Corn By Degree (Days) (Contlnuad from Pago A2O) was done on the basis of known GDDs of the test plot varieties and by tracking local GDDs. (A tassel on com is the nude reproductive part, whereas the silks are the female parts. The pol len comes from the tassells, falls down to the silks and travels down the silks to where it combines with the female part in the ovary and forms a seed which develops into a kernel. If the silks ate too dry, or insect activity destroys them, it this can prevent proper fertiliza tion and thus reduce the number of kernels on an ear of com.) He said he thinks that many mote people should be using it instead of the relative days to maturity because they can be more precise in planning, planting and harvesting. Increased precision can mean less wasted time and fewer missed opportunities. In the publication. Roth wrote that GDDs ate not universal in reporting by companies, so far mers should be aware of industry inconsistencies and ask for the GDD basis. “Hybrid growing degree day ratings are available from most seed com companies. Not all com panies are consistent in their calcu lation of GDD requirements. “Some seed companies, for example, use growing degree days from emergence to physiological maturity. “In this instance, GDD ratings should be increased by about ISO to be comparable to those calcu lated from planting. “When GDD requirements are not provided, they can be esti mated from days to maturity ratings.” The publication contains a chart other factors affecting the growth Attention North Central PA Farmers Contracts Available for NEW Broiler Houses t * M- K . ,ftSr Good Genes Make A Big Difference Chore-Time's MODEL C2* Feeder Is The Result Of More than 40 years of innovative breeding. Here are a few of the traits you get from the Chore-Time bloodline: • Labor-saving Feed Windows • Chick-friendly Feeder Grill Design. • Unsurpassed feed converting ability. NEW HOUSE INCENTIVE Empire Kosher Poultry Is offering an incentive of $2OOO annually for new broiler houses. Empire also offers a minimum payment/flock that guarantees a positive cash flow for a new broiler house. These new houses will be state-of-the-art facilities. No experience is necessary. Empire's highly trained flock supervisors will work with you every step of the way to teach you the basics of raising broilers. The new house incentive is a limited-time offer. If you have ever wanted to get into the broiler business, now is the time. For more information, contact Jay Kreider at 1-800-673-2580 or Michael Smullen and Mickey Baugher at 1-800-488-6717. Northeast Agri Systems, Inc Flyway Business Park 139 A West Airport Road Utttz. PA 17543 Ph (717)569-2702 1-900473-25*0 of com. “Growing degree day require ments to mature a specific hybrid may also vary between seasons because of factors other than temp erature that affect corn development” Drought for example would seem to be a factor. “That variation, however, will usually be much less than the season-to-season variation in the Planting el the «ipM time as the other vertetlee In e teet plot, this variety requlree more growing degree days to mature. * -Jll Delmorvo Store v 305 University Ave Federcfcburg MD (Formerly Long Lumber) 1-800-735-6361 V'aftvv'- > days to maturity system.” GDDs are also being recom mended for pest management, especially with Integrated Pest Management (IPM). By following die GDDs, the emergence of certain pests can be predicted fairly certain. That means that any field scouting to check on population levels can be better scheduled, and control spraying can be much better antici pated for effectiveness. Lists of activity GDDs for some insect pests of trees, ornamentals. grasses and row crops are available through Extension and can be used to predict emergences and plant injury times. With insects, the activity base temperature (for com it was SO degrees) is different for genus and species. There' computer ¥ K I com variety requires fewer growing degree days to reach this stage of tassel development than some others. Using seed company data of GDDs, and keeping a record of local GDDs, It Is not difficult to make better Judgements on crop maturity requirements than by using the standard relative days to maturity.” By understanding specific his* toric season trends, determining which com varieties to select for a specific farm, even field, can be done better. programs that can more accurately predict GDD than the simple daily high and low temperatures. For more information on using GDDs as an effective tool for the farm, contact a local Extension office. o<!*
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