Corn lodging, harvest losses may be excessive NEWARK, Del. It’s common knowledge that high air tem peratures and drought stress during tasseling and pollination may reduce corn yields by 50 to 100 percent. The heat reduces pollen viability, while moisture stress generally delays silking Alone or m combination, these environmental factors may cause erratic kernel formation or barren cobs. Even if com is adequately pollinated, stress during the blister stage may cause some kernels to abort, resulting in erratic grain formation - especially at ear lips, says University of Delaware ex tension agronomist William Mitchell. Kernels that don’t abort will continue to fill until black layer formation at aproximately 35% moisture. Although drought and heat stress can thus severely reduce yields, ears will continue to form at the expense oLstored materials in the •stalk. This depletion of structural ■ Hydrostatic reel drive with automatic speed control is now standard equipment on all MF 860 and 850 combines. ■ As ground speed increases or decreases, so does reel speed ... automatically. MF puts mor combine ...less ground. And way to make Ybur Business Machines stalk materials generally accounts for severe lodging m droughty seasons, the agronomist says. Since most of Delaware’s com crop was planted later than normal last spring due to extremely wet conditions, ear heights often are excessive, plants taller, insect damage greater and stalks relatively weaker. Add to these factors severe drought this summer, and there’s a strong likelihood lodging and harvest losses will be excessive this fall. In view of this potential, Mitchell advises growers to be prepared to harvest at optimum times, when grain moisture content ranges between 22% and 26%. There also may be some drought-related storage problems for this year’s com crop. In some cases gram quality appears to be marginal, Urns increasing the potential for mold development. To reduce harvest losses and at the same time discourage mold. See us today and get all the details. N.ll. FLICKER (SONS, INC. Maxatawny. PA Ph (215)683 7252 MU WEAVER I SON N Groff date Rd leola. PA 17540 Ph (717)656-2321 LEBANON VALLEY MPLEMERT CO. 700 E Linden St Richland. PA Ph (717)866-7518 Delaware extension plant pathologist Bob Mulrooney advises farmers to pay close attention to corn moisture levels Corn is mature when it reaches 32% to 35% moisture. From this time until the grain is dried to 13% Moisture or cooled below 55 degrees F. aflatoxms can be produced. If aflatoxms are severe, he says com should be harvested between 26% and 30% moisture and dried properly. If aflatoxins are present anu . Jr ving costs excessive, har vest betwcC-' 22% and 26% moisture. In the absence of aflatoxins, it is most profitaolc t« harvest at 18% to 26% moisture. Below 18%, excessive harvest losses are likely to occur. Regardless of moisture level at harvest, dry grain to 13% moisture and cool it to 55 degrees F or lower as soon as feasible to prevent further aflatoxin production. However, take care not to dry ■ Operator can even change the ratio of reel speed to ground speed on-the-go. Helps reduce losses in easily shattered crops. MYERS IMPLEMENTS INC. 400 N Antrim Way Greeocastle PA Ph (717)597-2176 S fi. LEWIS AND SON West Grove. PA Ph (215) 569-9440 869-2214 ARNETT'S GARAGE Rt 9 Bor 125 Hagerstown MO Pti (301)733-0515 WEB SNYDER INC. RDI Watsontown. PA 17777 Ph (717)538*5555 MARLIN W.SCHREFFLER Prtman PA Ph (717)648 1120 ABRACZINSKA'S FARM EQUIP. INC. RD 1. Caiawrsu. PA Ph (717)356*2323 (South ooßt 42) gram 100 rapidly, cautions university agricultural engineer Ken Lomax. Batch-m-bm, automatic batch or continuous flow drying systems are designed for rapid drying When grain is above 26% moisture, be sure to dry at moderate temperatures and cool gradually to prevent development of stress cracks that lead to reduced quality. Low temprature in-storage drying is not fast enough, he says, unless a very thin layer of gram is added each day. Thicker layers dry so slowly that considerable aflatoxin can be produced before the grain is dry. The moisture level of all grain in the bin should be reduced to 13% before more is added. Most farmers want to fill the bin too rapidly for this type of drying system to be acceptable, he says. Be sure all gram not dried below 33% moisture is held under forced air to prevent heating. After PETERMAN FARM EQUIPMEI 225 York Row! Carlisle PA Ph (717)249-5338 RJ. KELLER SALES Perkasie PA 18944 Ph (215)257-0101 incaster Farming, Saturday, September 24,1983—D9 BARLEY • CERT, and UNCERT. BARSOY • CERT. PENNRAD • CERT. MAURY WHEAT • CERT. HART, POTOMAC. TITANS TYLER RYE • LARGE OR SMALL GRAIN TIMOTHY REIST SEED COMPANY Finest Seeds (Since 1925) Mount Joy. PA 717-653-4121 EAR CORN Paying Top Prices For Good Quality Ear Corn • Wet or Dry • No Quantity too large or too small • Fast Unloading- Dump on Pile & Go • Easy access - 2.2 miles off 283 bypass- Manheim, Mt. Joy exit • Daily Receiving 7:30 A.M. to 5 P.M. - un loading evenings & Saturdays by appt. • Trucks available for pick up at your farm. Call Anytime For Price 717-665-4785 JAMES E. NOLL GRAIN dry mg is completed, cool gram to the outside air temperature with forced air to prevent moisture condensation where hot and cooler air meet. Store all grain below moisture and below 55 decrees F to prevent further a flatox in production. During cool nights run aeration fans to cool the grain and prevent condensation on the top and sides of the bin as rising warm air comes in contact with cool outside air Iximax recommends running aeration fans about two hours each week on cool dry days to prevent temperature rise, insect build-up or high moisture spots from developing in the gram E.'M NOT L10N... THE CLASSIFIED LIVESTOCK SECTION HAS BEASTLY SELECTIONS!
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers