A, A R d I N -~ F I this issue from the Director page . Poultry Has $7.5 Billioni Economic Impact nn Alabama Restoration of' a 200-Year Old V irgin Longleaf Pine Stand Insect Predators Help Control Beet Army xvorms in Cotton Extra Dietary Nitrogen Produces Lcaner Pigs Mulches Reduce Blackspot D~isease Severity on Roses Contract Grazing: A Great Economic Opportunity After Thirty Years of' Change, Alabama Farming Is Not the Same Research Exploring Harvest Management for Switchgrass Tracking Forestry Machines w ith Satellites C'hlorothalonil and Paraquat - Can They Be Ilank Mixed To Control Peanut Pests? Yard Debris Used as Mulch lImproved Grow~th Correcting Soil Compaction in the Garden ON THE CO)VER: Soil compa)(ction, usull ons 10idered a0r 0/ /(1(1/ scale urniers, al15o canl reduwe ields in home gord/eu article onl pagse 22 looks. a1 (i a~v /homue ga~irdenies (-(ll or'e rooirblm S ui ii nm e r 1 9 9 5 V o I u mn e 4 2 N u mn b c r 2 \ u11 il iI . iC.ilcfiublihe h exthe Al i N ri I ir xl Es ic n tx Stio n_ xiuhnin I fixcrsit\ EI EIAxii T. iROBISii Dirctoiri DI Ii TITN ii A,,iil .ixrctox Rt xx iIdI 1 NI N HITiiRiNG ...... Assoiatexi Diictor (Xi I: iN _............................ i s ini iicti RIOY RI lil RSON .. .__. _. xixkani D~ictoxx KI 1: M I'I xiii.............. sxissocXx iiii Edxiix ROBY N in \~RN ......... Asoiatexi I xitix 111WI SA RODI)R ITi ........... Art iDcxxl I diloriai Commnittee: 1.,-cl hixh:. -ii Chappxxjclk.. x li M'ixxlixxxxIxlii irst DaxiiCollinx I~sa xxi? /'r,,- xx) o Plaxntx I'xxxloxx, Joe. i-,kcx. l ixitii l'ixxfx oixi Hotii Wiii: ilcliii Kiiinxcan. Isi x iii Pxxxcx x Ii x oli,'i rulliixl I iroiiiii i xxix RixixxlSoxxixtu(x t Riuei ieci. Aiiix hiiii I'x/cxfx xxxi Pou)xilin x 5,ie e Li x isa Slxaxilcx I iiiixixi Pr/i " i oiixi i onim) Affa xii )irx': Dayx id Slix xx cllxxx. lxx i- xiii'rui iifixiixi ii)lxxiii) eaxlili ~exxii x xxcxx iiiiod-l l iiii lx ciaiti il/ics oxxi ol riixxxx nd Siixx.iixi G (coi i lX iclxZell cx I xxvixwali P'xxjx'xxi ix)lxixixxxxxx)x indl Riix Rxihciiiii I.) iIiS O E lx i XIl ixi :Lxx iili ii-11 1, xi ii 0.1[111 Stioni oxr Auihirn I nixcrxix oxf onc hixinx iixr anotiiher. Xnx mi ofxi pcxticxdc i oiie, in ecccx of lzxhc ld ,iiinixil ini rexcarch repoxrtced doiic noti xxiiiiiic iciiiiiiiciiiii oii xouchi xaii. Such Luxc is ximiill lpiii xi itie xicniii inicxsi- Liiiiii ixcc xarxix ixxcx iliic x x xxii iiaci aix N xxxlcnc xhldxix xc ix atl cixxi ili xx cII lhxxx ixilixil lxx tlie Iixc. linfoxmionxi xoxtinedxcx lxci i xxc ililahlx toi ali pxcixxon xxwihout icxcrxld to rccoxiliri se xiiixii x, orn n l igin In Thoiiks to those of you/ who resp)onded Hi,-h/igits. Our Surv cy indicates Ili,-1 3 /i~'Iux readeirs are al most all male, wxith most being 55 y ears old or older. These 5 resuilts closely mirror national studies 0f tarnm audiences. The Suirv cxShowxed that Highlighlts isn't olN a farm macazine, but 6 also at science magazinc. ireflected by the larce number of readers xxho lixe in urban areas. 8 Though this Survecy prov ided interesting~ answers about the profile of our readeirs, it 10( presented difficult challenges. T he malor challenge is determining what ty pe Hi~'h- 12 Glt articles our audience wxants to recad. 12 The Alabama Agricultural FExper imient Sta- tion conducts resear ch on a mx riad topics. 14 and viv en the resourices. Vse could publish magazines on many specif ic topics. U.ntor- 16 tunately, wxe only hav e one Higligxht s, so 16 help us out again, tell us xxhat type articles 18 you would like to see more of1 in IIigxhlig~hts, I xwant to Stiress that Ili,,'Ilii,'hIN is 20 YOUR imagazine-it is our attempt to pro- xvide an oxverxiexx of the hichlix'hts of ire- 21 search results in the Ag Experiment Station 22 at Aubur n. Youi commnentS and oui Suip- port are xvaluable to us, and they wxill be exven more critical as wxe trx to nax i cate 1)1ein throug-h the uncertain economic wxaters that s. An we face in the next few xyears. Please foi- ethis ward your comments to: Highlights, Ottfice ot Re search I nform at ioin. 1 IComXm rI-all. Auburn Unixversity, AL 36849. Lowell T. F-rohish, Director 1)a_, 1 K"OtIl' ,I Id 15 s ecoviomic 1 speariheaded by Aubui Unixversity indicates th, poultry industry has total economic impact ii Alabama of ovxer $7.- billion annually . piroduic- ing nearlx S2 billion in xxholesale x alue. and is directly responsible for prov idi ng nearly 24.000 jobs. The study emuploy ed both a surx cy of poultry firms and second- arv data. Using a multiplier model dexel- oped by the U.S. Department of Commeice. the study indicated that broilers accounted for over $6.7 bill ion and eggs for oxver $800) million in economic actix itx in I1993. And, including positions in allied industries, poiiltry proxided 54.600 jobs in the state. Alabama produced nearly fotir billion pouinds of broilers and oxvei 2.5 billion eggs in 1993, xwith a farm x alue of SI1.57 billion. The state ranks third in broiler production behinid Georeia and Airkansas, and accounts for nearlx I13 '%of the nation' s output. The poultry industry is x ertical ly inte- erated to a hi eh dcci ee. This means that all product ion and marketiniig operations ,7 p Ifor a poultry complex are joined undei a single management through oxwnership or cointracts. With the exception of housing for birds and possibly some transportation equipment, the poiiltry complex owns all produictix e assets. Production stacyes not oxwned are control led through contracts. This enables production and mairketing to be closely coordinated to better serve markets and efficiently use plants and equipment. Contracts are utilized for growxing broil- cirs, breeder pullets and hatching eggs. The company maintains oxxnership of the birds. piroxides feed, medicine, anid expert techni- cal adv ice to the contracting fairmcirs. This arrangement reduces risk for cmxx ers. en- Harri B. Sti-aw,, James R. Hurst, (lid MaxIi WN. Ruge T N Mi ages expansion. Iensures that plants ill hax e adequate d",birds to process. The broi ler complex is the most common tpe 01 plant used in the (Industry. A typical hiroiler complex con- r sts ot a processing plant, teed millI hatch- cry, rnrig lanit adslipportin actixi ties. Linesol contiol re caietiillx airanged to efficiently prov ide a predictable floxx of birds through all stages of production. M ost current broiler processors handle 10.000 to 1 2.000 birds per hotr for two shifts of operation fiv e day s per wxeek. accounting f or ox er 1 .000 jobs per plant. Under curient conditions it xxould require an investment ol 5-(0 million or more by the parent firm to bring a nexw plant on line. In addition, approximately 550 pouiltry houses. at a cost of oxver $75,000) each. oxxned by 250 to 300 farmiers xxould be required to support the complex. Alabama's hri i Ir industry in I1993 con- Continued on pag~e 4 Alabama A iii/i ii Expeimiinti .Sation ityi, ht 1(11 oAIi~ i ,litira/ Reseon h Voul. 42. No.2, Su~nme i 995 yj M a 4 61,111,0o . y t sisted ot 13 firms operating 28 hasic and/or fuirther processing plants. Sev en of the top 10 bIroilIer companies nationally hav e Corn plexes iii Alabama. Thesec omlexe~s oper- ated 25 Iced mills that processed ox er 85.000 toins of Ieed per wxeek. Alahama hatcheries produiced nearly 21 mnill ion chicks xxeekly, about I1) mill ion of wxhich wercie placed in- state, and twxo million wxent to girowers in nciL"hhoi in states. The economic impact of the poultry industrx extends tar beyond tie direct in- S encmnnl lurichid\CS anid~ pi roll of the plants. So long as the money is circulated through Alabama communities, the impact is multiplied. Thus, it is necessary to exam- inec diirect aiid indjirect effects of thie iindus- try. Diiect economic linkages occurat points wxhere goods anid serxvices used hx the in- dustry are hought and sold. I ndiirect or secondary economic linkaces 0occur at all additional iiransaction poinits until the imoiney leaxves the commu n ity. For ex- ample, a plant employee oi giroxxer may uise some of his salary to buy groceries or make .1 cai pox mciii Such ii ,,usoctions Table I. Poultry Industry Expenditures', Alabama, 1993 Items Grain and raw materials Payroll and benefits Contract payments Production supplies Utilities Repairs and maintenance Construction Other expenditures Taxes Total expenditures 2 Alabama expenditures Broilers $724,249,865 377,443,819 21 1,927,164 89,009,181 40,370,476 35,949,301 27,459,434 20,281,157 6,835,048 1,533,525,445 907,038,543 Eggs $88,792,718 16,381,122 11,502,101 14,855,646 4,074,806 842,989 1,.680,681I 8,879,513 12,294,697 159,304,273 107,794,851 Total $813,042,583 393,825,240 223,429,265 103,864,827 44,445,281 36,792,290 29,140,1 14 29,160,671 19,129,745 1,.692,830,01I6 1,014,833,394 1Does not include interest, depreciation, corporate overhead, or Federal income tax expenses. 2 lncludes expenditures made in Alabama and other states. Table 2. Total Poultry Industry Impact', Alabama, 1993 Total Industries impact on output Agriculture, forestry, & fishery service $ 1,597,605,522 Food and kin, prod. 3,049,875,293 Transportation 173,649,738 Wholesale trade 216,430,696 Retail trade 118,087,122 Business services 74,566,573 Eating and drinking places 62,327,894 Health services 102,280,626 Miscellaneous services 57,986,297 Other 2,079,423,430 Totals 7,532,233,191 Includes broilers and eggs. Total jobs created $6,491 23,817 2,465 3,051 3,860 1,564 2,034 2,354 1,187 7,837 54,660 Total impact on earnings $172,700,756 379,144,839 69,31 7,245 89,020,552 57,500,261 38,162,378 I19,440,224 61,629,665 19,672,257 190,988,214 1,097,576,391 xxonuId he secondary economic Ilinkages. The summiary of a surxvey conducted to determine industry expenditure patterns Ifor broilcers anid eggs is presenmted iii 1 able I. Alahamia plants surxveyed had nearly $I1.7 hill ion ini aniual expenditures. of xxhich oxe $iSI hill ion xxerc spent in Alabama. Howexvci. the full effect of the expenditures extend well beyond the direct impact. So long as the funds continue to ciirculate in the State. they xxill continue io afflet secondar y income. investmeni. and johs (Tahle 2). The input-output model used in this study was developed by the Bureau of Economic Analysxis. U. S. Department of Commerce. and is known by h its acronymin RIMS 11. According to the RIMS II model. each dollarceiierated directlx hv the broiler industry generates an additional $2.93 elsewhieie in the Alahama economy. Alabamaanid the Southeast hiaxe a hi icht future in the poultry industry. Thle regioni has a compar ativ e adx antage due to its clmate, labor supply, cost-effecti xc traiis- por tat ion sy stemi. many small I arms, aiid faorab'ile gov eriiiieiit attitudes Ifor devxc- opimieiit. Alahaiia can imaintaiin its share iii thisf tutrliouch comnmitment Ii on) ii mx xxorkers, groxxers, and gox erinieiit policy. Editor's Note: A coiiplete report of this study, entitled. "'The Alahama Poultry Industry: An Ecoiiomiic Imiipact Study,"' is axvailahle upon request to the authors, c/o Hic~hlicm di- dry. matter ov.er tim season are greatest for hoth Iirasses at the nine- xx rek harv.est i nterv.al I able 2). D~uring 1993, crude protein values ranged It om 5 / to 14% toi liamo, and 5.4% to 161k toi Ca'. -in-Ror k, xxith highest piotein per- centages occurring at the three-wxeek hat- vest schedule, and low est pirotein percent- ag'es occurriniz at the nine-wxeek harvest frequency. This study has revealed marked differ- ences in iresponse of improved switchgrass cultivars to climatic and cultural conditions in Alabama env.ironments. Under the saute harvest management, Cav.e-in-Rock a popular sw'.itch grass cultiv.ar in the Mid- wxest and Mid-Atlantic regions, does not appear to hav.e the yield potential or persis- tence in central Alabama that Alamo exhih- its. However c, yield anid dry matter digest- ibility obtained f or both switchgrass culti- vars at the sx-.week and nine-week harvest intervals are equal to or exceed yield and digestible dry matter of warm-season pe- rennial girasses, such as bahiagrass and the hybrid bermudagrassex. currently used for pasture and hay in Alabama. Aloboiito A iiiihii hi ki'! im I! .Statin Hig'.hlightrs (4 Agicn tn Ol ResearchtVol. 42. Percent 80 70 D3we ekQ9we 60 50 40 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. Alamo Cave-in-Rock Cutting height I ti i e 1. Dig'estible dr mtter ts it pert entit,' of loti/i hr it r v iA o/ .Iooto oitd Cuoint Roc u kit tiji./iaik. 1993. Further studies are planned by AAES researchers to obtain a moire thorough tun- derstanding of ho'.' adjustm~en~ts in harv.est manag.em~ent cain optimize producti'.ity and qlualit'. and enhance stand per ststence of xxxitchgrass cultiv.ars grow'.n for pastur~e and hay in v.arious en'.ironments in Alabama. Mier ianAsitn Pir .on, , n Soadden are Reserch Assoc ites and Br insby fs a Professor of Table 1. Cumulative Dry Matter Yield for Alamo and Cave-in-Rock Switchgrass, 1993-94 Harvest frequency Every 3 weeks Every 6 weeks Every 9 weeks Cutting height 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. Tons/acre Alamo 1993 7.2 6.2 5.4 9.8 9.4 7.8 13.8 13.3 13.0 1994 2.4 2.7 3.1 4.9 5.4 5.4 9.7 10.2 10.2 Cave-in-Rock 1993 5.2 4.4 3.7 8.1 6.6 5.7 11.5 10.4 9.7 1994' 1.4 1.5 1.6 4.3 3.9 3.2 7.2 7.5 6.9 Cave-in-Rock stand damaged by mid-season herbicide application. Table 2. Cumulative Digestible Dry Matter for Alamo and Cave-in-Rock Switchgrass, 1993 Harvest frequency Every 3 weeks Every 6 weeks Every 9 week~s Cutting height 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. Tons/acre Alamo 4.1 3.7 3.4 5.5 5.7 4.8 7.2 7.1 7.0 Cave-in-Rock 3.1 2.8 2.5 4.7 3.9 3.4 6.0 5.5 5.1 No?2, Sunuir 1995 Malre Muilr, iI eic Owslv,i Susuut Siudden, and Danidl Bralnsbv * dicestible dir matter isex. ' ,v errsd as a pcercentage of dir matter yield. quality lr ot both grasses generally Al ,appears higher wxhen har- ~~ 5 est intelrsal is shoirtened { j ' tothree weeks and cutting cirgbt is highest (Fi(euic Il. oswever. because dry netter yield increases so drmtiai wxhen longer harest intervaas are Lused. P the seaso~n are greatest ftor hot h grasses at the nine- cc ek barv est i nte r al able 2). I)urinp 1993. crude pirotein values ranged Iom 5'1t to 1 4 cl foi .titio. and 5.49c to 1(i lorC(asc-in-Zak wxith hi hest protein pci- centages occurring at the three-week haii vest sceue n oetprotein percent- ages occinrring at the ni ne-week bars est This sturdy has rev ealed marked dif'fcr ences in1 response ot improved swsitch-grass culti vars to climatic and cultural condition., in Alabama ens ironents. U~nder the samec harsvest management. Cav e-in-Rock. a popular swsitchgrass cultis ar in the Mid- west and Mid-Atlantic regions. does not appear toi have the yield potential or persis- tence in central Alabama that Alamo exli i- its-oeeyil n r matter dfigst- ibilIity obtained for both swsitchgrass culti- vars at the six-week and nine-week harvest intervals are equal to or exceed yield and digstile rymatter of warm-season pe- rennial grasses, such as bahiagrass and the hybrid bermudagrasses. currently used for pasture an a nAlabama. AlItbauma Ag~'ricultiuratl / \treiiiet fSfttioii Highlight 1(lo / Ag incra le~secli Vol. 42, Percent 80 70 Q3we ek Q9we 60 50 40 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. Alamo Cave-in-Rock Cutting height Foiur L. IDigestib/ec div Jmltte ,1( a ) i pc o/ntgn total /h~ mi u ite ItilI o/ A/tao c11u( Cave-in-Rotk switchgr ass, / 993. Further studies are planned by AAES swxitchgrass eult iva s grossn for pasture and researchers to obtain a mnore thorough un- hay in v arious envsironments in Alabama. derstandi iig of hows adjustments in barv est Miler s Asisat Ptrosor OwAe en~ S rirlen management can optimni/e pr oductiv ity and (ire ReseochAssociote (ondBronsis aProfessoof quality and enhance stand pcri ssence of Awoman o' Table 1. Cumulative Dry Matter Yield for Alamo and Cave-in-Rock Switchgrass, 1993-94 Harvest frequency Every 3 weeks Every 6 weeks Every 9 weeks Cutting height 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. Tons/acre Alamo 1993 7.2 6.2 5.4 9.8 9.4 7.8 13.8 13.3 13.0 1994 2.4 2.7 3.1 4.9 5.4 5.4 9.7 10.2 10.2 Cave-in-Rock 1993 5.2 4.4 3.7 8.1 6.6 5.7 11.5 10.4 9.7 1994' 1.4 1.5 1.6 4.3 3.9 3.2 7.2 7.5 6.9 'Cave-in-Rock stand damaged by mid-season herbicide application. Table 2. Cumulative Digestible Dry Matter for Alamo and Cave-in-Rock Switchgrass, 1993 Harvest frequency Every 3 weeks Every 6 weeks Every 9 weekts Cutting height 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. 2 in. 4 in. 6 in. Tons/acre Alamo 4.1 3.7 3.4 5.5 5.7 4.8 7.2 7.1 7.0 Cave-in-Rock 3.1 2.8 2.5 4.7 3.9 3.4 6.0 5.5 5.1 No, Siuiinr/9 Steve E. Taylor, Michael D. Spruce, tiiid Jo/hl H. Wi/Iwii introdues errors into the GPS satellite signals. WAhile GPS ieccivecrs used by the miilitary are capable of adjusting for these errors to gix e accu- rate location data, the common GPS receiv' ers axvailable to civ iliais cannot directly adjust tor these errors. Additional elifoirts are needed io coirrect the location data collected by civilian GPS reccix ers. This is xxhen DGPS is employed. l Ici ential correctioti is a process wxhere twxo GPS receix erS are used: one is the field GPS receixcr collectineI the niapping or track ing dat a, and the other is a base station GPS receivxer collecting latitude. longi- tude. and elexvation data at a known loca- tion. [he data collectcd at the base station are compared xx ith the knoxxn location, and a correctioii factor is dexveloped to make the G PS data acree xxith the knoxxn loca- tion. Then, the same cotrrection f actor can be applied to the data col lectedl by the f ieldl unit. Alter perf orming the ditterent ial cot- redtiln ptrocedurie. GPS location data are generally reported to be accurate to wxithin 1 0-1I6 feet (hor iont al lx) ot the true IOCa- tion. All GPS data collected iii this studx wxetc cotrrected using D)GPS techniques. The study also shoxwed that location data col lcctecd under the open sky conditions xxere more accurate than those collected cinder the lotrest canopy. A rectangular grid of points wxas set up in two conditions: an open field and under the canopy ot a 14- sear-old pine pI.antation. Ihec GP'- receix er wxas then positioned oxvcr these ;grid points in a stationary mode f or sex eral minutes so that their locations and the distance, betxxeen points could be deter- mined. Next, the GPS rceixe: wxas mounted on a tractor and usieJ to record tractor moxvement baeh andI forth ox er these rectanen lat _crid couirses. Tests results shiowxed that. xxheii using DGPS. axverage stationlatx GPS tions collected in the open field accurti to xxithin lixe e et hot ino U.nder the fotrest canopy,. stational, positions were accurate to xxithin I IThe mobile GPS data accurately de the moxvement of the tractor in the Cield hoxxexver, it xxas diffticult to machine mox ement under the cartop' xxas probably due to the canopy bloc/ deflectitne the sicuals comiling from t ellites. The same girid locationls xxere ui test hioxx xxelI GPFS could determii speed of a mox ing tractor in the dli sky conditions. The results ot thes. indicated that GIPS cani ileascre e( nilficanltly more accurately under the skx coniditions than uncelethe forest r: Hoxx cxer, cx i uilcer the forest canol axverage speeds deter mined by GPFS xxithin 5(/ of the true tractor speed. One practical application ot cisin f o o e t y v h c e t a k n si eth e trax el p atte rn s o f a sk id d ei ap herbicides in site preparationi operati is often clifficult t(1 cdetermine the elI( ntess of a spray ing operation in a k settinge. Bx usinic GPS to r eccord the s ic to v and ,, / (;PS~ it I da nient of the spray er. maps cani be cdraxwni to indicate xxhIich atrcas xxcie coveried by the slitayer. Figurec I shloxxs sch a plot1 of skidder mbs ciment ducrinig a her bicide sprayinig operationl. This plot showss areas wxhere the spr ay patterns ma hlaxve (iseci lapped. It also shosss atreas that max haxve been missed by the sprayer and neced a reapplication. From the results of this study, it appears that DGPS is capable of tracking forestry machines in open sky conditions xxith suit- able accuracy Ifor mlanlagemlent aniid cni-~ neerineg stcidies. U sinl initormation on vehle traxvel paths and speeds, researchers can collect ilocre de tail ed iiiformillat i cli Oifhorestrx ilma- cline perf ormanice andcl ini tun ifuIrithler iiiprox ethe design olthese ilaclines. Also. foresters are usinc GPFS data to make mote accurate mlanagemtenit cdecisionls aind ill pirovxe the efficienicy xxithich heierbiicicdes and ferti lizers are applied. These iresearclh results xxill i mpr oxe our ability to) accom-l liish maiy forestry andc agricultural Lic tix'ities ini an enxvironimentally sensitix e and colst-efelIctie xcmlanner. Tayirov Mhoi areAssocieate esrso gcu tura Engineetrng e isaDesign Engineer with Agr'lua Eniee'~s Assooes i' no Kon Alabamau Agi( ilrl L'-yI ciicltnt Stion/i Highightsu0/.X~i ni/i// Re1at Vol)i I0. 42, VNo?. Sunnhc /95 Chiorothalonil and Paraquat- Can They Be Tank Mixed To Control Peanut Pests? James' C '1(1 I1 ,! len I ht/ Kira Rowt n, and l'orrv W4'cIs ,5 t $ ~ ~ ' 'p Y4~ ~ *~'7. -~. WFDS AND LLAF SPOT ARE COMMON PROBLEMS FOR PLANUT GROWERS, AND TAKING CARE OF BOTH PFSTS AT ONF TIME MAY BF BOTH PRACTICAL AND ECONOMICAL, ACCORDING TO RECENT AUBURN RESEARCH. Paraquat (mnar keted under the name Starfire) is at contact-type herbicide that can prov ide control of xvarious broadleaf and grass xxeeds foind inpeanuits. It is commnonN tank-mixed xxith basagran and! or 2,4-DB to miinimize peanui~t injuny and enhance the overiall wxeed contirol. Accord-I ing to the label. paraquait can be applied at anx time betwe en xxhcn the wxeeds are small. and 28 day s after cracking (xwhen peanut plants emerge front the soil). ChlorothalonilI (marketed under the namc Brav o and others) is at protectant-type Inn- gicide that controls early and late leaf spot. Repeat applications of chlorothalonilI are necessary during the growing season so that newly fornmed Ifol iage is protected. Ap- plications should begin 30-40 days alter planting. The typical time interval between planting and cracking is 10 days. thus the latest time that paraquat can be applied is 38 days al'tei-planting. The Ilate st that paraquiiat can be applied, and the desired start of the chlorothalonilI applications. typecall ~oN cr- lap by at least one wxeek. Paraquat does result in foliar injury atid a slight amount ol defo- liation to the peanut. Hoxwevxer, this injurs quickly dissipates in about a xxeek as the plant continues to groxx and produce nexx foli- age. Sonmc irowers be- liexve the first chloro- thalonilI applicationi should be delay ed if pairaqiiat is applied, be- cause paraquat-injured foliage does not warrant fungicidal protection. Although1 herbicide-in- jured toltage may not be contributi ng much to the groxxthi of the plant, it is Still suscep- tible to pathogen infection, and if not protected, disease hil d up can get ahead ot fungicide control. In the Auhnrn stud, i a tank mixtnre of paraua and chlor othalonil w xas used as an alternative to separate pesticide appl ica- ions. IThe objectix e ol the twxo-year study at the Wi regrass Substation in Headland ,a> to ev5alu ate chlIorot haloinilI-based Ilealf 1pot control wxhen the Ifirst application xxas ia tank mix t rc of clIorot haloil and heri- cides. A series of treatments wxere applied at ia common time that corresponds to the 115 cilap in the acceptable timinag of hoth drcucts. Two fo rmutlations ot cblorothaloni I were used, Braxvo 720 (the well-established liq- uid formulation) and Brav o Ultiex (a dry lowsahle) After this one-time application of x ariouis herbicide I un(eicide tank mix- ttures. the appropriate fungicides we rc reap- plied in at standard season-long program. Standaird application rates xxere nsed wxith all pesticides. Since the primiary oblect wxas to dleicintine if the addition iflia herbicide Peanut Performance as Influenced by Herbicide-Fungicide Combinations, I1993 and I1994, at the Wiregrass Substation Pesticide applications Tank mixture components of first application Herbicide Chloro- Remaining thalonil chlorothalonil applications None None None None 720 720 Paraquat 720 720 Paraquat 720 720 +bentazon +2,4- DB None Paraquat Paraquat +bentazon +2,4-DB Ult rex Ultrex Ultrex Ultrex Ultrex Ultrex Crop Response Injury Defoliation Yield Pct. Pct. Lb.Io 2,886 3,1I40 3,490 3,367 3,303 3,458 3,612 Injury below 10 is still nominal. lbo l -l'o IIH/ /XIUl/hII NW/' Hi lrl'hsol4A r',oihh; rul Researc h V ol. 42, No. 2., S ,ooow, 195) atcted the abilrtx otchiotothalonri to con- trol leal spot, weeds we re removed by hand. Peanut injury wxas iioted 10 dlays after the fi rst a ppl icat i (i, and peanuti dcfoli at ion and yield wxr cic xaluated at the close of the season. With no funicicide applied at any time during the production season. mlaxi mum defoliation and lowest N ields xxerc obtained: a txxo0-Near ax erage of 541c and 2.886 pournds per~ acre. respectiv ely (see table). Defoliat ion xwas substantially reduced xxith season-long appliceationis ot chlorothalonil,. xxhich in turn increased yield. Axverage detoliration and yield wxith Braxvo-liquid xxas 22cc and 3. 114 potunds per acrt re I- spectixvely. Results wxith Br axo-ultress we rc similar. Thirs. rno indications we rc evident that one Brax o or mulatron xxas surperior to the other. More interestringly,. the ability oif chlorothaloil to control leaf spot arnd in turn rmproxve yield wxas riot influenced by ineludirie a betrbrcide xxi ithi the first appli- cation as a tank mixtirre. Among the hcrhr- cide tr eatmerits used, par aquat alone caused njuiry (7r/ ), arid it appears to haxve contrrb- uted to the oxverall lex el oft defol iation. This xvas riot cxvrdent xxhen the herbrcide coriip- nents we rc a corin ,s Isau I~u benitazon, and 1,4-DI In separate studie,. t xxat .c tihl i~Iic that herbicide-chlorothaloni I tank mni t ures are juLst as effectixvc in controilIi to xxeeds as the herbicides applied alone. Thi, study surpports the lone-kriown filact that ; seasonr- long Ifungi cide program is needed for opti riirri production. Furthermore. it necessary. chlorothalonil can be tank mixed xxith paraquat-based her brcrde treatmnirts withoirt loss of performriarice. IThrs would be mire desirable than delay ing the start of tungicirde applications. CF, Stuodent an Wehe is an ssoiat Pjesot r;Agronomy and Sois Bowen is 0n Associate Professor in Pll nt Patology0), ondi Wells ora Assistont Superintendent of the Wrias Subsrttion Highl/1igts o,lgrito ultma Res tar/t Vol. 42, No?2 Sttc, Sume '995 yard Debris Used cas Mulch 9mnproved growth of Young /Pecan rees Wi/lain Gofund Wheeler Fox/shee leled ()f/fIci(Ix wtorriedl abhout the sxhrinkAingr enltU hilitN o/ landfill spa~e aiid pecan~ growtters seeIn lt iCvvs t0 .spur treeL growth (11d impr)/ov'e pro- dautvity mayO be helped by research on, ~Oing art the E. V. Snmith Re search Center in Shorter. Begun as an efftort to firnd xxays ot reducing the rising stres" on landf ills by dixverting limbs. leaxves. pine straw, and their commriori yard debris, the exper imeinrts hiaxe y ielded data xxich I indicate such debris could be used efflectixvely as mulch. Earle data indicate that mulch applied tin a I Ox It)foot area arouitd young pecan trees can i cr c~tsr i ox ti ime hx 30 i x ssc comparedc to unmlulehed trees. Yourrig pecan trees xxerc nrim K sod xii I li c mteia,ti us x c. (iixedl from x arious hardwo tods),. grass el ippirig. clipped limnbs (mrixed~ trorm pitnes and x arious hardwxoods)I. pine straxx, or pine hark nuggets. These wxere applied to a depth ol Effects of Yard Waste Mulch on Growth of Young Pecan Trees' Treatment TCSA' % Increase Unmulched, weed-free 18.1 520.0 4-inch yard waste 22.0 647.8 8-inch yard waste 23.7 705.1I 12-inch yard waste 23.6 649.0 Sod 17.7 488.0 Trees were planted Oct. 1991; mulch was applied Jan.-Sept. 1992, 1993, 1994, and trees were mea- sured March 9, 1992 and April 4, 1995. 2 TCSA stands for trunk cross sectional area in cm 2 . one laiax r-e Somulch but 7 wc/villi( /cx 0/l th xx eds chlippec l/imb/ ntct oiitr() Iled by atot, ild I 01/11 cerb ici des. l~tw otree. nd a seconrd th sod allowed to growx toi the tree un rk. The riiulchied trees on axverage crc 30(/ Lii oct in trunk ciross-see- trial area thani those xxithiout aiiulch (tcr three years oI crixxtli ini the ,chard (see tablet. Results iridi- ited that any of the yard waste pccan tie cc wxhlen comipared to1 the rrriiirllcd checks. The use of these yard xxastes as a riuleli for N ouiig pecan trees can be good riewxs toi gr~owxers. Thex increase growxth (if y ourig trees. xxich oilier r esearclh suiggests xxill bring trees tinto production up toi three years soonrir arid riay iricrease yields iii early years suibstanitially. By usirig xyand xxastc as riulchi fo(r trees arounid hiories. ini pairks, arid at oither loeationis. the deriarid on laridfilIls couild be Ifurthier redurced. Munlch can also be a welcorie addit ion to r esidenitial arecas. Protperly used tiulcls adds bcautN arid proriotes healthier trees. Goffi nEtninHiijjs n rjs nFs~es;Gaut ce (Cs~tr 1 'n H ortclue 21 't y \t 4,) 4 Jy f x ,, T 1Ir j; t ri - r V 1W~ . M. OW CROP FARMERS ment. people. and livestock can cause hard layers. or pans, of earth to form in the subsoil. These pans limit production by causing drainage and root growth problems for crops. This problem also can exist in home vegetable gardens. even when heavy equipment is not used. However, an AAES study suggests small-scale producers can combat this problem by using specialized tillage equipment. Traffic or plow pans are a thin layer (two to four inches) of compacted soil resulting from the downward force of tillage equip- ment and other pressures on the soil just beneath the plowed soil. The problem is particularly serious on soils with a sandy topsoil just aboxe a finer textured subsoil. This situation is common on the sandy soils 4r * "C~sr ~ ront fine A II of the Coastal Plain and Appalachian Pla- teau such as soils found in the Sand Moun tain area of Alabama. These pans limit production by blocking root growth into the subsoil. where plants could reach moisture during times of lim- ited rainfall. and also by inhibiting drainage of the soil during wet weather. xhich can promote disease. Small tractors with disks and garden tillers, which are often used by home gar- deners and small-scale fruit and vegetable producers. may create traftic pans that are as serious or worse than those created by field-cropping practices. In tact, estimates of soil compaction by common actixities rank tillers among the most serious (see table). The faster the tines of a tiller rotate. 4labamIa A 4 icu iiltiral Ey /n',ear Staion Highligh1ts of Ag4,icultural Rcarcn/h Vol. 42. No. 2, Sr,,ara,,r I995 the more energy is transferred into the soil just beneath the tines. This rapid rotation of a rear-tined tiller has the potential to create traffic pans morle severe than a large tractor and disk. Farmers use subsoilers chisels, and plows to break these pans, but small-scale producers and gardeners rarely have access to this kind of equipment. To learn more about ways that gardeners can overcome traffic pans. an AAES study evaluated the effectixeness ot common and modified mechanical garden tillage techniques on traffic pans beneath typical garden crops. The three-year study was conducted on the campus of Auburn University on a Marxyn loamy sand, a typically sandy, Coastal Plain soil with a sandy clay loam 1 "r j;c~ ~ ~j C/tttl .s AJIi('I/ lt411! Clburlc, El/itl A front-tined tiller wit/i a drac, bar equipped with a blade to ctta .slit thoug~h the traffie pani seemed to enhane sreet corn1 gr owth di ig,~ a drry ear, (r'igiht) compa red to aioit ot- tined til/er wiit/hoaut the .lit attachmieni (lell). subsoil located ap- 9proximately 8-10 ! inches deep. Gar- ms. den crops uised in the 44 fy study were sweet a corn, okra, and .4 southern peas. All tfertilizers and lime wer cie applied to the crop based upo)1 n " Soil wxas pre- pared just prior to fj r spring planting us- ing one the tollow- Sing tillage tet t r a t e n t s : 1) Front-tined. Soil was prepared with multiple passes of a fiv e-horsepow~er tront-tined garden tiller jut prior to planting: tilIlage depth was approximately six inches. 2) Slit tillage. The same five-horse- powcr, front-tined. garden tilIler wxas adapted with at modified drag bar to cut a slit 12 nches heneath the row . Soil was prepared as in Treatment I SoilC as the slit wsas beiiig cut diicctly Source beneath the rowx. Slit-til lac(e at- tachiiints for goaiden tilleirs aic People not commercial ly a ai lable a1 Crwer this time. The one used in thi, Cattle experiment w~as made in a shop. Horosel but the same eftect may be ob- tai ned if' small-scale gardeners force a gairdcin spade through the traffic pan undei- neathi the irow pirior to planting. 3) Rear-tined. A 10-horsepowxer, BCS rear-tined garden tiller was used to prepare soil to a depth of six inches wxith multiple passes just prioi to planting. 4) In-row subsoiled. Soil vwas subsoiled beneath the rowx to a depth of 14 inches usinig a small tractor andI a couxvcutional subsoil shanik. Fimial scedthct pr cpratmi oi Compaction from Various Activities of compaction Compaction pressure, lb./sq. in. 6 '-type tractor 1 2 type tractor 20 23 40 er 107- 750 wxas made wxith one pass of the ircar-tined tiller, as ini Treatment 3. to a depth of four inches. During the three-yearexperiment. sweet corn (Silver Queen) wxas planted each year: Conitinuied (ln pa(1ge 24 Total ear weight,100 lbs./acre Front-tined Rear-tined Subsoiled Slit-tillage Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Marketable ie ldls o/ .swieet corni, okra, and1( southerni peas ai a/jetted bN. A Iiumi Agicau/tn, al I speiioent Statin Hgliht o/Agri /1111/al Rese ('((1 Vol. 4?. No.2. Sumonier / 995 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Okra Okra Peas the ripe 0/'ti//age si stein ised. okira (Clemson spineless) wxas planted the f irst and second years and southern peas (Pinkeye PurplehullI) we re planted the third year. No irrigCation \\ as used on the crops. Each cirop wsas planted in a separate, randomized block expei ment wxith four replications. Seedling disease durini( the third year of the study resulted in such a poor stand ot' okra that the plots were re- planted in southeirn peas. All plots con- sisted of three, 36-inch irowss 15 to 2() feet long. Mairketable yield wxas measured by harv esting the center rowx in each plot. Swxeet corn was picked twxice. Okra was picked twxice weekly for a total of 15 to 20 hars ests. Southern peas wxere harv ested twxice as imatuire. gireen podls. A dev ice known as a soil penetrometer was used to determine relatix e compaction ot the soil. These measurements wxere taken after the first and third cropping years. Crops that were suffering from mois- tui-c sti ess showxed diramat ic. xisual gi 05th responses to the foui tillage piractices. The degree of stress was dependent on soil Moisture. Total marketable yi elds (see figure) retlect rainfall distribution and till- age practice. Slit tillage increased total marketable yield of all three crops during all three years of the study. The plots prepared with the rear-tined tiller produced the lowsest yields, presumably because soil com- paction caused more moistnre stress dur- ing shoi t-teim mdroughts. In general. y ields were best in plots that had been subsoiled, but the slit tillage treatment prov ided com- parable r ields. Soil compaction measurements, taken with a soil penetrometer from the irows at the end of the cropping season, showed that the ireair-tined tillei and the front- tined tiller treatments created significant soil compaction problems. Subsoiling and slit tillage effectis ely disrupted the tratfic pan it 8-12~ inches. Slit tillage disirupted traffic pans. ie- duced in-ross soil compaction, and resulted in yields as high or higher than traditional s.ubsoi Ii ng. As home gardeners and small farmers prepare to plant fall cirops or plan for next spring, slit tillage may ollici them at loss-cost sol ut ion to a soil coimipact ion problem created by conv ent ional tillage practices. Mitchelli on Asosoae Professor of Agronomy ond S oils aEliss Superintendent of the AAES Plan Gtst u~tes ALABAMA AGRICtI TUiRAL EXPERIMENT STATION Af BURN U NlIRSITY AU BURN UANIVE-RSITIY. ALABAMAX 36819-54t0l NON-PROFIT ORG. P~OSTAGE & 1FEES PAID PERMIT NO. 9 AUIBURN. ALA\. Loswell T. F-robish, Director POST MASTER-Addiess Correction Requested Alaama Agicuiltural L 5/ti men ,i Station Higighi/lts 11pilt, of Agrcl 'a esear ch Vo. 42. NVo. 2, .Smuuirr 1995~