Think in terms of overall crop management
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Will reduced soybean stand quality next spring? resounding “No! ”
tillage -or even none at all -on Experienced growers and But before you jump on -
your com ground this fall limit researchers answer with a your tractor to change
commitment
HARRISBURG -
Pennsylvania farmers
are increasing their
commitment to soil
conservation in spite of
a tight agricultural
economy, reports
James Olson, State
Conservationist for the
USDA, Soil Con
servation Service
(SCS).
Olson added that new
ways of reducing soil
erosion have been
developed in this decade
and are proving popular
with farmers. He
predicted an increase in
land protected against
erosion in the present
decade.
SCS reports show that
adoption of con
servation tillage by
farmers has more than
tripled in the past three
years from 18,000 new
acres in 1981 to 57,000
new acres this year.
Annually, over one-half
million acres of Penn
sylvania cropland are
planted by no-till or
other conservation
tillage methods. Con
servation tillage is the
planting of a crop in the
surface residue of the
preceding crop and
includes no-till farming
and chisel plowing. It
can decrease soil
erosion by up to 80
percent with proper soil
surface residue.
“The effectiveness,
time saving, and low
cost of this practice are
responsible for its
popularity with far
mers,” said Olson.
Animal waste
management systems
are another new con
servation effort. In 1978,
SCS assisted 58 farmers
in implementing waste
management systems;
m 1983, they assisted
318.
Farmers, mainly in
southeastern Penn
sylvania, are accepting
tile outlet storage
terraces in increasing
numbers. Over 164,000
feet were built in 1981.
This year the footage
increased to 350,000 feet.
This practice permits
fanning of all the land.
The older system of
waterways and
diversions requires
these practices to be
kept in a grass cover.
However, diversions
remain a key structure
in controlling hillside
erosion in much of the
State as documented by
the 667,000 feet con
structed last year.
Structures for water
control such as drop
inlets increased from
177 in 1979 to 531 in 1983.
This is a further in
dicator of increasing
farmer interests in soil
and water conservation.
Olson indicated that
the “old reliable” soil
conservation practices
such as conservation
cropping systems,
contour stripcropping,
Pa. conservation
and diversions have
remained constant in
amounts established
over the past decade.
“This record is
significant,” said Olson.
“Farmers are in rough
economic conditions but
their investment in soil
conservation is in
creasing. This means a
good future for Penn
sylvania agriculture
and better water quality
in our streams and
We Don't Claim To Be
Anything But
SPRAYER SPECIALISTS
J* las
#—^^llll.
I
SPRAYING DEVICES INC.
IRRIGATION PUMPS -
HALE (*a|7
Lancaster County’s Only Dealer Specializing in Sprayer
Sales A Service
LESTER A. SINGER
IRONKS, PA PH: (717) 687-6712
Mon. - Fri. 8 to 5, Sat. By App’t
5
This easy to operate, 35 bu capacity, riding unit is powered by a quiet
running 5 H P gas engine Features include a spiral beater above the dis
charge to prevent bridging, 12" auger discharge for positive unloading,
single lever discharge control, automatic braking, pneumatic wheels and
simple, rugged construction to provide long life.
SEE OR CALL US FOR A FREE DEMONSTRATION
K&SINC.
RD#l
Quarryville, PA 17566
717-284-3111
increases
lakes.”
“Also significant is
the fact that con
servation practices
established in 1983
reduced soil erosion in
Pennsylvania by over
one million tons.
However, when one
realizes that this
progress is less than one
percent of the need, you
know we have a long
way to go,” sum
marized Olson.
REYNOLDS-KELLY
BARN EQUIPMENT
11091 Edinboro Rd
Edinboro. PA 16412
814-734-3614
or off -
tillage
practices, be aware you’ll likely
have to change other areas in your
crop production program too,
notes Tom Colvin, agricultural
engineer with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture at lowa State
University (ISU).
In an article in the November
issue of Soybean Digest, a
publication of the American
Soybean Association, Colvin ad
vises farmers to think in terms of
overall crop management
program, not just specific tillage
practices. Key areas: planting,
stand, weed control, fertilizer,
cultivation, variety selection and
pest control.
To help soybean farmers sort
through their options, several
Midwest crop production
specialists offer their comments.
“I have yet to see that tillage
clearly does something that is
really all that necessary,”
Amßro
Featuring:
Counter Rotation
or
Regular Rotation
all by just a
flip of the lever
■ 4 Rear Tine Models From 5 H.P. 18" to 8 H.P. 22"
at up to $3OO less than the competition
■ Front tine models w/twice till tines up to $lOO less
than the competition
DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED
A Few Prime Dealer Areas Available. Call
Lawn Care Distributors
1 Mile North of Martindale On Grist Mill Rfd
Mon , Thurs .Fn 8-8 lues Wed 8-5 30 Sat 8-2
"A little out of the Way But a lot less to Pay"
215-445-4542
declares Don Erbach, another
USDA ag engineer at ISU, “except
under certain conditions, such as
poorly drained or highly com
pacted soils.
“Most of the time it seems tillage
actually ends up being done to
control weeds and to make the
planter work better. And I’m not so
sure the plant responds that much
to tillage,” he adds. “Test after
test shows that when weeds are
controlled, soybeans respond
excellently to no tillage at all.”
Other specialists agree. “We can
plant soybeans directly in 180-
bushel com stubble and get a stand
comparable to that in a moldboard
plowed seedbed,” says Marvin
Swearingin, Purdue University
agronomist, “without any chop
ping or tillage - so why do it?”
Gyles Randall, University of
Minnesota soil scientist, reports
(Turn to Page F 5)