Page 4—Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 13,1993 (Continued from Page 2} In addition, he suggested possibly looking at making changes in the vitamin level in rations, such as with Vitamin E. “All the feed suppliers are trying to do the best they can with a poor situation,” Trayer said. “As far as the swine indus try, I would not feed without” testing and taking corrective action. As a minimum, Trayer said he would ensure that feed to gestating and breeding stock be treated with a toxin absorber, to minimize the risk of a large financial loss to the operation. Lynn Sammons, DVM with Willow Creek Animal Hospital in Myerstown, is a large animal veterinarian and works with a number of dairy herds. He said he has been seeing “quite a bit” of mycotoxin associated problems in herds. Mostly, Sammons said, he isn’t seeing dramatic visual effects, but rather drops in milk production and drops in dry matter intake by the dairy cattle. He explained that cattle and other four-stomached animals aren’t as severly affected as are single-stomached livestock as swine. Poultry is also easily affected, he said. What he has been doing to help out dairymen is relying primarily on dilution. However, Sammons warned that moldy feed is not necessar ily a sign of a problem. wwv JWfc #M*.. m .•w- Buffalo^ AULFLEX SLOT PLANTER • Computerized, Center or Unit Drive •Plateless or Plate • Chisel-Point or Extended Slot Shoe • Mounted or Pull-IVpe • Till Planter Conversion Kit • Less Soil Erosion •Reduced Labor •Less Fuel Used • Lower Machinery Costs 1 539 Falling Spring Road P.O Box 219 Chambersburg, PA 17201-0219 Phone 717 263-9111 Extent, Quality Unknown For Unharvested Com "'m (D®lE fMI MTWg yfy PENNSYLVANIA MASTER CORN GROWERS ASSOC, INC. “We have had at least three farmers test at Summerdale and had some positive and what we did was dilute it out with good quality dry com and that takes care of it. But we had some feed that looked bad and we had it tested and it came out okay.” He also said that they had some feed look perfectly fine, but then later proved to test high for mycotoxins. As far as com in the field, Sammons said, “I actually am recommending getting it tested before putting it in storage, and (once in storage) making sure that storage is as air-tight as possible.” Roasting com may work to stop production of new toxins, but it is uncertain as to whether it destroys the toxins already present. Further, Sammons said that anyone wanting to use com to feed horses should be absolute ly certain they have toxin-free com. “And, of course, the farmers themselves should be aware of the molds in the dust which can cause respiratory problems,” Sammons said. The veterinarians are not alone in calling for strict care feeding livestock. As assistant professor of com management for Pcnnsyl- Advantages of BUFFALO Slot Planting: • More Moisture Saved • Less Compaction • Better Crop Stands • Earlier Harvest during wet periods Ryder supply • Folding or Nan-FoMing Bar • Herbicide and/or Insecticide • Liquid and/or Dry Fertilizer • Cover Disks or Cover Wheels • Hydraulic Row Markets vania State University’s Col lege of Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Greg Roth is the Universi ty’s com expert. He recently issued warnings about the quality of com grown during the 1992 season both harvested and unharvested. According to a late January news release, com production across the nation is at an all lime high, but, for many Pennsylva nians, com grown is not com harvested. “It’s been an excellent year for com in lowa, Illinois, Mis souri and other corn-belt stales,” Roth said. “But in Pen nsylvania, the com harvest has been delayed by an extremely cool summer and wet fields.” Due to a rainy, overcast sum mer and fall, com got off to a slow start and never look off, despite reports of adequate moisture across the state. Ironi cally, moisture had been the most limiting factor for com growth in Pennsylvania for sev eral of the past 10 years. In a statement, Roth said, “The longer com stands in the fields, the more it will be damaged by molds, deer and lodging, or fallen stalks. Some growers may have to plow their com under or chop it and blow it back onto the fields in the spring.” CULTIVATOR 1. Higher tool bar tor Improved clearance 2. Wider, longer and tougher parallel linkage 3. Self-locking screw Jacks Instead of cranks 4. Specially designed, semi-pneumatic tires 5. Disk billers with longer-lasting tapered roller bearings 6. Stabilizer disks with eccentric bushings for In-field alignment 7. Large single sweep with adjustable pitch 8. Unique bushings and bearings only need greasing once every 100 row acres (or once or twice a season) BUILT TOUGH TO WORK BETTER AND LAST LONGER Most of the com in the north ern half of the state was killed by October frosts before matur ing. However, Roth said the underdeveloped ears can still be used for feed, but the corn’s natural drying process has been disrupted by the frosts. In addition, Roth said many fields arc too wet to drive through with equipment. In fact, Roth said that some grow ers have specifically sought out Amish farmers to harvest the com, because their mules and horses can work in situations that would be impossible or impractical for large, heavy equipment. Corn Display A Hit At Farm Show HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Most Americans fail to realize the role com plays in their daily life and in the local economy In an effort to make the publ ic more aware of the role of com in their lives, PMCGA recently developed the 28-foot display that was showcased in the main lobby of the 1993 Pen nsylvania Farm Show. The display featured the effects of com on the economy, on products used in the home, and corn’s effect on the envi ronment. The com display was sponsored by a combination of PMCGA funds and some industry sponsorships. The display project was spearheaded by Ken Rice and Willard Jones, both PMCGA members who have long Your farm is unlike anyone elr-e's Your conditions and your needs are your own That's why the Buffalo Cultivator comes in 2-16 row models with more options than anyone else can offer • Spring trip model also available • Liquid and NHj fertilizer application kits • Insecticide application kits • Heavy-duty lift assist wheel • Available with 180-degree folding tool bar • Open-top or hooded crop shields • Patented, adjustable ridging wings • Markers for bedding or ridging available • Quick-hitch Scout guidance system According to Roth, ear com should have no more than 25 percent moisture to harvest. However, much still in the fields has 30 to 40 percent moisture. “If the com were harvested now, it could grow molds that have mycotoxins dangerous to livestock,” he said, adding that farmers should have moldy com tested at a reputable laboratory. “Growers are closely moni toring their corn’s moisture content and the condition of their fields, so they can harvest as soon as possible.” thought that this was a message that needed to be told. According to Rice, “the number of products that contain com products in the home is more than most folks imagine- . . .and we wanted create a bet ter awareness of this.” The display was approxi mately 28 feet long and eight feet tall. It contained numerous corn related products that ranged from the obvious, such as com chips, to surprises like wallpaper and biodegradable golf tees. Jones noted that nearly everyone he talked with at the Farm Show was impressed with the display. Plans arc under way to use parts of the display at future events, including Ag Progress Days and the PMCGA Com conference. OPTIONS FOR ANY SITUATION Nothing Works Harder Than A Buffalo!
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers