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

Sjoerd W. Duiker & Joel C. Myers

O publicaţie menită să ajute agricultorii să înţeleagă efectele sistemului “fără cultivare” asupra solului

Sol Mai Bun Prin Sistemul „Fără Cultivare”