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USDA Sustainable Agriculture
Research Focuses On Alternatives
To Agri-Chemicals On Apples
WASHINGTON, D.C. Re
search into apple production
funded by USDA’s Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Edu
cation (SARE) program shows
that growers who adopt new or
chard management practices can
control tough apple pests with
fewer agri-chemicals.
A team of SARE-funded Uni
versity of Massachusetts re
searchers are developing ecologi
cally sound orchard management
practices to control plum curcu
lio, European red mites, apple
maggot and flyspeck disease.
Along with apple scab, these
pests account for more than 90
percent of pesticide use on apples
in the northeast. In commercial
orchards, scientists and fanners
are collaborating to evaluate a
combination of practices and bio
logical controls. For example,
careful pruning can reduce the
risk of flyspeck infection. Releas
ing predatory mites that prey on
European red mites provides
near-perfect control. And red
spheres coated with an odor bait
and sticky capturing substance
controlled apple maggots with
out any need to spray. Contact
Dr. Ron Prokopy, (413)
545-1057.
Research into alternatives to
synthetic fungicides in apple pro
duction has shown real promise.
SARE-sponsored research at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison
indicates that an inexpensive
spray mix of amino acids and vi
tamins, or even a solution of po
tassium bicarbonate, can effec
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strength, simplicity, dependability
lively reduce certain apple
diseases such as sooty blotch and
flyspeck under local conditions.
Left untreated, the fungi respon
sible for those diseases cause un
sightly blemishes on the apple
surface, reducing or eliminating
the fruit’s market value.
When applied instead of con
ventional synthetic fungicides,
those sprays provided levels of
disease control comparable to the
fungicide sulfur. Use of such en
vironmentally benign com
pounds reduces the risk that po
tentially harmful chemicals will
enter ground water, nearby
streams, or the food chain. Con
tact Dr. John Andrews or Dr.
Patty McManus, (608) 263-9642.
Building on the natural resis
tance certain apple varieties ex
hibit to some of the most plagu
ing pests and diseases, a team of
SARE-funded researchers from
Pennsylvania’s Rodale Institute,
Cornell University, Rutgers Uni
versity and the University of
Massachusetts studied more than
30 types of apple trees over eight
years.
They found that growers can
reduce fungicide use by 50 to 100
percent using scab-resistant culti
vars, or types, they developed.
They also found that encourag
ing the presence of beneficial in
sects or bacteria that prey on un
wanted pests and scouting for
pest insects before spraying can
save growers up to $2OO per acre
in pesticide costs. Contact Lor
raine Berkett, (802) 656-0972.
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MID-ATLANTIC,
aqn systems
4019 Ashville Ri
Quarryville, PA 17566
Northeast DBQA Program Unveiled
MIDDLETOWN (Dauphin
Co.) The Pennsylvania Beef
Council Board of Directors re
ceived a preview of the new
Northeast Regional Dairy Beef
Quality Assurance (DBQA) trail
er exhibit and educational mater
ials during their board meeting
here on Wednesday, April 25.
The three piece exhibit, pro
ducer booklet and accompanying
videos are available for educa
tional meetings and for display
at producer group functions,
trade shows, sale barns, coopera
tive extension events, or any
Viewing one section of the recently completed North
east Regional Center for Dairy Beef Quality Assurance
education exhibit and materials are several PA Beef
Council directors during a pre-meeting orientation:
Standing from left: Bob Livingston, York County beef pro
ducer; John Terefencko, livestock market representative
from Selinsgrove; James Work, Uniontown beef produc
er; and Kenneth Teel, Meshoppen dairy producer. Seated
from left: Steve Holland, Holland Bros. Meats, Duncan
svilie; Randy Meabon, Erie County dairy producer; Kathy
Allen, board chair and western Pennsylvania beef pro
ducer; Eugene Wingert, central Pennsylvania beef pro
ducer; Tom Croner, Berlin dairy producer and represen
tative to the Cattlemen’s Beef Board.
place producers meet.
“The current climate of con
cern about food safety and ani
mal health issues here and
abroad makes this DBQA educa
tion program timely and inform
ative,” said Paul Slayton, execu
tive director of the Pennsylvania
Beef Council. “It also demon
strates the beef and dairy indus
tries’ commitment to consum
»>
ers.
The Northeast Regional Cen
ter for Dairy Beef Quality Assur
ance is dedicated to raising pro
ducer awareness of the
monitoring, management and
marketing practices, which im
pact food safety, consumer confi
dence, beef quality and dairy
profitability.
In developing the display ele
ments and materials, the Center
used data from the 1999 Nation
al Market Cow and Bull Quality
Audit. The purpose of the Audit,
conducted by the National Cat
tlemen’s Beef Association, is to
improve the consistency and
competitiveness of market cow
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L
Lancaster County
Poultry Association
1383 Arcadia Road, Room 1,
Lancaster, PA 17601
(717) 394-6851
7th Annual Golf Tournament
Where
When
Cost
Time
Type of Play: Scramble
Registration
Deadline:
Registration
If you have a foursome you would like to play with please
specify when you register. If you do not have a foursome,
we will assign you to one.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 19,2001-A35
and bull beef and increase the
value of market cows and bulls.
The Audit process included in
terviews with packers, proces
sors, retailers, consumers and
producer affiliated organizations.
The center also gleaned timely
information about related dairy
herd management areas such as
bio-security, health maintenance,
goal-setting and record-keeping,
profitable culling, cow comfort,
and the safe and proper adminis
tration of animal health products
to present a comprehensive edu
cation package for dairy produc
ers.
The most important message
of the program is that dairy ani
mals are also beef animals and
that dairy producers are signifi
cant contributors of valued beef
products.
Dairy ground beef, mixed with
fed beef trimmings, represents 43
percent of all beef consumed in
this country. And today, about
half of the beef from dairy cull
cows is processed and merchan
dised as higher-value, whole
muscle cuts for food favorites
like fajitas, philly steaks, deli and
fast-food roast beef, and tender
ized steaks for economy steak
houses.
Quality defects such as poor
condition, bruising, abscesses, in
flammation and condemnation
have a negative effect on the
price that beef processors can
pay for dairy cows. The 1999
Audit demonstrated much pro
gress since the 1994 Audit; how
ever, more progress is needed.
This Dairy Beef Quality As
surance program provides dairy
producers with tools to improve
m key areas, which also have a
significant favorable impact on
the profitability of their farms.
For more information about
the DBQA exhibit and materials,
or to schedule a DBQA educa
tional program or exhibit dis
play, contact the Northeast Re
gional Center for Dairy Beel
Quality Assurance at
717-939-7000.
Producers can also contact the
Center for materials or informa
tion about scheduled programs.
The Center is located at the
Pennsylvania Beef Council office
at 1500 Fulling Mill Road, Mid
dletown, PA 17057.
Foxchase Golf Course (Stevens, PA)
No metal spikes
June 12, 2001 (Rain or Shine)
$60.00 per person (includes green fee, cart,
range balls, refreshments, prizes and
Chicken Barbecue meal after play)
Registration and
Shotgun Start at
Lunch at 11 ;00
1:00 P.M.
May 31, 2001 (Tournament is limited to
first 144 golfers)
Everyone is welcome, contact:
Dennis Herr,
3057 Harvest Road, Elizabethtown, PA 17022
Phone; 717-367-6670
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