AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 26,2001
,~<T~
OPINION
Phosphorus ‘Can Of Worms’
We learned not too long ago from our friends in the farm press that
in January last year, the Virginia General Assembly passed a house
bill that requires poultry farms to develop and implement phosphorus
nutrient management plans by Oct. 1 this year (from a story in the
Delmarva Farmer, reprinted in the May 2001 PennAg Journal).
The article goes on to talk about how soils high in phosphorus can
only receive vary low amounts of poultry litter, if at all.
This is a literal “can of worms” that we saw coming years ago.
Though Pennsylvania’s nutrient management law is nitrogen-based,
we thought other states may try to “rethink” the requirements to in
clude phosphorus.
Agronomy experts will tell you that some southeastern Pennsylva
nia soils test extremely high for phosphorus. Penn State has worked
diligently with NRCS and other U.S. agencies to develop a “site
index” for phosphorus. To try to simplify the complexities of the
plan, the “site index” merely is a method to allocate only specific
amounts of phosphorus-loaded nutrients to certain areas specific to
the actual farm. For example: No placing phosphorus material next
to a farm pond, or creek that runs through the farm, or drainage
area, etc. But it’s OK to place the phosphorus where the crops will
readily make use of it.
But there’s a real headache at work here. Many plants make so
little use of phosphorus, compared to the amounts that turn up in
confinement-operation based manure. Poultry litter is loaded with
phosphorus, in many cases.
There have been widespread attempts to allow animals to more
successfully utilize phosphorus in feed. But still, amounts get by
passed from the animal into the manure.
The real question is: how will Virginia be able to police such a
plan? Many times, state conservation districts can’t even enforce reg
ulations pertaining to soil movement, let alone nutrient/nitrogen man
agement.
If Northeast states, where confinement housing is a literal farm
way of life, end up changing nitrogen-based nutrient management
plans to phosphorus-based, that would be one can of worms we don’t
think anybody would want to open.
/sar-^
* Farm Calendar ❖
Massachusetts SheepandWool
Craft Fair, Cummington,
Mass., (413) 625-2424.
Boer Goat Seminar and Sale,
Northeast Livestock Market
ing Cooperative, Blandford
Fairgrounds, Mass., (413)
774-7599.
York County Dairy Princess
Pageant, York County 4-H
Center, 7:30 p.m., (814) 694-
2661.
Clearfield County Dairy Prin
cess Pageant, Curwensville
Civic Center, Curwensville, 8
p.m.
Memorial Day. Lancastewarm
ins office closed.
agement Specialist Certifica
tion, Pa. Dept, of Ag,
Harrisburg, 9 .m.-noon.
Dairy Options Pilot Program
Training for Centre County,
Logan Grange Hall, Pleasant
Gap, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Water Resources Forum,
Ramada Plaza Suites Confer
ence Center, Pittsburgh, 7
p.m.
Safe Drinking Water Clinic,
Susquehanna County, 1 p.m.-
June 3 and June 7-10.
Water Resources Forum,
Hampton Inn, Philadelphia, 7
p.m.
Super Forestry Reunion, Penn
State Mont Alto Campus,
(717)749-6105.
Keystone Stud Ram and Ewe
Sale, Penn State Ag Arena,
thru June 2.
Empire Spring Classic Sale,
Fiber Fest and Youth Show,
Cobleskill Sunshine Fair
grounds, New York, thru
June 2.
Armstrong County Dairy Prin
cess Pageant, Pfizer Crooked
Creek Inn, Ford City, 7:30
p.m.
Sunshine Fairgrounds, New
York, thru June 2, (518) 295-
7188.
Clarion-Venango County Dairy
Princess Pageant, Cranberry
Mall. Cranberry, 7:30 p.m.
Wain Co«< r, ' - U
arylaru alnut ounci.
Workshop, Western Mary
land Research and Education
Center, Keedysville, Md.
(301)695-6659.
51st Annual West Virginia
Purebred Sheep Breeders
Stud Ram and Ewe Club
Lamb Sale, Tri-County Fair
grounds, Petersburg, W.Va.,
(302)257-4372.
Lebanon County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Lebanon County
Career and Technology
Center, Lebanon, 7:30 p.m.
Wyoming-Lackawanna County
Dairy Princess Pageant, Fac
toryville Fire Hall, Factory
ville, 7:30 p.m.
Franklin County Dairy Princess
Pageant, Lighthouse Restau
(Turn to Page A4l)
To Scout Com
Fields For Weeds
Recent rains have significantly
changed the weed control situa
tion in a lot of corn fields.
With moisture to germinate
both the crop and the weeds, it
will soon be obvious whether the
rain arrived in time to activate
the preemergence herbicides.
Before you rush to decide if
postemergence herbicide applica
tions are needed, allow a few
days to see if any of the herbi
cides with reachback potential
will still burn down small,
emerged weeds.
Identify the weed species you
have to deal with and the severi
ty of infestation. It may be that a
pass with a rotary hoe or cultiva
tor may be sufficient to control
the escaped weeds. If you are not
equipped for those options, then
make plans for an application of
postemergence herbicides. Check
your agronomy guide for inform
ation related to the relative effec
tiveness of various herbicides on
specific weeds. Read the product
YOUR
‘PRECIOUS’ LIFE
Background Scripture:
Acts 20:13-38.
Devotional Reading:
1 Corinthians 15:10-11.
It is quite possible to misun
derstand Paul when he says,
“But I do not account my life of
any value nor as precious to my
self, if only I may accomplish my
course and the ministry which I
received from the Lord Jesus, to
testify to the gospel of the grace
of God” (20:24).
Actually, part of the problem
is that this verse is translated
awkwardly in the King James
and Revised Standard versions.
The J.B. Philips and Living Bible
paraphrases render the verse
more smoothly;
“But I do not consider my own
life important or valuable to me,
so long as I can finish my course
and complete the ministry which
the Lord Jesus has given me...”
(Philips)
Lancaster Farming
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Northeast Farm Communicators
labels carefully and use the rec
ommended spray adjuvants.
An adjuvant is any product
added to the herbicide formula
tion or added to the spray tank
by jhe operator to increase hcrbi
cidal activity or application char
acteristics. There are a number of
different kinds of additives used
for this purpose but the most
common type is activator adju
vants. These additives are pri
marily used with postemergence
herbicides.
Before a foliar-applied herbi
cide can do its intended job it
must be transferred from the leaf
surface into the plant tissue.
Before the herbicide can be
transferred into the plant tissue
it must pass the cuticle of the
leaf, which has water-repellant
waxes. This barrier varies in ef
fectiveness between the different
weed species. For example, lamb
squarters cuticle is very resistant
to the passage of water-soluble
herbicides while other weeds are
less resistant.
The most common types of ac
tivator adjuvants used are sur
factants, oils, and salts. These
additives influence the physical
and chemical properties of the
spray solution, including surface
tension, density, volatility, and
solubility. These properties will
in turn modify the spreading,
wetting, retention, and penetra
tion of the spray solution. It is
important that the right additive
be selected for the herbicide
product you are using. Adding
the right adjuvant can signifi
cantly improve herbicidal activi
ty-
To Scout For
Black Cutworm
Infestations
While you are walking your
cornfields to evaluate weed con
trol, keep an eye out for insect
damage. One of the pests to be
looking for is the black cutworm.
Newly hatched larvae are about
'A inch long and, when fully
“But life is worth nothing un
less I use it for doing the work
assigned me by the Lord
Jesus...” (LB)
The Jerusalem Bible gives us a
slightly different slant:
“But life to me is not a thing to
waste words on, provided that
when I finish my race. I have
carried out the mission the Lord
Jesus gave me...”
The Precious Life
The problem is that Paul
seems to be denigrating the value
of his God-given life.
After reading and re-reading
this verse several times, I don’t
think that is really what Paul is
saying. In each paraphrase and
translation, if the second part of
the sentence had been placed
first, his comments on the value
of his life would be more force
fully within the context of his de
sire to fulfill God’s purpose for
him.
(Try that in each of the four
versions above. For example: “So
long as I can finish my course
and complete the ministry which
the Lord has given me, I do not
consider my own life important
or valuable to me” Philips.)
The important thing here is
not the worthlessness of his life
to him, but the impetus to fulfill
ing his ministry.
So what does all that matter?
To me it matters because 1 would
not be able to join Paul in saying
“my life is worth nothing,” nor
could I say it is not “precious to
myself.” My life is worth a great
grown, are about 2 inches long.
The color ranges from gray to
nearly black. There is a pale
stripe along the center of the
back.
The texture of the skin is what
distinguishes the black cutworm
from other cutworms. The skin
texture consists of convex,
rounded, coarse granules with
smaller granules interspaced be
tween. Magnification to five
times or more is needed for this
character to be readily seen.
While the insect overwinters in
Pennsylvania as pupae and
adults, significant outbreaks
occur when moths migrate into
the area on storm fronts during
April and May. When the moths
drop out of the storm systems
they lay their eggs where they
land. Most of the eggs are be
lieved to be laid before the crop is
planted.
The feeding pattern of the
black cutworm is influenced by
the soil moisture conditions.
When soil moisture is adequate,
the larvae hide in the soil during
the day and move to the surface
at night, where they cut off the
plants just above the soil surface.
Where soil conditions are dry the
larvae do not move to the surface
to feed but instead chew into the
plants just below the soil surface.
This causes the com plants to
wilt and usually die.
Economic thresholds for when
one should treat have been estab
lished. The thresholds are for
seedleaf-emerged com 2 per
cent of the plants cut; two-leaf
stage 3 percent of the plants
cut; three-leaf stage 5 percent
of the plants cut; and four-leaf
stage 7 percent of the plants
cut. If the majority of the cut
worms are 1 to two inches long,
however, control will not help be
cause most of the feeding is fin
ished.
Quote of the Week:
“Am / not destroying my en
emies when I make friends of
them?”
Abraham Lincoln
deal and is precious to me. I
thank God for it every day,
morning, noon, and night. As I
get older I realize ever more
what a precious gift it is from
God.
My Life
So, it is not because my life is
worthless, but because it is worth
so much that I must be con
cerned with the second part of
Paul’s declaration. Compared to
the purpose for which he created
me, the possessive portion of
“my life” is dwarfed by God’s
design.
I would not borrow Paul’s lan
guage to say it, but I think we es
sentially agree. No matter what I
want for my life, what really
matters most of all is for me to
come as close to fulfilling his
purpose as I can. Nothing in this
world can equal that goal.
What that meant for Paul was
a humble ministry trusting, not
in himself or others, but the
grace of God. “And now, behold,
I am going to Jerusalem, bound
in the Spirit, not knowing what
shall befall me there; except that
the Holy Spirit testifies to me in
every city that imprisonment and
affliction await me.”
I close with two questions:
How precious is your life to you?
And how precious is your life to
the Lord?
Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
1 E. Main St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
—by—
Lancaster Farming. Inc.
A Stemman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Andy Andrews, Editor
Copyright 2001 by Lancaster Farming