A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 31,1987
Pa, Vegetable Conference
(Continued from Page Al)
The vast majority of the
research dollars go to Penn State
University. In the past four years,
the Univeristy has received ap
proximately $lOO,OOO in checkoff
monies to fund vegetable research.
An additional $lO,OOO to $12,000 of
checkoff funds went toward
research at several out-of-state
universities.
“A lot of things we do every day
are results (of research),” Mason
told growers attending the con
ference. “We really need
everybody. We need your neigh
bors.”
Association leaders believe the
current checkoff is unpopular with
growers. But when asked to offer
an opinion about the program’s
merit or to ask questions, con
ference goers remained silent.
They did, however, receive a
questionnaire assessing their
support for the program and
requesting suggestions for im
provement.
Later this year, growers will
vote on whether or not to continue
the checkoff program and will
decide if they want to earmark
some funds for promotion
programs.
Among those campaigning for
the checkoff program was Charles
Krueger, associate director of the
Pennsylvania Agricultural Ex
periment Station at Penn State
University. The checkoff program
is a key ingredient for funding
vegetable research at the
University and has allowed
researchers there to initiate or
continue 23 programs, he said.
Even so, the checkoff funds are
just a drop in the bucket of
research finances, representing
just 6 percent of the total. The
University receives the majority of
its research funds from federal
and state government grants.
But although they fund only a
small percentage of the research,
growers, through the advisory
board, are able to determine the
direction of research projects. To
Krueger, this power, in addition to
the research results, is the
checkoff program’s real benefit for
large and small vegetable growers
alike.
The conference also included
numerous educational sessions for
vegetable growers. Sharad
Phatak, a horticulture professor at
the University of Georgia, was
among the experts presenting
vegetable research results.
Phatak’s research focused on the
effect of different methods of
preplant tillage on crop yield. The
research showed that moldboard
plow tillage provided the highest
volume of non-compacted seedbed,
while disc harrowing offered the
least volume.
Soil compaction caused by
preparing seedbeds with a disc
created a lot of problems in plant
Potato Stocks
Drop 16 Percent
HARRISBURG Total stocks of
potatoes stored in Pennsylvania on
January 1, 1967 were 2,800,000
hundredweight, 16 percent less
than a year ago according to the
Pennsylvania Agricultural
Statistics Service. Of this amount,
915,000 cwt. was stored in
processors’ facilities, representing
33 percent of the total stocks.
Stocks are defined as the
quantity remaining in storage for
all purposes and uses, including
shrinkage and waste and other
losses that occur after the date of
each report. Sales of fall potatoes
for all purposes generally account
for about 90 percent of the total fall
production. Shrinkage, loss and
home use account for .the
remaining ten percent.
growth and development, Phatak
said. To achieve the highest crop
yields, he recommends that
growers prepare seedbeds with the
moldboard and avoid using a disc.
With optimum economic yields
the objective of crop farmers, an
effective fertilizer program is also
important, Phatak said. The first
step to an efficient program is a
soil test, followed by using the
right kinds of fertilizer in the right
amount and at the right time. In
short, a successful fertilizer
program requires a lot of effort, he
said.
Plant analysis to monitor
nutrient levels in vegetable crops
is another tool available to growers
who want an efficient fertilizer
program. Phatak’s research
used plant analysis to monitor
nutrient levels in vegetable crops
grown under center pivots and to
study nutrient uptake following
fertilizer applications through
irrigation systems.
Researchers applied nitrogen,
phosphorus and potassium through
Irrigation systems, with nitrogen
and phosphorus applied in the first
two weeks of planting and nitrogen
and potassium administered
during weeks three to six.
Plant analysis showed
inadequate amounts of
magnesium, sulfer and boron
present in the vegetables, even
though the nutrients were abun
dant in the soil. The results,
Phatak said, indicated that the
added nitrogen and potassium
stimulated plant growth so much
that the roots were unable to ab
sorb enough of the other nutrients
to keep up with the rapid growth
rate.
Therefore, subsequent fertilizer
programs included applications of
magnesium, sulfer and boron,
along with calcium for selected
crops such as watermelons and
tomatoes.
Phatak said success of the soil
test and plant analysis monitoring
was evident in the high yields of
most vegetable crops grown under
center pivots and other irrigated
research plots.
Stored Corn Reaches 129,5 Million Bushels
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania
corn stored in all positions on Dec.
1, 1986 was 129.5 million bushels
according jto the Pennsylvania
Agricultural Statistics Service. On
farm corn stocks amounted to 120
million bushels, while off-farm
stocks were 9.5 million bushels.
Wheat stored off-farms totaled 4.5
million bushels and soybeans
stored off-farms totaled 400,000
bushels.
Pennsylvania’s on-farm stocks storage capacity of 34.4 million
of wheat and soybeans are bushels.
Winter’s Icy Touch Transforms A Stream
Intricate ice crystals, resembling a field of daisies in a summer meadow, add a touch of
winter beauty to Beaver Run near Lairdsville, Lycoming County.
Receiving awards at the Tomato Awards Luncheon held in y this week were,
from left, Dio Shetler, James Weaver, John Everitt (accepting award for John Lapp),
Ronald Snyder and Larry Dotterer.
Five Pa. Tomato Growers
Earn Production Awards
HERSHEY - Five Penn
sylvania tomato growers were
recognized for their high tomato
production and record keeping
practices during the annual tomato
awards luncheon, held at the
Hershey Convention Center this
week in conjunction with the 1987
Pennsylvania Vegetable Con
ference.
Weaver Farms of Middleburg
won the award for the highest
tomato yield in machine harvest
competition for growers with 50 to
74 acres. Weaver Farms harvested
1,302 tons of usable fruit for Fur
man Foods from 63.5 acres for a
20.5 ton per acre average yield.
Weaver Farms follows a five
year rotation, with tomatoes
following an alfalfa-grass mixture
and planted in the same field for
two years. They applied lime at the
rate of 1.5 ton per acre prior to
planting and followed the lime with
an application of liquid cow
manure at a rate of 20 tons per
longer published separately, but
instead are included with an
unallocated national total. The
reference dates for grain stocks
have been changed from Jan. 1,
April 1, June 1 and Sept. 1 to Dec. 1,
March 1, June 1 and Sept. 1.
On Dec. 1, 1986 there were 329
off-farm storage facilities (mills,
elevators, warehouses, terminals
and processors) with a total grain
acre. The tomatoes were
cultivated and sidedressed once
with 300 pounds of either 8-24-8 or
10-20-10 according to soil test
recommendations.
Larry Dotterer of Mill Hall
topped the machine harvest
competition for growers with 20 to
49 acres. Dotterer harvested 1,135
tons of usable fruit for Furman
Foods from 43 acres for a 26.4 ton
per acre average yield.
He planted transplants from
May 5 to May 28 at a population of
8,400 plants per acre. Plants were
spaced at 12 inches in the row and 5
feet between rows.
Dotterer anticipates a four-year
rotation and the tomatoes followed
a com crop in 1986. Following
recommendations from Penn State
soil tests, he applied no lime and
15,000 gallons per acre of liquid
cattle manure and no fertilizer on
one field. The other field received
100 pounds of nitrogen and 150
The Agricultural Statistics
Service publishes on-farm grain
storage capacity data annually for
selected states and the United
States. The published data are
indications computed directly
from the survey and as such, are
subject to sampling error fluc
tuations. On-farm grain storage
capacity for Pennsylvania totaled
217.6 million bushels. Chances are
two out of three that this capacity
may fluctuate by as much as 5.5
percent.
Photo By Barbara Millar
pounds per acre potassium
broadcast and plowed down.
Dio Shetler, Turbotville, won the
award for the highest tomato yield
in hand harvest competition for
growers with 25 to 49 acres. He
harvested 720 tons of usable fruit
for Furman Foods from 25.4 acres
for a 28.3 ton per acre average
yield.
He planted transplants from
May 12 to June 3 at a population of
10,547 plants per acre. Plants were
spaced at 9 inches in the row and
5.5 feet between rows.
Shetler followed a three-year
rotation. Tomatoes follow a hay
crop and are followed by wheat,
then hay. His fields are located at a
high elevation, have good drainage
with no frost or fog pockets and are
mainly shaley soils.
He applied lime at the rate of 1
ton per acre prior to planting and
followed it with a broadcast ap
plication of 19-20-10 at a rate of
1,000 pounds per acre. The
tomatoes were sidedressed twice
for a total application of 350 pounds
per acre of 11-22-22.
Ronald and Charles Sndyer of
Kempton topped the hand harvest
competition for growers with 15 to
24 acres. The Snyders harvested
737 tons of tomatoes on 23 acres for
a 32 ton per acre average yield.
They planted transplants from
May 5 through June 5 at a
population of 11,000 plants per
acre. Yield of the later planting
dates was lower due to persistent
wet weather. Plants were spaced
at 16 to 28 inches in the row and 34
inches between rows without beds.
The Snyders plant tomatoes in a
three-year rotation following
plowdown of a timothy-clover sod.
Lime and fertilizer are applied
according to soil tests. Their fields
required no lime and 125 pounds of
N-P-K prior to planting. Some
manure was also applied.
John K. Lapp of Allenwood won
the award for the highest tomato
yield in hand harvest competition
for growers with five to 14 acres.
Lapp harvested 188 tons of
tomatoes on 5 acres for a 37.2 ton
per acre average yield.
Lapp planted transplants on May
16,19 and 26 at a population of 7,800
plants per acre. Plant spacing was
19 inches in the row and 42 inches
between rows.
Tomatoes are planted in a three
year rotation following field corn.
In 1986, Lapp did not apply any
lime, but prior to planting 10 tons
per acre of cattle manure and 800
pounds per acre of 8-24-8 was
broadcast and incorporated. In
addition, Lapp made two foliar
applications at 5 pounds per acre.
The State Champion Tomato
Growers’ Club is sponsored by
Penn State University Cooperative
Extension Service and Furman
Foods, Northumberland.