A34—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 3,1983 Disappearing pesticides (Continued from Pace A 32) structurally similar to the car bamates. In laboratory flasks containing a variety of soil types, he duplicates all chemicals used on corn and soybeans in many of their various combinations, and records changes in the types and population density of the microflora. The experimental design also allows him to keep a constant fix on changes in the rate of pesticide breakdown. Crop effect Another factor further com plicates the microbial-pesticide picture the crop itself. In a preliminary study, Kaufman compared the rate at which pesticides broke down in soil samples taken from grassland, com, and soybean fields each with no history of pesticide use. In fact, all samples came from the same acreage: the grassland was subsequently planted to com and soybeans. Soil from the soybean field degraded pesticides far more rapidly than grassland soils, whereas soil from the com field degraded pesticides more slowly than grassland soil. It appears that each cropping sequence of the crop itself has its own complement of microflora, Kaufman said, and that certain crops encourage the growth of active pesticide degraders. Kaufman hopes that he and other researchers will be able to devise both a cropping sequence and a chemical sequence that takes the bite out of the degraders, but he predicts that manufacturers will ultimately have to change pesticide chemistry. To date, Kaufman has had reports of an efficacy problem with four insecticides, four herbicides, three fungicides, and one nematicide, encompassing 10 Rotate pesticides major pesticide producers. He has For the present, farmers can confirmed the link with microbial prevent or at least delay the loss of degradation for half of the P* 3 * control by rotating both crops pesticides so far. He speculates and pesticides, although the long that the fertilizer, urea, may also range effects of these procedures be contributing to the problem, are not currently known. Further, indicating that its chemical they should make sure they indeed structure is similar to the core have a pest problem serious structure of the carbamates. enough to warrant applying Md. Ag Commission holds reunion ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Twenty nine members and former members of the Maryland Agricultural Commission recently assembled in Annapolis for their first reunion ever. IVenty of those in attendance were accompanied by their wives. The group was hosted by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) at its new headquarters facility. In his welcoming remarks MDA Secretary of Agriculture, Wayne A. Cawley, Jr., expressed his appreciation to the group for its years of service to the Department and especially for their assistance and support during his five years in office. The Commission was created in 1969 to serve as an advisory group to the Maryland State Board of Agriculture. It became an ad visory group to the Secretary when MDA was established in 1973. Among those past members in attendance were Edward Covell of Eastern and Y.D. Hance of Prince Frederick. Coveil chaired the first meeting of the Commission in 1969. At that meeting Hance was elected as the first permanent Commission Chairman. He later became Problem soils During the last four years, Kaufman has studied numerous problem and non-problem soils and found that populations of known pesticide-degrading microorgani sms are higher in problem soils sometimes several times higher. When he mixed structurally similar pesticides into the two soils, the pesticides generally broke down more rapidly in the problem soils. Although these soils have elevated populations of a variety of known degraders, Kaufman says he consistently finds two classes of soil fungi and several bacterial species that are the most active degraders. The bacteria have not yet been identified, but the fungi are from two well-known disease producing genera the Verticilia and the Fusaria which cause root rots and wilts. In a few in stances, farmers have reported an increase in these diseases along with a decrease in the pesticide’s effectiveness. Getting a handle on the microbial-pesticide picture will not be easy. The relationships are complicated. For instance whereas some pesticides enhance the breakdown of similar com pounds, others are known to block it. “Like pharmeceuticals,” says Tollefson, “we need to understand how the application of one affects the application of others.” Kaufman explains that he and other scientists have paid con siderable attention to the fate of individual pesticides in the soil microbial environment, but not to the effect of multiple applications of individual pesticides or com binations of pesticides. To fill the gap, he is creating complete soil histories in a telescoped time frame. Maryland’s first Secretary of Agriculture and served in that capacity for six years. There are 17 members of the Commission representing almost every commodity group in the State. They are appointed by the Governor for a three year term and cannot serve more than two consecutive terms. The current Chairman is Mr. George Kemp of Princess Anne, Maryland. Meetings are held the second Thursday of each month. During these meetings each member presents a commodity report to inform the Secretary, and other members, of current happenings and concerns within the industry. The Commission is most active during the time when the Maryland Legislature is in session. During that period it regularly advises the Secretary on proposed legislation which will affect the agricultural indusry of the State. It employs a full-time Executive Secretary, Mrs. Lynne Hoot, who handles all staff work and speaks on behalf of the Commission before the legislature. Since its establishment 14 years ago, a total of 59 members have served on the Commission. pesticides, and not use the chemicals as preventive medicine. In the case of pesticides, an ounce of prevention may provoke the need for a pound of cure. Kaufman has found that soils with a short history of pesticide use harbor two or three microorganisms capable of degrading the pesticide. After a long history of pesticide use, however, “almost any microorganism can degrade the compound,” he says. “They may be doing their own genetic engineering.” Another phenomenon associated with continuous use may cause problems not only in the root zpne but also far below, in the water table. Organic matter in the soil actually impounds pesticide molecules by providing sites to which they adhere. The process, called adsorption, makes the molecules unavailable to microorganisms and also prevents them from leaching into the water table. With a long history of use, the organic matter becomes saturated with pesticide molecules. (This can occur rather rapidly in soils with a small amount of organic matter.) Because molecules with a similar structure compete for the same adsorption sites, pesticides, having a stronger attraction can bump, or desorb, the predecessors off the organic matter and into the microorganisms’ mess hall. Those molecules that are not dismantled for “food” could be carried away with moving water. According to Kaufman, early findings show that repeated use of similar pesticides increases the rate of desorption. If the findings are confirmed in subsequent studies, they could have serious implications for pesticide leaching, he says. tasfta RECONDITIONED & GUARANTEED Prices Reduced... Terms To Fit Your Pocketbooki **■ Was Now NH 495 Haybine $4995 *3995 NH L 778 Skid Steer Loader (guar, like new) NH 212 Spreader, Like New NH 519 Spreader, w/ End Gate NH 676 Spreader, w I End Gate S-676 Spreader, w I End Gate $3995 NH 368 Tank Spreader $2900 NH7l7Windrow ... NH 880 N 2 Row Crop #7 Crop Carrier #7 Crop Carrier NH 69 Baler w/PTO ... $1950 NH 273 Baler w/55.... $3795 NH 269 Baler w/ Thrower... NH 272 Baler w / Engine NH 268 Baler w/SSw/ Thrower $2195 NH 55 Rake, New Teeth NH 56 Rake NH 256 Rake NH 469 Haybine $2250 NH 479 Haybine. NH 1495 Haybine SERVING THE COMMUNITY YOUR FOR OVER 75 YEARS DEALER C.E. WILEY & SON INC. 101 S. LIME ST. QUARRYVILLE, PA Ph. (717) 786-2895 Farm Show HARRISBURG - Music will fill the air at Pennsylvania’s largest family affair the 68th Penn sylvania Farm Show, Sunday, January 8, at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. According to State Agriculture Secretary Penrose HaUowell, a variety of musical talent is scheduled to perform at the show’s Youth Benefit Concert at 6:30 p.m. on the opening day of the annual event. The Ink Spots, one of the top acts of the 1950’s and early 60’s, Miss Pennsylvania Jennifer lynn Eshelman, and the sounds of A 1 Raymond’s “Big Band” share the spotlight in an effort to support agricultural youth programs and improvements at the Farm Show. General admission tickets are $4.50 ($3.50 in advance) and $6 reserved. Tickets mav be ordered HARRISBURG - Penn sylvania’s commercial red meat production for October 1983 totaled 99.0 million pounds, up 14 percent from the previous month ac cording to the Pennsylvania Crop and Livestock Reporting Service. January-October accumulated red meat production totaled 808.5 million pounds. Cattle slaughter was 87,100 head with an average live weight of 1,125 pounds. Calf slaughter was 25,500 head with an average liveweight of 166 pounds. The number of sheep and lambs slaughtered totaled 10,800 head with an average liveweight of 99 pounds. There were 272,100 hogs slaughtered, averaging 232 pounds Nationally, commercial red meat production during October 1983 totaled 3.53 billion pounds, up three percent from the previous month. Beef production totaled 2.07 billion pounds. Total head Nqw •1750 •2795 Was •1950 $2250 *l5OO $l7OO *1895 •950 •1295 *1495 $1395 *lB5O •1950 *lO5OO $2450 music slated by writing: Farm Show Youth Benefit Concert, P.O. Box 15724. Harrisburg, PA 1710&5724. All mail orders must be postmarked by Dec. 27 and should include a self addressed, stamped envelope. Checks should be made payable to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Ticket order postmarked after Dec. 27 will be held at the door in the purchaser’s name on the night of the concert. Tickets may also be purchased at the Farm Show Ticket Office on North Cameron Street beginning Dec. 27. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or phone 717-783-6513 after Dec. 12. The Youth Benefit Concert is one of many special attractions at the 1984 Farm Show which runs January 8-13. There is no ad mission fee for the show, but parking at the complex is $2. Red meat data up killed was 3.28 million and liveweight averaged 1,070 pounds. Veal production was 41 million pounds. Calf slaughter of 290,000 head averaged 239 pounds liveweight. Pork production during the month totaled 1.39 billion pounds. Hog kill totaled 8.09 million head, with an average liveweight of 243 pounds. Lamb and mutton production was 32 million pounds. Head kill of 600,000 averaged 109 pounds liveweight. „,v LoakißK Fir \S THE UNUSUAL? , find It pi l> The CLASSIFIEDS. *ll4BO *1495 *2950 $2295 *2795 *3795 *1495 *895 *950 *2750 *2950 $3200 $3500
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers