NEWARK, DEL. - Farmers
who intend to plant alfalfa this fall
should already be making plans for
this crop. Alfalfa isn’t cheap to
plant, and since it will be in place
for five or more years, things need
to be done right at the start for it to
do well, says University of
Delaware extension agent Dean
Belt.
The first step is to get a soil
sample right now. This will show
what the soil needs and will have a
major impact on how the crop is
established. The pH should be at
6.8 to 7.0 at planting. If the field
requires more than 1 ton of lime
per acre on a sandy soil or 2 tons
per acre on fine textured soils,
consider plowing down half of the
lime and disking in the other half.
If the pH is below 5.5 delay plan
ting until it can be raised.
The field selected must be well
drained as alfalfa will not tolerate
any wet areas. The crop has high
phosphorus and potash
requirements and needs about 2
pounds of boron a year. Here
again, Belt says, a soil test is a
must in order to know how much to
apply at planting or for main
tenance.
Planting date is critical. Alfalfa
should be planted in late August or
early September, the agent says.
Plantings after September 10th in
New Castle County, Delaware are
subject to more winter damage
than earlier ones. For this reason it
pays to plan ahead so everything is
ready when seeding time arrives.
Chester Co. to host Old Fiddler’s Picnic
Pictured above, Master of Ceremonies Warren Mercer
takes time out to greet park visitors at last year's Old Fid
dler's Picnic. Mr. Mercer and hundreds of old-time musicians
will return to Hibernia Park on Saturday, August 11, from
10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for a day filled with music and fun.
Other activities will include a craft sale, hayrides, square
dancing, and tours of historic Hibernia Mansion. A variety of
good food will also be sold. The rain date for the event is
Sunday, August 12.
Hibernia Park is located approximately four miles north of
Coatesville, off Route 340 in Wagontown. For more in
formation on the Old Picnic call the park office at
384-0290.
Cattle numbers decline
HARRISBURG - U.S. cattle
and calf inventories on July 1 were
estimated at 122 million head,
down one percent from a year ago
and two percent below July 1982,
according to the Pennsylvania
Crop and Livestock Reporting
Service.
Cattle classes on July 1 and the
change from one to two years
earlier, respectively, are as
follows; beef cows, 38.1 million,
down one and two percent; milk
cows, 10.9 million, down two
percent from both years; heifers
500 pounds and over, 18.6 million,
virtually unchanged from both
years; beef replacement heifers,
5.60 million, down three and eight
percent; milk replacement
heifers, 4.95 million, up one and
Get started now on planning fall alfalfa
Alfalfa can be sown with a no-till
drill or planted the conventional
way. No-till requires even more
preparation and planning than
traditional methods. It’s necessary
to work well in advance of planting
to have the pH up to recommended
levels since large amounts of lime
can’t be worked into the soil
without tillage. Also the field must
be as smooth as possible.
Weed control can be ac
complished with burn-down
chemicals; however, if perennials
are a problem, Belt advises getting
them under control before at
tempting to no-till alfalfa. Con
ventional tillage allows growers
the option of incorporating an
herbicide like Eptam, Balan or
Tolban. These must be worked into
the soil immediately, following
label directions for timing and
depth. These products cannot be
used for alfalfa-grass mixtures.
Growers who intend to establish
their alfalfa with a no-till drill
must start with a clean, weed-free
field Grain stubble is an excellent
cover for this tillage method, the
agent says. He suggests farmers
interested in establishing no-till
alfalfa obtain a copy of
“Guidelines for No-Tillage
Establishment of Alfalfa.” This
extension fact sheet comes from
the University of Maryland. In
Delaware copies are available
from county extension offices in
Newark, Dover and Georgetown.
When planting alfalfa by any
four percent; other heifers; 80.5
million, up two and five percent;
steers 500 pounds and over, 16.4
million, down three percent but up
fractionally from July 1982; bulls
500 pounds and over, 2.50 million,
down two and four percent; and
calves under 500 pounds, 35.5
million, down one and three per
cent.
The 1984 calf crop is expected to
be 43.4 million, down two percent
from both 1982 and 1983.
This report provides United
States estimates of mid-year cattle
and calf inventories by classes.
Individual state estimates are not
available. The next cattle and
calves report showing Penn
sylvania inventory numbers will
be included in the January 1, 1984
report.
method, don’t forget the inoculant.
“Nothing is more discouraging
than having a nice stand of alfalfa
that starts to show nitrogen
deficiency symptoms,” says Belt.
“Dr. Ed Jones, the agronomist for
Delaware State College, often
points out that inoculants are
living organisms and must be
handled carefully to ensure their
effectiveness at planting. Heat will
kill them, so don’t leave the
package on the dash of your pickup
or in a hot shed. Store packages of
alfalfa inoculant in the
refrigerator until you’re ready to
use them. Use a commercial
inoculant sticker or make your
own.”
Dr. Les Vough, extension forage
specialist with the University of
Maryland, has had success using
sugar water and cornstarch as a
sticker, Belt says. Here’s the
procedure he recommends.
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Use at least two cups of sugar 6.7 pounds per acre in the row is
per quart of water, thoroughly very effective for insect control on
moisten the seed, and then add 16 alfalfa seedlings. Belt says this
ounces of inoculum per 20 pounds should be applied through a
of seed. This is more than most separate box if possible, or mixed
people are putting on, but thoroughly with the seed if the drill
remember the purpose of has only one box. To be effective,
inoculation is to increase the the Furadan must be covered with
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enough will survive for effective when handling and mixing this or
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adverse conditions. When planting, place the seed as
With more favorable seeding shallowly as moisture conditions
conditions and good soil moisture permit. In heavier soils V« inch is
in the seedbed, the amount of usually sufficient. The main ob
inoculum can be reduced. Add the jective is to get good seed/soil
cornstarch after thoroughly contact. For best results a field
mixing the moculant with the seed, should be out of alfalfa for at least
The cornstarch will prevent the two years before reseeding,
seeds from clumping and permit “Management is still the key to a
immediate planting. It also will successful alfalfa seeding,” says
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rhizobia. everything thought through and be
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