVICE For Buildings And Equipment IRVIN HORST LARRY HORST Office (717) 866-7565 Office (717) 866-7565 Home (717) 866-2815 Home (717) 866-4957 FARMER BOY AG. 410 H LINCOLN AVE MYERSTOWN. PA 17067 PH 717-866-7565 BEST IN DESIGN. PRICE AND EXPERIENCE this year; while rust was not as prevalent. “We’ve looked at some barley and actually saw six different diseases on the same variety,” Frank said. Also speaking at the field day were H. G. Marshall, M. L. Risius and Elwood Hatley of the Penn State staff. CAr; SWINE 4 POULTRY SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS
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