yShrjK¥Jß«:w«a 9!toar.Mii , .i«ii»n yaiaLwaganift 9aiaaiiniaiBi i .t * i f <, w < ?55SS55Si!!S!SSS?7T!????!JOfc HEADQUARTERS FOR SPRAYERS & PUMPS PACER PU Self-Priming Centrifaj Features; Self-priming to 20 feet Total heads to 120 feet Capabilities to 200 U.S. GPM Built in check valve Equipped with 1A” or 2” fem; threaded connections, NPT Full Line Of Hose And Couplings • 3 H.P ‘S’ Series • 5% H.P. *B’ Series 1%” Or 2" Ports With Briggs Inetk 2” Ports Rag. $346.80 _ Rag. $806.40 SPECIAL SPECIAL *217.70 *268.10 • S'A H.P. • S'A H.P. • ‘S’ Series Pedestal ‘S’ Series ‘S’ Series Pump Only With Hoads Engine, 2" Ports with Briggs Industrial Inetk llt " or 2 - Rag. $682.00 *" PorUl SPECIAL $486.80 slB2 °° SAQA SPECIAL SPECIAL “..’Jr" *382.20 *141.75 AG FOAM H*UGilloa SfMUI *11.25 •708380 IttOalha SfwcUl *51.00 •711808 We Stock A COMPLETE line of Tkefefa SPRAY PRODUCTS • Ball Valves/ Illg • Pressure Regulator • Stainless Pressure Gauge • 18 ft. Wiring Harness with Switch and Fuse • 15 ft. Hose, 2 Nozzle Bodies, 4 Tips, and Clamps included • Available with optional 115 volt Pump A BALL VALVES ■ S 1 CAM COUPLERS W in Stock A Of i° s” • mm PAUL B. ZIMMERMAN, PICT Manufacturers - Distributors 50 Wbodcorner Rd., UUte, PA 17543 (7171 738-7350 SPRAY TANK CLEANER •088160 2 lbs. *5.85 ___ ! PUMPS THE LONG BLUE LINE ™ OUR rOMPLETI FOAM DYE #008077 ror Higher VUibUlty Foan *14.80 ». r i b gg: ~ wt' m MVUilflt DIAPHRAM DEMAND Penn State Cooperative Extension Capitol Region Dairy Team DETERMINE WHEN CORN IS AT THE RIGHT MOISTURE CONTENT FOR ENSILING Glenn A. Shirk Extension Agent Dairy, Lancaster County The moisture content of silage at time of harvest is one of the most critical factors affecting silage quali ty, because moisture levels dictate the kind of fermentation process that will take place, how the fer mentation will proceed, and what products the fermentation process will produce. Determining when to ensile com can be a challenge because, for ex ample, 110-day com does not al ways mature in 110 days. Hot weather speeds up the maturing process and, once the crop has ma tured, the plant “shuts down” and moisture levels can drop rapid ly and catch you off guard. On the other hand, as the cooler, shorter days of fall approach, the crop matures at a much slower pace. It may not mature prior to the first frost, and once frosted, mois ture levels can drop rapidly. Don’t let your eyes deceive you. When you observe com fields turn ing brown, the com may not be as dry as it appears. This is especially true with drought-stricken com. The leaves may be brown and dry, but the stalk and ear may still con tain fair amounts of moisture. Even though the bottom leaves are “fired,” the top may still be pushing forth new growth. Thus, if you cut the field too quickly you could be losing some dry matter yield. However, when the moisture and “life” leaves the stalk, look for whole-plant moisture to drop rapid ly. Monitor the crop closely to get the timing right. Also remember that the bottom leaves represent only a small percentage of the plant’s total weight, so the impact of firing on whole-plant moisture and yield is often less than what you might expect. In 2001, com drydown rates were monitored at the Penn State re search farm in Landisville. Moisture levels were compared to degree of firing and to milk line regression to sAfeamAg Incorporated Over 85 years cumulative agriculture experience serving the northeastern states Servicing Dairy, Swine and Poultry operations (new and expanding) • Site Engineering and Manure Systems Design • Nutrient Management Planning • Precision Agriculture • CAPO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) Permits • Natural Resources Management • Crop Management/Scouting/ Soil Testing TeamAg, Inc. 901 Dawn Avenue, Ephrata, PA 17522 717-721-6795 Chris Sigmund, President John Williamson, PE, Vice President Engineering Randall Hoover, PE , Engineer Dave Swarr, Agronomist Bill Fink, CAFO Specialist/Certified Nutrient Management Planner Jedd Moncavage, CAFO Speciahst/Certihed Nutrient Management Planner Keith Hoover, Precision Agriculture Specialist Email: TeamAg@TeamAglnc.com Visit us Ag Progress Days in Exhibit Tent #1 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 27, 2002-A23 evaluate how accurate they were in predicting whole-plant moisture and when to ensile the crop. All tests were run on the same 110-day hybrid, planted May 1 and May 25 in two different fields. The field planted on May 1 had a doughty section and a more normal section. Whole-plant moisture was not as low as what plant firing might lead you to think, especially in the droughty com. If the droughty com were ensiled at SO percent firing, the moisture level in the silage could have been as high as 74 percent, which could result in abnormal fer mentation, excessive seepage, and poor quality silage. Harvesting the May 25 planting at 50 percent firing would have resulted in com being ensiled at about 55 percent mois ture, which could be too dry for top quality silage. When com was in a more ideal moisture range of 60-70 percent, firing ranged from 10 per cent to 60 percent! Kernel milk line regression was a more reliable indicator of whole plant moisture. Most of the samples were in the acceptable moisture range when the milk line progressed Vi of the way down from the tip of the kernel, and started getting too dry as it progressed beyond about the Vi level. The best way to determine plant moisture is to cut 6-12 stalks that are representative of the field, chop them to about ensiling length, and conduct a moisture test on them. If a chopper is not handy, a home mulching machine works well. Once kernels are well developed and the kernel milk line begins to regress, whole-plant moisture levels drop about 0.65 percentage units per day. This drydown rate can be used to help predict harvest dates. For example, if your plan is to ensile com at 65 percent moisture, but the moisture level is 72 percent, that means the moisture needs to drop by 7 percentage units before being ensiled. Divide these 7 percentage units by 0.65, and you’ll find that the crop should be ready to ensile in about 11 days. Sudden changes in plant and weather conditions can affect this dry down rate, as dis cussed earlier.
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