Preparing for Spring…

Even I have to get ready for spring and in all the meetings of the season that can be a little dificult, however you can help by taking an minute and seeing if you would be willing in participating in any of the following research/demonstration plots this next year. If so please get in contact with me.

· Conservation Innovations (10 acres minimum): This grant will work with farmers who want to try manure injection, cover crops, non-traditional cover crops, and the roller crimper. Ten acres will be used with 5 acres being traditional practice and 5 being the innovative practice.
· Corn Grain Hybrid Trial: Penn State is looking for a cooperator for a corn grain hybrid trial. This trial will have both conventional and modified corn so a conventional spray program will need to be used. All grain from the plot is given to the cooperator.
· Compaction Study: Ten farms on Hagerstown soils are needed. Two soybean fields will be needed per farm. Soil compaction will be surveyed prior to planting. Four farms will be used then to determine yield benefits of sub-soiling (dependent on grant approval).
· Soybean Rust/Aphid Monitoring: Small plot needed for scouting rust and aphids (approx 60x100). Full season beans without seed treatment (in plot the rest of the field can have treated seeds) are needed. This is a non-destructive experiment.
· IPM Trapping Network: Cooperators needed (3) in Path Valley, Waynesboro, and Mercersburg areas. Trapping supplies will be supplied and set up. Traps will need to be checked at least weekly, dead moths collected, and numbers phoned or e-mailed to the extension office.
Demonstration Needs:
· Herbicide Plots: Small plots in corn and soybeans with various spray treatments (single and multiple pass). We will spray the plots and hold a field day at the farm. Footpaths will likely be cut into plots for rating plots and field day.
· Cover Crop Plots: Plots will be established in fall 2010 (typically look for silage ground or fallow wheat) and a fall and spring cover crop walk will be held.

Could it be?

As we continue to deal with piles of snow and drifting roadways it seems that spring is far off, however some have already started thinking of it. A report that came out a while ago on AOL news was talking about long range forecasting models and what they are showing for this spring. The long range forecast shows that much of the nation and almost all of Pennsylvania may be looking at below average temperatures with above average rain fall. This could mean another wet spring that is hard to prep our fields as well as plant? Of course I'm not too worried about this at this time. It seems like it is a long stretch for most forecasters to get tomorrow's weather right, let alone a few months out. Never the less it does make us think that we may want to take a little extra time to think out a sound strategy for spring time. Make a game plan that is flexible yet can outline steps needed for each field, such as manure, burn down, tillage, etc. Take some time now to do your maintenance on machinery to make sure it is ready to go as soon as your soil is fit. All of these steps will help you to be ready for warm soils and dry weather and more likely to get timely planted crops.