AlO-Larlcastef Farming, Saturday, July 6, 2002
OPINION
Historic Holstein Convention
Last week we had the splendid chance to attend and cover the Na
tional Holstein Convention in Atlantic City. What a place!
More importantly, we had the chance to see something historical
happen.
In a big development, the Holstein Association U.S.A. voted 93-44
to provide power to the board.
That gave the board the right to make business decisions, such as
setting registration, transfer, and other fees, rather than the delegates
themselves, who controlled such things in the past.
The board of directors assume this power from the delegates.
During policy negotiations at the delegates’ meeting near the end of
the week, the observation was made by some that the association was
tired of the “rubber stamp” approach of the past.
Some executive posts of the association and this could apply to
many agricultural trade and commodity associations as well have
been entrenched so long they have the power over what the board
wants. Executive officers stay while many board members come and
go-
So this could be a way to further balance the power, offering a great
“checks and balances” system, to allow an association to operate in a
stronger capacity. But the states, recognizing this kind of huge prece
dent, continue to operate under their own set of governance and regu
lations.
Maybe it’s time to change that.
We believe the association’s decision was a correct and daring ap
proach, one that will benefit everyone over the long term. We congrat
ulate their foresight in this matter and are willing to work, along with
them, to provide better news and information about news as its made
available to us.
Maryland Guernsey, Milking
Shorthorn Field Days.
Sunday, July 7
Conservation Leadership School,
Penn State Stone Valley Rec
reation Area, ages 15-18, thru
July 12, (814) 865-8301.
Derry Twp. Ag Fair, thru July
13.
Forest Ecology Camp, Sandy
Lake, thru July 12, (724)
376-1000.
Monday, July 8
Annual Summer Technical Con
ference and In-Service train
ing, Coudersport High School,
Coudersport, thru July 11.
Mason Dixon Fair and Tractor
Pull, thru July 13.
Mercer County Grange Fair, thru
July 13.
Pa. Young Farmers Assoc, and
Summer Institute, Penn Wells
Hotel, Main Street, Wellsboro,
thru July 10.
Junior Judging School, Hunting
don County Holstein Club,
noon, also July 9, (814)
234-0364.
DEP Pa.’s Chesapeake Bay Nu
trition Reduction Strategy,
South Central Regional Office,
Susquehanna Room, Elmerton
Ave., Harrisburg, 1:30 p.m.
and 7:30 p.m., (717) 787-5267.
Lancaster Farming
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Tuesday, July 9
Teen Leadership Conference,
Lebanon Valley College, Ann
ville, thru July 12.
Clarion County Farm Forum
Pasture Walk, Martin and
Lori Whitmore, 7 p.m., (814)
782-0033.
No-Till Field Day for Horse
Farmers, David Stoltzfus
Farm, Gap, 9 a.m.-l p.m.
Soil Restoration and Manage
ment for Organic, Biodynamic
Vegetable Production, Rox
bury Farm at Owl Hill, Rt. 94,
Kinderhook, Columbia Coun
ty, N.Y., 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 10
American Society for Ecology
and Viticulture annual meet
ing, Sheraton In Town, Balti
more, Md.
Weed tour, Russell Larson Ag
Research Center, Rockspring.
Ohio Ag Systems and Environ
mental Field Day, Coshocton,
Ohio, (740) 545-6349.
Somerset County Holstein Show,
Fairgrounds, Meyersdale, 6:30
p.m.
DEP public meeting on Pa.’s
Chesapeake Bay Nutritional
Reduction Strategy, N.E. Re
gional DEP office, Susquehan
na Room, 2 Public Square,
Wilkes-Barre, 1:30 p.m. and 7
(Turn to Page A 22)
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To Control Potato
Leafhopper Infestations
In Alfalfa
Paul Craig, capitol region agrono
my agent, reports the potato lealhop
per (PLH) started arriving especially
early this spring. Scouts found adults
in the first cutting in early May.
However, the colder-than-normal
weather in late May appeared to sig
nificantly slow down the develop
ment of the leafhopper population.
Following first cutting, the insect
was increasing in population levels,
but most producers decided to har
vest instead of applying control ma
terials to second cutting. Some sec
ond cutting fields that were
harvested last showed slight discolor
ation because of PLH feeding.
All indications are that there will
be heavy pressure on the third cut
ting from PLH. Regrowth has been
slowed because of moisture stress
across the region, and high popula
tions of adults will quickly increase
populations of the feeding nymphs
LORD OF THE
SEVEN WONDERS
Background Scripture:
Psalms 65; 104.
Devotional Reading:
Psalms 65.
A psychiatrist prescribed a visit to
Niagara Falls to a patient because, he
said, she needed to take a long, hard
look at something bigger than her
self. Perhaps many of us fail to “get
anything out of’ worship because we
do not make it an opportunity to
focus on something greater than our
selves. Concentrating all our atten
tion upon ourselves is a very limiting
perspective. But whenever we look
beyond the horizon of self, we can be
swept up and beyond.
Psalm 104 focuses upon the Lord,
who is the creator of everything. It
inspired Robert Grant’s great hymn,
“O Worship The King.” To me, the
psalm is equally suggestive of ‘How
Great Thou Art,” also a celebration
of God the creator. This psalm was
probably sung during the annual
New Year festival when the drama of
creation was memorialized.
Prof. Samuel Terrien calls the God
of Psalm 104 “The Lord of Seven
Wonders.” He says this psalm is
singular in that “the whole universe
is encompassed within a single sweep
of religious vision.” The psalmist
opens with a sweeping pronounce-
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and adults. The hot temperatures we
have experienced recently greatly
favor development of this pest, which
is the number 1 pest of alfalfa across
the U.S.
Research has shown that feeding
of alfalfa by PLH will affect forage
quality, forage production (tonnage),
stand longevity, and forage produc
tion next season as well. Alfalfa vari
eties sold as potato leafhopper resis
tant or tolerant are not the sole
answer. Benefits of these varieties
have been found to increase as the
stand increases in age. First season
growth of these varieties will still suf
fer loss from potato leafhopper, espe
cially when populations are excep
tionally high.
Growers should strive to carefully
manage new seedings of alfalfa to re
duce injury from potato leafhopper.
Until a new seedling is one year old.
it is still in the “development” stage
and can be affected by insects that
affect stand life and production.
Scouting of potato leafhopper is an
easy and reliable way to prevent seri
ous injury. To protect your alfalfa
crop from damage, monitor the situ
ation in your fields. Waiting until
yellowing or “hopper bum” is evi
dent is too late. Damage will have al
ready occurred.
In a square-shaped field, monitor
ing in a “U” shaped pattern and, in a
rectangular field, an “I” shaped pat
tern is best. In each field select five
sample sites along the “U” or “I”
shape. Use an insect net with a
15-inch diameter hoop and a tightly
knit bag such as muslin. Within each
of the five sample sites, make 20
sweeps with the net while walking in
a zigzag pattern. Don’t stop swinging
the net until each of the 20 sweeps
are completed. Sweep the net about
3-4 inches below the tops of the
plants.
After completing the 20 sweeps in
the first site, continue to swing the
net back and forth a few times to
force the insects into the small end of
the bag. Grab the net quickly about
10 inches from the small end to trap
the insects in a rather small area.
ment: “Bless the Lord, O my soul! O
Lord my God, thou art very great!”
(104:1)
The Wonder Of Light
He then begins with the first won
der (vs. 2-4), light, praising the Lord
“ ... who coverest thyself with light
as a garment” (v. 2). The psalmist
saw the Lord as clothed in unearthly
primeval light. According to him, it
is not by darkness, but by an impene
trable light that God is concealed
from us, just as 1 Timothy 6:36 says
that the Lord “dwells in light unap
proachable.”
Prof. John Knox says this means
that “while men can apprehend some
things about God, his complete na
ture and being are concealed from
them.” That also is a wonder which
should blow our minds beyond the
limitations of self.
The second wonder (vs. 5-9) is the
earth: “Thou didst set the earth in its
foundation, so that it should never be
shaken.” The use of a participle form
in the verbs indicates that the psalm
ist sees creation, not just as a cosmic
event in the distant past, but as a
continuing wonder. The Lord not
only was the Creator, but still is cre
ating today.
The third wonder is water (vs.
10-13): “Thou makest springs gush
forth in the valleys.” Wonder num
ber four (vs. 14-18) is vegetation:
“ ‘Thou dost cause the grass to grow
for the cattle, and plants for man to
cultivate.” The moon and the sun
(vs. 19-23) are the fifth wonder:
“Thou hast made the moon to mark
the seasons; the sun knows its time
for setting.” The sea is wonder num
ber six (vs. 24-26): “Yonder is the sea,
great and wide, which teems with
things innumerable.”
The Greatest Wonder
The crowning wonder, number
seven (vs. 27-30), is the gift of life:
“When thou givest to them, they
gather it up ... when thou takest
away their breath, they die and they
return to their dust.” Without God
The difficult part is identifying
and counting the potato leafhoppers.
Count all the pale green adults (dis
regard any brown ones) and the
nymphs. Slowly open the net and be
alert for adults that can leave the net
quickly without being noticed. After
counting is completed, make note of
the total. Then repeat this procedure
at the next four sites. This will com
plete 100 sweeps.
Now calculate the number of leaf
hoppers per 10 sweeps. For example
if you collected a total of 60 leafhop
pers in 100 sweeps, divide 60 by 10
for an average of 6 leafhoppers per
10 sweeps. If threshold levels are low,
repeat sampling on a weekly basis.
Adults can fly and will move into
new growth from surrounding areas.
To Determine Economic
Injury Threshold For
Your Alfalfa Field
A number of factors need to be
considered when determining if
spraying to control the leafhopper
population is justified. The first fac
tor is the number of leafhoppers
present in the field. The second fac
tor is the development of the plants.
A relatively low number of leaf
hoppers can inflict a serious amount
of damage it they are present when
the plants are small. Greatest losses
to the alfalfa crop from leafhopper
feeding occur before the plants reach
six inches in height. Plants 12 inches
and taller can tolerate leafhopper
feeding without high losses.
A third factor to consider is wheth
er you have a potato leafhopper-re
sistant variety.
A publication entitled “A Pest
Management Program for Alfalfa In
Pennsylvania” is available from your
county extension office. Consult the
charts in this publication for addi
tional assistance in determining the
economic threshold for your alfalfa
crop.
Quote of the Week;
“Men make history and not the
other way around. ”
Harry Truman
there is no life, but God gives life to
his creation and is ever renewing it.
Life does not belong to humans, ani
mals, or any other living form; it be
longs to God. At birth, he gives it as a
gift; at death, he takes it back.
The key to the last section of the
psalm is verse 34: “May my medita
tion be pleasing to him, for I rejoice
in the Lord.” All the wonders he has
enumerated and over which he has
exulted are the end result of his med
itation. He has pondered deeply and
long and this has inspired him to re
joice in God’s wonders.
“There would be more inspired po
etry, better hymns, and more power
ful preaching,” says Prof. Knox, “if
there were more meditation.” Wor
ship would be more uplifting and
prayer and praise would be more
natural.
Meditating on the wonders of God
can be so beneficial to us. It is we
who are blessed when we say or sing:
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! Praise
the Lord!”
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Ephrata, PA 17522
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Lancaster Farming
Established 1955
Published Every Saturday
Ephrata Review Building
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—by—
Lancaster Farming, Inc.
A Stemman Enterprise
William J. Burgess General Manager
Andy Andrews, Editor
Copyright 2002 by Lancaster Farming