Vo). 42 No. 26 Farmers attempted to move Into spring fieldwork this week, but as usual, some areas were wet and some still so dry planting was held up tor fear weed control agents would not be effective until some moisture was in the ground. The Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service reported some com planted but it is still too cool in many areas. About 70 percent of the winter wheat crop was described as good or excellent. Pasture develop ment has been slow and grazing Is off to a slow start. On a trip south of Taneytown, Maryland along Route 194 on Tuesday, VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Farming Staff LICKDALE (Lebanon Co.) Calvin Miller, a Lickdale dairy fanner, is a certified “indivi dual” nutrient management specialist. He is one of the first in the state. He has yet to receive his official certification card, they just came in horn the printer this week. But he knows his certification number No. 317. Wheat Growers Should Scout For Disease, Insect Challenges ANDY ANDREWS Lancaster Farming Staff ROBESONIA (Berks Co.) Despite near-ideal wheat growing conditions, now is the time for growers to begin scouting for plant disease and insect problems, according to a Penn State agro nomist who spoke at a dairy farm here on Tuesday. Dr. Elwood Hatley, professor of agronomy extension, spoke to about a dozen producers and agri industry representatives at the Penn State-sponsored Wheat Pro duction Walk. Hatley told produc ers that, as the flag leaf begins to emerge from the wheat stem, growers should look for signs of mildew and septoria leaf spot in the uppermost leaves. Hatley spoke at the farm oper ated by Mark A. Wolfskill and family north of Robesonia. Four Sections 123 Receive Nutrient Management Certification The number is not reflective of the number of people who took the test and received certification. Actually, 123 people recently passed the state’s first round of nutrient management examina tions to become certified as a nutri ent management specialist Though it means virtually nothing, some clarification might be needed to keep the numbering system from being confusing. More than a year ago, the state “Right now is the critical time for disease scouting,” said Hatley. Unfortunately, according to Tim Fritz, Montgomery County agent at the Wheat Production Walk, scouting now can create conflicts of work. “It corresponds to the busiest time for everything else” in planting season, he said. One strip in a Wolfskill field. State Grange Day Event Focuses On Rural Issues VERNON ACHENBACH JR. Lancaster Fanning Staff UNION DEPOSIT (Dauphin Co.) Hundreds of members of the Pennsylvania State Grange met Monday at the Sheraton Inn- Harrisburg in Union Deposit to celebrate state Grange Day. attend educational workshops and a ban quet with state representatives. The day-long event occupied Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, May 3, 1997 compiled a list of people who were probable candidates for certifica tion based on their existing jobs and the skills those jobs required. As that list was compiled, indi viduals were assigned a number for identification. That was carried over into the first round of testing and now into certification records. (As an even further aside, Ger ald Batz a part-time worker for the Berks County Conservation Dis trict, has certification No. 1.) the wheat was at stage 7, with the flag leaf (which produces about 85 percent of the carbohydrates necessary for grain development) still in die stem. Stages 7 or 8 are the best times to spray to control potential dis ease formation. After stage 9, when the flag is fully emerged, it is already too late to spray. several side meeting rooms and the main ballroom of the convention hotel for the banquet For the rest of the year and the next, the Pennsylvania State Orange is celebrating 12S years of existence, starting with the first annual meeting, which occurred Sept 18, 1873 (the organization began with a meeting, thus the 12Sth meeting is this fall). corn planters were at rest because water was lying in the low areas and the fields were quite wet. But as you moved north into York County, Pennsylva nia, only 20 to 30 miles north, tillage equipment was at work in ground that worked up quite nicely. In the photo, Bill Waltersdorff provides the nice spring farming scene. Bill and his brother Tom farm 1,300 acres south of Spring Grove, along Route 116. Parents Norman and Delphine Waltersdorff live in the Waltersdorff Farm homestead that provides the nice backdrop for the field activity. Photo by Everett Newswanger, managing editor. Miller was one of 22 people statewide to recently take (20 passed) the certification exam to receive certification status as an “individual” nutrient management planning specialist Again, some clarity is needed to understand another important aspect to the program. There are three catagories of nutrient management specialists under Act 6 regulations “individual” for personal plan Hatley said that most years, pro ducers inspect fields for mildew. “That’s Uie major, most consistent disease,’ 1 said Hatley. But last year’s growing condi tions could have been ripe for the development of septoria—a lot erf 1 rain. After planting in late Septem ber, there were 10 days of rain, according to Mark A. Wolfskill. The Grange itself won’t be 125 years old until 1998. As part of that celebration, at last year’s annual convention, a torch that was made at the Hun tingdon County Area Vocational Technical School was lighted and began a tour of each county level Grange in the state. While the Olympic-style torch was set to be in Potter County for $28.50 Per Year ning use only; “public,” for gov ernment plan reviewers; and “commercial,” which is self explanatory. That means the Lickdale-area dairy farmer will be able to deve lop his own nutrient management plan, once final plan regulations have been approved. That is antici pated to be Oct. 1. While that almost sounds like (Turn to Page A 35) That rain splashes the septoria from the soil to the lower leaves and all the way to the critical upper leaves and could result in high yield losses. Hatley indicated he’d seen so signs of mildew or septoria at the Wolfskill farm. To develop mil dew, there has to be high humidity {Turn to Page A 22) Monday, it was brought to Harris burg for the Grange Day event to remind members of the signifi cance of the symbol which repre , sents the purpose of Grange to pass the light of knowledge and cooperation throughout the land. The message of hope for rural Pennsylvania famiHies 125 years (Turn to Page A2O) 608 Per Copy
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