A26-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, February 9, 1991 ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff GUTHRIESVILLE (Chester Co.) Tight times for farmers, in addition to falling prices for milk and other farm commodities, are making farmers wonder: Could money be made from alternative cropping? “There’s a lot of interest in alternative crops,” said Dr. Jayson K. Harper, Penn State crop special ist. Harper spoke to about 100 far mers at the Chester County Crops Day last week. For farmers with portions of their farm that are difficult to maintain, or for those who may be considering a different income source, perhaps alternative crops may provide some answers. These crops could help “diver sify our crop mix, in terms of spreading out our harvest times, Farmers may consider alternative crops, according to Dr. Jayson K. Harper, Penn State crop specialist, who spoke last week at the Ches ter Co. Crops Day. POURED SOLID Far Left: 1-Million Gallon Circular Manure Storage Tank Far Right: 2 Silage Pits In-Barn Manure Receiving Pit. 300’ Long Manure Pit For Hog Confinement All sizes available round or rectangular Alternative Crops Provide Flexibility our planting times, and the labor requirements that we have,’ said Harper. Farmers have advantage Harper said that farmers in Pen nsylvania have an advantage. ‘ ‘We’re closer to a lot of our mark ets. And there are some specialty grain crops that this proximity to market would really benefit us.” Harper outlined some of the crops that could be planted here. Chief among these was grain sorg hum, which could be used as a feed grain or a silage. Grain sorghum requires grow ing conditions much like com, but is more drought tolerant than com. The crop is more tolerant to wet soils as well as flooding. It requires less fertilizer than com, a soil pH of 6.0-6.5, and is harvested like com (combine at 20 percent to 25 percent moisture). The yield expectancy is 100 bushels/acre. For farmers with marginal ground, the crop may do some real good. The cost of production com es to about $166/acre, about $35 an acre less than com. The breakeven price is $1.66/bushel, and current ly, price for grain sorghum is about $2.30/bushel. Other crops Other crops that farmers may consider planting include: • Buckwheat. This crop can be used as a food crop, feed crop, and makes for a good honey crop (it provides a good nectar source). It also suppresses various weeds, including quackgrass and works as a good green manure. It can grow in a wide variety of soils, and 17 Years Experience In Pouring Concrete Manure Pits! Take the questions out of your new construction. Call Balmer Bros, for quality engineered wails. grows well on infertal and poorly drained soils. Yields can be vari able, from 500-2,000 pounds/acre. The cost at harvest is $64/acre, but doesn’t require fertilizer or herbi cides. Breakeven yield is 635 pounds/acre. • Canola. It is used as a high quality cooking oil and as a lives tock ration or cut for a forage crop. It can grow in cool climates and grows best on well-drained soil. It is planted like winter wheat (fall or spring seeding) and requires 135 pounds of nitrogen for fall and 100 pounds nitrogen for spring. Nutri ent requirements are similar to wheat. Combining is at 10 percent moisture. Yield is variable, any where from 150 to 2,500 pounds/ acre. Price and yield variability is a problem. Breakeven yield is 34 bushels/acre at $4.22/bushel. The nearest markets are Ohio and Kentucky. • Sunflowers. An oil and food crop. Can be used as bird seed or cattle feed, and is profitable in niche markets and forage crop. Has a long growing season (100-110 days). Sunflowers grow well on sand and clay soil. The soil pH range should be 6.0-7.2 and there may be some bird pest prob lems. The crop is combined at 15 percent moisture but requires sub stantial drying. Yield is 2,000 pounds/acre, at a cost of $145/acre ($l9 more than soybeans). Breake ven price is 1,500 pounds/acre or 7 cents/pound. • Triticale. This is a rye and wheat cross and used as a feed grain (forage and some food crop). The yield is lower than wheat, but the good aspect is that it provides Construction Of Partially In-Ground Liquid Manure Tank - 400,000 Gallons 425,000 Gallons Invest in Qualit CONCRETE WORK, INC. CONCRETE SYSTEMS - It will last a lifetime. At the Chester Co. Crops Day, Bill Beam, right, picked up first place in the Pennsylvania Five-Acre Corn Club for Chester Co. Presenting the award Is Walter Wurster, Ches ter Co. dairy agent. high quality straw. Average yield is 59 bushels/acre, though the yield in Pennsylvania is about 50 bushels/acre. Only good right now as a straw source. • Spelt. This is a seed grain like oats. Requires fall seeding and is more winder hardey than winter wheat. It grows on a variety of soils, including poorly drained, low fertility soil. The pH require ment is 6.0. There are no pesticides than can be used for it, except cul tural and mechanical. Harvest is at 14 percent moisture. Cost is $l4B/acre ($2 less than oats). Breakeven price is 52.75/bushel and the value in Pennsylvania is now $2.30/bushel. Breakeven yield is 107 bushels/acre, but Pen nsylvania growing conditions pro vide about 90 bushels/acre. • Forage sorghum. Used as a silage crop. Can be used on droughty soils. Grows from 6 to 12 feet tall. It is fertilized like grain sorghum. It requires a soil pH of 6.0. Cost is $l9O/acre, at a breake ven 9.4 ton/acre yield. Breakeven price is $9.06/ton. ‘ ‘One of the reasons we’ve had a lot of interest in altnative crops is because of the some of the changes we’ve seen in the 1990 Farm Bill,” said Harper. ‘‘The bill pro vides a lort of flexibility for alter native crops.” But farmers were cautioned to give planting alternative crops a lot of thought. Farmers should consid er planting, harvesting, fertility, and overall crop management before considering growing an alternative crop. ‘‘One of the biggest things, we have to worry about is where is that market?” he said. No USDA standards Harper also said that many of the minor crops do not have offi cial USDA grading standards. CONCRETE PUMPING SERVICE AVAILABLE r . . Mixer And Boom Trucks 243 Miller Road Akron, PA 17501 (717) 733-0353 6:30 AM • 3:30 PM (717) 859-2074 After 6:00 PM
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