C2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 5, 1993 SYRACUSE, N.Y. Nutrient management will continue to be one of the most important issues facing dairy fanners in the coming years and must be made an indus try priority, concluded Dairylea 2000, an advisory task force of Dairylea Cooperative Inc. At a recent meeting at the Cooperative’s headquarters in UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Unfavorable weather con ditions and deadly parasites have teamed up to cause a potentially critical shortage of honey bees in Pennsylvania. And that could spell trouble for apple and vege table growers, said a Penn State bee specialist. “Pennsylvania apples arc about 95 percent dependent on bee pol lination,” said Maryann Tomasko, entomology extension associate in Penn State’s College of Agricul tural Sciences. “This winter, some large bee keepers lost SO to 75 percent of their colonies.” Tomasko said. “Some smaller beekeepers were wiped out. Overall, SO percent or more of the honey bees in Penn sylvania probably were lost.” Nationwide, $lO billion worth of crops arc pollinated by honey bees. Bee pollination plays a part in the production of about one third of the typical American diet “Last year’s wet cool summer jjusie U MattUt SSEB. bins and augers Maiwfo 'M ' JREfe; - * j xi™/ 'vMiiM'^MRHHM *‘V / Take ’em Down! We Will Assemble & Deliver Bins To Your Farm Northeast! TT^Tmj Dairylea 2000: Syracuse. N.Y., the select group of Dairylea members listened to a presentation by Dr. Les Lanyon of Pennsylvania State University, who has been involved in soil fer tility and water quality improve ment projects in Pennsylvania. In addition, the task force reviewed a comprehensive video tape on anaerobic technology that can Growers Could Be Stung By Honey Bee Shortage led to a poor fall nectar flow,” said Tomasko. “The bees use the fall nectar to make honey that sustains a colony through the winter. Be cause of the long, snowy winter and the late arrival of spring weather, some colonies simply starved.” The poor weather, reduced hon ey supply, and recently introduced parasitic mites combined to cause higher than normal winter losses of bees. Honey bee tracheal mites enter ed the United States in 1984. Var roa mites were first found in this country in 1987. Since their intro duction, both mites have spread rapidly and have caused serious damage to the beekeeping indus try in Pennsylvania and else where. Because the parasites are not native to North America, domestic honey bees have little resistance to the mites. So far, chemical con trols have been only moderately . Northeast Agrl Systems, Inc. FLYWAY BUSINESS PARK 523, 139 A West Airport Rd. naan Lititz. PA 17543 )“ (717) 569-2702 1-800-673-2580 mm JL- Nutrient Management For New We Stock Truckloads Of Chore-Time Bins & Miles Of Chore-Time FLEX-AUGER Bins... Large Or Small Authorized Master Distributor handle manure in an environmen tally sound way and heard a description of a proposed agribus iness park in Pennsylvania that would recycle 85 percent of its wastes. “Dairylea 2000, which serves our Cooperative in an advisory capacity as a ‘think tank,’ has focused its attention on the crucial effective, in part because the mites quickly develop resistance to miti cides. Researchers are looking for ways to breed native bees for mite resistance or introduce resistant species from other countries. Until that research bears fruit, growers who rely on rented honey bees for crop pollination might experience a shortage. “Some local beekeepers will have trouble fulfilling existing contracts,” said Tomasko. “Bee keepers with colonies to rent should have little trouble finding interested growers.” If dry, sunny weather prevails during the pollination period, wild honey bees and some solitary bee species will perform much of the needed pollination. But Tomasko said wild bee populations also have been reduced by mites, as well as by pesticide use and habi tat destruction. With bee colonies dying and the cost of chemical treatment to fight miles rising, growers could face higher pollination fees charged by beekeepers. “If that happens,” said Tomasko,' “consumers might pay more for fresh fruits and vegeta bles.” For more information ora list of commercial beekeepers in Penn sylvania, contact the nearest coun ty office of Penn State Coopera tive Extension. Custom Applications issue of nutrient management," reported Dairylea President Clyde Rutherford. “The group realizes that issues dealing with the envi ronment are not going to go away, and that they are not solely the problem of farmers with large dairy operations. This is an industry-wide concern. “Regulators, legislators and far mers should address the issue of nutrient management with flexi bility” added Rutherford. “And Dairylea 2000 stressed that dairy farmers must and should get involved or they will be left at the gate by environmental groups pushing their own agendas." Suggestions made by Dairylea 2000 included: • contacting New York State Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard McGuire about providing an open forum on nutri ent management at the Agriculture and Technology Conference that has been proposed for Fall 1993; ■ contacting New York’s Joint Legislative Commission on Dairy Industry Development to initiate a study on how increased environ mental regulations will affect the dairy farm economy in New York. • continuing to work with legi slators in Pennsylvania on pend ing nutrient management legislation; • working with appropriate authorities throughout the North east to ensure interstate coordina tion of nutrient management prog rams; and • developing incentives to attract more trained specialists to work with dairy fanners on nutri ent management, while investigat ing the possibility of dairy farmers funding related research projects and salaries at Cornell and Pen nsylvania State Universities. During the task force’s meet ing, Dr. Lanyon stressed that sound nutrient management involves optimizing crop yields through use of animal manure, Put ’em Up! SSI Sr FOR FREE ESTIMATES CALL OOR TOLL-FREE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER: 1-80(W73.25a0 York while protecting the environment. He suggested that farmers plan ning to \|se animal manure on their fields develop and follow a writ ten manure management plan that makes sense for their particular operation. Management is the key, according to Dr. Lanyon, who told the group that nutrient manage ment plans that incorporate certain practices for crop production and water quality protection—but are not designed for farm productivity and profitability are misguided efforts. Dr. Lanyon added that, in his view, it is best for farmers to deve lop nutrient management propos als voluntarily, and perhaps with government incentives, rathet than in response to legislation an regulation developed with little agricultural input Dairylca 2000 members also discussed the “whole farm plan ning approach” to nutrient man agement. which includes certain incentives, that is being attempted in the Delaware/Catskill watershed area that provides water for New York City. This approach was developed jointly by area far mers and agribusinesses. local government, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. The approach allows individual farmers to develop and implement management practices best suited to the conditions of their farms. Dairylea 2000 was formed at Dairylea’s Annual Meeting in October 1992 to identify impor- 1 tant issues that the Cooperative should be addressing as it prepars for the next century. ; Dairylea, a Syracuse-based dairy cooperative with more than 2,600 farmer members throughout the Northeast, markets approxi mately 2.5 billion pounds of milk annually. Dairylea participates and is invested in a milk market ing network stretching from Maine to Maryland to Ohio. nur. sea. TnA.pt on ntwT through h« H - ” - ' ———— Beautiful Appalachian Rad mill niufitt Aim Aromatic Cedar. Availabli BUILUiNGS AnO Up To w W jds, SUPPLIES Bft. Long. Cut to Your Di- mens ion*. K.T. Nilsson 64'x76’ Truss roof with 20 fww? trusses 76' long, best offer. 173Z0 - Amos Zook, 320 Catsback Between 800 and 900 ruft Road. Ephrata, PA. ning feet <rf oak fence in- ABC SEAMLESS SIDING. **}« Exclusive area dealer. 17,898-8224 Free estimates. 288-5821 , 717-626-2032 653-6178. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers