Ag Progress Tour Shows Reconstructed Wetlands
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
ROCKSPRING (Centre Co.) —
Understanding the moisture condi
tions of the soil and how the land
was managed in the past can help
landowners reconstruct damaged
wetland areas.
And with time, effort, and care
ful management, landowners can
go a long way to refurbishing the
natural plant and wildlife intrinsic
to the area, according to Robert
Glennon. plant materials specialist
for USDA/Soil Conservation Ser
vice on Tuesday afternoon at Ag
Progress Days.
Glennon spoke to a group of
about 2S people during the general
conservation tour, which included
stops at several sites vital to feed
ing and maintaining reconstructed
wetlands.
Glennon told the tour members
that wetlands, in order to promote
enhanced water quality, should
have a water depth of no more than
12-18 inches. The reason?
Because most plants, in order to
perform oxygen transformation
from the air to the soil, grow no
more than two feet
Different species of wetland plants were Installed, including cattails and seven var
ieties of sedges, at the reconstructed wetlands site at Rockspring. Also, woody plants
were also incorporated In the project. Many of the sedge varieties were investigated
for survivability.
You know planting
PIONEER® brand Seed
Com yields more bushels
of quality high moisture
com. But what a difference
Pioneer inoculants make.
®, SM. TM Trademarks and service marks, registered or applied for, of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., Des Moines, lA. All sales are subject to the terms of
labeling and sale documents. ©1993 PHI I
The process, said Glennon, is
similar to a backyard septic tank
that uses bacteria to tie up or break
down pollutants. Aerobic bacteria
in the soil needs oxygen from the
plants, and some parts of the wet
lands require anaerobic bacteria to
do the same job—clean the water.
It’s a two-tiered system that
works effectively to clean the
water and enhance water quality,
which is part of what wetland areas
accomplish.
The reconstructed wetlands
were in put in place three years ago
through the cooperative efforts of
the Pennsylvania Land Improve
ment Construction .Association
(which donated equipment time),
the SCS, and Penn State.
Different species of wetland
plants were installed, including
cattails and seven varieties of
sedges. Also, woody plants were
also incorporated in the project.
Many of the sedge varieties were
investigated for survivability.
Also, new projects as partpf the
conservation tour included a
sedimentation control project
installed at the demonstration site
in the spring of this year. A special
artificial storm test sedimentation
holding site, which provides 7,000
cubic feet (5,000 cubic feet of
water and 2,000 of sedimentation),
was installed to investigate ways to
control runoff and improve water
quality from storm water.
A pond with several acre feet of
water supplies the test site. Storm
events can be simulated from this
pond, according to project coordi
nator Dr. Albert Jarrett, professor
of ag engineering at Penn State.
One thing the investigators dis
covered was that water that was
ponded went a long way toward
improving water quality “tremend
ously,” said Jarrett.
The storm simulator uses a
spring-fed pond to drop water at
the maximum rale of 1 cubic foot
per second or 450 gallons per
minute, what is considered the
“two-year' 1 storm, based on a 1
acre site at 8 percent slope. They
can place 1,000 pounds of soil in
the flow to simulate sedimentation
runoff, and measure the sedimen
tation through a “sedigraph.“
This year, so far, the simulator
has been used in 20 demonstra
tions, said Jarrett
Tests prove inoculating
with 1189 significantly
improves feeding value
Use the inoculant that is
tested most. Genume
PIONEER® brand High
Moisture Com Itioculant.
Dr. Albert Jarrett, professor of ag engineering at Penn
State, shows Ag Progress Days visitors a special sedimen
tation and runoff simulator project Installed at the site In the
spring this year. Here he holds a perforated riser, of which
several are under test at the site.
Southeast Pa. Dairy
Pasture Walks Continue
CREAMERY (Montgomery
Co.) —On July 29, approximately
60 attended the Southeast Pasture
Walk at Forrest Strieker farm in
Robesonia.
Southeast Pennsylvania pasture
walks will continue through the
end of November. If you are cur
rently grazing, considering graz
ing, or just curious about grazing,
then this series of Pasture Walks is
for you.
Not only will you get to see
farms using pasture systems, but
you will also be able to ask ques
tions and network with other inter
ested farmers. Hie following four
......... , *
.... .
■ 153 lbs. more \
milk per ton of
high moisture
com fed*
I
*
L u 1
•Data extrapolated from beef trial using accepted
industry standard of 1 pound of weight gam in
steers equates to 8 pounds of milk in dairy cows
Call 1 -800-247-6782 for copy of tnal data
m
PIONEER.
PIONEER HWRED MTERNAHONAL, MC.
Lancaster FSrotlnfl, Saturday, August 21.1993-A2l
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Pioneer...
The
Quality
Forage
■■■ Source.
farms have agreed to host pasture
walks starting at 9:30 a.m.
• On August 26, Curtis and
Brenda Dietrich of Lehigh County
are hosting the walk and working
on their second year of intensive
grazing. Thirty-five cows and 20
calves and yearlings have 35 acres
available for grazing. In addition
to grazing, the cows are bam fed
com silage, high moisture ear
com, 38 percent supplement, and
rolled-cooked soybeans. The Diet
richs maintain high milk produc
tion and milk five times in two
days.
• On September 30, Lee
and Gail Reinford of
Montgomery County, also
on their second year of in-,
tensive grazing are hosting*
the pasture walk. Seventy
cows have 3S acres avail
able to graze. Crops grazed
include orchardgrass and
clovers, bluegrass and rye
grass clover mixtures, and
alfalfa. The herds ration in
cludes TMR forage sup
plementation (normal pas
ture growth supplies V> of
forage) and water is avail
able in several locations.
• On October 28. Will
Comley of Beiics County
will host the October walk.
Comley is on his second
year of grazing with 123
milking cows and 100 re
placements. A total of 60
acres of permanent pasture
is available with an addi
tion 80 acres of converted
cropland added this year.
Single-strand high tensile
fencing divides daily pad
docks and alleyways. Wa
ter is supplied by black
plastic pipe in alleyways to
portable water tank. The
herd ration .includes TMR
forage supplementation