Practical Farming & Gardening
Agri-Service Moldova, CCI Building, Salcimilor #9, Budesti-Chisinau.
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Practical Farming & Gardening
TABle oF ConTenTS
RAISInG HeAlTHy CATTle ............................................................... 4
RAISInG HeAlTHy CHICkenS .......................................................... 6
RAISInG HeAlTHy PIGS ...................................................................... 8
RAISInG HeAlTHy SHeeP & GoATS ............................................. 10
RAISInG HeAlTHy CRoPS ............................................................... 12
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Feeding
Forages
• Cattle,sheepandgoatshaveacomplex(ruminant)stomachwhichrequiresahighfiberdiet.Microorganismsinthestomachbreakdownthefibrousfoodintonutrientsthatcanbeabsorbedbytheanimalandusedforgrowth,meatandmilkproductionandreproduction.Theseanimalschewtheircudtohelppreparethefoodforbacterialdigestion.
• Cleanwaterisessentialandneededatleasttwiceaday.
• Foragesincludepasture,hay,cornfodder,straw,beetpulp,residuesfromfoodprocessing.
• Younggrassesandalfalfaaremuchhigherinnutrientcontentthanolderones.Whenpasturesaregrazedclosetothegroundtheanimalsshouldbemovedtoanotherareaforseveralweekssoregrowthcanoccur.
• Alfalfashouldbecutforhayintheearlybloomstagesothatitshighestfoodvalueisavailabletotheanimal.Alfalfapastureorhayshouldnotbefedalone,asitwillcausebloating.Amorecoarsehayorgrassshouldbefedbeforeorwithit.
• Silage(fermentedforages)aremadebychoppingandstoringcornorothergrassesinatightlypackedformthateliminatesaircontact.Thesecanbeidealfeedsforcattle.
• Fertilizerapplicationstopastureswillhelpincreasegrassproduction,andseedingnewgrassesandgrainsinpasturesmaylengthenthegrazingseason.
• Grainssuchaswheatandryecanbeplantedinthefallandthenewgrowthgrazeduntilsnowcoverandagaininthespring,removingtheanimalsinMarchifthegrainistobeharvestedfromthecrop.
grains
• Shelledcorn,sunflowerseedmeal,wheat,oats,soybeansshouldbegroundtoincreasedigestibility.Thesefeedsmustbeusedstartingwithsmallamountsandslowlyincreasingoverseveraldays.Severeindigestionproblemsmayoccurifthisisnotdone.
Other Feeds
• Wheatbran,rootcropsincludingbeets,turnips,potatoesandunusedpartsofgardenvegetables,apples.Iflarge,thesemustbechoppedintopiecessmallenoughtobeswallowedortheymaycausechoking.
• Saltandamineralsupplementshouldbefedfreechoice.
• Combiningfeedstomakeanutritionallybalancedrationisdesirableformaximizingmilkormeatproductionandcanbepreparedbysomeonetrainedinrationbalancing.
RAiSing HeALTHY CATTLe
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CARe OF THe COw And CALF AT BiRTHing Time
• Birthshouldtakeplaceinacleananddryarea.Clean,drypasturefreeofmanureisgood.
• Ifcowappearstohavedeliveryproblemsorneedsassistanceitisimportanttobeveryclean.Washhandsandarmswithsoapandwaterandalsothevaginalareaofthecowbeforeexaminingthecowinternally.
• Ifpullingassistanceisneeded,pullwhenthecowpushes.Begentle.
• Afterdelivery,checkthecow’sudderformastitis.
• Rubcalfdryifmotherdoesn’t.
• Disinfectthecalf’snavelcordbydippingitinanantisepticasiodineorchlorinebleachdilutedonepartbleachto40partswater.
• Calfshouldgetit’sfirstmilk(colostrum)assoonaspossible(withinonehour)inordertodevelopstrongimmunityagainstdiseases.Itshouldreceive3-4litersinthefirst24hours.Ifcalfistooweakorwon’tnurse,thismaybefedthroughastomachtubeifyouknowhowtodoitproperly.
• Dehorningcalveswhen1-2daysoldcanbedonewithcausticpastecausinglittlepain:
• Clipthehairaroundthehornbud.Usinganapplicator,putathinlayerofpasteonthehornbud.
• Immediatelyfeedthecalfabottleofmilktohelpitforgetthepain.Don’tletthecalfgetwetorbelickedbythemotherorothercalvesfor24hours.
• Goodventilationisveryimportantinpreventingrespiratoryillnessesinyounganimals.Astrongodorofmanure(ammonia)atthelevelofthecalves’nosesindicatesaneedforfreshairandcleanliness.
mASTiTiS (BACTeRiAL inFeCTiOn OF UddeR)• Contagioustype:spreadfromcowtocowbymilker’s
hands,milkingmachines,nursingcalves,fliesandteatcontactwithcontaminatedareas.Milker’shandsandcow’steatsshouldbecleanandsanitizedbeforecowismilked.
• Environmentaltype:causedbyteatsbeingincontactwithmanure,contaminatedwater,soiledbedding,teatinjury.
• Subclinicaltype:milklooksnormalbutproductionandqualityarereduced.CanbedetectedusingtheCMTorothertests.
• Milkfromcowswithmastitismustnotbeusedforhumanfood.Iffedtocalvesitshouldfirstbeheatsterilized.
mASTiTiS TReATmenT• Mildcasessometimesrecoverwithouttreatmentor
withfrequentmilkingoftheaffectedquarter.
• Antibiotictreatmentmaybeinfusedintothequarterusingcaretodisinfecttheteatendwithalcoholandnottouchingthetreatmenttubetipwithfingersoranythingelse.
• Severecaseshavingahotorswollen,tenderuddershouldbetreatedwithinfusiontubesandantibiotic/antiinflammatorymedicationsbyinjectionsintothemuscleorveins.
• Treatmentisnotalwayssuccessful.
inTeRnAL PARASiTeS (wORmS)• Parasiteeggsareonpastureoranyplacefecalmaterial
isfound.Whenthetemperatureandmoisturearesuitable,theeggshatchintolarvae.
• Larvaeclimbontograssandareeatenbythegrazinganimal.
• Larvaegrowinthestomachandintestinesoftheanimal,drawingbloodandnutrients,andmaycausediarrhea,anemiaandunthriftyanimals.
• Diagnosismaybeaidedbymicroscopicexaminationofmanureforwormeggs.
• Treatmentisbecomingmoredifficultasparasitesaredevelopingresistancetomedicationsused.
• Managementproceduresthathelpreduceexposuretoparasitesanddiseasesinclude:
Pasturerotation.Stopgrazingforseveralweekstoallowgrasstoregrow.
Avoidpasturingwetandundrainedareas.
Breakupmanurepadstoexposethemtosunlight.
Pastureyounganimalsonnewareasthathaven’tbeengrazedfor3ormoremonths.
Don’tplacefeedontheground.
Buryorburnanimalsthatdie.
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enviROnmenTAL mAnAgemenT• Chickensshouldbehousedwheretheywillhave
protectionfrompredatoranimalsincludingbirds,rain,snow,windandextremetemperatures.
• Cleandrinkingwaterisneededforallages.Watercontainersshouldbecleaneddaily.
• Feedshouldalwaysbeavailableandthereshouldbeenoughspacethatthechickensareallabletoeatatthesametime.Asthebirdsgrowthefeedcontainersshouldberaisedsotheystayatthelevelofthebird’sshoulders.Thiswillhelppreventwastingfeed.
• Babychicksmustbekeptwarmortheywillnotsurvive.Abrooderisadevicethatprovidesheatandprotectionfortheyoungbirds.Thetemperatureshouldbesetat35°Cforthefirstweek,andreducingitby3.8°Conceaweekuntilreaching21°C.After3weekstheheatmayberemovedexceptinverycoldweather.
• Babychickswillfindfoodeasilyiftheyareplaceddirectlyonit.Watercontainersshouldneverbemorethanonemeterawayfromthechicksfortheirfirstweek,and3.5metersafterthat.
• Chickensmaybekeptinoutdoorpenslocatedongrasspasture.Thepenscanbemovedasoftenasnecessarytoprovidefreshgrasstothematalltimes.Themanurewillfertilizethegroundforlatergardening.
• Ifchickensattackorpeckeachother,causingwoundsordrawingblood,thevictimsshouldberemovedtoanotherarea.Thisproblemcanbereducedbytrimmingthebeaks,removingabout1/3oftheupperandlowerbeak.
RAiSing HeALTHY CHiCkenS
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Feeding• Highenergyfeedsinclude
shelledcorn,wheat,sorghumgrains,barley,oats.Crushingorgrindingthesewillaiddigestibility.Molassesandanimalfatsandoilscanbeused.
• Proteinfeedsincludesoybeans(cookedorheatprocessed),soybeanmeal,sunflowerseedmeal,cottonseedmeal,fishmeal,meatandbloodmeal,andotherby-productsfromvegetable,meatandmilkprocessingsuchasbuttermilkorwhey.
• Vitamins:Mostpoultrydietscontainingavarietyoftheselistedfeedswillhavesufficientvitamins.Greengrassesareanespeciallygoodvitaminsource.Vitaminsupplementsmaybepurchasedandaddedtothedietifnecessary.
• Mineralsareusuallyaddedtotheabovelistedfeeds.Theyshouldcontainsaltandsourcesofcalciumandphosphorusandtraceminerals.Examplesarefishmeal,steamedbonemeal,groundlimestoneoroystershells.Packagesofbalancedmineralsupplementscanbepurchased.
Smallstonesorgritshouldbefedasanaidtodigestioniftheyarenotpresentintheenvironment.
• Cleanwatermustbeavailableatalltimes.
• Abalanceddietusinganumberofingredientscanbeformulatedbyatrainedpersonusingformulasorcomputerprogramsdesignedforthispurpose.
HeALTH mAnAgemenT
• Babychicksshouldoriginatefromahatcherythatisfreeofdiseaseproblemsandthatuseshatchingeggsfromdiseasefreebirds.
• Chickensshouldnothavecontactwithwildbirds,rodentsandotheranimalswhichmayspreaddiseasestothem.
• Diseasescanbespreadbetweenflocksontheshoesandclothingofpeople,onvehiclesandequipmenttravelingbetweenfarms.
• Thehousingfacilitiesfornewchicksshouldbecleanedanddisinfectedbeforethechicksareputintoit.Betweengroupsofchickensitisbesttokeepthehousingemptyanddryforaslongaspossibleafterbeingcleanedanddisinfected.
• Littermaterial(bedding)shouldbeplacedonthepenfloorbeforethechicksarrive.Thiscanbegroundcorncobsorstraworothermaterialsthatarecleananddry.Ifthebeddinggetswetitmustberemoved.
• Egg-layingchickensrequire15hoursoflighteachday.Electriclightsmaybeneeded.Startingatabouttheageof20-22weeksonehouroflightcanbeaddedeachdayuntilreaching15hours.
diSeASeS• Somediseasescanbeprevented
byvaccination,suchasFowlPox,InfectiousBronchitis,NewcastleDisease,andMarek’sDisease.Someofthesevaccinesmustbeadministeredatthehatcheryandotherscanbegiveninthedrinkingwater.
• Determinewhatdiseasesarecommoninyourareaandvaccinateaccordingly.
• Whenbirdsappearsickanaccuratediagnosisoftheillnessshouldbemadesotheappropriatetreatmentcanbeused.Consultingaspecialistishelpful.Deadbirdsneedtobeexaminedinordertodeterminethecause.
• Disposingofdeadbirdsbyburyingorburningisimportantsothatdiseasesarenotspreadfurther.
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enviROnmenT• Pigsaremorevulnerabletoextremetemperaturesthanotheranimals.Theyneedprotectionfromveryhotandverycold
andwetweather.• Theidealtemperaturerangeforadultpigsis10°-27°C;forbabypigsitis27°-34°Cfortheirfirst3to4weeksoflife.• Youngpigsthataretoocoldwillusemostofthefoodtheyeattomaintainbodyheatandwillnotgrowwell.
Feeding: Pigs can be fed both plant and animal origin feeds.• grains:corn,oats,wheat,barley,triticale,sorghumgrain,bi-productsfrommillinggrainsuchaswheatbran.Allgrains
shouldbegroundorcrackedorsoakedinwatertomakethemmoredigestible.• Grainsubstitutescanreplacepartbutnotallofthegrains:grassesandalfalfa,potatoes(removesproutsanddon’tfeed
ifskinsaregreen),yamsorsweetpotatoes,rootcrops(beets,turnips,carrots),applesandotherfruitsandvegetables,molasses,residueoffoodprocessingproceduressuchasbeetpulp,bakerywaste.Slaughterhousewastecanbefedbutmustbecookedfirst.
• Donotfeedanyoftheseiftheyaremoldyorrotten.Largepiecesoffruitandvegetablesshouldbechoppedintosmallerpiecestopreventchoking.
• Proteinfeeds,plantsources:soybeanmeal,sunflowerseedmeal,linseedmeal,cottonseedmeal,peanutmeal,canola(rapeseed)meal,safflowermeal,otherediblebeans,fieldpeas,alfalfa(freshoraschoppedhay).
• Proteinfeeds,animalsources:meatandbonescraps(cooked),meatmeal,bloodmeal,fishmeal,cookedfishandfishscraps,whey(cheesemakingby-product).
• VitaminsandMinerals:Adietwithavarietyoftheabovefeedsshouldcontainenoughvitamins.Mineralsneededare:salt,calcium,phosphorous,andtraceminerals.Thesecanbefedfreechoiceinaboxorcontaineravailabletothepigsdaily.Theycanalsobemixedinotherfeeds.Packagesofmineralmixesareavailabletopurchase.
RAiSing HeALTHY PigS
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BALAnCing THe dieT• Thepropercombinationoftheabovefeedscanbemixedtogethertomakearationbalancedforcarbohydrates,
proteins,vitaminsandminerals.Chartsandformulasareavailabletohelpdothis,butasageneralruletherationshouldcontain75-80%oftheingredientsfromthelistofgrainsorgrainsubstitutesand20-25%fromthelistofproteinfeeds.Themineralscanbeaddedtothemixorfedfreechoice.
• Changesfromonetypeoffeedtoanothershouldbemadeslowlytoavoiddigestiveproblems.• Pregnantandnursingsowsrequireincreasedamountsoffeed.Animalsthataretoofatortoothinwillbelesshealthy,
producefewerbabypigsandwillnothaveagoodmilksupply.Itisimportanttowatchthebodyconditioncloselytoseeifthepigsaregettingenoughtoeat.Thereshouldbeenoughfleshcoveringthebonesthattheydonotprotrude.Deepdepressionsbetweentheribbonesshouldnotbeseenorfelt.
• Babypigsstarttoeatgrainwhentheyare2-3weeksold.Addingmilktothefeedwillencourageeating.Theyshouldbefedinanareathatthesowscannotreach.
mAnAging SOwS And BABY PigS• Ifasowneedshelpdeliveringababypig,beforeexaminingandassistingthesow,washyourhandsandarmsandthe
vaginalareaofthesowwellwithhotwaterandsoap.Lubricateyourarm(orplasticgloveandsleeveifavailable)withsoapywaterorotherlubricant.Ifnecessary,pullthebabypiggentlytodeliverit.
• Cleananddrythenewbornpig.Dipnavelcordiniodineorotherdisinfectant.Keepbabypigwarm.Encouragenursingassoonaspossible.
• Itiscommontocliptheneedleteeth(4inupperjawand4inlowerjaw)topreventinjurytothesow’steatsandfightinginjuriesamongthepigs.However,somepiggrowersdonotdothis.
• Ironinjectionsshouldbegiventothebabypigswhentheyare2-3daysold.• Castrationshouldbedonewhenthepigsarestillnursingsotheywillbelessstressed.Theoperator’shandsandthe
equipmentshouldbekeptcleanandthescrotalareaofthepigcleanedanddisinfectedbeforecastration.• Weanbabypigswhentheyareeatingsolidfoodwell.Usuallyatabout5to8weeks.
diSeASe And wORm COnTROL• Manure,mud,wetlandsanddirtybeddingusuallycontaindiseasecausingbacteriaandwormeggs.• Keepanimalpenscleanandwellbeddedwithcleanmaterial.Whenanimalsareremovedfromapenitishelpfulto
cleanitwell,disinfectitandkeepitemptyforseveralweeksormoretodryoutandkilldiseasecausingmaterial.• Takinganimalsoffpasturesandallowinggrasstoregrowfor3-6weekswillhelpbreakdiseaseandwormcycles.• Usethecleanestareasforbirthingandraisingtheyoung.• Providecleandrinkingwateratalltimes,closetothefeedsource.Keepmanureandurineoutofwater.• Placefeedincontainers,notontheground.• Separatesickanimalsfromhealthyones.• Burnorburydeadanimals.• Mange,askindiseasecausedbytinymites,cancausesevereitching,crustingandscalingoftheskinandpoorweight
gain.Variousproductsareavailabletotreatit.
wORm TReATmenT SCHedULeS• Dewormpregnantsowstwoweeksbeforebirthingwithamedicationapprovedforpregnantsows.Repeat4weekslater.• Dewormbabypigsafewdaysafterweaning.Repeat4weekslater.• Dewormboarsatleasttwiceayear.• Pigtapewormscaninfecthumansanddogsiftheyeatraworimproperlycookedporkorfoodcontaminatedwithdog
feces.
• ThehumandiseaseTrichinosisiscausedbyatinywormfoundinthemusclesofpigs,ratsandotherwildanimals.Aswithtapeworms,itiscontactedbyeatingraworimproperlycookedporkormeatofcertainwildanimals.Nevereatuncookedporkanddonotfeedittopigs.
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Feeding• Forages(Roughages)arethemostimportantpart
ofthedietofsheep,goatsandcattlebecauseofthenatureoftheirstomach.Theseinclude:grass,hay,straw,sugarbeetpulp,greentopsofbeets,carrots,andturnips,cabbageleaves,cornandgrainstalks,residueremainingafterprocessingofvegetablesandfruits.Thesecanmakeupthecompletedietifthequalityofthefeedsisgood,butforyounganimalsthataregrowingrapidly,pregnantandmilkingfemales,additionalfeedsmaybeneeded.
• Pasturescanbecomeovergrazed.Rotatinggrazingareasbymovinganimalstonewareaswhentheforageisminimalwillpermitregrowthtooccurwillalsohelpparasitecontrol.
• Highenergyfeedsincludegrainssuchassunflower
seedmeal,shelledcorn,wheat,younggreengrassesandalfalfa,rootcrops.Grainsshouldbegroundtoincreasedigestibility.
• Highproteinfeedsareimportantforgrowthofyounganimalsandforpregnantandnursingfemales.Theseincludegrasses,alfalfa,andgrainsaswellaspeas,sunflowerseedmeal,soybeanmeal,andmealspreparedfromanimalbyproducts.
• Vitaminandmineralsupplementsmaybeusedwhenotherfeedsaredeficientinthem.
• Providingcleanwaterisessential.Watercontainersshouldbescrubbedcleanregularly.
• Incoldweatherincreasedfeedintakeisneededtomaintainweightandhealth.Thisisespeciallyimportantforyounganimals.
BReeding Age FemALeS• From14daysbeforebreedinguntil14daysafter
breedingtheenergycontentofthedietshouldbeincreasedtoimproveconceptionrateandincreasethenumberandhealthofnewborns.Especiallyifforagesarepoor,about0.25kgofgrainshouldbefeddaily.Grainsshouldalwaysbefedbystartingwithsmallamountsandgraduallyincreasingoverseveraldaystopreventdigestionproblems.
• At100to150daysofpregnancythepregnantfemalerequiresmoreenergyandproteininthedietfortherapidlygrowingfetus.Iftwinsarebeingcarried,twiceasmuchisneededasforasinglefetus.Strawandpoorfoddershouldnotbefedatthistime.
• Nursingandmilkingfemaleshavethehighestrequirementforgoodenergyandproteinfeeds.Highqualitypastureisbest.Legumehayanduptoonekg.groundgrainperdaymaybefed.
RAiSing HeALTHY SHeeP And gOATS
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LAmBS And kidS need milk for first 6-8 weeks of life
• Whenlambsandkidsare8-12weeksoldtheycanbeweanedandwilldowellongoodqualitypasture.Ifpastureispoortheymayneedtobefedanyofthehigherenergyandproteinfeedslistedaboveiftheyareintroducedslowly,graduallyincreasingtheamounts.
CHeCking nUTRiTiOnAL STATUS OF AnimALS
• Bylookingattheirbodyconditionwillhelpdetermineiftheirneedsarebeingmet.Withyourfingersreachthroughthewoolandfeelthetopsofthebonesinthespine,andrubyourfingertipsovertheribs.Thereshouldbeenoughfleshcoveringthebonesthatyoucan’tfeeldeepridgesbetweenthemandtheyshouldnotbeprotruding.Animalsthataretoothinortoofatwillbelesshealthyandwillhavepoorreproduction.
HeALTH mAnAgemenT PROCedUReS
• Keeparecordofbreedingdatessoyoucanfeedaccordinglyandanticipatebirthingtime.
• Provideaclean,dryandprotectedplaceforgivingbirth.
• Themothermayneedhelpwithdeliveryif: Inlabor2ormorehourswithoutprogress. Thewaterbaghasbrokenandnoprogressin
1hour. Themotherisstraining30minuteswithout
signoffetus. Thefetusisinanabnormalposition. Beforehelpisgiven,firstwashthevaginalareaof
themotherandyourhandsandarmswithhotwaterandsoap.Keephandsandarmswetwithsoapywaterandexaminethereproductivetractandgivehelpasneeded.Ifyoucan’tdeterminetheproblem,seekexperiencedortrainedhelp.Ifyoumustpullthefetusbegentle:don’tpullifmotherisnotstraining.Clearnostrilsofnewbornandifnecessary,stimulatebreathingbyblowingintonostrils.
• Dipnavelcordofnewborninstrongtinctureofiodineorchlorinebleachdiluted1partbleachto40partswater.Makesurebabygetsdriedoffandiswarm.
• Itisessentialfornewborntogetfirstmilk(colostrum)withinanhourorlessafterbirth.Ifnecessary,assistthebabytonurse.Keepitdryandwarm.Keepmother’sudderclean,clipwoolifneeded.Stripsomemilkfromeachteattoremoveplugandcheckformastitis.
SCHedULe FOR HeALTH PROCedUReS
Breeding females and males• 4weeksbeforebreeding:deworm,vaccinatewith
ClostridiumC&DandTetanustoxoid.Repeatvaccinationsintwoweeksifthiswasfirsttimevaccinated.
Breeding females• 2-4weeksbeforeduedate:deworm;revaccinatewith
ClostridiumC&DandTetanustoxoid.• 2weeksafterbirthing:deworm
Newborns• 2weeksoldorless:castrateanddocktails.Inject
tetanusantitoxinifmothernotvaccinatedfortetanus.• 4weeksold:deworm.• 8weeksold:deworm;vaccinatewithClostridium
C&DandTetanustoxoid. Ifcoccidiosisisaproblemstartcoccidiostat.• 12weeksold:deworm;injectseconddoseClostridium
C&DandTetanustoxoid.• Vaccinationsforotherdiseasesmaybeneeded
dependingondiseasespresentinthearea.• Dewormingschedulesmayvarydependingon
severity.Checkbodyconditionasdescribedabove,andcolorofeyemembranestodetermineanemiaandneedforfurtherworming.Ifpossiblehavefecalsamplescheckedforparasiteeggstohelpdetermineneedfordeworming.Don’tkeepfemalesforbreedingiftheirmothersneedfrequentdewormingoraredoingpoorly.
• Donotusethesamemedicationforsuccessivetreatments,butalternatethem.
• Ifpossibleputanimalsonnewpastureafterdewormingandresttheoldpasturefor2-3weeksbeforere-pasturing.
• Toavoidparasiteeggingestion.don’tplacefeedongroundorwhereithasfecalcontact.
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SOiLS• MostcropsneedasoilpHof6-7.IfyoususpectthatthesoilistoolowinpH,addlime,eggshells,orothercalcium
sources.Thelargerthesizeofthematerial,themoretimeitwilltaketodissolveandraisethesoilpH;therefore,fall/winterapplicationisbest.IfthesoilpHistoohigh,applyingsulfurwilllowerthepH.
• Majornutrientneeds/crop(writtenbelowasperhectareormeasureofexpectedyield).
Crop Nitrogen(N) Phosphorus(P2O5) Potassium(K2O)
Corn 17.72kg/tonne 7kg/tonne 5.5kg/tonne
Soybeans 18.5kg/ha.withseed 16.5kg/tonne 23.5kg/tonne
Sunflowers 40kg/tonne 15.4kg/tonne 20kg/tonne
SweetCorn140-168kg/hectare 177kg/hectare 177kg/hectareAnimalmanureisrichinnitrogen,phosphorusandpotassium.Ammoniumsulfatehasa21-0-0(21lbsN/100lbsmaterial);10-10-10and16-16-16arealsosourcesofnitrogen,phosphorusandpotassium.Straworfodderarepotassiumsources.Spreadmanuresinthefall,winterorspringbeforeplanting.Applyammoniumsulfatebeforeplanting;apply10-10-10or16-16-16withtheseedduringplanting,butonlyatlowrates,ashighsaltfertilizerscanburnthefragileseedling.
• Soilstructureisveryimportant.Ifsoilsaresandy,leavingcropstalksand/oraddingorganicmatter(leaves,animalmanure)willincreasethewater-holdingabilityofthesoil.Ifsoilshaveheavyclay,growingdeep-rootedcropswillleaveholesthroughwhichwatercantravelaftertherootshavedecomposed.Corn,grassesandsmallgrainsproducelotsofresidueandfinerootsandaregoodforbuildingorganicmatter.Sunflowersandalfalfahavedeeprootsystems.No-tillplantingproceduresmaintainthesenaturalrootchannels,improvesoilstructureandallowwatertopassthroughthesoilinsteadofmakingapuddle.
RAiSing HeALTHY CROPS
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• Donotworkthesoilwhenconditionsaretoowet.Ifthereispotentialtocreatelotsofrutsandcompactthesoil,itisbesttoeitherwaittoplantthecroportominimizetravelandweightoverthesoil(keeploadsunder9Tonnes/axle,tirepressureunder241kPa).Buildingtheorganicmatterofyoursoilwillalsoimprovethesoil’sabilitytowithstandandreboundfromcompaction.
PLAnTing• Totestgerminationofyourseed,putseedsinarowbetweentwomoistenednewspapers,rollintoatubeshapeand
placeinaplasticbag.Putinawarm(24C)place.Makesurethepapersstaymoist,andcheckeveryotherdayforupto7days.Countthenumberofseedsthathavegerminatedandadjustplantingpopulations.Checkforinsect-damaged,nickedseed,orpossiblediseaseontheseed.
• Controlweedsbeforeorjustafterplanting.Herbicidesorculturalweedcontrolshouldoccurbeforethecropemergesfromtheground.Theweedswillcompeteforwater,nutrientsandsunlight.Insoybeans,foreveryinchofweedgrowth,youwilllose47kg./ha.ofyield.Incorn,whenweedsreach10cm.inheight,youcanlose188kg.ofyield/ha.foreverydaythatyoudelayweedcontrol.
• Ifsoilconditionsaremoist,treattheseedwithfungicidebeforeplanting.Ifseedorseedlingwormsareoftenaproblem,treattheseedwithaninsecticide.
• Suggestedplantingfactors:
Corn Soybeans Sunflower SweetCorn
Population 50,000/ha. 150,000/ha. 35,000/ha. 40,000/ha.
PlantingDepth 6-10cm.deep 4-7.5cm.deep 5-7.5cm.deep 6-10cm.deep.Checkthetemperatureofthegroundbeforeplantingbypushingathermometerintothesoiltothedepthyouwouldplacetheseed.Temperaturesshouldbeatleast10Cforcorn/sweetcornandsunflowers;13-16Cforsoybeans.
• Makesurethatyourplanterisworkingwellbeforeyoubegintoplant;firmingthesoilovertheplantedseedwillkeeptheseedfromdryingoutandmaintaingoodseed-soilcontact.Thisallowsthefragileseedlingroottoobtainwaterandnutrientsassoonastheseedgerminates.Sunflowersespeciallyneedconsistentmoistureforthebestgermination.
wHiLe THe CROP iS gROwing• Taketimetowalkthroughyourcropandlookforproblems.Ifyouknowwhathappenedthisyear,youmaybeableto
preventitnextyear.Ifyouseewormsordiseasesthataffectmorethanaquarteroftheplants,sprayapesticide.
• Countthenumberofplantsinaknownareaandcalculatetheplantingpopulationsvs.actualplantstoseeifyouhadgerminationorplantingproblems.
• Checkcropsfornutrientdeficiencies.Iftheplantislightgreen,plantgrowthisstunted.IflowerleavesareyellowingfromtheleaftipinaV-shapetowardtheleafbase,nitrogenislimited.Ifleafstemsandstalksarepurple,fruitissmall,andcropmaturityisdelayed,phosphorusislimited.Ifthelowerleafedgesareyellow/brownandstalksareweak,potassiumislimited.Ifthelowerleaveshavewhite/yellowstripesbetweentheveins(corn)and/oraremottledyellow(soybeans/sunflowers),theremaybeamagnesiumdeficiency.Ifupperleavesareyellow/white,thisisamicronutrientdeficiency.
•. Weedsneedtobemanaged.Asecondsprayingwithherbicideisagoodoptioniftherearealotofweeds.Ifyouhaveaherbicidetouseduringtheseason,spraywhenemergedweedsarestillunder10cm.
gARdenS• Rotatecropstodifferentplacesinyourgardeneachyear.Wait4-5yearsbeforeplantingacroporrelatedcropsinthe
samespotagain.Thiswillhelptominimizediseases.
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• Reviewthesoilsectionforfieldsfortipsonimprovingyoursoil.Addingmanure,leaves,vegetablepeelsandcorestoyourgardenwillhelpbuildorganicmatterandprovidenutrients.Wormsandsoilmicrobeswillhelpbreakthesedownandmakerich,nutritioussoilforvigorouscrops!
• Togrowtransplants,sowseedsindoorsincontainers.Tomatoes/peppers(2months),onions(1month).Planttheseeds1cm.deepinmoistsoil.Putthecontainersinaplasticbagandsetinasunny,warmspot.Whentheseedlingsareemergedfromthesoil,youcanremovethecontainersfromthebags,butbesuretokeepthesoilfairlymoist(misttheseedlingseverydayortwo).
•. Inthegarden,plantlittleseedsonthesurfaceofthegroundandsprinklesoiloverthem(0.5-1cm.deep).Largerseedscanbeplanteddeeper.Cornandbeanscanbeplantedat4-6cm.deep.
• Mulchyourgardenwithleaves,andshreddedoldnewspaperstokeepweedscontrolledandtokeepthesoilfromdryingoutduringthegrowingseason.Wateryourgardenifyouarenotreceivingrainatleastonceeveryweek.Pullweedsbeforetheygettobe8cm.tall.
• Removediseasedplantsorfruitassoonasyouseethem.Thiswillkeepdiseasefromincreasinginyourgardenduringthecurrentandfollowinggrowingseasons.Alsolookforinsectsandkillthebadbugsassoonasyouseethem.
• Ifyousaveseeds,keeptheminpaperenvelopesinacool,dryarea.
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Сьёрд Дуикерспециалист по управлению почвы; Penn State
Джоэл МайерсДепартамент Сельского Хозяйства США
Шаги к успешному переходу на No-TillШаги к успешному переходу на No-Till
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O publicaţie menită să ajute agricultorii să înţeleagă efectele sistemului “fără cultivare” asupra solului
Sol Mai Bun Prin Sistemul „Fără Cultivare”