D2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 10,1983
BUSINESS NE
New mastitis dry cow
treatment reported
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -
Research citing the efficacy of a
new, dual-antibiotic dry cow
treatment product for mastitis was
recently discussed at the 78th
Annual American Dairy Science
Association Meeting, held at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Lew Henke, reasearcher for
The Upjohn Compnay, told the
audience that the new product,
called Alba dry Plus, contains
200,0001. U. of penicillin and 400 mg
of novobiocin, and is the first
commercial product to combine
these two antibiotics in a dry cow
tube.
“The research and development
program for Albadry Plus was
initiated in 1974,’’ explained Dr.
Henke. “The Upjohn Company
recognized the need for a dry cow
intramammary product that was
active against strains of Staph,
aureus and streptococci the
most common bacteria associated
with mastitis. Novobiocin is very
effective against staphylococci,
while penicillin is the drug of
choice for treating streptococcal
infections. Research was then
conducted to determine if this
anltlblotic combination would
actually be effective against
mastitis infections.”
According to Dr. Henke, once the
most efficacious balance of
penicillin/novobiocin in the
Albadry Plus formulation was
determined, private investigators
is already in the
DES MOINES, la. A combine
that steers itself electronically
while automatically controlling
harvesting speed and header
height is already being field tested.
Its purpose, according to Dick
Jones, director of the Massey-
Ferguson Electronic Center, is “to
increase bushels harvested per
acre and to boost the farmer's
overall prodqctivity. It all adds up
to making combining more ef
ficient and profitable.''
Equipped with several
microcomputers, a combine in
formation center, and a
sophisticated electronics system.
Interior view of mobile data collection lab that accompanies
the Massey-Ferguson experimental combine to its field test
sites. The lab monitors and records data transmitted from 30
sensors on the combine. Test results show possible
productivity gains of 50%.
from across the U.S. helped Up
john researcchers test the
product’s efficacy. These in
vestigators, from the dairy areas
of New York, Michigan, Min
nesota, Louisiana and California,
selected more than 700 cows from
70 herds for use in the trials.
Duplicate quarter milk samples
for microbiological examination
were collected from each cow and
the cows were divided into treated
and untreated groups. “All four
quarters of each treated cow were
infused with Albadry Plus,” Dr.
Henke explained. “Later, milk
samples were again collected 4-10
days post-freshening, to determine
the infection status of each cow
and to compare untreated cows
with treated cows.” Pre-treatment
and post-calving infection data on
the efficacy of the Albadry Plus
formulation were also statistically
analyzed.
The results: of the 101 treated
cows infected with Strep,
agalactiae, the elimination rate
with Albadiry Plus was 100 percent,
while the spontaneous cure rate
among the 91 untreated, infected
cows was 39 percent. Among the
143 cows infected with Staph,
aureus, the elminination rate with
Albadry Plus was 50 percent; the
spontaneous elimination rate
among untreated cows was 28
percent. Cows receiving Albadry
Plus at drying off had lower post-
Automatic combine
the developmental combine has
been averaging 29 percent better
productivity over comparable
standard machines. In some cases,
such as uneven soybean crops, it
has tallied daily productivity gains
of 90 percent.
Being developed by the MF
Central Electronics Group, the
experimental combine is believed
to be “some few years from the
market,” according to Jones.
“We still have a lot of work to do
on new and different wiring
systems and more simplified
electronics,” he said. “But we
•••
rtn.i.v, N. Y. Lester Kreider,
of Lancaster, and Charlie
Bergamo, of Vineland, N.J., joined
160 other Agway enterprise sales
people attending one of two farm
sales schools held recently to
review the latest technology and
new programs aimed at more
profitable farm management.
They participated in three days
of seminars and presentations on
feeding and management for
maximum production response in
dairy animals and picked up ideas
to pass on to farm clients on im
proved crop management
programs.
In the dairy feeding sessions,
participants reviewed the use of
programmable calculators for on
farm designing of complete dairy
feeding programs to provide the
most profitable combinations of
farm-grown and purchased seeds.
Also reviewed were several new
feeds soon to be introduced by
Agway, calf and heifer and dry
cow feeding and management
programs, total mixed rations
(TMR) and the new Cattle-Code
(computer controlled) feeder, a
mechanical unit which provides
supplemental concentrates for
individual high producing dairy
cows.
On the crops side, participants
received an up-date on the latest
technology and new components of
Agway’s ICM (Integrated Crop
Management) programs. These
include new Agway seed corn
varieties adapted specifically for
Northeast farms, new alfalfa
partum infection rates of mastitis
due to Staph, aureus. Strep,
agalactiae or other mastitis
streptococci than the unmedicated
cows, emphasized Dr. Henke.
“Under these well-controlled
trial conditions, the antibiotic
formulation in Albadry Plus was
shown to be effective in com
batting the most common mastitis
causing pathogens,” Dr. Henke
concluded.
fields
have no doubt that this machine is
the forerunner of a new generation
of MF combines.”
Cost of the high technology
combine will not be overwhelming.
The systems are expected to add
less than three percent to the price
of the machines - a cost the farmer
can swiftly recover from increased
bushels harvested per acre.
In addition to increasing
productivity, the new combine’s
design will minimize downtime.
According to Jones, the unit will be
designed to prevent overloading of
the engine and various critical
drive components.
The four main physical systems
on the developmental combines
are: forward speed control which
adjusts automatically to varying
crop densities; automatic header
height systems which will be much
more sensitive than conventional
ones now in use; an operator in
formation center which instantly
displays harvesting performance
results and grain loss figures; and
the automatic guidance system
which steers the combine by
measuring the position of the table
head in relation to the standing
crop.
TTiese systems will also help to
simplify combine operation and
reduce operator fatigue. Various
routine operating decisions and
adjustments which now must be
repeated continually will be
decreased or eliminated. At the
end of each day, the on-board
computers will print out daily
production results and servicing
needs.
Agway holds sales schools
r
m
If' - *"
X*' *
Lester Kreider, enterprise salesman from Lancaster and
Charles Bergamo, area manager from Vineland, NJ, inspect
new mini-bulk handling pump at Agway Farm Research
Center near Tully, NY. The equipment is used to speed ap
plication of farm pesticides during busy growing seasons.
management programs and
alternatives to alfalfa, including
selected grasses, clover and
legume-grass mixes.
Agway recently introduced the
AgriPlanner micro computer
which is being used at many
locations to assist farmers in
selecting the most profitable
combinations of cropping, fer
tilization and pesticide aonUcation
to meet their individual re
quirements.
RACINE, Wisc.-J. I. Case has
just introduced a new line of Case
94 Series agricultural tractors at a
dealer convention in Kansas City.
The new introduction features a
design concept termed “constant
traction.”
The 162 PTO horsepower Case
Model 3294 Constant Traction
tractor is a high horsepower row
crop tractor with the tractive ef
ficiency of the four-wheel drive
model.
The term "constant traction”
describes the way the front-drive
and rear-drive wheels are syn
chronized and always engaged,
similar to the four-wheel drive
tractors. There is no disconnect or
clutch between the front drive
wheels and rear drive wheels,
maximizing the tractive ad
vantages of a four-wheel drive
tractor.
A quantity of engineering
prototypes of the Case Model 3294
tractors have been put through
their paces by farmers throughout
North America during a year-long
evaluation and test program.
Comments from farmers include
the following:
Case introduces
6 constant traction’
Case Model 3294 features constant traction.
The latest information on mini
bulk handling of crop pesticides for
farmer application was presented
and newly developed application
equipment was inspected at the
Agway Farm Research Center
near Tully, NY.
Local farmer meetings and
individual on-farm demonstrations
will be conducted tc share in
formation learned with farm
clients.
-“The 3294 provides increased
usage over my larger tractor. This
should reduce my per-acre cost.”
-“It burns about 15 percent less
fuel than my large horsepower
two-wheel drive tractor with the
same horsepower.”
-“The 3294 is easily
maneuverable, you rarely have to
use the brakes when turning in
tight situations.”
-“It runs when my two-wheeler
is sitting in the bam. The traction
is there with minimum wheel
slippage.”
-“The 3294 is a real workhorse
with PTO. It has the power to
handle PTO. It was a first class
forage-harvestor and still had
power left to pull a heavily loaded
wagon up my hills.”
As fanners tend to alter their
tillage practices, the idea of
tractive efficient tractors will
become more important. As the
prices for fuel have risen more
than 170 percent in the past five
years, the importance of fuel ef
ficiency becomes paramount for
farmers. This tractor concept will
lend itself well to the adoption of
new fanning practices as fanners
strive for increased efficiency.