HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-04-16, Page 17THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1986. PAGE 17.
Computers amass local cropping information
Continued from page 16
soil analysis in the Auburn lab.
This information and a cropping
history of the field will be fed into
the computers and a written
recommendation of what hybrids
to use, seeding rates, fertlizer and
chemical uses and any other
matters such as reduced tillage
relative to the farmer's production
on that land will be given to the
customer.
Copies of the computer summar-
ies are provided to the farmer
because he may draw different
conclusions from the same data
than the Soilab consultants.
As the season progresses the
fieldmen are out "scouting the
field", evaluating the crop, look-
ing for weed or pest problems and
spotting possible nutrient defi-
ciencies.
"Because we're making recom-
mendations in specific inputs often
we budget the crop out," Mr. Perry
says.
The company may also provide a
summary at the end of the season
showing the actual budget for the
field versus the projection made
before the crop was planted.
At the completion of the growing
season the history of each of the
farmer's fields is brought up to
date in the memory bank of the
Apple
stabilization
plan
announced
Ontario apple growers enrolled
in the 1984 Income Stabillization
Program are eligible to receive
$896,898 in payments, Agriculture
and Food Minister Jack Riddell
announced here today.
The Ontario Farm Income Stabi-
lization Commission has been
given approval by the Ontario
Cabinet to allow the 250 farmers in
the program to receive a payment
of .4445 cent per pound of apple.
"These growers of fresh and
juice apples," said Riddell, "are
given income protection from this
program between 90 and 95 per
cent of the previous five-year
average price plus any cash cost
changes during periods of low
prices."
The Ontario government will
cover two -third of the cost or .296
cent per pound while the other
third will come from the funds paid
by each producer enrolled in the
program.
About 201.8 million pounds of
apples were registered under the
stabilization program, which first
came into effect for the 1983 apple
crop.
Growers will be required to
provide documentation showing
the quantity of apples sold in the
1984 crop year as part of the
information that must be complet-
ed on a form sent to members of the
program before they receive pay-
ment.
ARM SAPIff
computer and a copy of the results
is given to the farmer. By that time
its the time for another cycle of soil
testing to begin again. Although
not everyone gets their soil tested
every year, Mr. Perry says, he likes
to see the farmer get tests at least
for the first two or three years and
then at least every other year
thereafter.
Over the winter the lab is kept
busy processing the soil samples
until February with the results
being fed into the computer and
new recommendations prepared.
By March the fieldmen are likely to
be out taking new samples again
and by April the first field scouting
of winter wheat will be going on
and from then on the scouting goes
on throughout the growing season.
Some farmers, hard-pressed to
make a profit on their crops these
days may question the need for the
additional cost of crop consultants.
"We have to justify our fee to every
farmer," Mr. Perry says. "We
have to save him money or make'
him money. But at the same time
we're providing a service and
information that must be paid for.
We must be successful because
we have about a 95 per cent return
rate (of former customers)."
Farmers pay a per -acre fee to the
company but unlike some other
companies which require the
farmer to sign contracts for two or
three years, Soilab works one year
at a time, confident they can show
each farmer each year that they are
important enough to his operation
that they should be kept on for
another season. So far this faith in
their own ability has worked very
well but it can be scary to reach July
when a new season begins (the
company by its nature is about six
months ahead of cropping sche-
dules) and realize that there's
nothing binding those old custom-
ers to come back.
Still itis the hard times that have
helped the company grow in many
ways as farmers are much more
conscious about input costs. And
the company can help in some
ways. For instance, while data can
be found to support the importance
of adding nitrogen to cereals and
potash to legume crops, it is hard to
find any data to show that
additional phosphorous increases
yields, he says, and phosphorus is
currently the most expensive
ingredient in fertilizer.
In addition more and more
farmers are looking harder at
rotation and in many ways, he says,
farmers are going back to many of
the practices their parents follow-
ed but which have been abandoned
over the years.
The Auburn company has grown
rapidly and its modern decor and
humming computers contrast with
the rustic old store it calls home on
the main street of the village, but in
many ways it is still just a
smalltown company that fits right
in with the small-town way of doing
business. Some area farmers, for
instance, who don't take advant-
age of the full services of the
company, take their own soil
samples and bring them in for
testing. Some Auburn gardeners
even bring in soil samples from
their gardens for testing. There are
no records to show if crop yields
have increased greatly in tomatoes
and broccoli.
HELP IS AVAILABLE
Save on Income Tax
Contact one of our qualified
Financial Planners
The Anancial Centre
122 The Square GODERICH, ONT.
Phone 524-2773 or 1-800-265-5503
Atwood Farm
Supplies Inc.
356-2706 or 356-9072
• FERTILIZER BAGS OR BULK • PIONEER SEED CORN
• SEED GRAIN & GRASS SEED
FULL LINE OF HERBICIDES FOR ALL YOUR CROP NEEDS
CaII ATWOOD
FARM SUPPLIES
for all your crop
inputs, where
service and price
are right!!
AIRFLOW spreading for dry fertilizer &
fertilizer & seed mixed
2 TERROGATORS for custom applying 28% chemicals
Brian Tormey
(phafter hours)
356-2476
Come in
today and
check the
services
we have
to offer
7 trucks for delivery of bags or bulk 28%
Rod Stone
(phafter hours)
356-2806
Jack Stone
(ph, ter hours)
59S-4819