* .fir ihoA vttMufc? wtraonitJ .bmioiA onioeion Page 4—Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 18,1998 EVERETT NEWSWANGER Managing Editor UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) A Penn State extension program is in place to do a research study on Pennsylvania pasture growth related to rotational graz ing. Coordinated by Craig Wil liams, Tioga County extension agent, the research data will be col lected in Tioga, Columbia, Some rset, Bradford/Susquchanna, Dau phin, Lancaster, and Berks coun ties. The county agents involved in the northeast region are Williams, Dave Hartman, and Mark Madden. In the Southeast region, Glenn Shirk with Jeff Stoltzfus and Jerry Martin, Mena Hautau, and Clyde Myers. The west region. Bob Brown. Each county has a farm with five paddocks. Using a special elec tronic gage imported from New Zealand that translates growth into dry matter, the paddocks on all test farms across the state will be mea sured every week and these mea surements will be e-mailed to Wil liams. The compiled results, both averages for the state and individu al counties, will be published on a regular basis in a special column in Coordinator Speaks $1.38. Net income per cow is $206 for the top 10 percent. Martin’s net income per cow is $213. Production on top 10 percent was 19,000 pounds while Mar tin produced 15,300 pounds per cow. But in Martin’s case, the cows in the small paddocks are enjoyable to watch Trust a partner like Pequea and put your energy into getting the job done. Built by farmers with strong roots in agriculture, Pequea equipment delivers more than you were expecting at a price you can afford! Adamctown Equipment Adamstown. PA • 717/484-4391 Chamberaburg Farm Sarvica Chambersburg, PA* 717/264-3533 Chart#* S. Snydar Inc. Tamaqua PA *717/386-5945 CH Rlnahimar Berwick PA *717/752-7131 Dear Craak Equipment Whiteford, MD • 410/452-5252 Deerfield Ag A Turf Watsontown, PA* 717/538-3557 r*-" New Penn State Extension Research Study Set To Record Pasture Growth Rates 80 7 0 60 5 0 4 0 30 20 1 0 *r >%>»>>>* c cc “•njfCcoaJUDU 52252777 J]Pir)CviCT)<o cv,CT> ® r- t- c\| (Continued from Pago 2) Next To Your Cows, Pequea Equipment is Your Best Partner. Pequea Machine Manufactures A Complete Line of Farm Equipment A Trailers • Call Your Local Dealer Today! Dunkie A Qrelb Equipment Hints Equipment Ktrmtt Kistltr North East Distributors Thomas Equipment Center Hall. PA•BI4/364-9109 Cresson, PA* 717/886-4183 Lynport, PA* 610/298-2011 West Clifford, PA*7l7/222-9090 Taneytown, MD *4lO/756-2506 Eekroth Bros. Farm Equipment CB Hoober 6 Son, Inc. Knott ft Qelabart, Inc. Plkevllle Equipment Triple H Equipment New Ringgold, PA*7l7/943-2131 McAlllsterville. PA*7l7/463-2191 Frederick. MO• 301/662-3800 Oley, PA Peach Bottom PA•7I7/548-3775 Elder Salas A Service Stoneboro. PA *412/376-3390 Heflin Salas A Service Woodsboro. MO • 301/898-3233 Henry Horning Lititz PA* 717/626-5033 Hatrlcka Farm Equlpmant J David Mullinlx New Bethlehem PA *Bl4/275-3507 Dayton. MO • 301/489-4363 *Tr» Paquea Machine, Inc. • 3230 E. Gordon Rd. • Gordonvllle, PA 17529 • 717/768-3197 • 717/768-8380 fax \ •v Lancaster Farming. Paddocks will be of mixed gras ses of typical Pennsylvania pas ture. The growth rates will be the start of a Pennsylvania data base and base line of how fast pasture grows in the stale. „ - ‘This research takes us one level as they eat the grass like lawnmowers, he noted. The grasses are harvested by cows rather than equipment, which cost money and time to operate. Titus and Linda Martin have four sons. Timothy, 25; Derrick, 23; Travis, 20; and Dustin, 17. Hutton Form Equipment Mahaffey, PA*Bl4/277-6647 icfces Farm Supply Ostarburg. PA* 814/276-3422 IvanJ Zook Belleville, PA* 717/935-2948 Ave. Pasture Growth, DM ibs/day icks -816, 818, 916 & 9 ir strength with upr lauge steel imzed lumber bed, /ears late is hinged to oi ither side Round Models • Easily • Stroni • Center ig, • Model 646 G has gooseneck hitch -i -i 05 0)0)0) 7777<<« f'- r- oo ■ ■ • ■ CM CM ® 13 higher than the inches-in-inches out method of the past,” Williams said. “Basing the pasture growth on dry matter intake will help in planning the rotations and insure the cows have enough to eat according to their needs. This method will also help determine how many more or less acres of pasture are needed to provide adequate feed for the cows in both spring growth and summer drought." The research will also help graz ers to be more precise in when the take the cows off the paddock to allow for renewed growth. The management key to rotational grazing lies in making the right Flutter Tedders- Model • Dries hay fast for unifoi • Gentle lift causes minii damage to leaves. • The ideal tedder for hlgl forage Longsneckers, Inc Williamsburg PA *Bl4/793-3731 Marshall Machinery Honesdale, PA • 717/729-7117 Mayers Implement, Inc Qreencastle PA • 717/597-2176 Morris International Everett. PA*Bl4/652-6101 o. o. o. Q. y. y, ~ Q> 0) <D CD £ £ £ CO CO CO CO 9 T T 0} lO CVI CD CD CD o CM CM T- CM Q. CD 00 C\l moves into and out of pastures to insure adequate feed nutrients while allowing adequate plant growth potential for later grazing periods. The graph that accompanies this article shows the Pennylvania average growth per day and dry matter in pounds as recorded in the 1997 growing season. The bottom graph shows the number of pad docks that were in the average— the number of paddocks that had an increase in growth for that week and were not grazed or clipped. In future columns, both the new equipment and the farms where the test plots are located will be profiled. Ralph Kyle Mercer. PA • 412/748-4300 RAW Equipment Carlisle. PA* 717/243-2686 Scheffel Equipment Somerset PA *Bl4/445-6500 Stoltzfus Farm Service Cochranville PA • 215/593-2407 “•"Lbs. growth/day --■—#Paddocks in Ave, Umbergers of Fontana Lebanon, PA *717/867-5161 Wattemyer’e Sales ft Ssrvica, Inc. Red Lion PA* 717/244-4168 Zimmerman Farm Service Bethel PA *717/933-4114
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