FCN Logo College of Agricultural Sciences Penn State

January 20, 1998 Vol. 98.1

IN THIS ISSUE:

Mark Your Calendar

Production

Pest Management

Penn State Field Diagnostic Clinic Survey on Last Page - Please fill out and return!

Mark Your Calendar:

No-Till Seminar With Carlos Crovetto

On Saturday, February 21, 1998, at the Dauphin County Agricultural and Natural Resource Center you will have a rare opportunity to meet and discuss no-till farming with Carlos Crovetto, Chilean farmer and international promoter of no-till cropping systems. A year ago, Carlos delivered the Keynote address at the National No-Till Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, where he thoroughly impressed the attendees with his fundamental approach to no-till as a system to enhance soil properties and crop yields. The program is sponsored by the Keystone Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the RC&D Council.

Anyone interested in no-till crop production has a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear Carlos Crovetto recognized internationally for successfully developing a very practical and profitable no-tillage crop production system on his family's sizable farming operation in Chile. Carlos is a practicing farmer with scientific training and experience in soil and crop science. He is the successful author of the book "Subble Over the Soil".

The Dauphin County Agricultural and Natural Resource Center is located on route 225 in Dauphin, PA. The program is from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The registration fee is $8.00 and will cover lunch. Pre-registration by February 18 is required for lunch. You may also register at the door. Many of you may be thinking that the last thing we need is another meeting in February, and especially on a Saturday, but this guy is worth the trip!

The program has been approved for the following Certified Crop Adviser Continuing Education Units: Soil and Water Management - 3.5 CEUs

Registration can be completed by mailing your name, telephone number and registration fee to:

Pocono Northeast RC&D;
Agricultural Services Center
1300 Old Plank Road
Mayfield, PA 18433

Make checks payable to Pocono Northeast RC&D

If you have questions contact:

Joel Myers 717-237-2220
Ron Phelps 717-282-7213

Elwood O. Hatley & Lynn D. Hoffman

1998 Pennsylvania Grazing & Forage Conference

The 1998 Pennsylvania Grazing Conference to be held on March 4 & 5 will feature numerous presentations and discussions focusing on pastures. If you have interest in parasite build up in pastures, poisonous weeds, pasture production during the "summer slump", applying manure to pastures, no-till renovation of pastures, or which pasture plant species are best for your farm, then you should make plans to attend the Grazing Conference at the Holiday Inn in Grantville. In addition to these topics, many of which will include experienced grazers as presenters, Sinclair Mayne, a scientist from Northern Ireland, will be the keynote speaker.

Dr. Mayne's grazing research with dairy cattle and beef at the Northern Ireland Research Institute is some of the strongest in the World. Sinclair Mayne's research has emphasized improving grazing management to increase intake and utilization of pasture. In addition, he has been involved in a long term study to evaluate the optimum genetic merit of various cow breeds for grazing management systems.

At informally structured evening sessions on March 4, there will be the opportunity to ask questions and discuss with fellow farmers current concerns on your farm or the grazing industry. There will also be an evening demonstration about using the Internet to obtain access to a whole range of grazing information from your computer.

In addition to the structured educational program, there will be a trade show with company representatives available to showcase the latest in grazing technology. If it is New Zealand style milking facilities or fence insulators that you are interested in, you can learn about it and purchase it at the trade show.

For more information contact the Grazing Research and Education Center at (814) 863-2543.

Marvin H. Hall
Assoc. Prof. Forage Mgmt.

Production:

Manure and Compaction

Most of the emphasis in nutrient management is obviously on soil nutrients. However, an important side-effect of nutrient management that is creating serious problems on many farms is soil compaction from manure spreading. When a soil is compacted by a heavy load, such as a manure spreader, the structure of the soil is destroyed which decreases the pore space in the soil and increases the soil strength. Adequate pore space is important for air, water, and nutrient movement in the soil. It is also important for root growth. For example, a 10% reduction in pore space can result in a 4 times increase in root resistance. This means the plant will not be able to get at the water and nutrients needed for optimum growth. Increased soil strength also impedes root growth and requires larger amounts of energy for tillage. The bottom line is significantly reduced soil productivity.

The two main factors influencing compaction are heavy loads and wet soils. Much of the compaction related to nutrient management is due to the increase in manure storages as a best management practice. Manure storages concentrate manure application to just a few short periods during the year. Because there is a lot of manure to spread in a short period of time, there is a trend toward bigger manure spreaders to help get the job done faster. This means heavy loads on the soil. Second, the two most common times to spread stored manure are in the late fall and in the early spring. Wet soils are common during both of these times. A common goal for manure spreading is to get the manure spread before the soil is fit to till and plant. This is a major cause of the problem because if the soil is not fit to till or plant it is certainly not fit to have a heavy manure spreader on it.

Compaction can be minimized in several ways. Most important, avoid working or driving heavy loads on wet soils as much as possible. Spread out the weight of the load by using radial tires, low pressure tires, larger diameter tires, or use duals or better yet tandem wheels on equipment. Don't over till. Every tillage operation destroys soil structure making the soil more susceptible to compaction. Maintain soil organic matter. Soil organic matter is the glue that holds the soil structure together, thus higher soil organic matter means stronger soil aggregates that are more resistant to compaction. Control traffic in fields during manure spreading. It is better to sacrifice an area as a road than it is to randomly drive over a new area with every load of manure.

Compaction can be alleviated, but it is not easy. Freezing and thawing will help alleviate shallow compaction. Deep rooted crops like alfalfa can help. Deep tillage is also an option, but this is expensive and requires very close attention to proper management to be effective. The best approach is to do everything that you can to avoid compaction in the first place.

Soil compaction is becoming a major problem with a serious impact on soil productivity on many farms. Soil management to maintain good soil physical properties should be a high priority in nutrient management planning.

Douglas B. Beegle
Prof. Agronomy

Pest Management:

The 1998 Pest Management Field Crop Weed Control Guide is Available

The 1998 Penn State Field Crop Weed Control Guide is now available for purchase. This guide is revised annually and contains updated information on herbicides and some new tables. Its layout is similar to the previous Weed Control Guide and the Penn State Agronomy Guide. The Weed Control Guide is arranged for easy reading and is intended as a quick reference. However, it is not to be a substitute for current product labels.

Some new tables include:

Other tables have been updated to include any new use information or other label changes for new and current herbicides. The Guide also contains a broadleaf and grassy weed identification key, as well as a Weed Management section which discusses aspects of weed biology, scouting, thresholds, control practices, herbicide-tolerant crops, herbicide resistant weeds, postemergence herbicide principles, and herbicide application information. There are five commodity sections which discuss weed management in corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, small grains, and forages.

To obtain a copy of the 1998 Penn State Field Crop Weed Control Guide visit your local county extension office or contact the Penn State Publications Distribution Center at (814) 865-6713. Each copy is $5.50.

Dwight Lingenfelter

What's New for Agronomic Weed Control (1998)

CORN New Products and Updates:

Labeled

Pending

SOYBEANS New Products and Updates:

Labeled

Pending

CORN and SOYBEANS Updates; New and Future Products:

Labeled

Pending

ALFALFA

Pending

HARVEST AIDS

Labeled

D.D. Lingenfelter and W.S. Curran

William S. Curran
Assoc. Prof. Weed Science



Penn State Field Diagnostic Clinic Survey

William S. Curran
Associate Professor Weed Science
email: wsc2@psu.edu

Back to:

Website Address: http://fcn.agronomy.psu.edu/