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The Huron Expositor, 1980-12-04, Page 14THE FIURON 00417.00 DECEMBER 4 1980 71" Irs' 777177,17'77777 AT F OF A CONVENTION—Regional Delegates attending the Ontario Federation of Agriculture Convention In Toronto from West Huron are from left, Harry Swinkels, Jim Mcintosh, Walter McIlwain,.and Jack Tebbut. fotin.lwrer a 'stock tot problem Pat Lynch, Soil & Crop Specialist At least this was the consensus of the people attending a recent corn borer seminar at Centralia College ef Agricultural Technology. The meeting was composed of researchers, industry people and Extension people A representative from Chamdgro - which is the company with the main corn borer insecticides - summed it up. "We don't have a corn borer preblem, we've got a stalk rot problem". They Mdicated that from what they saw, they wouldn't be active- ly promoting corn borer control for 1981. However, they would probably be doing some preliminary trials to look at the economics of contol. HOW BAD WAS THE BORER IN 1980 From what we can gather, there were no more adults around than normal. The canners at Exeter monitor corn borer adults. Their results show that in the Eteter area they had an verage number. In the Stratford area. there was below average number. At both places. the numbers WM substantially less than 19"8 and 1976. While the adult number was small. there may have been more egg laying than normal. The female adult will vary her egg laying capacity in relation to available moi- sture. If there is lots of water available for her to drink during the egg laying period, she lays more eggs. This year there was lots of moi- sture available during egg laying time. WHY DID SOME FIELDS APPEAll, WORSE THAN O 'HERS? certakni don't have all the explanaticns, but we have parts of the answers. For instance, young corn plants produce a chemical called dimboa. This chemical kills small borers when they start to feed. When the corn plant is small, this chemical is in conceotrated quantities in the plant. The older the plant get, the more diluted att. chemical is, thus earlier planted corn is less tolerant to borers. Also, we ate not sure if all hybrids prduce this chemical. I can't get a direct answer from the corn com- panies. Another part of the story is that the borer mo ths were later laying eggs this year than normal. They reach the peak numbers in Perth and Huron between July 10th and 25th. This year it was closer to the 25th. The eggs from these moths would be hatched later than normal. At this time. probably the thmboa level in the corn was low enough to give poor natural control. Research from the U.S Form production figures suggests large numbers will , overwinter. However there is nothing you can do. Tillage and crop retation have no ,effect. Research done by Terry Daynard in the 70's at the University of Guelph is enlighteeing. Grain corn fields he checked had 70 to 85% of the plants with corn borer pre- sent. One field that was in a zero tillage program with corn the previous year had 85% of the plants with corn a borer. At the same time, another field that was in sod in the previous year, had 80% of the stalks with corn borer. It was about 1/5 of a mile from this field to the nearest corn field. Researchers from Agricul- ture Canada tell us that it is quite common to find 80% of the corn plants with borer every year. Furthermore, one corn borer per plant will not reduce yield. Also we have no idea when the main moth flights will be next year. So far I have been talking only about the one seneral tion brood of corn borer. South of 401. there is a 2nd generation brood of corn borer. To my kn6wledge. Perth and Huron counties only have the one generation 'brood. Some of thc informa- tion you read from other areas may be concerning the Iwo generation brood. Huron in the lead Huron county continues to be one of the top counties in the province eAtOntano as far as farm productoon is conzerned According to -.tatastics re• teased by Don Pullen. Huron's Agricultural Repre • sentatis.e,Huron leads in five categories and is second in fhe others. Huron leads other counties in harks. white beans. ruta- bagas.: silage on and total corn and is segund in cattle marketings. total cattle. grin ,orn, hog matketings and total hogs. The local county is third in poultri, and fourth in dairy cattle and shipments and has the maast arrpro•ed farm Land Gram corn is the leader on Huron with 196.000 acres worth over S7;3.430.000. Silage corn is next with SI 7,238.000 from 68.000 acres. The most acreage189.000iis taken up by hay with a saline of over 513 million. White beans are the next most valuable deriving S8,559.000 from 33.00 acres. The total value of field crops is S116.409.000. fruits and vegetables bring in 53.726.735 while livestock production totalled S168.936.602 The total estimated value of overall production from all farm sources was 289.072.337. An analysis of land use capability for agriculture in- dicates 716,440 acres of Class 1. 2. and 3 land or 86 percent of the land area as suitable for most well man- aged cropping systems and 16 percent of the land is in classes 4, 5. and 6 with progressively more severe limitations of crops. There is no Class 7 land in the County. This class has no capability for arable culture 4. or permanent pasture and inventors indicates 34.490 ares of organic soils Mixed farming operation hw been traditional: hou, vier. the pmvince-wide change to fewer farms and larger acreage has affected the Count. Specialized enterprises are the trend ix Ith beef feedlots fed from homegrown corn. feeder ho operations. far- row .to -finish pork production units. poultry. and an itt. crease in specialized cash ctopping. Popular cash crops include grain corn. white beans, turnips. winter wheat, as well as sweet corn and green peas for canning. . Acreage of white beans has increased from 21.000 acres in 1961 to an estimated 54.000 acres in 1972. AxpEoBigRe*EY Conservation 4tithciriti4s should devel- oping strPaRt-aills at , the grassroots:. level; according .to Art, flktornell, Pep/41'08.19W Director of .the Central' BeSinu of the Ministry of Natural Resources who spoke dt the general meeting of the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) on Wed. ndsday, By grassroots he Was referring to ordinary local people. At the meeting in Brussels he talked about the PLUARG reports which suggested ways and moans in which silt and run-off could be reduced and said he was disappointed that the Conservation Authorit- ies haven't assisted inInore developing such programs. . He spoke about the soil and water conservation programs in the States. "It is almost always local people who are appointed to the committee of these. The basic problem is that soil and water t ir• Management in the United States T9Ceir$ He said people mtiSt always feel frep ,to, unless SemetIti4.realy confidentialis being more attention than in Canada. .Jt is thy—, attend ConserVittia# Authority in0010,10a 41s,9004, • Opinion that grassroots is not receiving, the .attention that was envisioned when the COnserVatin Authorities Were formed," he Said. "Conservation Authbrities over the past several years havereceived some criticism from the municipalities. I suggest that if Conservation Authorities would practice more grassroots conservation, some of this criticism would be reduced. • "It Might mean fewer dams and more, activities to improve the water relationship on the land itself. Soil conservation should be receiving much higher priority that it is new," he said. "The Conservation Authority is the -most suitable organization to work with such groups as the Ministry Of Agriculture and Food and the Soil and Crop Improvement Association to develop and eperate a SQii• and water co,nservation program." Multi nationals hurt local farmers: OFA president .Ralph Barrie, who has just completed his first term as president of the Qntario Fed- eration of Agriculture, (OFA) told the group's annual con- vention that "short-sighted government policies continue to create problems for far- mers." The report of the Royal Commission of Dis- . counts and Allowance failed. to address the central ques- tion of concentration in the food industry. He told dele- -gates that the global strate; gies of multinational food processors are killing local • processors, while the big chains threaten independent grocers. This creates a trade Apficit in rood and local farmers are denied access to markets. '''The independent processors and retailers are the farmers' most secure links in the food chain." Mr. Barrie explained. This summer when Ont- ario had a bumper crop of peaches, �.F.A. found two supermarket chains that had only imported peaches --and 'none of the chains carried Ontario tomatoes. Yet all of the independent stores carry many kinds of Ontario pro- duce. he said. Mr. Barrie said $2 billion food imports could have been grown in Canada. "Just think what would happen in terms of job creation. in- creased tax revenue, our balance of payment problems plus all the other economic spin-offs, if that S2 billion dollars was spent here in- stead of outside thc coun- try." Mr. Barrie stated. "It .is a fantastic opportunity." Mr. Barrie said 0, F. A. has increased our membership by 6.5 percent which brings us up to 24.000 members. We have seen thc enactment of the Petty Trespass and Occupiers' Liability Act. after 20 years of lobbying. We have obtained from the Provincial Government 525 • 530. million in interest rate assistance for Ontario far• mers. " Mr. Barrie. an Eastern Ontario dairy farmer. as elected to a second term as president. Ron White. a dairy farmer from Middlesex County. was re-elected first sice-firesident over two other challengers. And Ron Jones. a Simcoe County farmer and BALLMACAP LAY care BUILDING CENTRE NOTICE of WINTER STORE HOURS Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 Noon 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 8 a.m. to 12 Noon BALL-MACAULAY LTD. SEAFORTH 527-6910 CLINTON 482-3405 HENSALL 262-2418 •••; A ; a former O.F.A. committee chairman, defeated Frank Wall for the position of second vice-president. ,Other members of the Executive elected at the Directors' Meeting were Directors, Mary, Wicks, Victoria County; Harry Pattison, Ren- frew County; Keith Buchner, Oxford County; and Ian Balsillie, Prince Edward County. HULLETT eOUNQ11_,-The newly elected Hullett council met Monday afternoon and took their oath of office. The new council consists of reeve Tom Cunningham (right seated) and deputy reeve, Joe Gibson. Standing from the left are Ron Gross, Clare Vincent, Harry Lear clerk, George Hoggart road superintendefit and Mel Knox. 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