M-Lancaster Farmii Tru-Test Introduces Group Scale ‘ js» < * * , SAN ANTONIO, Texas An electromechanical group scale lets you “load 'em up and move ’em out” while get ting a fast, accurate weight. Tru-Test Incorporates Its electronic technology with the mechanical group scale to provide the same speed, digital accuracy, and confidence as found in the full line of Tru- Test scales. This scale Is legal for trade In all 50 states. Durable con struction both in the scale and Its electronic components (load cell and digital Indicator) will give the user the ad vantage on weighing for many years. The Tru-Test Electro- Mechanical Group Scale Is designed specifically to weigh live animals and will lock onto a stable weight within 5-10 seconds. Bt Corn Hybrids Round Out Cargill Product Line MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Four new Bt corn hybrids round out the Cargill Hybrid Seeds European corn borer-resistant hybrids. All Cargill Bt hybrids compared favorably to other Bt hybrids and conventional corn in 1998 test plots “We now have a complete product offering across most maturity groups,” said Dr. Dan Froehhch, Cargill agronomy ser vices manager. “The Bt hybnds performed very well in head-to head tnals against competitive hybrids and Cargill non-Bt hybrids with similar genetics ” In addition, Cargill will intro duce limited seed quantities of hybnds that stack the Bt trait with tolerance to Liberty l herbi cide from AgrEvo USA The four new Bt hybrids are “additional ammunition in the war on bugs,” Froehhch said Following are the hybrids • 40218 t A 100- to 102-day hybrid with very good early vigor and drought tolerance Tall and attractive, 40218 t responds well to high fertility and moderately high plant popu lation. • 452 IBt. Adapted to all soil types, 452 IBt performs best at medium to high planting popu lations. This 104- to 106-day hybrid would be the preferred choice if late planting is neces sary and makes and excellent companion to Cargill 3677 and 6303 hybrids, Froehlich says. •652 IBt. Sharing many traits with Cargill 6303, this hybrid is again having a consis tent top-performing year. II 24, 1999 I, Saturday * V* 5 ... Excellent stalk strength, dry down and fast emergence gives this shorter-statured, 110- to 112-day Bt hybnd the winning edge. • 75218 t. A medium-tall, 112- to 114-day hybrid with excellent late-season plant health. Excellent standability allows for a wider harvest window Two new Cargill hybrids com bine resistance to European corn borer with Liberty Link 1 technology. • 50218t/LL A 106-107-day hybnd, 5021 Bt/LL shows out standing early vigor, yield potential and ear flex It’s an excellent choice for conventional tillage and no-till systems • 78218t/LL This 114- to 115-day hybrid has top-end yield potential at moderate popula tions due to outstanding ear flex, and excellent standabihty and test weight In Cargill product evaluation plots and research trials, the four new Bt hybrids yielded as well or better than popular Cargill non-Bt hybnds 3677 and 4111. “High yield potential is important,” Froehlich said, “because prevention of yield loss due to corn borer is what justi fies investment in the Bt trait, even in a year when com borer pressure is relatively light.” According to information released by AgrEvo, Bt hybrids will net the producer an addi tional $3 to $5.63 per acre, assuming the price of com is between $2 and $2.50 per bushel and low European com borer infestations only 3.5 per- LEMASTERS (Franklin Co.) The Bth Annual Snider’s Ele vator Inc. Horse Seminar was held recently, despite eight inches of snow. More than 100 people at tended the event held at the Le masters Community Center. Introductions were made by Su san Snider, marketing manager of Snider’s Elevator Inc. The first speaker, Dr. Colleen Wilson, is a researcher for Famam Companies, Inc. A resident of Arizona, Wilson has formulated many products for Famam, including Maxflex and Performax. Wilson discussed the older horses and their needs for supplements. The audience was invited to ask questions. The second speaker, Heather Heider, discussed horse feeds. Heider, a Southern States equine feed and tech representative, dis cussed the nutritional needs of senior horses. The audience asked questions during Heider’s presen tation. Many people in the room are owners of senior horses. Also, Heider discussed proper feed management from birth through maturity. '* * Door prizes were given out be fore the end of the seminar. A ST. LOUIS, Mo. A recent study by Cornell University ani mal scientists Dr. Dale Bauman and Dr. Robert Everett establishes the effectiveness of Posilac®, bo vine somatotropin (BST) in on farm settings over multiple years. “Beginning in 1994 with the commercialization of Posilac, supplemented herds produced the equivalent of eight to 12 pounds more milk, per cow, per day, for each animal supplemented with Posilac,” said Bauman. The eight-year study compared 340 northeastern commercial dairy herds: slightly less than half supplemented with Posilac and the remainder, a control group, man aged by producers who had never purchased a dose. Comparing Northeastern Dairy Herd Im provement (DHI) data with Mon santo Dairy Business records, the scientists concluded that supple- DENVER, Colo - Bill McCoy, a broker and feedstock operator from Lancaster, PA , took part in a director training session designed to educate producers about their roles and lesponsi bihties as new appointments to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBAj board of directors McCoy was appointed to the checkoff division of the NCBA board in February to represent the views of the Pennsylvania Beef Council. cent yield loss. per acre against 182.1 bushels Cargill 65218 t averaged per acre from Pioneer 3489. 188.3 bushels per acre against “The 4.6-bushel yield advantage 182.1 bushels per acre from represents $3.41 more gross Pioneer 3489. That’s a yield income per acre,” Froehlich said, advantage of 6.2 bushels per “These trials clearly show the acre and additional gross income benefits of planting Bt corn, of $7.19 per acre, Froehlich said. Especially high-performing Bt Cargill 45218 t equaled hybrids that outyield the compe- Cargill 42208 t in performance tition. and matures two days earlier. For more details, producers In 1998 strip trials, Cargill should contact their Cargill 75218 t averaged 186.7 bushels Hybrid Seeds dealer. Snowy Day Brings Large Turnout To Snider’s Horse Seminar Bovine Somatotropin Effective Over Multiple Years McCoy Receives Director Training McCoy, along with other At the recent seminar, from left, Heather Heider, South ern States feed and technical representative; Susan Sni der, Snider’s Elevator Inc. marketing manager; and Phyllis Snider, Snider’s Elevator Inc. treasurer, take a moment to discuss the Southern States complete line of horse feeds before the start of the eighth annual seminar. month supply of free horse feed, of Chambersburg. Donations were compliments of Southern States, accepted for the Franklin County was given out to two winners. The Therapeutic Riding Center. Also, winners were Bill Nutwell of some horse grooming supplies Clear Spring and George Brindle were donated. mentation with Posilac signifi cantly and consistently increased milk production throughout multi ple years. In addition to determining the sustained response to Posilac, the study also compared average days in milk, average age in the herds, somatic ceil counts (SCC), and the levels of fat and protein content between herds supplemented with Posilac and the control herds. “ Both parameters average days in milk and average age of the herd remained consistent between the control herds and the herds supplemented with Posilac,” said Bauman. “This indicates sound reproductive performance and continued cow health for herds supplemented with Posilac throughout the four-year study.” Additionally, the findings de monstrated herds supplemented with Posilac exhibited no change industry' leaders, participated in the March 11-12 director train ing in Denver to get a more com plete understanding of NCBA, its operating structure, and its partner organizations “It’s important that NCBA directors fully understand the organization and its operating structure,” said George Swan, 1999 NCBA president and host of the training session. “We are part of a complicated industry with a complex governing struc ture. If board members have a good understanding of how NCBA operates, they will be bet- in the pattern of SCC across the lactation, and were at a similar SCC level. The post-approval per iod SCC score averaged 106,000 for the control group and 113,000 for the BST group. The study fur ther indicated fat and protein con tent increased proportionally with milk yield. The scientists also determined genetic improvements and changes in herd management im proved in both the control and Posilac herds at the same rate of two percent each year from 1990 to 1998. To qualify for the study, supple mented herds must have continu ously used Posilac since June 1994 in at least 50 percent of the milking cows. The only require ment for the control group was to be a DHI test herd. No additional parameters were placed on the randomly selected herds, Bauman said. ter able to represent and edu cate their constituents. The NCBA director training session was held in conjunction with a training session for new appointments to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB) - the group charged with overseeing the $l - beef checkoff program. NCBA contracts with the Cattlemen’s Beef Board to con duct checkoff programs on behalf of the industry. “We hold our training ses sions in cooperation with CBB, because it is also important that NCBA directors understand the operating procedures of our partner organizations,” said Swan. “Directors need to be able to communicate about the value of the beef checkoff program and that we contract with the CBB on a cost-recovery basis - mean ing that we do not profit from work conducted on behalf of the beef checkoff.” NCBA will next meet in Denver during the Cattle Industry Summer Conference, July 17-21.