Mild Winter, (Continued from Pago A 22) If the weeds arc 10- to 12-inches tall, (the situation calls for) maybe even starting over again,” be said. He said that on tilled ground where the weeds aren't that big, the herbicide program should include some things like Accent or Basis Gold. "They arc going to be pretty widely used in com this year, it looks like to me," he said. The reason for Accent (con tained in Basis Gold), he said, is that it is the only herbicide that can be widely used for grass control on com, unless, of course, the com is one of the new genetically enhanced varieties that are herbi cide resistant However the specialty seed availability is restricted, and expense is greater. Curran said he knows that the situation is presenting some prob lems for those fanners who had already prepared to plant with lon ger maturing varieties with a spe cific herbicide, but were delayed because of the rains. “Now they’re going to have to get something more appropriate. It’s a problem for the fanner, and the commercial dealer,” he said. Grasses, Curran said, are the biggest concern. “Once foxtail in particular gets more than 6 inches "* ~* Wet Spring Challenges Crop Protection Strategies tall, it becomes very difficult to kill. "Another thing that happens when grass gets that big and hasn’t been killed. It starts to compete with the com pretty fiercely and starts taking up nitrogen, and you can see nitrogen deficiencies in small com.” He said the taletell signs of nit rogen deficiency arc yellowing and browning of the lower leaves on the com. He said that sidedressing is an option and one that he’s certain some will employ, though he said he’s not sure if the benefit out weighs starting over in that field or plot “A lot of times, I think com can never really recover from the early season competition. You set it back and it seems to never com pletely pull out, the root system is not as deep.” He said on Thursday that at the Landisville research farm, rain has not fallen for nine days, and for those who planted this week, and for those who applied herbicides, ironically tain in the near future is essential. He said that at the Penn State research farm at Rockspring (where the Penn State Ag Progress Days are held), the staff had just -ff Cll WCK^jow s $ ' * ■* **<■s> v • Heaviest built, most dependable, longest lasting mixer in the field • Trailer & truck mount models from 200 to 750 CF mix capacity • Stationary models from 120 to 425 CF mix capacity • 4 Auger design for fast thorough mix • Planetary drive on larger models • Several scale & discharge options • Will handle dry hay “NEW” - Lucknow Mixer For Large Round Bales * > Wedge-theptd Well eeeledgeert Top ttrvlct hubs Fully protected cutter bar endbeerlngt cutter bsr bottom Vicon’s New KMR trailed mower conditioners combine a superb cut with excellent conditioning performance Available in 7’10”, 9'2” and 10'6” widths Vicon is once again “Bodging Technology down to earth" • Full swivel hitch - PTO stays in alignment when cutting square comers • “Free Float" suspension system - With 16” of free stroke in operating position, the cutterbar follows uneven ground and clears obstacles The center hinge point also permits the mower unit to raise or lower at either side without adding excess pressure on the opposite side The high-lift design gives swath clearance at headlands • Wedge shaped cutterbar - Less ground resistance, eliminates “bulldozing" in soft ground conditions, and allows for a lower height when needed • 3 Blades per disc - Vicon’s patented design puts 1/3 less load on each blade and an even load on the dnve tram • Top service hubs on cutterbar - Easy Maintenance • Labyrinth seals ■ A specially designed labyrinth seal on the hub of each disc prevents dirt, moisture and all foreign material from entenng • Fully protected cutterbar • Cutterbar is supported completely with an extra shell and additional wear strips A reinforcement rod stiffens the cutterbar to prevent flexing • Segmented intermeshing fully adjustable conditioning rolls ♦ vV jJL ' < finished planting com. He said they started Saturday and finished Wednesday. Likewise he said he knows that com planting activity has been high around the state this week. "A lot of com has gone in, in the last week, and a lot of preemergent herbicide sprayed." Curran said that without some tain in the next couple of days, the efficacy of the herbicide may be broken down too far, or not readi ed the critical weed seed germina tion zone in the soil. The preemergent herbicide is sprayed after planting com so that it kills the faster growing and already germinating weed seeds and then is out of the way by the time the com germinates. “With (preemergent herbicides) like Prowl, within seven days of no rain, you are losing some because of photodegradation, and some volatizes, and then weeds start to germinate and there’s no rainfall to move the herbicide into the weed germination zone.” From his Geld observations tins week, Voight said that the cut worm may be a serious problem this year in com Gelds with heavy infestations of chickweed. The moth of the cutworm, a migratory insect, lays eggs in the ; f * i duckweed and the larva (the gray greenish "worm”) feed on the duckweed. After the chickwced is destroyed cither turned under, sprayed with some product such as Roundup, or both and the com is planted and emerges, the cut worm can destroy acres of com to the point of requiring a replanting or change of crop. There arc several products that can be used against cutworm, though Curran said that even though this is the time of the year to be hearing of cutworm prob lems, he hasn’t heard of much cut worm activity and isn’t sure why. But all in all, those who employ the services of crop consultants and custom operators probably have received good advice on changing strategies. Pennsylvania law requires those who apply pesticides (other than for home and garden use) to be cer tified by the state Department of Agriculture and to maintain conti nuing education credits to main tain certification. Many should already be aware of some need for a strategic change. Winter annuals and perrenials are the weeds infesting most fields now, but summer annuals have started and bienniels, such as GREENLAND ! JK' \ *** Common Mullein, are growing well. In one Geld Voight visited this week, the acreage was a cornuco pia of problem weeds for Lebanon County. A virtual garden of varieties, Voight stood among various this tles, groundcheny, some other nightshades, staghorn sumac, pep perweed, chickweed, Jimsonweed, lambsquarters, pigweed, etc. He said, “This is a com Geld. It will be planted this week.” But it has long been known that this is the challenge of Pennsylva nia agriculture. The temperate climate, the his toric cveness of temperature and moisture, and various geological structures and conditions create a variety of conditions whereby a wide variety of plants can grow and thrive, not to mention agricul tural crops. Whereas, the area may be too humid to achieve one-day dry down of bay for consistent opti mum forage quality, it can acco modate a larger variety of plants including weeds than many regions of the world. But weeds aren’t the only concern. Among the insects that plague those with traditional agricultural livestock and vegetable row crops, there are viruses, fungi and bacter ia to confront The two weeks of rain and over cast weather that recently broke to a high dry pressure system has allowed the resumption of field work. The weekly report on field activities from the Pennsylvania Agricultural Statistics Service relates to farm activity from the previous week. This week’s report reflects an inability to get into fields. Next week’s report will undoubtedly contain mention of haying, seed bed preperation and planting activities. In the meantime, those with questions about their cropping strategies can contact their local Penn State Extension agronomy agent, purchase a current copy of the Penn State College of Agricul tural Sciences Agronomy Guide, or contact a certified crop consultant. 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