Page 10—Ag Progress Section 2, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 15, 1998
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co ) Hairy alfalfa, living
mulch and “bug maps” are
among the cutting-edge
research projects that will be
highlighted in guided tours of
the Russell E Larson
Agricultural Research Center
during Penn State’s Ag Progress
Days, August 18-20
The free 30-minute bus tours,
which leave every 20 minutes
throughout each day, will take
visitors through Penn State’s
horticulture, plant pathology,
agronomy and entomology
research farms, as well as the
USDA Pasture Systems and
Watershed Management
Laboratory research farm
On the horticulture farm, vis
itors will see an experimental
orchard where apple trees are
growing on wires, trellises and
poles The Penn State Low
Hedgerow Trellis System is part
of an effort to grow smaller
dwarf and semi-dwarf trees,
which can eliminate the need for
large equipment, make labor
more efficient and reduce the
amount of pesticides needed to
protect the crop
Other horticulture projects
include a study comparing the
effects of red, black and silver
plastic mulches on potato and
onion production, research to
adapt the tropical Savory
Pepper to growing conditions in
the Northeast, and variety trials
for sweet corn, tomatoes, pep
pers and eggplant
On the plant pathology farm,
the tour will feature studies
aimed at helping growers elimi
nate, manage or reduce crop
damage from diseases Several
experiments are under way to
combat the destructive late
blight fungus This disease,
which attacks potatoes and
tomatoes, has cost Pennsylvania
“The Dairy Products Market Leader”
Land O’Lakes is a market- and
customer-driven cooperative '
committed to optimizing the value of
its members’ dairy, crop and livestock
production
Our goal is to provide programs
and services to members that help
increase the sustainability of their
farm operations
To learn more about our dynamic
cooperative, visit us at our booth
during Ag Progress Days. We’re in the
Dairy Tent.
LAND O LAKES, Inc.
Park Drive • Cj
1-800-64
V’*’* **«*•’» • • » *V *• ’* 4
Cutting-Edge Research Featured At Ag Progress Days
growers millions of dollars in
crop losses in recent years.
The agronomy farm portion
of the tour will feature research
on the use of crownvetch and
other legumes as a “living
mulch” in corn and soybean
crops Scientists have found that
these legumes can provide
ground cover and reduce soil
erosion, as well as provide nitro
gen to the mam crop, potentially
reducing the need to apply fertil
izer.
Other agronomy research
focuses on breeding and man
agement trials for a vanety of
crops, including corn, soybeans,
alfalfa, wheat, barley and forage
grasses. Visitors also will see a
study on how various tillage sys
tems affect runoff and research
on how different crop rotations
influence corn yield.
At the USDA Pasture Lab,
the tour will include research on
clover varieties that are resis
tant to clover root curcuho, an
insect pest of clover and alfalfa;
and studies to improve the
establishment and management
of switchgrass, a warm-season
grass that can be used for live
stock grazing and for wildlife
habitat.
A project to evaluate alfalfa
varieties for Colorado potato
beetle resistance will highlight
entomology research on the tour
Some of these new varieties
have small glandular hairs that
may prevent the insect from
feeding or laying eggs on the
plant
Other entomology studies
discussed on the tour will
include research on the use of
global positioning sattehtes and
related technology to monitor
pest and beneficial insect popu
lations By mapping insect “hot
spots” and spraying only those
areas of the field, scientists hope
to reduce the amount of insecti
cides needed to control crop
damage.
Penn State’s Ag Progress
Days features more than 500
acres of educational and com
mercial exhibits, tours and
m
Look to Badger for a quality line
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Can’t get to the show? Call us
bill free at (800) 247-5557.
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machinery demonstrations. It is
held at the Russell E Larson
Agricultural Research Center at
Rock Springs, nine miles south
west of State College on Route
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p.m on Wednesday. Admission
and parking are free.
For more information, call
(800) PSU-1010 toll-free
through August 20 or visit the
Ag Progress Days site on the
World Wide Web at
http://apd.cas.psu.edu
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