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Home My WebLink AboutFarming '88, 1988-03-30, Page 49FARMING ’88, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1988. PAGE 25. Committee promotes programs, not machinery Continued from page 24 portion paying farmers to rotate legumes and grasses with their field crops. The next most popular is the residue management portion and the third is tree planting. Mr. Hazlitt is pleased to see that machinery purchase is not a big item in the applications received. Part of that may stem from a somewhat controversial decision of the Huron committee to prevent too much of the Huron allocation being used up in equipment purchase. The provincial program says that up to two-thirds of the cost up to $3,000 of modification of equipment or of purchase of equipment that leaves crop residue on the surface to slow run-off. Huron’s committee decided it would pay up to two-thirds of the difference in cost between the price of a piece of normal Verticillium wilt equipment and apiece of conserva tion tillage equipment up to $3,000. For modification of equip ment the committee will pay ata rate of up to $10 per acre for every acre put under the provisions of the residue and crop cover section of the program. The committee de cided, as Mr. Hazlitt puts it, that it wasn’t in the business of buying chisel plows. The committee was very specific about this in the public meetings to discourage farmers thinking the program was a good way of getting new equipment. Thecommittee didn’twantto paper the county with chisel plows, Mr. Taylor says, so they made the incentives so small that people would hesitate to buy a chisel or plow or other major piece of machinery. On the other hand they encouraged people to rent a chisel plow under the program so they could get used to it a nd decide if they really wanted one before making the big purchase. Thecommittee members also felt modifying planters toplant into crop residue was also important so tried to encourage that aspect of the program. The program al so encourages tree planting to encourage retire ment of fragile lands and long-term commitment to agri-forestry in cluding intercropping of trees with commercial crops or to diversify crop production. If a farmer reforests five or more acres of tilled land he may receive up to $200 an acre for the stock and planting and a grant of $ 100 per year per acre for the balance of the term of the program to cover the cost of maintaining the planting. For shelterbelts, windbreaks or intercropping with commercial crops, a rebate of the purchase price and planting costs will be spread over two years: 65 per cent the first year and 35 per cent the second. This doesn’t include nur sery shrubs, fruit trees or stock for Christmas trees. For farmers that have been in the forefront of the land stewardship program over the years the program might be seen as unfair and there has been some resent ment by people who see them selves having done the work at their own expense with no com pensation, and Mr. Taylor says, he has some sympathy with them. The committee tries to work with these Pannell Kerr MacGillivray Chartered Accountants GODERICH 524-2677 Ronald E. Takalo, C.A. Luc Gagnon, C.A. people positively, he says, point ing out that they can still take part in the tree planting or the educational portions of the pro gram and they can still be eligible for the residue part of the program. Unfair as it is, the aim of the government under the program is to increase the awareness of more farmers to the need of. doing some of the ste ward ship programs al ready being done by the leaders in Huron County. Early indications are that it’s working._______ LISTOWEL 291-1251 Mike Hoyles, C.A. Nancy Exel, C.A. Grant Knowlton, C.A. prevention advice Verticillium wilt can cause yield reductions of up to 50 per cent in severely infected alfalfa fields and greatly reduce the productive life of a stand. As a result, it poses a serious threattodairy and beef producers who rely on high quality alfalfa hay or feed. Tim Welbanks, agronomy ser vices manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited of Chatham, Ontario, explains that although the disease has been found in the major alfalfa production areas, the problem with verticillium wilt is in accurate identification. “It is difficult to look at a damaged stand, especially an older one, and say for certain that verticillium wilt is the problem,” he says. “You could be looking at another wilt-like disease, herbi cide injury, leafhopper injury or boron deficiency.” Welbanks says the disease is most easily detected on the regrowth after the first cutting. “The first evidence of verticillium is the appearance of yellow blotches, often V-shaped, on lower leaves and new shoots,” he says, “the leaves eventually become bleached and curl inward.” According to the agronomist, plants infected with verticillium wilt will be stunted but even though they may be near death, stems will remain upright and green. The most distinctive char acteristic of infected plants is that they will die out over the winter, he says. Verticillium is seldom found during the seeding year but by the second or third year, disease levels can be high, advises Welbanks. “The disease will not be evident during the first cut since infected plants will not have survived the winter,” he says. “In subsequent cuttings, identification should be easy if verticillium is present. If the alfalfa is not plowed under by the fourth year, the stand will winter- kill badly and yields will drop dramatically.” present in the field at that time. However, weeds such as Canada thistle can act as alternate hosts. To control verticillium wilt, Welbanks advises farmers to: •1. Prevent introduction of the diseaseby using clean certified alfalfa seed. Plant a verticillium wilt resistant variety. •2. Takepromptandeffective measures to eradicate the disease by plowing down infected fields and rotating to a crop such as corn. •3. Reduce disease spread within and between farms. Good weed control is essential. Cut newer alfalfa stands before diseas ed stands. Wash and disinfect cutting equipment when moving from an infected field to a clean field. Use an DON’T BLOW IT klk Silo Unloaders the reliable, time saving, cost saving, and easy way to unload your silo •No blower «No doors to change •Less silo climbing •Clean chute SIMPLY THE BEST CLARKHILL FEEDERS LTD. Goderich [519)524-4367 Philip Clark PRO FARM PAC ______“The Ultimate in Farm Insurance”_________ Deluxe Farm Package-Compare these features Verticillium wilt is favored by conditions of high moisture, high humidity, and cool temperatures (around 18°C). Disease spores can be spread by wind, harvesting equipment or insects. 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