RESEARCH UPDATE (Contlnirad from Pago 20) tually eliminate agricultural non-point pollution by surface runoff from cropland. • Add organic matter. Cover crops as well as manure or crop residue add organic matter to the soil. Increased organic mat ter improves soil tilth and pro ductivity. At one time the prair ie soils contained about 12 per cent organic matter. After 100 years of crop production, the average organic matter content is now less than 6 percent. This is still high compared to most of our soils, so any increase in organic matter is going to be of even greater benefit to us. Annoieing special deals on all John Deere Tractors It’s a great time to buy a John Deere Tractor! Stop in today, and find special finance waivers and low-interest-rate specials on John Deere’s complete line of new tractors...plus, low variable and fixed finance rates on used tractors. Get the best tractor for your operation...at an unbelievable deal! Stop by the store for details, today! GOOD DEfILS...fIND fl GOOD DEAL MORE LEHIGH AG EQUIPMENT, INC. ;?r , /fv (i(i /< i i 11■,\ 1111 I ’ll, i< i ,\llllllllw 11 ra ia i < i(i U’< Ship Fails S<llll4* Dav In | 610-398-2553 or 1-800-779-3616 F^s • Improve soil structure and tilth. Organic matter may act as a cement to glue soil together as aggregates. Also, the break down of plant residues by soil microbes produce gums that glue larger aggregates together into peds. This results in greater soil permeability, aeration, and ease of crop emergence and root growth which is improved tilth. A soil of good tilth is easy to till and produce a seedbed or plant with a no-till planter if you’re planting no-till. • Fix atmospheric nitrogen. Any legume has the ability to fix nitrogen from the atmo sphere. lie nitrogen is incor Financing subject to John Deere Credit approval porated into the plant as protein and legumes are inherently high in protein. Stem, leaf, and root residues left in the field from legumes are higher in nit rogen content than winter rye or grasses and the breakdown of legume plant residues com monly releases some of this nit rogen back into the soil for use by the next and succeeding crops. Com or small grains that require external sources of nit rogen benefit from nitrogen released by a previous legume crop or cover crop. • Recycle unused soil nutri ents. Unused soil nitrogen left over at the end of the growing season will tend to leach out during the fall, winter, and spring and may end up in the NEW 6400 LOW PROFILE TRACTOR with 2-Post, MFWDand64O Loader Only- $41,132 Allentown Purchased During Fgbruary 1996 Bush Hof, K5w0n**............. John Oooro, Both Hog, IHC, Kowinoo Massty, Monro* John Door* John Door*, AM* Chtlmora, Amco, Bush Hag, Kowonoo, Maosoy, Whit* John Door* John Doom, IHC, Kraut*, Athont, Bush Hog, Mooooy, Kowonto, Monro* John D**r* John Daoro, Ameo, Alhono, Bush Hog, Mt««*y, Taylor, Whit* John Door* IHC JD 6200 2-Post OS, Syncro-Plus, 2-WD, 1993 $23,200 JD 6200 2-Post OS, Syncro-Plus, 2-WD. 1993 $23,200 JD 6200 2-Post OS. Syncro-Plus, 2-WD. 1993 $23,200 JD 6400 OS, Power-Quad, Low Hours, 1993 Coming (n JD 2030 OS, Canopy, w/Loader, Good Tires, 1975 $7,995 JD 7800 Cab, 2-WD. Power Shift, 1993,1100 Hrs $53,749 JD 4960 Cab, 4WD, Power Shift, Duals, 1992 $64,955 COMBINES & FORAGE EQUIPMENT JD 7720 Titan 111985,2005 Hrs., Level Land $49,500 JD 6620 Sidehill 1984,1970 Hours $46,500 COMBINE CORN HEADS/GRAIN PLATFORMS JD 215 Grain Platform, Flex $5,295 JD 215 Grain Platform, Flex, Sidehill Drives $5,895 PLANTERS/D RILLS JD 7200 6 Row, Liq. Pert, 200 Monitor JD 7200 6 Row Vacuum Planter, 200 Monitor JD 7200 12 Row, Flex Fold, Liq. Fert., Markers JD 72 6 Row, Uq. Fert, Insect, Vacuum, 1992 JD FB 16x8 Single Disk, Grass Seed, Fert JD 750 10' Drill w /Grass Seed Attach TILLAGE Brady 17’ Chisel P10w.... JD 712 Mulch Tiller 13'9” Tufline Disk 20’9" 11 AY/FORAGE EQUIPMENT JD 1219 Mower Conditioner (Excellent) ...QQJQ Artsway Forage Box 16' w/12 Ton Gear Artsway Forage Box 16’ w/12 Ton Gear Gehl 910 Forage Box, Upper Beater, Roof.ABUMU ALL ITEMS ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 10,1996—Page groundwater. Cover crops, whether legume or grass, will use some of this nitrogen if they can grow after uptake by the primary crop slows or stops. These cover crops need to be adapted to relatively cool fall or spring conditions to be effec tive in removing unused nitro gen from the soil. Some of this nitrogen is ultimately recycled for use by future crops as the cover crop residues are broken down by soil microbes. - • Increase soil productivity. All of the above improve the i dlek-Wade performance. You can get that John Deere (Hek blade .M 5...., Solid A 36487 SM.M $31.11 .22 In. .22 in 177 Solid A4S2S4 $25.43 $21.52 .22 In 177 Conical 832711 $25.35 $24.10 .20 In. .20.13. .110 Solid 831313 $13.07 $11.52 .177 Solid A 47230 $15.55 $14,10 .10 In. .15 In, .135 Solid 831315 $15.15 $12.55 .115 Solid 831343...... $ll.OO $5.3$ .177*. Solid A 50055 $25.35*. $22.43 .Isln. .Isln, .22 In. PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION TRACTORS JOHN Dim (DdDM fMM NIWO ...Solid... .Conical. .120.76. .$23.75. .831315. .832705. soil productivity. If we are going to be able tafeed an ever increasing population, produc tivity is going to have to increase, not decrease. It is going to become necessary in the future to farm marginal soils whose productivity is already low. It is these soils that will benefit most from cover crops but cover crop use on bet ter soils will also reverse the downward trend in productivity as a result of organic matter, nutrient, and soil loss. • Weed control. The presence of wint er annual or living mulches will help control escape weeds and may prevent or slow down the inva sion of new weeds that might otherwise become a problem. Cover crops provide competition against weeds just as crops do. The cover crops must be managed so they don’t compete with the primary crop however. Competi tion from the cover crop is generally not a problem the year of establishment if the cover crop and main crop are planted at the same time. There is generally no competi tion against weeds either, so weeds must be controlled with herbicides. In suc ceeding years, after the cover crop is well established, it must be rendered non competitive by severe suppression until the primary crop is well established (about the first six weeks) and as a result weeds emerg ing during this period are not controlled either. Herbicides are presently being used for both cover crop suppression and weed control during the first six weeds after crop planting. .$17.54 .$20.20 PRICE Birdsfoot Trefoil Demonstration Fields $17,848 $14,499 $29,399 $16,900 5999 $13,700 • Establishment in com. Crownvetch and birdsfoot trefoil see dling survival is prob ably better in com than any other crop because com doesn’t produce as dense a shade as soybeans or small grains. The her bicide choice is, how ever, rather limited. At the moment, the safest and probably the best method of establishment is to use Pursuit with imi dazolinone resistant (IR) com hybrids. $1,499 $5,795 $6,795 $5,895 $3,495 $3,495 $1,595 (Turn to Pago 22) 201 Crownvetch/
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