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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1990-06-06, Page 13THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 1990. PAGE 13. Interest in rotary hoe increasing, farm specialist says BY BRIAN HALL FARM MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST Interest in the use of a rotary hoe as a part of a weed control program has increased over the past year or two. Most of this was the result of poor herbicide performance due to the dry weather conditions (espe­ cially in 1988). The rotary hoe is a valuable tool Protection tips for spraying BY BRIAN HALL OMAF FARM MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST FOR HURON Often the greatest risk of using a pesticide is to the person handling the product. By wearing the most appropriate clothing and launder­ ing thoroughly afterwards, we minimize our exposure. PROTECTIVE CLOTHING Long-sleeved shirts and long pants are essential to reduce exposure to pesticides. Not all disposable coveralls are equally protective. The coveralls with red stitching are the proper type. Clothes made of polyester are preferred over 100 per cent cotton clothes because polyester fibers do not absorb pesticides like cotton does and can be washed more easily. The hands almost always become contaminated when using pesti­ cides. To protect, wear unlined, elbow length rubber or neoprene gloves. Leather or cloth gloves should not be worn as these abosrb and hold the pesticide. In using a respirator, use the Ethel Compiled by Mrs. Margaret McMahon. Phone 887-9250 Local people wed Congratulations to Dwayne Ray- nard and Laurie Fischer who were married on Saturday in Listowel. Best wishes to Karen Johnston and Jeff Smith who were married on Saturday in Cranbrook. Sympathy is extended to Robert Sneak preview for killing small emerged weeds or weeds that have germinated and about to emerge. During the past couple of years, the rotary hoe did two jobs for us. It removed small weeds that were present at the time and it also incorporated slightly preplant and pre-emergent herbi­ cides to help “activate” them to obtain weed control. Where herbi­ cides are applied pre-emergent, rainfall is required for incorpora- air-purifying type that uses chemi­ cal cartridges that should be placed when you begin to taste or smell chemical. Remember to wear a non-porous plastic hard hat, but not your ball cap as it can absorb pesticides. LAUNDERING A single heavy duty laundering will remove 60 - 70 per cent of pesticides and a double wash about 98 per cent. Launder contaminated clothes separately from other laun­ dry. Pre-soak clothing before wash­ ing and wash twice in hot water (140 degrees F.) with a heavy duty phosphate detergent. To clean the washing machine of any residue, run the washer through a full cycle with hot water and detergent. EMERGENCIES Keep a list of emergency first aid procedures close at hand. A copy of these can be found on page 19 of the Grower Pesticide Safety Course Manual. The emergency phone number for the Poison Information Centre is listed under Emergency Calls on Page 1 of the Telephone Directory. and Marjorie Gebhardt on their recent bereavement. Major necessary renovations to the Ethel Community Centre was the topic of discussion at a public meeting held Wednesday evening. tion of the herbicide into the weed germination zone. In general, one- half inch to one inch of rainfall is sufficient depending on the herbi­ cide and soil conditions. Preplant incorporated herbicides also require rainfall for adequate performance, especially if the ap­ plication is made to dry soil. Lack of rainfall during the 7-10 day period following herbicide application will usually result in poor herbicide performance. Rainfall occurring af­ ter this period will often be too late for control of the weeds that have already emerged. This is especially true with annual grasses, such as foxtail. A timely rotary hoe will kill the early flush of weeds and allow more time for rainfall to activate the herbicide. Timely rotary hoeing can be the difference between good weed control and a herbicide failure. The major limitation of rotary hoeing is that timeliness is critical. The rotary hoe will only kill weed seedlings when they are young and Let us custom apply your • Round Up • Poast/Basagran • Tilt/Bayleton ®28% Nitrogen/Chemicals • Drop Nozzle/Chemicals With our New Hi Boy Sprayer •4 Wheels for Tram Line work, converts to three wheels for Drop Nozzle spraying •65’ Boom for fewer trips across the field •Foam markers for superior accuracy Call any of our three locations Walton Amberley Atwood 527-1540 395-3601 356-2292 887-9261 not firmly rooted. Weeds more than one-half inch tall will be difficult to kill. Foxtail, for ex­ ample, is difficult to remove with the rotary hoe once it begins to tiller, which is at about the two - three leaf stage. These small weeds that can be removed with the rotary hoe can only be spotted by walking the field. The rotary hoe should be used either prior to crop emergence or after the crop is at least two inches tall to break the soil crust. This usually means the optimum timing is usually seven to 10 days after planting. It can be used until the crop is six - eight inches tall. Operating the rotary hoe in beans may reduce the plant stand by two - three per cent per pass, but any yield loss is normally offset by the benefits. Some farmers find that in beans the greatest amount of crop damage occurs if the rotary hoe is used when the beans are just about to break through the soil crust. Rotary hoeing always looks like it causes more damage than it actu­ ally does. If possible, it may be more beneficial to rotary hoe during the middle of the day rather than early morning or evening. During the middle of the day, plants are more flexible and can withstand rotary hoeing. It is important not to rotary hoe too deep (ideally only one-half inch) otherwise you could incorporate pre-emerge herbicides too deep and pop more beans out of the ground. Driving at a speed of at least six mph will do an effective job to flip the seedling weeds out of the ground and shake the dirt off them. If you drive slower, you may only end up transplanting the seedling weeds. A second rotary hoeing sevei - ten days after the first pass may be more durable than an early pass with the row cultivator. The cultivator tends to work the ground deeper than the rotary hoe, thus diluting the effec­ tiveness of your pre-emergent and preplant herbicides. Little Anne Yuzwa-Reilly found an out of the way spot to read at the Mennonite Fellowship Book Sale. The sale was held on Thursday and Friday evening as well as Saturday.