ttCORNTUK
master corn GROWERS ASSOC, INC.
Corn Talk, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 7, 1998
Soil Organic Contents
On Chester County
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
REINHOLDS (Lancaster
Co.) Crop specialists have
known for years that impress
ive com yields are possible by
rotating to com from a sod or
legume.
But one master com grower
looks deeper, and possibly
struck gold in a way by
paying attention to improving
soil oiganic content.
When other fields endured
yet another droughty season in
1997, Reinholds-area com
grower Jeff Mitchell took a
ROOM
FOR IMPROVEMENT
Who says there are no
growth areas for customer ser
vice programs?
According to statistics from
the Chicago-based Internation
al Customer Service Associa
tion, here are 10 industries or
organizations that could take a
closer look at customer service
techniques:
First-place winners In the 5-Acre Corn Club contest are, from left, Jeff Mitch
ell, Richard Crone, and David Schantz. Read more about them on page 10.
look at one plot—plot number
2, in his records—on previous
soybean ground in West White
land Township in Chester
County which he manages. The
plot’s soil is Hagerstown loam
with a pH of 6.6.
That’s not so impressive. But
what does stand out is the soil
format according to tests con
ducted recently by a private
company.
That plot’s soil tested high
for organic matter (4.7 percent)
with an 11.8 CEC (or “cation
exchange capacity,” the ability
of the soil jp bold nutrients for
PENNSYLVANIA MASTER
N GROWERS ASSOCIATION
President’s Message
Chris Krimmel
President, PMCGA
• 5,517,200 cases of soft
drinks produced in the next 12
months will be flat.
• 2,488,200 books will be
shipped with the wrong cover
in the next 12 months.
• 2,000,000 documents will
be lost by the IRS this year.
• 268,500 defective tires will
be shipped this year.
• 114,500 mismatched pairs
of shoes will be shipped this
High
Corn
the plant’s use). The plot was
located near a PennDOT wet
lands restoration project Hav
ing an estimated nitrogen
release (ENR) of 127 pounds
per acre also helps. (ENR refers
to the amount of nitrogen
expected to be released from
the available oiganic matter in
the soil.)
The soil test showed high to
very high levels of phosphor
ous and potassium with a
medium-level amount of cal
cium and other nutrients.
Mitchell conducts no nitrogen
(Turn to Pag* 2)
year.
• 22,000 checks will be de
ducted from the wrong bank
accounts in the next 60 min
utes.
• 3,506 copies of tomorrow’s
Wall Street Journal will be
missing one of its three sec
tions.
• 1,314 phone calls are mis
placed by telecommunications
(Turn to Pago 6)
So Are Yields
Grower’s Farm
Jeff Mitchell was recently honored as a first-place
champion In the Five-Acre Corn Club Contest at the
Pennsylvania Corn and Soybean Conference. Jeff
farms In Relnholds with his wife Susie and son Matt, 3.
Maximum
Require
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
GRANTVILLE (Dauphin
Co.) Think of this: 328
bushels per acre of com.
To some growers, this could
be simply an after-supper
dream as they gaze upon the
entry form for the multi-acre
com club contest.
But at Rutgers University,
this dream already came true —
years ago.
In 1991, using what can only
be described as “vigilance” and
by blending various hybrids.
Dr. Joseph Heckman, Rutgers
University extension specialist,
achieved just that as part of an
ongoing “maximum yield
research” program at the
university.
The goals of the project:
identify yield factors and use
methodologies to overcome
limitations of the soil, the seed,
and the crops themselves.
Heckman spoke to about 200
producers and agri-industry
representatives recently at the
Pennsylvania Com and Soy-
Yield Goals
Vigilance
bean conference at the Holiday
Inn in Grantville.
Of course, the project didn’t
concern itself with the “eco
nomic or practical aspects” of
growing a top crop, Heckman
noted. The project simply
looked for ways to increase
yield.
(Turn to Pag* •)
Jty »ps iy,
Brady Township Communi
ty Center, Luthersburg, 9:30
munity Activity Center,
Penn State Schuylkill Cam-
:y ~opL y.
McConnellsburg American
Lesion.
* (Turn to Pag* 33)