038-Lancaster Farming Saturday, April 6,1985
Harsh Winter hurts plants
CREAMERY - Winter weather
conditions in mid February have
threatened plant quality and
survival, according to County
Agent Paul Reber. Gardeners are
concerned about winter’s influence
on spring flowering and the quality
of the total plant.
It is still too soon to see the
results of this year’s sub-zero
temperatures. Weather-related
plant problems are compounded
when low temperatures are ac
companied by severe winds. Under
these conditions, frozen plant
tissue is capable of losing water
that can’t be replaced by water
from the frozen soil. This is similar
to what occurs when washed
clothes are hung out to dry on a
winter day. The wet clothes
quickly freeze, but water
molecules are continually being
blown from the cloth. When all the
water has been blown away, the
clothes are dry.
Reber indicated the chemical
nature of water in plant tissues, as
well as the physical qualities of
plant tissues themselves, retards
the drying process. Even with the
safeguards of nature, however,
water is lost. When a critical
amount of water is lost, tissue
injury and/or death can occur.
The best protection against
wind-induced injury is a reduction
in the total amount of air moving
past the plant. Fortunately, not all
plants are equally susceptable to
wind injury, so durable species can
be used to protect less durable
ones. This is essentially the con
cept of windbreaks.
Observing wind patterns on your
property will help in identifying
sites that are more severe for
plants than others. Generally,
narrow areas between structures
and bed areas that extend outward
from an exposed corner receive
the greatest air movement.
A lack of snow cover in a spot is a
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good indication of excess wind. In
these areas plan to set up the
hardiest plants or deciduos species
less susceptible to wind damage.
The construction of artificial
barriers may be another wind
control solution. Screens and
fences won’t stop the wind, but
they help slow it down or channel it
away from plants, walkways and
houses. Remember, screens may
function as snow fences. Place
them so snow won’t accumulate on
walkways or driveways.
The warm weather we had
earlier this winter will also in
fluence spring plant quality.
Temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s
tend to keep flower buds more
active and less dormant. A number
of plants were in bloom earlier this
winter, which suggests a reduction
in spring flowers. The sudden cold
weather may cause considerable
injury to partially open flower or
leaf buds and stem tissues. Injury
won’t be evident until growing
conditions return in spring.
In addition to injury caused by
drastic temperatures changes,
specific plants are injured by
minimum low temperatures.
Every plant species has a
minimum tolerance level. When
temperatures drop below that
point, injury can occur. This plant
quality is called hardiness.
Research indicates that roots
are often less tolerant of low
temperatures than top growth.
When a plant leafs out in the spring
and then quickly dies in a few
weeks, it’s possible that its roots
were killed by low temperatures
during the previous winter.
Enough moisture reserved in the
stem may support bud and leaf
formation, but a dead root system
is unable to sustain water supply to
the new leaves. Researchers also
found that root injury may occur at
temperatures 10 to 15 degrees
warmer than those needed to in
jure stem and bud tissues.
61 ‘New biology"
(Continued from Page D 37)
ficiency and productivity to new
heights.
In the areas of the plant scien
ces, the report calls for stepped-up
research to make crop plants more
efficient producers of food through
intensified studies of photosyn
thesis, biological nitrogen fixation,
regulation of plant growth and
development, gene expression, cell
culture and plant regeneration,
plant response to stress factors
such as drought, salt, cold, heat,
and toxic chemicals in soil, among
other things.
The average yield for eight
major U.S. crops - corn, wheat,
soybeans, sorghums, oats, barley,
potatoes, and sugar beets - is
estimated to be only some 20
percent of the record yield for the
sar ° crops, the report points out.
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Of the unrealized 80 percent of the
potential yield, stressful. ondition.-
account for about 70 percent, with
the remaining 10 percent at
tributable to insects and diseases.
As for animal production, the
report suggests research to be
strengthened to overcome
numerous barriers to greater
production efficiency.
Among areas of research that
should receive greater attention,
as the report points out, are
molecular basis of disease and
metabolic regulation with focus on
genes regulating the immune
response, pathogens and disease
carriers, characterization of
hormones and other bodily
chemicals, and metabolic control
and functioning of cells. Studies
dealing with test-tube
manipulation of cells and embryos,
Improved Udder Health
"NuPulse has helped improve our average from 16,000 lbs. to
21,500 lbs. at 3.6 test in a home bred herd. We've never lost any
cows due to mastitis. Our top producer has 29,413 lbs. milk, 992 lbs.
fat in 365 days. Our udder health is 95% better with NuPulse
than ever before. The NuPulse is simple to maintain with no
problems."
Less Cup Fall-Off and Less Mastitis
'We replaced our old milker with NuPulse MLX. We're not having
any fall off problems now. The MLX milks our cows out clean
without machine stripping. Udders are more even now. We have
not had to buy mastitis medication except to dry treat. We are
very happy with NuPulse."
Faster Milking
'We replaced DV3oo's with NuPulse. I have not had any fall off
since. Our cows accepted NuPulse easily. Milking alone I get 1,000
lbs. per hour with 4 units "
Ease of Maintenance
"Our cows udder health is the best ever. The only mastitis we
have is when a cow gets injured. We do our own maintenance. We
have been very pleased with NuPulse."
“You can spend more money, but
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addition of genetic materials to
embryos, and reproductive ef
ficiency also should be stepped up.
In addition to identifying priority
research areas, the report spells
out some of the conditions that can
provide the optimum research
environment in meeting the
challenge ahead. These conditions
include the availability of funds,
quality researchers, suitable
facilities, the equipment, and “the
presence of an attitude that en
courages and supports scientific
research of the highest caliber.”
“The outcome of the best science
is unpredictable, but scientific
research at times yields a unifying
idea or theory - a key that
revolutionizes the understanding
of a specific area of science and
opens the way to new discoveries
and practical applications,” the
reports state. “This has just
happened in biology with
molecular genetics.”
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365 W. Bainbridge St. hours :
Elizabethtown, PA 17022 Mon Fn
(717) 367-1211 7:3014:00
Or Contact One Of The
Following Salesmen...
ROBERT E. GINDER
Elizabethtown, PA
LEROY F. SWEIGAHT
Landis ville t PA
Harold W Fabian Bethlehem, PA
Using NuPulse since 1978
R C Schoemaker Chambersburg PA
48 cows, NuPulse MLX since January 1984
herd average 17 000 milk 650 fat
Philip L Hege Shippensburg PA
Roe Russell, Rome PA
NuPulse since 1979
130 cows, herd average 17,000 milk 710 fat
Donald G Heller Canton PA
60 cows herd average 17800 milk 613 fat
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717-S9B-7569