Conservation Compliance, No-Till Work Hand In Hand
(Continued from Page A 1)
dependent on farm site, and can fit
into any farm system, according to
Joel Myers, state agronomist with
the Soil Conservation Service
(SCS), who spoke on how to
achieve optimum residue manage
ment. But farmers who have used
conventional tillage and want to
switch to a minimum tillage or no
till system have to leant the (some
times) complex management skills
needed.
For one thing, higher seeding
rates arc needed—often as high as
15-32 percent more seeding in
order to get the proper stand,
according to several Wisconsin
and lowa studies, said John
Yocum, Penn State extension
weed specialist and manager of the
Landisville Research Station. Soy
beans often can compensate, but
com especially on abused,
poorly drained soil with low
organic matter content —can have
reduced yield.
Growers “may not be over
planting enough” to ensure proper
yield, according to Yocum. Far
mers should “get out and count,
and see what population is in the
row,” he said.
Farmers using no-till have to
follow a corn-soybean rotation, or
face lower yields, according to
Yocum. If they choose to continue
a monocrop of com following
com, minimum tillage provides
better yields, according to data
from the Landisville Resarch
Station.
No-tilling works best on soils
with higherorganic matter, that are
well-drained, and follow a consis
tent crop rotation. Also, farmers
should keep in mind that the soils
will be cooler, which means a
slower emergence and higher grain
moisture. Farmers should also
look closely at compaction, which
can negatively affect yields.
TOBACCO GROWERS
YOU ARE INVITED
TO ATTEND AN IMPORTANT MEETING
When:
Where:
> Meet with fellow Growers
> Discuss important
> Meet tobacco company reps
> Talk with area legislators
> Learn more about our Industry
Why:
»> Invited Speakers & Guests «<
Organized and presented for your benefit by:
The Pennsylvania Tobacco Growers Association
according to Yocum.
If using no-till, farmers must
“do their homework,” according
to Yocum. No-till requires herbi
cides to treat weeds. To help keep
herbicide costs down, farmers
should learn exactly when the
weeds emerge, and treat at that
time. Also, with no-till, there are
more weed seeds and volunteer
com in the upper soil layers,
because of the lack of tillage. Also,
with residue, it is a lot harder to
control weeds because the herbi
cide often gets tied up with the
residue. Yocum admitted it is a
“lot easier to control weeds with a
clean surface than with residue
there,” he said.
The rule of thumb is to remove
weeds 4-6 weeks afater planting to
avoid yield loss. Weeds that
emerge beyond 4-6 weeks after
planting seldom affect yield,
according to Yocum.
Whatever the application, far
mers should carefully read the
rates.
Other factors necessary in no
till management include soil fertil
ity, which is affected closely by
pH, according to Doug Beegle,
Penn State fertility specialist. Bee
gle said that nitrogen fertilizer is
the “biggest single source of acidi
ty in our soils.”
The consistent application of
manure fertilizer and other types of
fertilizer creates an “acid roof” in
the top soil layers, according to the
specialist. The pH is lowered
because of the breakdown of urea
fertilizer, present in all manures
and some commercial fertilizers.
When farmers lime, the pH affects
the lop layer first and may take
many years to reach layers further
down.
When obtaining a soil test, Bcc
gle said to remain consistent
Friday - April 2nd, 1993
9:00 AM till 2:00 PM
The Tobacco Auction Barn
Paradise, Pennsylvania
(and enjoy a free lunch!)
U.S. Congressman Bob Walker
State Senator Noah Wenger
All Local State Representatives
Tobacco Company Officials
Department of Agriculture Officials
plus others
Fertility, pH
issues
Norm Conrad, Union County extension agent, provided a water table recharge mod
el demonstration to show how groundwater Is recharged and some of the ways water
sources can be affected. The model was constructed by students from lowa State Uni
versity In Ames, lowa.
obtain a measurement at a constant
depth. Farmers should consider
two separate tests one for the
lop layers and another one to the
bottom of the plow layer to
obtain exact pH measurements.
The soil pH affects the ability of
herbicides to perform, as well as
other nutrients, particularly
phosphorous.
For maximum benefit, fertilizer
should be applied right before a
rain. Also, fertilizers work better if
incorporated into the soil at time of
®o> >
S’ I %
*\ \ I '< o
S v
IN AGRICULTURE
DID
YOU
KNOW?
20 TONS OF DAIRY MANURE
ssssssssssssssssssssss
100 Pounds of Nitrogen/Acre
for your crop, if incorporated the same day of
application in the Spring
or only:
40 pounds of nitrogen/acre
if spread and left on the surface
for more than 7 days!
Call today to see what your
manure/tillage program is doing
for you
1-800-322 0060 Toll Free
A DIVISION OF GRO-MOR PLANT FOOD CO., INC. Leola, PA
or soon after application.
For no-lillage or minimum til
lage, a starter fertilizer may
increase yields because of the col
der soil temperatures and conse
quent slower root growth.
Can Give You:
(Turn to Page A3l)