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