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Vol. 38 NO. 6
Optimum Soil Nitrate Equals High Crop Yields, Say Researchers
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
HAGERSTOWN. Md. Opti
mum yields for com and other
warm-season crops can be
obtained when a soil presidedress
nitrogen test (PSNT) reveals levels
of soil nitrogen around the 25 parts
Franklin County DHIA Honors Fritz
BONNIE BRECHBILL
Franklin Co. Correspondent
CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin
Co.) “Hair/Fritz has done an
outstanding job in his 45 years as a
technician and a regional mana
ger ” Dean Emig, director of Held
Services for Pennsylvania DHIA,
Pa. Forage, Grassland Council Honors New Holland Farmer
VERNON ACHENBACH JR.
Lancaster Fanning Staff
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Co.) Earl Weaver, a Lancaster
County dairyman for 28 years, was
recently honored by the Pennsyl
vania Forage and Grassland Coun
cil with its Foragc/Conservation
Farmer Award.
The award is recognition of a
long-time and outstanding com
mitment to soil conservation.
Weaver said he was suiprised
when he learned of the award.
It’s not that he hasn’t been com
mitted to soil conservation. He has,
transforming a farm that contained
several crop Helds that woe con
stantly subjected to “washouts,” as
Weaver refers to erosion gullies,
into a series of 100-foot wide con
tour strips with grass waterways.
But the award was a surprise.
Bob Anderson, county extension
agent, had nominated Weaver for
the award two years ago. Weaver
more or less forgot about being
nominated. Besides, he’s been
busy for the past two years getting
a soybean processing and storage
business operating.
Surprise or not. Weaver said the
award is signiHcant because of
what it means about those who
support such awards.
“It means that people are still
concerned other than me
about keeping nitrates out of the
Christmas
Deadlines
The Lancaster Faming office
will be closed Friday. December
24 in observance of Christmas
day. Early deadlines will be fol
lowed the week of Christmas.
These deadlines arc as follows:
Public Sale Ads Noon.
Mon.. 12/20.
Mailbox Markets Noon,
Mon.. 12/20.
General News Noon, Wed.,
12/22.
Classified Section C Ads 5
P-m., Tue.. 12/21,
All Other Classified Ads 9
km.. Wed., 12/22.
Four Section
Soil Fertility, No-Till Studies At Mid-Atlantic Tillage Conference
per million (ppm) mark, according
to a USDA soil scientist
Dr. John J. Meisinger, a scientist
with the Agriculture Research Ser
vice in Beltsville, presented the
Endings conducted in Maryland
recently that examined the useful
ness and effectiveness of the PSNT
told Franklin County DHIA mem
ben. “He kept the integrity in
DHIA.”
Emig made his remarks at the
Franklin County DHIA Annual
Meeting and Awards Banquet,
held earlier this month in Pleasant
View Mennonite Church. Emig
groundwater, and keeping the soil
preserved for the next generation,”
the wiry, blond-haired farmer said.
Weaver bought the farm from
his parents, Raymond and Mabel,
who still live in a home on the farm
that was built by their parents
when they took over the farm.
At first, when he took over the
farm, 'ft was a 50-acre parcel. In
1978 he purchased additional land
from a neighboring farm and
expanding his farm to 87 acres.
He had the original farm rede
signed for soil conservation in
1976, taking advantage of some
cost-sharing that was offered
through the USDA Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation
Service.
The additional acreage was also
re-done in the same fashion. Some
of the strips arc now more than
2,000 feet long in which he alter
natingly grows alfalfa, com and
soybeans.
v -? “I've been extremely impressed
with the lacjc of washing,” Weaver
said. “It just impressed me with
what can be done with
contouring.”
The Weaver farm is a second
generation dairy fium, though
when he and his wife Marilyn first
started, they had hogs. Though he
has been milking cows since he
was 13 years old, he said he had
(Turn to Pago Alt)
New Year’s
Deadlines
The Lancaster Faming office
will also be closed Friday, Decem
ber 31 in observance of New
Years day. Early deadlines will be
followed the last week of Decem
ber as follows:
Public Sale Ads Noon,
Mon., 12/27.
Mailbox Markets Noon, Fri.,
12/24.
General News Noon, Wed.,
12/29.
Classified Section C Ads 5
p.m., Tue., 12/28.
All Other Classified Ads 9
a.m„ Wed., 12/29.
Lancaster Fanrtng, Saturday, Daoambar 18,1993
on a wide array of crops under dif
ferent soil conditions and types.
Meisinger provided the results
to a packed room of termers and
agribusiness representatives on
Thursday at the 20th annual Mid-
Atlantic Conservation Tillage
Conference at the Ramada Inn and
presented Fritz with a Penn State
rocking chair in honor of his
recent retirement. Fritz was a tech
nician for many yean; for the last
three and a half yean of his career
he served as a regional manager.
Fritz, 64, of Lemasters, said he
(Turn to Pago A 24)
Earl Waavar, vacant racipiant of tha Pa. Foraga and Grassland Council’s Forage/
Conaervation Farmer Award, shows tha length of plant he allows for overwintering in
grass waterways. He says the grass should not be cut short in fall, before dormancy,
but rather should be allowed to grow to a length of at least 10 inches in order to allow
the grasaes* leaves to bend over and create a thatch’ protection to the soil. It also pro
vides belter cover tor overwintering wildlife.
Convention Center.
According to Meisinger, the
study looked at the PS NT on seven
Maryland soil types through five
growing seasons. In every case,
where the PSNT test revealed low
ppm levels, yields were reduced.
Where the PSNT yielded “opti
mum” ppm levels (in a range of
25-30 ppm), yields were substan
tially increased.
The soil scientist spoke about
the importance of understanding
the precise interaction of nitrogen
with soil. He said that nitrogen in
the soil is mobile, can be lost by
leaching and denitrification, is
site- and soil-specific, and is a
60S Par Copy
completely different entity from
phosphorous, which shows oppo
site qualities.
The PSNT will be most effec
tive following a “normal” spring
(where rainfall is not excessive) at
the right time. In a test, a soil
sample is taken in 12 inches of soil
immediately before com crop
sidedressing when the plant
measures 6-12 inches tall. In the
Mid-Atlantic region, tests are
taken from June IS-July 1.
Meisinger said that a study con
ducted 90 years ago showed the
effectiveness of soil nitrate testing
and nitrate's effect on crop yields.
119.75 Par Year
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