DlB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 4,1984
By Dr. John E. Baylor
Director of Market Development
Beachley-Hardy Seed Company
It’s Seeding
Time Again
For most alfalfa growers in the
northeast, weather conditions in
April and May were most un
favorable for establishing new
stands of this important forage
legume. As a result many farmers
will be making new seedings
during much of the month of
August.
While spring seedings have
continued to become more com
mon in this area, primarily
because of our com and alfalfa
rotations, August is an excellent
time to seed - if you pay attention
to the principles of good forage
establishment. While lack of
moisture and high temperatures
occasionally cause a conem, insect
and weed problems are usually
minimized for these late summer
seedings.
Steps to a successful summer
seeding without going into a great
deal of detail here are what I
consider to be some of the most
important steps to a successful
August seeding.
1. Choose quality seed of a high
performance alfalfa variety. In
clude a grass such as perennial
ryegrass or orchardgrass if an
alfalfa-grass mixture fits into your
program.
2. Be sure you have an up-to-date
soil test for the field to be seeded -
then lime and fertilizer according
to test.
3. If you are using a coventiortal
seeding method, grain drill or
cultipacker seeder, prepare a firm
seedbed to assure uniform, shallow
seed placement and a good
moisture relationship in the zone of
the germinating seed. Cultipack
both before and after seeding if
necessary. This can be critical for
a seeding made in August and is
important for spring seedings as
well.
4. Be sure your alfalfa seed is
properly inoculated when it is
seeded. Seed that was pre
inoculated last winter is likely to
be satisfactory if it was properly
stored. However, inoculating with
fresh moculant just prior to
seeding is still good insurance for
an August seeding.
5. Sow seed shallow and don’t
skimp on seed, at least 15 pounds
per acre if seeding alfalfa in pure
stands, 10-12 pounds if seeded with
a grass.
6. As stated previously annual
weeds and insects are less likely to
be a problem for August seedings.
But if they are a problem control
them with appropriate pesticides.
So much for conventional
seedings. Now let’s take a brief
look at a couple of newer seeding
techniques that show tremendous
promise.
No-Till Stubble
Seedings
In Pennsylvania and surroun
ding states seeding alfalfa in small
grain stubble using the no-tillage
technique has proven to be an
excellent method of forage
establishment. The small grain
stubble left after harvest and
removal of the straw usually
provides an excellent mulch and
ideal moisture conditions for
germination. And, of course,
erosion is reduced to a minimu m.
No-till specialists recommend
that you wait several days to a
week following grain harvest to
allow any shallow germinating
weeds and volunteer grain to start.
Then apply a contact herbicide
such as paraquat and seed im
mediately using one of the several
no-till drills currently available. Of
course the field should have been
properly limed earlier. And fer
tilizer can be broadcast before or
immediately after seeding. The
use of Furadan at seeding time to
help control soil borne insects is
generally a good idea.
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Fluid or Suspension
Seedings
This is one of the newest
techniques for seeding alfalfa now
available to many northeastern
alfalfa growers. As the name
implies fluid seeding is a method
for sowing alfalfa in a liquid
suspension, either solution fer
tilizers or water, through special
nozzles. Because of the special
equipment involved fluid seeding
is limited to custom implication,
and, thus, is not available to
everyone. However, it does
provide a rapid, near fool-proof
method of seeding which can be
highly beneficial to the busy far
mer.
Fluid seeding does not, however,
eliminate the need for good
seedbed preparation, including a
firm seedbed. Most applicators
also recommended culUpacking
following the seeding operation.
As indicated, fluid seeding is a
technique developed by and for
custom applicators and fits in well
with the fluid fertilizer program. It
is not a technique that has been or
can be researched in comparison
with other seeding techniques. But
observations made on dozens of
seedings made using this
technique in several states con
vinces me it’s a good technique
when the grower and applicator
follow the recommended
procedures.
While I’ve talked primarily about
Beat blight with
There's a better
in store for you.
Plus better storage out of
your yield.
That’s why more and more
potato growers rely on a full
season schedule of Bravo
500 fungicide.
Nothing equals Bravo 500
when it comes to preventing
early and late blight infec
tions that defoliate plants.
And Bravo 500 is just as
effective against Botrytis
vine rot.
It’s first-rate control like
this, along with proper vine
kill, that delivers a better yield
at harvest. A healthier crop
going into storage.
What’s more, Bravo 500 has
a built-in spreader/sticker
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late summer seedings of alfalfa
this is also a satisfactory time to
sow red clover. And late summer is
an ideal time to establish many
cool season grasses. Grasses such
as timothy or bluegrass sown in the
late summer or early fall root
more deeply because the slower
top growth is conducive to better
r oot formation However.
HARRISBURG - What better
way to idle away a snowy winter
day than day-dreaming about your
summer vacation? Most people
would agree, but in Pennsylvania
15,500 families spend their summer
vacations in tl?e hay field and the
dairy barn showing their Keystone
Pride. For many of these 15,500
farm families, the favorite
daydream in August is a cold
blustery day.
These folks work twelve months
a year, seven days a week to
produce quality dairy products for
our nutrition and enjoyment. Our
730,000 dairy cows (Holsteins,
Brown Swiss, Guernseys, Jerseys,
Ayrshires and Milking Shorthorns)
lined head to tail would cover 900
miles, three tunes the distance
between Pittsburgh and
PVnlpHAlnH? Our rjpirv fprniJjpS
that insures full and even
coverage for maximum dis
ease protection that keeps
right on working, even during
wet conditions.
And Bravo 500 can be
applied by ground, air or
through sprinkler irrigation
systems.
For unequalled disease
control that helps you store
a better yield, make it Bravo
500 all season.
Bravo 500 from SDS Biotech
Because you give it all
you’ve got.
Always follow label directions
carefully when using agricultural
chemicals
SwSte#,
Dairying
of Keystone pride
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remember some grass species
such as orchardgrass are
relatively non-hardy in the
seedling stage, while others such
as bromegrass and reed
canarygrass lack seedling vigor.
Thus, these species must be seeded
relatively early in August to assure
good winter survival.
- a source
account for two-fifths of all cash
farm income in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania ranks fifth
nationwide in the production of
fluid milk, and adds $1.5 billion to
the health of our economy.
Milk...our official state
beverage, also makes Penn
sylvania the second largest
producer of frozen dairy products,
including ice cream, ice milk and
milk sherbet. Add to that cheese,
butter and cottage cheeses
(Pennsylvania ranks in the top five
for all) and the total is Penn
sylvania.. .a major dairy state.
This August, when the summer
heat has you beat, take a break
with milk, ice cream or your
favorite dairy product. Make sure
its from Pennsylvania and
guaranteed to be fresh.
Agricultural Chemicals Business
SDS Biotech Corporation
7528 Auburn Road PO Box 348
Pamesville Ohio 44077
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