A22—Lancaster Fannins, Saturday, July 23,1983
Alfalfa plot tests & embryo transfers highlight 4 day’
(Continued from Page Al)
show the differences m cutting
intervals, and a demonstration
was given by Les Lanyon of Penn
State on the effects of manure
application on alfalfa crops.
Lanyon explained - the ad
vantages and disadvantages
associated with various fertilizer
applications. Examples he used in
his demonstration were four plots,
each which received a different
fertilizer application.
Each alfalfa plant, Lanyon said,
is like a nitrogen fertilizer factory.
When manure is applied to a field,
nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium are added. The alfalfa,
he said, readily uses these
minerals.
After presenting his demon
stration, Lanyon answered
questions and discussed fertilizer
applications. A major concern
farmers have about fertilizing, he
said, is the timing and if using
manure, how much is needed.
Exhibits
A newly constructed Morton
machinery and storage building,
measuring 60 by 200 feet, served as
an exhibition hall for 38 com
mercial exhibitors. Agri-business
displays representing all aspects
of forage production and feeding
included everything from seed,
fertilizer and pesticides to forage
preservatives and storage
facilities.
Tractors, planters, and forage
handling euipment were also on
display, but were not demon
strated.
Complementing the commercial
exhibits were educational exhibits
by the Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture, University of
Pennsylvania, and Penn State
University.
Faculty members from the
University of Pennsylvania
distributed information on the
Load # Moisture CP
(%) (%)
* on a dry matter basis
BY DICK ANGLESTEIN
HERSHEY Members of the
Pennsylvania Forage and
Grassland Council and guests
gathered for a preview Monday
night of the Forage and Dairy Day
and reminisced a bit about their
beginnings.
The Council was formed 23 years
ago and in two years will be
celebrating its silver anniversary,
explained John R. Rodgers, Mifflin
County dairyman, and co
chairman of the day’s activities.
The American Forage and
Grassland Council will be coining
to Pennsylvania to help celebrate
the 25th anniversary in two years,
he added.
The Council’s Grassland and
Pasture Renovation Days
beginning in the early-1950’s were
the forerunners of today’s Ag
Progress Days at Penn State.
“And we’ve had similar progress
in the annual alfalfa competition,”
Rodgers explained.
“Six or seven years ago, yields
were about seven tons an acre. In
1982, the top yield was 10.2 tons per
nutritional services offerd to the
livestock industry by the Penn
School of Veterinary Medicine.
Veterinarians and nutritionists at
the New Bolton Center work
together to evaluate rations in
relation to total management
programs and performance ob
jectives.
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
Chester Heim helped man the PDA
exhibit, answering questions
dealing with agricultural
production and marketing.
Penn State economists
demonstrated dairy ration and
budgeting programs on a
microcomputer. Professor
William Grisely explained the
results of a Penn State study that
examined price formation of hay in
Pennsylvania hay markets.
Mini Hay Auction
Anyone that was interested in
buying hay was given the op
portunity to do so during a mini
hay auction. The Pennsylvania
Forage and Grassland Council
organized the auction. Seven loads
of hay were available for sale by
producer-members of the Council.
Each load of hay was sampled and
Auctioneer Harry Bachman auctioned off seven loads of hay
in a mini hay auction. Posted on each load was an analysis of
the hay.
Mini Hay Auction Report
19.7
16.3
11.8
15.4
16.5
15.8
Grasslanders reminisce
acre. And our goal is 12 tons per
acre.
Included in the audience was
John Baylor, retired Penn Stater
and now with Beachley-Hardy
Seeds, who helped found the
Council.
Featured speaker at the preview
was Joseph Harrington, Director
of Ag Progress Days.
Harrington stressed the im
portance of agriculture to the U.S.
by citing it as the “Number One
industry. Number One employer.
Number One inflation fighter and ■
Number One exporter.”
Turning to ag research at Penn
State, Harrington said:
“Today’s farmer must adopt and
adapt to new technology in order* to
survive.”
Penn State has some 275 ag
research projects underway and
valued at $l5 million, he said.
These range from animal
genetics to better use of the four
million idle acres of open forest
and pastureland in the Com
monwealth.
* Composition
ADF
(%)
TDN
(%)
44.1
39.2
46.7
42.1
44.5
52’
39.3
40.6
A crowd of interested spectators gathered to watch a demonstration of embryo
transfer. Dr. Allan McCauley, left, of EntTran embryo transfer service explains to the
onlookers the flushing process being performed by two veterinarian-technician teams.
Type Selling Price
(sperton)
2nd cut
alfalfa
2nd cut
alfalfa
mixed
Ist cut
alfalfa
Ist cut
mixed
2nd cut
alfalfa
2nd cut
alfalfa
In 1982, Pennsylvania fanners
invested some $26 million in soil
and water conservation measures
and techniques. Of that amount,
only a little more than $3.6 million
was federal cost-sharing dollars
and the rest came out of the for
mers’ pockets.
The days of declining ag
enrollments at Penn State ap
peared to have turned around,
Harrington said.
Paid' acceptances in ag
enrollment are up some 9.7 per
cent, he said. Two-thirds of the
students don’t have any ag
background and 40 percent are
female. And the college is actively
recruiting minority ag students.
Harrington also traced a bit of
history of Ag Progress, explaining
how it traveled around the state at
different locations from 1969 to
1976 and has been held at the Rock
Springs Research Farm per
manent site since.
Together with associations and
agencies, some 300 exhibitors are
expected this year.
V ♦
no sale
jpi jy jy
Pioneer Seed Company, was used to cut and weigh each
alfalfa sample. Samples from 10 different alfalfa-grass
mixtures were used for the on-the-spot testing program at
the Pa. Forage-Dairy Field Day.
75
57.50
67.50
Penn State research aid Debbie Snyder collects an alfalfa '
sample to be tested on the near-infrared (NIR) analysis unit.
About 10 to 15 minutes are needed to run each sample.
i y
<*, Vj * V
v w
i, >
%
.* - *
>i * f
,’v "jW
-
1 '