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AgAlerts 2003 From Griggs County
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Issue # 1, April 22, 2003
Another growing season is under way and it is time to begin another series of AgAlerts. Issues will be put on this website on a weekly basis. I hope you will find the articles useful and timely. Your input is also encouraged. You can e-mail the office at the address listed on the bottom of this page.
Alfalfa will sometimes respond to nitrogen
fertilization but is not recommended since nitrogen can increase grass
competition and reduce alfalfa stands. However, alfalfa is a high user of
phosphorus and potassium. Phosphorus removal is 11 to 12 lbs per ton and
potassium removal is 50 to 60 lbs per ton harvested. Before you decide to
fertilize, a soil test is recommended. Then apply the required
nutrients. Broadcasting is the most efficient method of fertilizer
application on established perennial crops. Recent data show deep band
applications of P2O5 in old alfalfa stands is also an
effective management tool. The most efficient application is done prior to
planting due to the poor mobility of phosphorus and potassium. Under good
moisture conditions, alfalfa can retrieve nutrients from the soil surface.
But under dry conditions, this process is greatly reduced. To increase the
phosphorus level by one will require the application of 20 lbs of
P2O5. To increase the potassium level by one will require the
application of 10 lbs K2O.
For rates and more information on alfalfa fertilization,
consult the NDSU Extension bulletin, SF728,
Fertilizing Alfalfa, Sweet Clover, Alsike Clover, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Red Clover
and Grass Legume.
There has been several calls concerning spruce trees that are turning brown on the south and west sides of the tree. On one planting of young trees, several of the trees were completely reddish brown. This injury is the result of sunscald. Sunscald is caused by the combination of high and low temperatures in the late winter or early spring. Temperatures get high enough to cause the cells in the needles to become active and as a result give off water. Since the soils are still frozen the tree cannot replace the depleted water causing the cells to die. For more information about sunscald and control, click on the following link. Sunscald (bark scorch; winter dying; winter burn).
Skunks are now starting roam around and might
come into contact with pets or humans. Here's a new way to
"de-smell" pets or people who get into tangles with skunks. Paul
Krebaum worked in a lab in Lisle, Illinois, that uses alkaline hydrogen peroxide
to scrub hydrogen sulfide from waste gas streams. The alkaline hydrogen
peroxide also destroys chemicals called thiols in certain situations. One
of Krebaum's colleague's cats had an unfortunate encounter with a skunk.
After trying the standard remedies, like tomato juice, the cat still smelled too
bad to let back into the house. As a chemist, Krebaum realized that skunk
spray is composed mostly of low-molecular thiols, and suggested using a version
of the alkaline hydrogen peroxide mixture to wash the cat. It worked liked
magic, and the cat was allowed back into the house.
Tom McCutcheon, a biologist with the West Virginia Dept. of
Agriculture who often got calls from people whose pets get mixed up with skunks,
heard about the incident. He went out and found a road-killed skunk,
doused the entire animal with the same mix of chemicals, and ended up with a
completely deodorized dead skunk.
Here's the potion:
1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
(from a Pharmacy)
1/4 cup baking soda
1 teaspoon liquid soap
Mix together and wash, keeping the mixture out of the animal's eyes, nose and
mouth. Follow with a thorough tap water rinse.
Source: Countryside & Small Stock Journal (Farm Show,
Vol. 19 #4, 1995)
Please Contact Our Office For Additional Information
E-mail: john.swenson@ndsu.edu
Go to the 2003 AgAlert Index Page