834-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 10,1988 COLLEGE PARK, MD. Indian Summer days following a light .frost can create life threatening danger to livestock being fed or pastured on sudan grass, grain sorghum or sorghum sudangrass hybrids. This warning comes from Dr. Lester R. Vough, forage crops specialist for the University of Maryland’s Cooperative Exten sion Service. Most livestock producers are aware that wilted and frosted for age from these grasses often con tains toxic levels of prussic acid. They probably also know that such forage usually becomes safe for livestock feed after being allowed to dry for five to seven days. But many farmers may not be aware of the extreme danger to livestock posed by new growth that comes from the lower part of sudangrass and sorghum plants after the tops have been frosted. USDA Announces Additional Program WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that during the 1989 farm program signup pro ducers mav declare their inten tions to plant from 10 to 25 per cent of each crop’s permitted acreage to soybeans or sunflowers while protecting their crop’s acreage base history. Planting intentions under this special provision will be reviewed and the percentage of permitted acreage that may be devoted to additional soybean/sunflower plantings may be adjusted, if necessary, to ensure that the price for the 1989 crop of soybeans will not be less than 115 percent, or $5.49 per bushel, of the prior year’s loan rate of $4.77. Any lim itations concerning this planting option will be announced after an analysis of producers’ planting intentions. Also, any portion of a farm’s acreage base (FAB), excluding the soybean acreage included in the calculation of the FAB, may be designated an acreage base for oats for the 1989 crop year. Any Prussic Acid Warning Issued For Livestock Producers This new growth is apt to con tain very high levels of prussic acid, Vough warns, and it probab ly will produce cyanide poisoning in livestock, whether pastured or fed as green chop. Vough advises farmers with unharvested fields of sorghum or sudangrass forages to cut them for hay thoroughly dried or for silage. He notes that even forages containing toxic levels of prussic acid should be safe for livestock feed after the normal three-week wailing period which is recom mended generally for new silage. The Maryland agronomist warns that allowing green-chop sorghum or sudangrass to sit in a feed wagon for a day or two will not reduce high levels of prussic acid. Such action can make the feed even more toxic, creating a situation for cyanide poisoning similar to that which results when livestock cat wilted chokecherry or black cherry leaves. 1989 Farm Provisions acreage so designated in 1989 will be considered planted to the origi nal program crop for the purpose of determining the FAB or crop acreage base in future years but will not result in an increase in the program bases. Program benefits for such acreage planted to oats will be those applicable to oats. Wheat and feed grains produc ers may elect to participate in an optional acreage diversion pro gram known as 0/92 under which they devote all or a portion of the wheat or feed grain permit ted acreage to conserving uses (CU) and receive deficiency pay ments on an acreage not to exceed 92 percent of the crop’s permitted acreage. The deficiency payment rate on the CU acreage will not be less than the estimated deficiency payment to be announced before signup. Rice and upland cotton producers may participate in the 50/92 program; however, a guar anteed deficiency payment level on the conserving use acres is not applicable. Signup dates for the 1989 farm programs will be announced later. Cattle and sheep are the tarm animals most susceptible to cya nide poisoning caused by eating plant materials with a high prussic acid content. Poisoned animals show increased respiration and pulse rates, gasping, muscular twitching or nervousness, trembling, foam ing at the mouth, blue coloration of the mouth lining, and spasms or 1989 TILLAGE & PLANTER PARTS EARLY ORDER PROGRAM If you order tillage or planter parts before December 31st, you will receive 15% Discount - Guaranteed Price. Parts available for pickup March 1 thru March 15, 1989 Some Of The Available Items On This Program: • PLOWSHARES • CHISEL PARTS • MOLDBOARDS • LANDSLIDES • DISK BLADES • CULTIVATOR • OTHER SELECTED TILLAGE & SHOVELS PLANTER PARTS S HUEY’S ono PA 17077 ALES Phone ERVICE 717-865-4915 THE STRENGTH IS IN THE CONSTRUCTION ■ Poured Solid Reinforced W ■ The Wall is 0 as the Materi • Manure Pit Walls Hog House Walls • Chicken House Wa • Concrete Decks • House Foundation • Cistern Walls • Barnyard Walls • Concrete Pit Tops • Silage Pit Walls • Retaining Walls All sizes available Round or rectangular Take the questions out of your new construction Call: Balmer Bros, for quality engineered walls. Invest in Quality - It will last a lifetime. 243 Miller Road, Akron, PA 17501 1 (717) 733-0353,6:30 AM - 3:30 PM, (717) 859-2074, After 6:00 PM convulsions. Animals often die within 15 to 20 minutes after eat ing the poisoned forage. It takes only one gram of cyanide to kill a 1,000-pound cow. If you have doubts about the safety of hay or silage from sorg hum or sudangrass, Vough advises using one or two of your least valuable animals as “testers” instead of risking a whole herd or Serving The Farmer Since 1914 CONCRETE WORK, INC. flock. For more information, cl with your county office of Cooperative Extension Servic you live in Maryland, ask f free copy of “Prussic Acid Poi ing of Livestock- Causes and vention” (Fact Sheet 427), fished last year by the Univc of Maryland Cooperative Ex sion Service. WHITE FARM EQUIPMENT Division of ALLIED PRODUCTS CORPORATE IF YOU CANT MAKE IT-GIVE US A CALL WE WILL SHIP THE PARTS TO YOU U.P.S
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