012-Lancaster Farming Saturday, March 11,1989 John E. Baylor Director of Market Development Beachley-Hardy Seed Company Multiple Pest Resistance In Alfalfa How Much Is Enough? what greater depth and try to help In an earlier column, I dis- y° u rate in terms of choosing a cussed multiple pest resistance in variety or varieties for your farm, general. And at that time I also But first let’s consider for a took a brief look at the five most moment what you as a producer serious diseases attacking alfalfa should expect from your alfalfa in our region. These are: Bacterial crop. I’ve asked a number of farm- Wilt, Verticillium Wilt, Anthrac- ers like yourself and they general nose, Phytophthora Root Rot and 'y agree on the following: high Fusarium Wilt. There are, of yield, quality forage, persistent course, several other disease and stands, and yes, they’d like to insect pests that can damage this know that they can depend on con valuable crop. sistent performance every time €s. &L - mm* HYDRAULICS CTB 669 S. Custer Ave. NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 1-717-355-9248 Installation of Air & Hydraulic Systems Welding. Lathwork & Repair, Air Compressors Air Motors, Air Tools, Clippers, 12 V. Meters OksatisM WHh the Performance Of Your Uresfock or PouHty Have You Tasted Yew Water Supply? It’s a fact! Contaminated water can have a costly effect on your livestock and poultry performance. Our years of exper ience plus hundreds of farm related treatment systems has proven the validity and practicality of correcting contaminat ed water. - Call us today for treatment of ■ * Nitrates * Bacteria * Iron * Sulfates * pH-Acidity/Alkalinity fag) Martin Water Conditioning Co, SPECIALISTS IN FARM WATER TREATMENT 548 New Holland Ave .(ItTU Clfj Lancaster PA 17602 V*’ *. " (717)393 3612 Alone Rte 23 i -' F# WATER SYSTEMS Early Morning or Evening Call 717-345-8795 We Serve PA & Surrounding States ? Contact our Representatives in So. Chester Co., PA W. Lancaster Co., PA Dick 215-932-3307 Richard 717-665-7405 Mt. Bethel, PA Belleville, Pa. Kevin 717-897-5141 Trennis 717-935-2786 Bradford Co., PA Union County, PA Joel 717-274-2174 v Martin, Jr. 717-966-1191 New Milford, PA Hagerstown, Md. Joe 717-465'7506 Virginia Allen 301 -733-0458 In this column I’d like to look at multiple pest resistance in some- 740 E Lincoln Ave Myerstown PA 17067 (717)866 7555 Along Rte 422 they establish a new stand. High yields, of course, start with varieties that have high yield potential. But soil and moisture conditions, your fertility and cut ting management programs, and pest control, along with other management factors, all enter into the yield picture very strongly. Most growers agree that the most important single factor affecting quality is stage of maturity at the time of harvest. You control that But we also now know that it’s possible to breed for high quality in alfalfa without los ing yield potential. Persistence also starts with improved varieties that have the potential to persist. And here’s where multiple pest resistance in alfalfa has its biggest impact. If you start with healthy plants that have an adequate level of resis tance to the diseases common to your area - and then keep those plants healthy with a good fertility and management program - your stands should persist for the four or more years desired by most growers. In my earlier column, 1 stated that an alfalfa variety with a mod erate to high level of multiple pest resistance for a given area is gen erally superior in yield and resis tance to a variety with high resis tance to one disease or pest but Outstandi in the fiel Spring will be here before you can say, “Killy Urn mm iepmMla vatoe.” Be prepared! See our farm tire experts today! POWER MARK L/S REAR TRACTOR TIRE • Long bar/short bar Nig design lor improved drawbar pull, smoother ride • Multi-ingle lugs lor excellent traction in a wide range ol soils and services • Full size lor dual mating with 0 E. tins • Pry notch, heavy-duty rim shield • Over 30 sizes and types will lit front wheel assist tractors TI-RIB IMPLEMENT JEROME H. RHOADS without resistance to others. But what is an adequate level of multiple pest resistance? The National Alfalfa Variety Review Board, made up of respected alfal fa breeders from both the public and private sector, established guidelines for the industry to use when reporting the resistance of a variety to a given disease. Briefly, varieties in which less than 5% of the plants are resistant to a particu lar disease or insect are rated sus ceptible (S). Those with 6-14% resistant plants have low resis tance (LR), while populations with 15-30% of the plants resis tant are considered moderately resistant (MR). Varieties with 31-50% resistant plants are called Montour County Accepting Orders For Seedlings DANVILLE (Montour) The Montour County Conservation District is offering you the oppor tunity to invest in the future. Twelfth Annual Tree Sale orders now are being accepted for spring planting. Included in this year’s sale are evergreen and deciduous see dlings, fruit trees, ground covers, barberry bushes and spice bushes. The most important purpose of having a tree sale is to promote conservation by the establishment of adequate cover on credible areas. Land left empty without ground cover or trees has a greater tendency to erode than land with RACTOH FRONTS, • ROLLING IMPLEMENTS Wide rounded Imd gives good notation, tracking and easy steering without penetration Wide, sell-cleaning grooves prevent packing In soli soils . Extra-wide shoulder ribs lor long service Ms Durable nylon cord body BRANCH OFFICE 118. Lima StrMt Quarryvlll* Ph. 717-786-7389 resistant (R) while those with more than 50% resistant plants can be called highly resistant (HR). Alfalfa breeders are, of course, striving to develop high levels of resistance to all the major pests. However, numerous studies have shown that varieties rated MR or better to the problem diseases in your area usually provide ade quate protection under most field conditions. The important thing to remember is that the variety should be rated MR or higher to each of the important diseases. While very high levels of resis tance arc impressive, this level of resistance is more than is needed for most situations. cover plantings. Cover plantings provide bene fits other than soil and water con servation. Areas with trees and shrubs provide wildlife food and shelter in places where animal habitat is diminishing. The Montour Conservation District will use monies earned through this sale to purchase edu cational materials and programs throughout the year. To receive an order form call the Montour County District office at 271-3059 or stop in at'the District office on Woodbine Lane in Danville. INC.
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