08-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 6,1993 Nitrogen In Ammonium Form May Prove Best For Sweet Com W r/ ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.) Sweet com needs nitrogen, and plenty of it. But did you know that sweet com uses niuogen in ammo nium nitrate form the best? That’s because nitrogen in that form allows sweet com to take it up when it needs it the most, and at the correct rate from the seven leaf to tassling and finally to silk, according to Dr. Darryl Wamcke, crop and soil scientist from Michi gan State University. Wamcke spoke about how nit rogen affects sweet com quality last week during the general veget ables session at the Pennsylvania Vegetable Conference and Trade Show. •, Studies indicate that nitrogen demands for sweet com are diffe rent at various stages of plant growth. The nitrogen uptake is only 6 percent up to the sixth leaf; from seventh leaf to tassle, nitro gen uptake surges to 25 percent; from tassel to silk, 30 percent; and finally, ear development consumes 39 percent of available nitrogen, according to the scientist. Take leaf samples The best way to look at sweet corn’s nitrogen use is to take leaf samples. But to ensure good yield and quality, growers should exa mine all stages of growth, and be sure to take regular soil tests and check for nitrogen availability. Generally, according to Wamcke, growers in this area under the clay loam type of soil conditions should strive for about 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre during the growing season. Special emphasis should be placed on get ting the nitrogen fo die plant when it needs it the most right after the 6th leaf. But it’s important that the plant not only obtain nitrogen, but the other essential nutrients working Farmers UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Can farmers make more money selling their products directly to consumers rather than supermarkets or food processors? Answers can be found at the 11th annual Mid-Atlantic Direct Marketing Conference and Trade Show, February 18-19 in Lancas ter, Pa. An optional tour of local farm markets will follow on Satur day, February 20. “This event will help farmers who sell products directly to con sumers primarily fruit and ve getable growers who run roadside stands or farmers’ market stalls develop a clearer view of their marketing choices,” said Jeff Pat ton, Penn State Cooperative Ex tension agent in Lehigh County. “Many of the speakers are suc cessful direct marketers who will share their experiences.” The conference will be held at the Lancaster Host Resort just east of Lancaster on Route 30. The event is organized by extension staff from Pennsylvania, Dela ware, Maryland and New Jersey, along with farmers and staff from slate agriculture departments. “There’s no way farmers can survive on wholesale prices, which haven’t improved much during my 30 years of raising crops,” said Fred Funk, confer ence planning committee member and manager of Funk’s Farm Mar ket m Lancaster County. “But when we retail products directly, we get new headaches and stiff competition. We need all Jhe in- Dr. Darryl Warncke, soil scientist with Michigan State University, spoke about the effects of nitrogen on sweet corn at the Vegetable Confer ence last week. in conjunction as well. Nitrogen stress during ear deve lopment may result in kernel shrivel, affecting yield, quality, and taste. Growers should strive for about 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre, but don’t exceed 200, because too much nitrogen will cause the plant to assimilate sugars away from kernels and into the leaves. (However, Warncke pointed out that more research is needed into the effects of excess nitrogen on quality of sweet com.) Affects protein content Nitrogen also affects protein content in the ear. It’s important for the grower to sample the leaves at tassling or silking to see if adequate nitrogen is going to the plant, according to Wamcke. The following steps will help sweet com growers: • Soil test regularly to look at the nutrient levels and growing To Share Advice At Marketing Conference formation and inspiration we can get.” Topics to be discussed during the conference include new adver tising and marketing techniques, farm market business plans, post harvest handling, understanding baby boomers, discovering what customers want, and setting up an estate plan. Trade show exhibitors will in clude specialty food and beverage producers, retail packagers, pro moters, consultants, and produce auction organizers. The show also will feature new resources for farm marketers, including Quaker Foods’ “Self-Study Program in Retail Food Store Operations” and the latest reports from the Food Marketing Institute. Dr. John Stanton, professor of food marketing at St. Joseph’s University, will open the confer ence Thursday morning with an address, “Customer Satisfaction Where All Paths Begin.” He will discuss consumers’ food shopping decisions and the need for commitment to customer satis faction. Following his address, a panel of three farm market man agers will share their perspectives on customer service. On Thursday afternoon, Joseph Anthony, a U.S. Department of Agriculture engineer, will des cribe how farmers can build a new batch cooling unit with off-the shelf materials for less than $l,OOO. Thursday evening will feature an ice cream social and farmer-to- Steve Spangler, extension associate, entomology department at Penn State, talks about one of the biggest pests in the Mid-Atlantic —corn earworm—during a special corn pest workshop at the Vegetable Conference. conditions for the crop. • Use 125 to 150 pounds per acre of nitrogen. • Band 40 to 60 pounds per acre at planting time. • Sidedress the remainder as late as possible as close to tas sling time as possible. Nitrogen, available at the right times, according to the researcher, will provide good ear develop ment, tip fill, and quality of com. Also at the conference, a special sweet com pest workshop was conducted, which reviewed the major threats to sweet com grow ers and ways in which growers can handle them. The workshop was conducted by Steve Spangler and Dr. Shelby Fleischer, entomology department at Penn State. Additional topics in the general vegetables session on Wednesday included developing biorational insect control options, a panel fea turing growers and their experi ence with photodegradable plastic farmer roundtables on personal selling, recycling, dried flowers and ribbons, retaining the farm market image, keeping kids in the business, and services that add value to farm markets. Friday’s highlights include m deplh looks at successful farm markets in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. “The owners of each market will give an insider’s view of their marketing techniques,” said Pal- DOVER, Del. The State of Delaware and the Delmarva Poul try Industry, Inc. signed an histor ic Memorandum of Understand ing that allows compensation to poultry companies forced to depo pulate flocks as a result of a cata strophic disease outbreak. Gov. Dale Wolf witnessed as Acting Secretary of Agriculture Roland Derrickson and Budget Director Michael Ferguson signed the agreement during ceremonies at Legislative Hall. Representa tives from the state’s eight poultry companies signed the agreement prior to the ceremony. Representatives from the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. A user’s panel on photodegradable plastic mulch was moderated by Dr. Michael Orzolek, horticulture department, Penn State, far left, last week. Next to him, left to right, are Gregory Forry, a grower.from Campbelltown, and Robert Trax, a grower from Flnleyvllle. mulch, growing tips for potato pro ducers, organic materials in veget- ton. “A discussion of the issues af fecting farm markets will follow their presentations.” Saturday’s tour program begins with an address by Dr. Charles Coalc, agricultural marketing spe cialist at Virginia Polytechnic University, entitled “How to Grow a Farm Market.” Tour buses then depart for A.L. Kauffman and Son’s Farm Market, the. Bird in-Hand Farmers Market, Oregon Dairy Farm Market, Kitchen Kct- State Indemnification (DPI), the trade association repre senting the poultry industry on the peninsula, also were on hand to witness the signing. The indemnification plan is the third phase of a program launched in 1987 by the Mid-Atlantrc Health Council, a group of state officials, university representa tives and poultry industry rep resentatives from Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennyslvania. The council established a set of procedures to deal with emergen cy poultry disease outbreaks on Delmarva and in Pennsylvania. The first phases describe provi sions for the prevention and eradi- able production, sessions. Ue Village and the Shady Maple Farm Market. The conference fee is S4O for the first participant from each farm market and $2O for addition al participants. A banquet Friday evening costs $3O, while the Saturday breakfast buffet, talk and tours cost $25. For more information, contact yourcounty cooperative extension office or call the Penn Stale Short Course Oflicc at (814) 865-8301. Adopts Plan cation of diseases. “Our main concern at the time was avian influenza.” said Der rickson. “However, the peninsula has experienced outbreaks of pul lorum and avian brocnhitis since then. The poultry industry is a vit al component of the region’s agri cultural industry and its economic health. Since it is concentrated in a small geographic area, disease can spread rapidly and has the poten tial of wiping out an entire industry.” The Memorandum of Under standing outlines the responsibih ties of the poultry industry, the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the event flocks arc destroyed. and other
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