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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-08-26, Page 35PAGE 12A—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 1987 Due to the increase in business, we have immediate openings for qualified OWNER OPE ATO STEADY WORK WITH GUARANTEED MILEAGE LEASE PURCHASE AVAILABLE ('87 Freightliners) I tAIDLAW CARRIERS INC. 235-2500 or 1-600m26644249 Ask for Jim INFORMATION FOR G.D.C.I. STUDENTS Twin City School of Hairstyling 1 \, Waterloo, Ont. e Haiirstyling 0 Barbering ®Ear Piercing • Make-up 55 lErb 886-6305 Monday to Friday 8:30 ane to 4:30 pm School reopens on Tuesday, September 8th. Buses will run at the regular time on Tuesday morning, and will leave at the regular time (3:55 p.m.) Tuesday -afternoon. Students from the Goderich district attending G.D.C.I. will report to the West Gymnasium no later than 8:55 a.m. Home Room lists will be posted in several locations throughout the school. Please check on your home room before proceding to the gymnasium. Students who have not registered should do so immediately by telephoning the school of- fice (524-7353) between 8 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Students are asked to bring either a Dudley combination lock or $5.50 to purchase a new lock. Grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 students will be supplied with all textbooks by the Huron County Board of Education. Student fee for year is $10.00 and will be collected from students on Wednesday, September 9th.. Farrra News Mark Jenkins is one area farmer whose crops have been affected by the high levels of ozone recorded in July. Although there are documented cases of 50 per cent of crops be- ing lost to the ozone, crop specialist Pat Lynch explained that Mr. Jenkins has such a beautiful field of beans, his yield will not drop to this level. (David Emile photo) • "SPECIAL SOFTWARE OFFER" Buy a Commodore Amiga TODAY . and Save Up To $1000 on the hottest Amiga Software • 512 KB RAM standard expandable to 1 Mb • Amazing Amiga graphics Gommodore® AMIGA® - • Full stereo, 4 -channel sound • Multi -tasking capability today LIMITED TIME OFFER Commodore C-64oN1N' and 1541 Disk Drive59995 QA, a Commodore and Amigo are trademarks of Commodore Business Machines Inc. The new Commodore Amiga 500 now at: GRANGER'S 92 South St. Gaderich , L' 25 Ground level Ozone may be damaging white beans By David Emslie While • many may equate ozone with the upper atmosphere, a different type of ground level ozone is damaging this year's white bean crops. Pat Lynch was with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food for 13 years before becoming a private crop consultant, and he remembers the first instance of wide spread damage by ozone. "The last bad episode of ozone on the beans was in 1973. We do get it' every year, but it takes a combination of weather and growing conditions (to do damage)," he said He went on to explain that ozone is not really an air pollutant, but a chemical form- ed when certain elements are mixed. These elements are hydrocarbons, or the in- complete products put out by internal com- bustion engines, and direct sunlight. If there is wind on a day of direct sunlight, the ozone is mixed into the atmosphere,. but on windless, sunny days the problems begin. The plants, as well, have to be in the flowering stage before they will be harmed, because, Mr. Lynch explained, '`White bean plants, after flowering, are very sensitive to ozone." Therefore, early summer ozone will not affect the bean plants as they have yet to reach the critical stage. Researchers who have studied ozone have found that the critical level for ozone is 80 parts per billion (ppb). "If it is this high for six or more hours, and the plants are in the critical stage of development, then they are quite suscepti- ble to ozone damage," Mr. Lynch stated. He has checked with the Ministry of the Environment, and found that on July 23 . there was five hours of ozone readings above 80 ppb, and it peaked at 117 ppb. On the following day the readings got worse with eight hours of over 80 ppb and a peak level of 120. When levels reach that high the initial symptom for farmers to watch for is that the plants will take on a yellowing color. Mr. Lynch noted that it will look like really early ripening. It will then progress to a bronze, leathery look. This stgp is called bronzing. When the ozone hits, farmers will lose yield in three different ways. There will be some pods that will just drop off without full development, while other plants will just grow smaller beans. Yields will also be lost when beans are grown which are so small they are unharvestable. "We're talking 300 to 700 pounds per acre Ions to ozone. Most fields affected will be the really good beans," Mr. Lynch commented: He added that because this year seems to be a good one for bean growers, "the overall yield will be similar, or better than last year. It is just that the fantastic crops won't have the yield they could have had." When the ozone levels were similar to this year in 1973 farmers were still able to have an average year as the yield was at 13.1 bags per acre. Unfortunately, Mr. Lynch continued, "There is nothing the „farmers can do. • Researchers are trying to breed a white bean variety that is tolerant to ozone." Researchers have already had some suc- cess in breeding tobacco and cucumbers that are tolerant to the ozone. Before a new strain is developed, however, there is a possibility of some • farmers losing 50 per cent of their white beans to this chemical. "Growers being hurt will drop $60 to $80 ' an acre, but on the other hand, this years' crop looks to be better than average," Mr. Lynch said. Although many may be hurt by the ozone levels, Mr. Lynch thought it was important to let area farmers know of the problem if only to save them on insecticides. Insect damage gives basically the same symp• - toms, he explained, and in 1973 much money was wasted by growers on insect control. He also found one other positive side to this story. "One other factor will happen with regular weather; the beans will come off earlier. This is a counteractive positive benefit." Grant forms should be available Ontario farmers will be mailed enrolment forms, brochures and application forms about mid-August for the Ontario Farm Grant for Management, Safety, Machinery Repairs and Feed Storage. The $2,500 grant program runs from June 1, 1987 to May 31, 1988. Total funding is limited to $50 million. Farmers submitting records for the farm enterprise analysis section can receive up to, $300. Eligible safety items such as fencing of existing ponds and manure pits, ladder cages, roll bars, safety cabs, shields, protec- tive clothing, warning systems, child - resistant fenced play areas and first-aid kits are funded at 80 percent. Also included are the, elimination of derelict structures and the filling in of unused wells. Invoiced labor is eligible in this section. Under the repairs category, a farmer can apply for a grant covering half the cost of replacement parts for field machinery, and for specified farm shop equipment. Labor cost is not eligible in this section. Barn equipment parts are not eligible. The feed storage section, including monitoring equipment and conveyor equip- ment is based on a 40 percent grant. Labor is not eligible in this section. Enrolments and applications will be for- warded directly by farmers for central pro- cessing. All related invoices marked "paid" with vendor's signature or initials must be kept by the applicant until July 15, 1989. An applicant can qualify for $12,000 income from agricultural production or less than $12,000 if non-farm income is not more than farm income. Applicants sharing a prin- cipal residence are considered as one appli- cant. Members of partnerships and corpora- tions can each qualify if -they meet the in- come requirement and have a 20 percent in- terest in the operation and are active in the farming operation. Projects with more than one applicant are subject to the percentage limitation in each section. Farmers who do not receive an applica- tion and information brochure about the On- tario Farm Management, Safety and Repairs Program should contact the Agricultural Office, Clinton 482-3428 or 1-800-265-5170. Corn producers to meet Sept. 4 The Ontario Corn Producers' Association (OCPA) has announced the agenda for its semi-annual meeting to be held at the Waterloo Inn, Waterloo, September 4. According to Cliff Leach of Paris, Presi- dent of the Ontario Corn Producers' Association, the program registration and coffee period will begin at 9 a.m. with morn- ing presentations on corn markets, farm media roles and relationships, and an up- date on Canadian Agricultural Issues and International Trade. Mr. Leach also states that, "The three speakers making these presentations will be Brian Doidge, Ridgetown • College, Jim Romahn, Kitchener -Waterloo Record, and Don Knoerr, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture." An afternoon business meeting will commence at 2 p.m.