VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Farming Staff ROCKSPRING (Centre Co.) The buses may not be new and have no air conditioning, but tours of Ag Progress Days pro vides fanners and anyone with an interest in the applied sciences an opportunity to tour the Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences’ 1,500-acre Russell E. Larson Research Station at Rockspring. Christine Manns graduate student in the PSU Department of Agronomy with a masters in soil science and coach of the college soil judging team was tour guide for some of this year’s Ag Progress general research bus tours. She explained that only 500 acres of the research station are tillable and suitable for small plot crop research. However, on those cultivated acres, researchers from all depart ments and disciplines within the PSU College of Agricultural Sci ences share equipment and some umes studies to discover new tech niques that may or may not enhance the ability of Pennsylva nia agricultural entrepreneurs to make money. There are studies involving grape production, a tree nursery, a special Penn State low trellis sys tem for orchard production. The apple grafts coming from a special rootstock are trained to grow closely and with the support of the trellis to produce much more per amount of plant and also be more readily harvested. Research is also ongoing into ways to regulate irrigators with Kathy Brown Instructs riders on how to give commands to their mounts In order to „ allow the equines to learn best. jnn State Extern jn publication distribution center is set up at Public education Is the goal of extension and Ag Progress Days. Ag Progress Demonstrates Applied sensors to eliminate waste and at the same time better prevent frost damage. There are patches with pump kins varieties, plastic mulch stu dies looking into the effects of dif ferent colors (yellow seems to attract insects and potentially may be used to help focus insecticide treatments away from the plants and more directly onto the pest insects. Trials involving carrots, sugar Turfgrass research is a large project at Penn State. snap peas, spinach, peppers, toma toes, melons, raspberries, produc tion of peppers that naturally have low-level heat (called savory pep pers, from South and Central America), slicing cucumbers, can taloupe on raised beds, crabapple varieties that are being looked at for game feed value and also for fire blight and apple scab resis tance. potato reseach examining resistance to early blight and (Turn to Pago AM) well attended. Lancsstsr Fanning, Ssturdsy, August 19, 19M-A3l Penn State worker Steve Smith talks to vi Progress Days about the types of genetically altered soy beans on trial and display. Tom Weber, with the PSU College of Agricultural Sci ences computer services, instructs on the basics of compu ter uses. Science
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