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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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