Small Grains Featured (Continued from Pace Al) critical with wheat than with corn, said Dr. Greg Roth. A Penn State research assistant, Roth’s research involves timing and application rates of nitrogen on printer wheat. “The best thing to do is manage each field separately,” he advises. As a general rule, said researcher, fields that receive regular annual manure ap- ■ plications should get from zero to 30 pounds of additional nitrogen, fields manured every two to three ' years will need from 30 to 60 pounds, and fields that receive no manure will benefit from 60 to 90 pounds of nitrogen. In general, splitting applications is most beneficial on fields that are normally low in nitrogen. It doesn’t pay to split nitrogen applications on fields previously used for legumes or receiving heavy manure applications. Where split applications are used, Roth recommends one-third at green-up and two-thirds in April. Roth also evaluated single ap plications of nitrogen at different growth stages and found that applications at growth stage 3 increased yields about 5 bushels per acre over plots receiving nitrogen at growth stage 5. Late applications are risky, said the researcher, since evidence of nitrogen deficiency may show up before application and wet weather could cause further delays PAUL B. THE HOT SUMMER IS HERE! PAUL B. ZIMMERMAN, INC. Hardware • Farm Supplies Custom Manufacturing • Crane Service 295 Wood Corner Rd. Lititz, PA 17543 1 Mile West of Ephrata Phone; 717-738-1121 WE SHIP UPS in getting nitrogen on the crop. Saudi Grains as Forage Why use winter cereal grains for forages? In addition to providing erosion control, they increase your total livestock feed production per acre and serve as a hedge against running out of feed in the summer, said Extension agronomist Sidney Bosworth. Bosworth’s research involves the effects of different seeding rates and nitrogen applications on rye, wheat and triticale. He found that seeding three bushels per acre resulted in a six-tenths to nine tenths yield advantage over the 1.6-pound rate on all three crops. In this year’s trials triticale topped silage yields at 9.6 tons using 135 pounds of nitrogen. Wheat followed, with 8.8 tons at the same nitrogen rate and rye registered its top yield of 6 tons after receiving 90 pounds of nitrogen. From a quality standpoint, the rye was 16.3 percent crude protein, triticale came in at 9.6 percent and the wheat was 9.3 percent CP, with a 135-pound nitrogen rate for all three crops. Vanning the nitrogen rate made no significant difference in the amount of total digestible nutrients in any of the grains. Wheat registered the highest TDN, followed by rye and triticale. Bosworth says his experiments indicate a good return on the nitrogen investment for both wheat gIMWOuDMI FOR FARM-HOME-INDUSTRY 4 6rr