M-Lancaster Fanning Saturday, May 11,1991 Unconventional Products Don’t Robert J. Anderson Lancaster Co. Extension Agent Have you heard of anyone using some strange products for the con trol of rootworm larvae on com and wondered how they worked? lowa State University and sev eral other universities in the Mid west have been evaluating some of these unconventional products for several years. 1 would like to share a summary of their Findings. The odd products evaluated included soybean meal, sulfur, sugar, turpentine, dry molasses, and a mixture of kelp, fish meal, and diatomaceous earth. The lowa 1-6 root rating scale was used to evaluate the perfor mance of these products. This is the nationally accepted rating sys tem for evaluation of root damage due to insect feeding. In the rating system, roots are visually exa mined for rootworm feeding dam age. A rating of 1 has very little or no feeding damage while a rating of 6 has severe feeding damage. In fact a rating of 6 has very few roots. The important number to remember in the system is that any rating over 3 will result in yield losses. Here’s how lowa State Researcher, Dr. M. E. Rice sum marized the studies. “The use of alternative, or C* ' YOU NEED AT S i PRICES S YOU CAN AFFORD , HEAVY DUTY AUGERS 4” -6”-8”-10”-12” Standard Sizes In Stock Custom Sizes Made To Order FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL OR WRITE TODAY • aFs unconventional, products to pro tect com roots from insect damage continues to attract the attention of lowa farmers,” said Rice. “The fascination behind the use of these unconventional products (I hate to call them insecticides because as you will see, they don’t control insects) apparently is that they are safer for the farmer to handle and are less detrimental to the environment.” Dr. Rice doesn’t mention it but I would guess they are also much cheaper to use. According to Rice, farmer testimonial has been widely used during the last couple of years to promote the use of these products. In Minnesota, a conventional insecticide was compared to sulfur and to sugar and a check treatment at several locations. FOOT FEEDING TREATMENT RATING Conventional Insecticide Check Sulfur Sugar Only the conventional insecti cide product had a root rating below 3. The sulfur and sugar treatments had ratings which were automatic farm systems 608 Evergreen Rd Lebanon,PA 17042 (717) 274-5333 statistically the same as the check. lowa compared several insecti cides with soybean meal. FEEDING TREATMENT RATING Conventional Insecticides 2.71 Check 4.52 Soybean Meal 4.83 Again only the conventional insecticides showed any control. In Wisconsin, several insecti cides were compared to turpentine, molasses, sulfur, and a mixture of kelp, fishmeal, and diatomaceous earth. FEEDING TREATMENT RATING Conventional Insecticide Molasses Turpentine Check Sulfur 2.18 3.25 3.22 3.33 Sea Food Combo All of the studies results strong ly suggest that none of the uncon ventional treatments are effective in the control of rootworm larvae. VAL WATERING SYSTEMS Pal«nt • 4 524 724 □VALs I - —— f || Control Rootworm If your com field has a problem, If you would like a more com don’t count on any of these plele copy of the data, contact Bob treatments. Anderson at the Lancaster County FOOT BOZEMAN, Mont.— The American Simmental Association ASA), working in conjunction with Satellite Cattle Exchange ;SCE), Ltd., has scheduled two jpcoming video auctions of Sim nental and Simbrah-influenced eeder cattle. The two sales are scheduled for August IS and again on October 3. FOOT “The association believes that ite opportunities for video market ing Simmental and Simbrah cattle ire unlimited,” said ASA Execu tive Vice President Brian Kitchen. ‘lt means that the calves never leave the ranch until they’re ready for delivery to a known buyer at a Known price!” In 1990, an estimated I.S to 2 million head of cattle were sold through video auction, and the lumber is expected to rise as cattle 2.29 3.35 3.70 3.95 4.30 4.35 EQUIPMENT fj (COMPANY, INC. £3 c 3 Datqnan af Quality Syatami far Faulty, StNna and Grain Hamdinj ASA Plans Video Auctions Wt 1 A SYCAMORE INO. PARK 255 PLANE TREE DRIVE LANCASTER, PA 17603 (717)393-5807 Extension Office, (717) 394-6851 buyers and sellers realize the advantages. SCE has more than 120 rep resentatives nationwide to handle consignments of cattle for upcom ing sales. Once a cattleman agrees to sell his cattle through SCE, a videotape of the cattle is made, and a representative writes a detailed description of the cattle to be pub lished in a sale catalog. On sale day, a master tape of all consigned cattle is broadcast via satellite across the U.S. and can be viewed by those attending central bidding stations or by owners of satellite dishes. Bidding from home is done by telephone. Interested Simmental and Sim brah breeders may obtain addition al information by calling Tom White at ASA (800) 548- 0205 or Danny Bums at SCE (800) 543-5905. FOR ALL YOUR WATERING NEEDS: • Broilers, Ducks Lav' Pulletr Route 30 West at the Centerville Exit.
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