Capitol Region
Agronomy Team
—Whatever The Crop,
Pioneer Has The
Seed And Inoculant You Need.
/3& PIONEER.
-I—2Lz BRAND inoculants
If you’re striving to increase the yield and feeding value of forage crops,
there’s no better place to start than with Pioneer.
Kent L. Fritz
8 Japonica Dr.
Lititz, PA 17543
717/626-9484
Martin L. Snyder
245 Ridge Avenue
Ephrata, PA 17522
717/738-1500
®™ Trademark and service mark, registered or applied for, of Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc , Des Monies, IA All sales are
subject to terms of labeling and sale documents© 2001 PHII
Igagfe RALE
shredders
VERSATILE
• Chop and feed the
wettest silage bales.
• Chop dry hay, straw,
and corn stalks
Discharges to either, or
both sides for free stall
bedding
Optional hose
attachment for hard to
reach areas and
mulching application
Models available to
handle all sizes of round
and big square bales
MANEUVERABLE
• 3 point mounted to operate in close quarters
EASY TO OPERATE
• Load bales with 3 point bale handler, no loader
required.
• Simple durable construction
• Operate with as little as 60 hp
WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS
100 Stover Drive 100-120 Lehigh Ave - RO Box 928
Carlisle, PA 17013 Batavia, New York 14021-0928
717/249-6720 716/343-5411
Serving Farmers Through Farm Equipment Dealers Since 1961
Report
Joe Hess Phares Hurst
432 South Erisman Road 175 Center Square Rd.
Manheim, PA 17545 Leola, PA 17540
717/653-9490 717/656-7944
Ranck and Snyder Seed
993 Goshen Mill Road, Peach Bottom, PA 17563
CUMMMGS and BRKKER. he.
According to News and
Views from the Potash and
Phosphate Institute (August
1995), dairy nutritionists rec
ognize that a transition diet
of pregnant dry cows three to
717/548-4277
MULTIPLE BENEFITS
• Improved Payability, less waste
• Feed silage bales directly into bunk or fenceline
feeders. Pre-chop material forTMR mixer.
• Improved absorption ability of bedding
material, less bedding required.
• Clean comfortable beds.
• Easier handling of manure with chopped
material
Distributed By:
SOIL POTASSIUM
MANAGEMENT FOR
DRY COW FORAGES
Mark Goodson, CCA
Soils
York County
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 21,2001, Foraging Around-
six weeks prior to calving is
crucial to avoid milk fever
and subclinical hypocal-
cemia.
The optimum dietary
cation-anion difference
(DCAD) for dry cows is dif
ferent than for lactating
cows. Potassium (K) plays a
major role in the DCAD.
Over the past 15 years, con
centrations of forage K have
been increasing.
K concentrations in hay
lages are considerably higher
than those in hay. This is be
cause K is more likely to be
lost to leaching by rain from
hay than from haylage. Also,
the fermentation process in
volves loss of dry matter
without the loss of K. Corn
silage has far less K than hay
or haylage.
Optimum levels of soil K
are essential of persistence of
legumes and ensuring opti
mum yields of both grass and
legume forages. Most forages
produced with optimum K
fertility will not contain ex
cessive K for a lactating cow
diet, but there could be a
problem when used for the
dry cow diet. Produce sepa
rate forage for the dry cow.
Achieve this by withholding
K fertilization even though
this may hold yields below 80
percent of those with non
limiting levels of K.
It is important to know the
level of soil K in each forage
production field. Fields test
ing lowest in soil K can be set
aside for producing forage for
dry cows during the transi
tion phase. A regular soil
testing program, with
sampling every two to three
years, is essential.
Low K forage can be pro
duced on five to 10 percent of
total forage acreage. Produce
the low K forage on small
acreage with a below opti
mum soil test for K.
Avoid all forms of K fertil
ization, including manure.
Over time, since forage re
moval of K is high, the soil
test level will decline to the
point where economic pro
duction of forage without re
placement of K is not
possible. At that point, appli
cation of controlled amounts
of K fertilizer could resume.
Research is needed to deter
mine the precise recommen
dation of applied K to
produce forages of a desired
K level.
The concentration of K in
plant tissue declines as the
plant matures. Therefore, a
dry cow forage grass should
not be cut early. Weathering,
particularly rain on hay
during drying may reduce the
amount of K in forage. Since
K in plant tissue is in a solu
ble form, it could easily be
leached from drying hay by
rain. Hay is less likely to have
high K than silage.
When soil K levels are
high, higher rates of nitrogen
fertilizer will increase forage
K concentration. Phosphorus
fertility is important to
ensure optimal plant uptake
of magnesium and calcium,
cations important in the pre
vention of milk fever.
Lancaster
Farming
Che^
our
web site
www.lancastertarmlna.com
217