A2O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 25, 1994 Nutrient Need Monitoring Can Be Useful To Grain Farmers ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff LANDISVILLE (Lancaster Co.) For years, technology has helped growers produce more crops less expensively, involving less labor. Only lately, however, has technology been developed to show a grower how good a job he may be doing, especially regarding crops. Recently, companies have released their own versions of a crop fertility monitoring device called a chlorophyll meter. The device, which can cost $1,200 or more, simply reads the level of chlorophyll the amount of “green” material in the leafy part of a plant crucial to the plant’s growth and health. Scientists say this is an indication of levels of nit rogen available to the plant. A chlorophyll meter was demonstrated to about 75 crop consultants, farmers, and ag indus try representatives at the Small Grains Field Day on Tuesday at the Penn State Landisville Research Center. The device, a Motorola Spad meter, is simple to use. For instance, simply insert part of a leaf from a com stalk into a clamp like device, and the instrument gives you a reading to help indicate whether you may need more nitro gen or whether there is sufficient nitrogen present for the crop to grow. There is a distinct correlation between the chlorophyll meter There is a distinct correlation between the chlorophyll meter reading and the possible nitrogen needs of the crop, according to Doug Beegle, Penn State extension plant fertil ity specialist. A chlorophyll meter was demonstrated to about 75 crop consultants, farmers, and ag industry representatives at the Small Grains Field Day on Tuesday at the Penn State Landlsvllle Research Center. The device, a Motorola Spad meter, Is simple to use. For instance, simply Insert part of a leaf from a corn stalk Into a clamp-llke device, and the instrument gives you a reading to help Indicate whether you may need more nitrogen or whether there Is sufficient nitro gen present-for the crop to grow. needs of the crop, according to Doug Beegle, Penn State exten sion plant fertility specialist The device could be used when sam pling com at growth stage 6 or 7 to indicate whether there is sufficient nitrogen in the ground for opti mum yields. The meter, said Beegle, “is one tool we have that may help us do a little better job of fine-tuning our nitrogen needs for small grains.” Penn State and other universi ties are testing the meters to see if they could prove useful to deter mine nutrient needs for crops. While the cost may be limiting for farmers, crop experts who spend a lot of time drawing up nutrient plans and recommendations could make the technology pay off in a short time. Also at the field day, com and small grain experts spoke about several new varieties of crops and what to expect in the way of weed control and other strategies for the season. Greg Roth, assistant professor of agronomy and Penn State com specialist, spoke about some of the findings and detailed some of the ongoing research at Penn State and other universities. Penn State is one of 20 research centers nationwide that is studying the advantages of narrow com row spacing to increase yields for com growers. The researchers are looking to see if there is an advantage to 30 inches. Initial trial results indicate a 3-5 percent yield advantage by going to 15-inch row;. In general, although planting and _ other management adjust ments have to be made, a grower won’t get hurt with the narrower rows, according to Roth. In actual ity, several studies indicate a 13-bushel per acre increase by using narrow rows. In one Michi gan study, those who participated were generally optimistic about using 22-inch rows to increase yields. Roth indicated that Penn State is studying row width and yield var iabilities on three silage plots two in Lancaster and one in Leba non, and two grain plots one in Landisville and one in Centre County. Last year, dry weather hindered the studies at Landisville, but the study continues to examine the narrow row techniques. Environmental studies, particu larly the weather’s effects on yield, indicated that while droughty con ditions may cause shorter ears, overall grain yield remains about the same on narrower rows. Whatever the early indications may be, according to the com spe cialist, more research needs to be done to examine some of the early findings, which include good soil and nutrient conservation and bet ter weed control because of the improved canopy. “I think we have to sort out some of these other factors before we can take full advantage of the narrow row technology,” said Roth. Other com research involves: Greg Roth, assistant professor of agronomy and Penn State corn specialist, spoke about some of the findings and detailed some of the ongoing research at Penn State and other universities. Marvin Rlsiut, profastor of plant brooding at Penn State, epoke about the various oat and barley variety trials underway. There was sawfly damage also to oat varieties at the test she. • Hybrid differences and obser- dry summers may actually lead to vations on forage quality. Roth higher protein and higher digesta said that results indicate hybrids bility in silage com, against what vary in forage quality traits such as growers previously thought digestability, NDF, and others. But • Growing degree days (GDDs) one of the trouble spots they must on plant varieties. Could farmers examine is the inconsistency from in the state go to a 100-day hybrid field to field and site to site. Also, (T Urn to Page A2l) Elwood Hatley, Penn State agronomist, spoke about some of damage to wheat from fungus disease and sawflles. ♦ \ Overview ol Recent Corn Management Research Results * <6 *' *<<{ < c' * fWfttif \\ ‘ “ ***»">« * fia( ffl „ I ,'(»i Anift'i *> *«s nptun i* /■>o *l, V y s;",»«' •■«>» m ren « $ »#<*( /if .T * M '***- *t T“*fl i»A\ «<><>(, A,/. >s ' iU ' Stiff lif *" S <>Sr * V I iVff*, H Vt’y ,v »* *. A *•*«MM»» <*■■>»•». i-« .4 ’fi»>OW >V,< «“•”»*#