Forage Establishment (Contlnutd from Pag* A 23) viewers at the Lancaster Crops Day. Steve Pales, associate professor, crop management from Penn State, introduced the forage con ference via satellite uplink. Vari ous forage experts, including Mar vin Hall, Penn State forage spe cialist; Dr. Ray Shipp. Penn State associate professsor, agronomy; Dr. Douglas Beegle. Penn State associate professor, agronomy; and Hoffman, participated. According to the teleconference members, farmers must first understand their site and soil char acteristics before attempting to grow forages. Adequate moisture, good stand management, fertilizer/ lime applications, regular soil test ing, and good weed control “and all things being equal,” according to Shipp will deter mine the yields. According to Shipp, soil depth and drainage are two characteris tics affecting potential yield. A good soil profile, with at least 2-3 feet of good soil to bedrock, that provides adequate nutrient reten tion and moisture drainage, is essential. Hall, who spoke about seed selection, said that three factors include species (to obtain expected yields), die needs of the animal, and selecting the seed for the right production from time of planting, are critical. According to Hall, the Pa. Agro nomy Guide and Pa. Forage Trials Report will aid in species and vari ety selection. Before planting, Beegle empha sized the importance of obtaining a regular soil test to determine if the phosphorous and potash levels, in addition to pH, are adequate for the type of species planted. (Accord ing to Shipp, in the question and answer period following, he said that the soil test has an accuracy of about 85 percent.) The “bottom line” in establishing forages is to “plan ahead,” said Beegle. Gras ses and legumes differ in nitrogen use a predominance of grasses require regular nitrogen applica tions, where a predominance of legumes require no additional nit rogen applications. Various seed coatings, accord ing to Hall, to help establish the stand are available. Hall empha sized reading the labels “and know what you’re buying.” Several seed treatments, includ ing those with nutrient-quality materials coating them, will increase the volume of seed in a given package. There are different varieties of coating to help protect against fungus and to help in seed establishment After soil and seed management has taken place, the next step is choosing the planting method. Whether using no-till or minimum tillage, the experts emphasized the importance of preparing a fine seedbed for adequate seed-to-soil contact and germination, accord ing to Hall. According to Hall, before plant ing, inoculate the seeds adequately by stirring the inoculant in the seed hopper. Fales, via satellite, later posed the question what if the seed was planted and no inocula tion was used. At that time, it is too late. Fertilizer should be banded in 1 inch below the seed location. A good phosphorous starter, such as 10-20-20 or 10-20-10, is useful. Keystone Pork Congress February 17,1993 Booth #55 UD Most forages need to be planted at 'A inch, and no deeper than 'A inch. Hall said cultipacking before and after insertion of the seed may be essential to allow adequate germination. In the state, many farmers tend to plant excessive amounts of seed. This is not necessary, according to Halh if using quality seed and observing application. Using good quality seed and management of the germination helps in yield, according to Hoff man. While there might not be a “best” time to plant, a good time to establish a stand is March and April. Late August and early Sep tember is also good, depending on conditions of the soil and weather. Proper drill calibration, if using no-dll, is essential. If dropping in row, a firm seedbed is necessary. Whatever method is used, according to Hoffman, the impor tant thing is to make sure that the equipment is used and adjusted accordingly. Critical is proper seeding depth (alfalfa no more than Vi inch and no less than 'A inch). Hoffman said it’s impor tant to recognize that you cannot see what the seed depth is from the tractor seat. “Get off the tractor to look,” he said. In the afternoon at the Crops Day, Beegle spoke about soil fer tility management decisions. Fer tility management is a “continu ous process” and begins in the rotation, when the field is in com. Overall, it’s important to know that legumes fix nitrogen, and don’t need nitrogen as much as the grasses. Beegle examined the dif ferent rates of nitrogen and other fertilizer uses, compared to quanti ty of yield, depending on type of forage. But the best way to see how a HATFIELD QUALITY MEATS INC HATFIELD PENNSYLVANIA 194404)902 plant uses nutrients, and to exa mine possible nutrient deficien cies, is to take a plant sample. A lot of the times, when a mer sees alfalfa yellowing, the problem could be boron deficiency or drought stress. Also, compaction may be the culprit, according to Hoffman. Compaction is more likely to occur on some soils than others, and if a farm has a high clay content, there are greater chances of compaction A‘if you’re doing something wrong,” said Hoffman. Many times, the farmer goes into the field with heavy equip ment while the soil is too moist, further complicating existing com paction. Although causes such as adverse soil conditions (“getting on the soil when we should find something else to do,” he said), til lage tools, and heavy loads contri bute to compaction, farmers should try to prevent it rather than fix the problems. Hoffman examined various ways to try to correct compaction, including using crop choice and rotation, and tillage. Tillage tools vary from paraplows, to V-rippers, Outreach Luncheon Set WESTMINSTER, Md. The sixth annual Fellowship of Christ ian Farmers (FCF) Outreach Luncheon will be held March 6, 12 p.m.-2:30 p.m. at Wilhelm Ltd. Caterers (formerly Friendly Farms), Route 140, Westminster. The featured speaker is Steve Yoder, president of the American Soybean Association and a farmer from northern Florida. Yoder operates a 2,000-acre farm. His wife and their five children are actively involved in the farming operation. Yoder raises soybeans, wheat, com and peanuts, and runs 9K Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 13, 1993-A25 to any modification of the two. Farmers can check for various site compaction areas using a pene trometer or simply a welded T-bar with a pointed end. Hoffman said he was “in favor of using the right tool for the job you have to do. Work at the proper depth to maximize the efficiency of the 100!,“ he said. According to Ron Matason, senior producer/director of the conferences, satellite teleconfer ences arc scheduled for the follow- ing dates: • Feb. 15 Grain Crop Estab lishment and Pest Management. Participants include Jefferson, Lackawanna, Schuylkill, Some rset, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. • Feb. 25 Pest Management. Participants include Beaver, Blair, Cambria, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Lycoming, Perry. Tioga, Wayne, Somerset, Schuylkill, and Wyoming counties. For dates, locations, and times, contact your local extension office. 100 dairy cows and a 300 head beef cow/calf operation. He also serves on the executive committee of the Florida Dairy Cc-op. Special music will be provided by Catherine Fair Hall. She is a familiar voice to FCF because she has provided special music for two of the previous outreach luncheons. For ticket information, call Dave Sparks at (410) 239-8480 or Wilson Lippy at (410) 374-2975. Buffet luncheon tickets are $7. i(lUQy^^'
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