Horti Country (Continued from Pago 1) that may damage your delivery lines. Third design your system so that lateral lines are laid fol lowing the contour lines of your land. This will avoid pressure variations in the lines caused by changes in elevation along the laterals. If you must have some variation in your lateral-line height, you may need to use drip tape with pressure compensating emitters. Fourth the size of your irrigation zone depends upon the flow rate of your well. Be sure to measure your pump’s flow rate when pumping against the pressure at which your drip irrigation system will operate. Flow rates will be reduced when pumping against pressure rather than free dis charge. If you make an irriga tion zone larger than your pump can handle, you will again run into the problem of uneven water applications within the system. In addition, irrigation zones should be as close to the same size as possible. Large differences in size will reduce the efficiency of your pump’s operation. You will also have the lowest system cost with equal sized zones. Fifth be sure to use pres sure regulators if the pressure from your pump is too large or if your irrigation zones vary greatly in size. Pumps used for overhead irrigation systems frequently operate at excessive pressures for a drip system. By having different-sized irriga tion zones, you must size the VEGETABLE FARM EQUIPMENT AUCTION SPECIALISTS PIRRUNG AUCTIONEERS, INC. JAMES P. PIRRUNG P.O. Box 607 2731 State Route 21 North Wayland, New York 14572 716-728-2520 "Serving the Buying - Selling Needs of Farmers Across America since 1948" Mist Sprayers We offer a complete line of low volume mist blowers. Excellent for spraying vegetables, orchards, nurseries, tall trees, livestock etc. For free brochure contact: Swihart Sales Co. Rt. 3, Box 73 • Quinter, KS 67752 913-754-3513 1-800-864-4595 www.swihart-sales.com pump for the largest zone, which could then result in excessive pressure for any smaller zones. If the pressure is too high in the system, you may damage your drip lines. Sixth be sure to use some type of filtration system. The actual type and size of filter you will need depends upon your water source and how many impurities (algae, organic debris, etc.) the water contains. Consult a professional here since improper filtration can cause major problems in a drip irrigation system. Seventh be sure your sys tem includes an injection port to allow the addition of any necessary chemicals and fertil izers. Many systems require the occasional injection of chemi cals to prevent emitter clog ging. In addition, fertigation, or the application of fertilizers through the drip system, is a very effective method of supp lying necessary nutrients just when your crop needs the nutri ents most. The injector should be located as close as possible to the irrigation zone. This will again help with uniformity of chemical application to the crop or system. Finally equip your system with both backflow prevention devices and monitoring gauges. Backflow and antisiphon devices in your system can pre vent possible well contamina tion by chemical concentrates. Monitoring gauges in your sys tem at several locations will help you easily monitor the sys- £tteuuleWi*i Planti Over 20 Leading Varieties - Fall Dug State Inspected - Grown on Fumigated Sand AIfUjSUUfUi QfUUUtVi 6 Leading Varieties - New Male Hybrids Superior Root Systems Over 20 Years Experience All Available in Our Free Illustrated Price List j Krohne Plant t Farms, Inc. 65295 CR 342 LF / Hartford. MI 49057 * ’ iL-aii 616-424-3450 (H) 616-424-5423 (O) tem to detect any problems. This will enable you to correct these problems quickly rather than waiting for your crop plants to tell you there are trou bles in your drip system. Reduced flow rates or increased pressures may indi cate plugged emitters while increased flows or reduced pressures may indicate broken lines. Flow meters will also help you with system management by helping to insure that you apply enough water during UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) When it comes to plant pots, growers praise the feats of clay, but those clas sic containers are heavy and hard to handle. Horticultural researchers in Penn State’s College of Agri cultural Sciences have found that fiber pots, which have ad vantages similar to those of clay pots, can be improved by adding minuscule amounts of copper. Copper has been used for hundreds of years as a fungi cide and more recently as a root regulator. Manufacturers or growers often apply a coat of copper-laden latex paint to the interior walls of plastic pots to prevent root growth. Now, copper has been added to a fib er pot prototype created by re searchers Robert Berghage, as sistant professor of horticul ture, David Beattie, professor • J • j"u* 55! Grower and Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 11, 1999—Page Researchers Test Mettle Of Fiber Pots By Adding Copper M °* row crops!” ~ Balduff farmer and yteenhousi \ i jnwtt MljSy Call 800-321-5656 for FREE Greenhouse Farming Pack! Or, mail or fax the coupon below. Farmers all over the country arc increasing their incomes dramatically with greenhouse farming - the new, hi-tech, profitable fumih farm for the 21st centun. With greenhouse farming You grow fresh, premium quality vegetables year-round You sell locally, in off season when prices are highest and demand is great Your crop is protected from bad weather, cash flow is more dependable You have low overhead; you only need 1/4 acre You work inside, in “spring like” environment all winter long • You have technical and marketing assistance from CropKmg at all times Request our FREE Greenhouse Farming Information Pack for details on choosing a greenhouse, getting set up, marketing, etc You’ll also learn about our Annual Grower’s Conference (Nov. ’00), Grower IVaining Workshops, Training Videos, Newsletters, /jfl Books and other resources I Ask about our FREE Video Offer ($4.95 shipping and handling) YES! Send me your FREE Greenhouse Farming Infor- | mation Pack and tell me how to get the FREE video' i Ptione( each irrigation cycle. Changes in pressure or flow rate will result in changes in water flow and variations in water applied per unit of time. By having a flow meter you can be sure to apply the same amount of water despite these possible varia tions in the irrigation system. Irrigation, in my opinion, has become a necessary part of any horticultural operation in the Lancaster County area. This is especially true for vegetable and small fruit production. As a grower you must be able to of horticulture, and Virenda Puri, professor of agricultural engineering. The prototype was developed in collaboration with Henry Molded Products, a Lebanon firm. “Fiber pots are made form recycled newspaper, which makes them more ecologically friendly than plastic pots,” said Berghage. “But, in the past, un treated fiber pots didn’t last very long. Roots grow through the pot, water weakens the fib er, and various fungi cause mi crobial degradation.” Fiber pots like their clay predecessors are porous, which allows the plants to breathe and prevents root-relat ed diseases. But greenhouse growers needed pots with con sistent longevity. “Growers didn’t know if the pots would last a year or fall apart after six weeks.” Copper, a plant nutrient found naturally in soil, also acts as a fungicide to stop mi crobial decay. Because copper affects root growth, roots don’t penetrate the paper-based pot and weaken its structure. “Copper also prevents root tips from growing and moving laterally at the edge of the pot, which can cause plants to be come rootbound,” Berghage said. “Woody plants and trees “I make more profit from a 1/4 acre greenhouse... than from 100 acres deliver high quality produce to your buyer. You must also have maximum yields to make a profit. A drip irrigation system can help you achieve these needs in an economical and efficient manner. If you plan to add a drip irrigation system to your farm next year, be sure to design it properly. A poorly designed system will just waste time and money, and I don’t know any growers who can waste either of these! are particularly susceptible to this problem.” Fiber pots’ ability to “breathe” also protects con tainer plants from injuries caused by high root tempera tures. Plants in plastic contain ers, particularly those placed on the outside edges of a group of container plants, may devel op lopsided roots or no roots at all. “High root temperatures really affect some plants, such as arbor vitae and hosta,” Berg hage said. “It’s really a prob lem for nursery growers in the Southern states.” Berghage says plants grow ing in copper-treated pots often are easier to remove because copper causes plant roots to turn away from the pot wall and more freely explore the growing medium. “When roots are distributed uniformly, plants use water more effi ciently and absorb more nutri ents,” he said. The Penn State researchers are currently exploring adding other elements to fiber-molded pots. They also are adding other fungicides to improve plant health, and growth regu lators, which help plants stay the proper size for retail sale. CROPIT/Mr.coni 5050 Greenwich Road, #LF Seville, OH 44273-9413 phone 330-769-2002 fax 330-769-2616 j http //www cropkmg com ' F,2M | e-mail cropkmg@cropkmg com 187
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