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A3B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Auguat 12, 1995
Take A ‘Test Drive ’
Of New Products
(Continued from Pago A 1)
event at the Russell E. Larson
Agricultural Research Center,
located nine miles southwest of
State College on Route 4S. The
premier Penn State showcase
eyent lasts from Tuesday, Aug. 15
through Thursday, Aug. 17.
Importantly, according to Ober
heim, is that Ag Progress not only
showcases new ag technology, but
presents a lot pf diversity. Not only
is there a wealth of information
available for large and small-scale
producers, but for families and the
average consumer.
“Ag Progress is a showcase for
new equipment technologies avail
able in the industry,” said Ober
heim. Oberheim said a lot of
experts will be available to answer
questions regarding dairy, beef,
and other livestock operations, in
addition to questions on veterinary
science, equine programs, and
crop production.
But there are displays and
demonstrations for the “home
manager,” also, including
computer-assisted landscape
design, selection and care of orna
mental plants and turfgrass, and
care of the lawn and landscape.
New to this year’s Ag Progress
will be the tractor ride and drive
opportunities. Also, precision snap
bean planting and harvesting will
be demonstrated with planters
from three different companies at
the site.
Also, new food vendors will
feature taco salads, and the Pen
nsylvania Vegetable Growers
Association will have a stand for
the first time at the show, offering
fresh produce.
For the second year, a tractor
rollover safety demonstration will
be highlighted near the sinkhole at
the research center. In addition to
commercial exhibits from more
than 300 companies, the following
will be highlighted at Ag Progress:
• Forage and crop information.
Visitors can leant about crop pro
duction and management, soil fer
tility and testing, nutrient manage
ment, pest control, weed identifi
cation, and more in the Crop and
Soil Science Tent and demonstra
tion plots at the end of East Sth St.
• Herbicide-resistant crops.
New herbicide-resistant com and
soybean cultivars provide more
weed-control alternatives for far
mers. Visitors can tour the demon
stration plots near the Crop and
Soil Science Tent.
• Snap bean demonstrations.
Planters from three different com
panies will be demonstrated. Far
mers will be able to evaluate the
stands produced by the different
planters before the beans are
harvested.
• Machinery demonstrations.
These include snap bean harvest
ing, primary and secondary tillage,
mowing, round silage baling, and
round bale handling.
• Animal agriculture. Visitors
can learn about new developments
in beef production, dairy farming.
and other aspects of animal agri
culture by touring the Dairy and
Livestock Tent at the research
center.
• Lessons on conserving natural
resources. Questions about pre
serving a wetland, generation of
income from woodlot without
harming wildlife, and composting
will be featured in bus tours that
depart daily from the Conservation
Education Tent on West 11th St.,
leaving daily every hour starting at
10 a.m.
• 1995 Pennsylvania Hay Show
has been a long-time feature of Ag
Progress Days. The Hay Show
Tent is at the end of East Sth St
Deadline to drop off the hay
sample is 10 a.m. on Aug. 15.
• Horse and pony programs.
The Equine Exhibits Tent will fea
ture informative displays about
various aspects of the horse indus
try in the state. Other exhibits and
demonstrations will showcase
Penn State’s Quarter Horses and
equine teaching programs.
Included are a handling and train
ing clinic, breed clinics, and other
demonstrations.
• Family programs. Adults and
children can build a bug, compete
in a science-based game show, lis
ten to tales of a storyteller, and
takes a hands-on journey into agri
culture’s rich historical past.
• Landscapes, lawns, and gar
dens. The College of Agricultural
Sciences Exhibits Building, on
West 11th St., will feature displays
of interest to homeowners, land
scape contractors, and grounds
maintenance professionals. Topics
will range from computer-assisted
landscape design to the selection
and care of ornamental plants and
turfgrass
Last year, between
40,000-50,000 people visited Ag
Progress, according to Oberheim.
A large number of visitors
about 60 percent are fanners or
those involved in agri-industry,
according to Oberheim. “It’s safe
to say that about a third of the audi
ence that attends Ag Progress is
not directly ag related,” he said.
Since becoming manager of the
annual event in 1991, Oberheim
said he has seen a lot more diversi
fication, including composting,
tractor safety demonstrations, and
“new and challenging field
demonstrations,” said Oberheim.
Also, enhanced family programs
have highlighted the event.
In the future, the event manager
said he hopes to see additional
emphasis on the “small-scale”
producers, those with S-10 acre
“farmettes” who are making a liv
ing with exotic livestock or
vegetables.
Also, in years to come, those
involved in die vegetable and fruit
industry will be represented more,
including greenhouse and supply
vendors, fertilization and irriga
tion companies, and others.
More detail about Ag Progress
is included throughout this issue of
Lancaster Farming.
seed, especially specialized veget
able seeds, more accurate planting
and specific population allows the
fanner to use less seed, therefore
saving seed cost Visitors to Ag
Progress Days will be able to com
pare the plots for uniformity and
spacing.
w We opened up this demonstra
tion to any company that has a pre
cision planter,” Oberheim said.
‘Three companies responded.”
The only six-row planter, a John
Deere 7200 was supplied by by
Dunkle and Greif of Center Hall.
Salesman Jim Smith said the vac
uum metered corn planter was set
to plant 110,000 seeds per acre at a
moisture depth of two inches. The
Snap Bean Planting
, (Continued from Pago Al)
edible greenbeans were planted in
30” rows with seeds spaced two
inches apart
Jim Done, field representative
for AG-CO, brought a 4-row White
610 (6100 series) from Birchfield
Ag of Maitinsburg. Describing it
as a single ridged frame planter.
Done said this planter was set to
two inches of water column to
plant these snap beans. Three plots
were planted with 16 rows per plot
Done says the advantage of using
this pressurized, positive air plant
er is that it doesn’t remove seed
inoculant during planting process.
Binkley and Hurst of Lititz sup
plied a Monosem precision vac-
The White 610 (6100 series) 4-row planter.
The John Deere 7200 six-row
The Monosem 4-row planter.
A
* $ ,
uum planter. Salesman Eugene
Hoover said they set the planter for
14 beans per foot at one and one
fourth inches deep. According to
Hoover, the patented meter boxes
can be used for any type of seed
including vegetables such as
lettuce.
All of the planters demonstrated
are adaptable to both conventional
field crops and specialized seeds
which may lack size uniformity.
Oberheim plans to complete the
demonstration cycle next week
with harvesting demonstrations
scheduled for 12:15 p.m. each day
of Ag Progress Days.