A22-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 31,1988 DeKALB, IL. After the 1988 drought, many fanners are consid ering management practices for next year that will reduce the impact of severe weather stress. Before finalizing your cropping plans, a seed company agronomist offers some perspective of past drought years and tips to spread your risk from weather. According to Herb Brown, Dekalb-Pfizer Genetics agronom ist, an important point to consider is that no drought is the same each has a unique characteristic. In 1980, the drought began in late June with temperatures averaging 6 to 13 degrees above normal. In 1983, a cold and wet spring delayed soybean planting into June. Then hot and dry weather reduced yields of shallow-rooted com and short soybeans. This year’s drought began in late April and continued through mid July before any relief. “The fact is, when a drought begins and its duration determines the level of impact on crop perfor mance,” said Brown. “A well timed rain or moderating tempera tures when com or soybeans are flowering can significantly improve crop yields.” Whether you farm in a drought prone area or a typically high yielding environment, you can spread your risk by planting sever al hybrids of different maturities. The maturity difference doesn’t need to be large, planting four or more hybrids that vary only by five to seven days in relative maturity will lessen the impact of stress-filled years like 1988. The Dekalb-Pfizer Field Com parison Trial (FACT) plot data illustrates the overall increased yield response from planting KEENS SERVICES INC. | Storage Trailers I • Used Truck Trailers For Sale • Storage Trailers For Sale Or Bent (‘7 17) 850 Keens Rd 626-5420 Lititz, PA l * SlMjflS mSlllli. lie Hay Loaders Accumulators Hay Forks Custom Designed To Fit Any Loader, Skid Steer Or Fork Lift David O. Fink RD 1 Box 429-F Germansville, PA 18053 215-767-1408 Systems Designed To Eliminate. Hand Labor Several Seed Maturities Provide Yield Security hybrids with different relative maturities. Yield results from Northern and Central Illinois, Indiana and Ohio were compared over six years. “While one 100-day hybrid did not yield more than the 115-dsay hybrid tested in any year, three other hybrids of similar maturity had significantly higher yields in different years, (hybrid B in 1987, hybrid C in 1988, hybrid D in 1986,1987 and 1988),” explained Brown. The agronomist pointed out that the majority of agricultural HARRISBURG Pennsylva nia’s 1988 potato production is estimated at 3,690,000 cwt., a 22 percent decrease from 1987 pro duction, according to the Pennsyl vania Agricultural Statistics Service. PASS estimated the harvested acreage at 20,500, down nearly S percent from last year. Average yield was 180 cwt. per acre, 40 cwt. below last year and 60 cwt under the 1986 yield. Total stocks of potatoes stored in Pennsylvania on Dec. 1 were 2,700,000 cwt., 12 percent less than a year ago. Of the total, 41 percent or 1,110,000 cwt, was stored in processor’s facilities. Stocks are defined as the quan tity, sold and unsold-, remaining in storage for all purposes and includes shrinkage, waste and Pennsylvania Potato Crop Down 22 Advanced ventilation systems for poultry and livestock The complete air moving system for efficient animal production Designed To Be Reliable, RLX Fan Your Authorized QS3D, Distributor CHECK OUR WAREHOUSE PRICES 24 Hr. Service Dealer Inquiries Invited Ralatlva Maturity Hybrid meteorologists caution that weath er forecasts beyond three to five days quickly lose reliability. “Therefore, attempting to choose ‘race-horse’ or ‘work-horse’ (drought tolerant) hybrids based on season-long forecasts is not recommended,” Brown continued. “However, if you know that you other losses that occur after the date of each report Sales of fall potatoes for all pur poses account for about 90 percent of die total fall production. The remainder represents shrinkage, loss and home use. Nationally, fall production is estimated at 307 million cwt., down 10 percent from last year and 3 percent short of 1986 out put. Harvested area was 1.06 mil lion acres, 2 percent less than 1987 but 2 percent higher than 1986. The average yield nationally was 290 cwt. per acre, 8 percent below last year and 6 percent under two years ago. U.S. potato stocks on Dec. 1 were estimated 199 million cwt., down 12 percent from last year and S percent below 1986 storage. RIXFan Advanced Air Systems h Metre Fan 1983 % of hybrid E 89.6% 87.6% 96.3% 95.6% 91.6% 91.0% 92.6% 97.3% 100.0% 100.0% 100-day 110-day 112- 113- 115-day 84.6% 98.7% 100.0% have drought-prone soil types on your farm, selecting drought toler ant hybrids is likely to improve your overall average yield. And, to hedge against high tempera tures or drought stress during pol lination, three to four hybrids of different maturities on high poten tial fields is recommended.” Stocks account for 66 percent of fall production this year, com pared with 67 percent a year ago. Storage consists of 82 percent rus set, 16 percent white and 2 percent red potatoes. Air Inlet* Inlet Power Pack kpsa? kd ( **v V? ' AHC Fan Cabinet Shutter Fan FARMER BOY AG. INC. PH 717-866-7565 410 E LINCOLN AVE MYERSTOWN PA 17067 BEST IN DESIGN PRICE AND EXPERIENCE 1984 1985 1986 89 5% 96.0% 93.3% 101.6% 100.0% ?s**** 'V, ♦ ? £r-‘ *HiH Ijv ifi !'.:*?• **■; C$ HI" Versatile, Swine & Poultry Systems Specialists 1987 1988 77.3% 94.8% 103.3% 104.2% 100.0% 85.1% 102.9% 96.5% 100.4% 100.0% Source: DEKALB-PFIZER GENE TICS FACT plot summaries from Northern and Central Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Percent Processing totaled 45.4 million cwt. in the eight major processing states, a 5 percent drop from last year but a gain from the 43.1 mil lion cwt. processed in 1986. READ LANCASTER FARMING FOR COMPLETE AND UP-TO-DATE MARKET REPORTS Keep Your Animals Blissfully Unaware Of What Season It Is and Sim , Turnabout Fan 1984-87 88.2% 96.1% 93.3% 99.2% 100.0% le Panel Fan
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers