The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1946-05-30

O1lOCI C11C SpOlloO1 o1up VI Vic
newly organized Beet Sugar
Development foundation, extern
sive experiments are being con-
Quoted this season to reduce la
Dor requirements for growing
sugar beetS, a release from the
foundation says.
Emphasis is being placed OF
the mechanical phase of pro-
duction starting with stress on
seed and seed bed preparation.
The multiple germ seed is fad
ing out out of the picture, It
was stated, and in its place Is
being planted a processed beet
seed which contained a higher
percentage of single germs.
The foundation is particularly
concentrating it's efforts on
drills and new methods to get
beetS through the Ground quick
ly after the seed is planted.
The foundation, in coopera-
ton with Professor E. M. Mer-
vine and Ray Bennington of
Colorado A. and M, Fl. Col
Inns, is making tests in eight
different areas in Colorado, Ne
braska and wyoming this
spring. It is felt that by con
Quoting the tests over a wide
area a greater number of soils
and climatic conditions can De
taken into account for the con-
struction of planter design.
A number of different makes
of drills are being used in
these trials. Various types OF
press wheels are being tried to
test their effect on termination,
ranging from the heavy cult.
packer land roller type to small
pneumatic rubber wheels. New
metering devices which tend to
space uniformly the single
germ seed in a manner to re-
duce extensive thinning are al
so being used.
A careful test of every new
planter design conceived to date
is being conducted at Colorado
A. and M. Implement .manufac-
turers are also placing Their
latest designs with various
farmers, who are to make DEM
onstration paintings with both
new and old type equipment.
Also being compared are shoe
and disc type openers and sim
gle smooth tubes, double smooth
tubes and spiral or flexible
tubes.
Planting methods being tried
include ridge planting, where
four to six inches of dirt are
placed on the row; furroWed
out planting, where the seed is
planted about three inches deep
in moist soil and then the top
two inches of dry soil is taken
off; and the conventional flat
method of planting. Crust
breakers, weed removerS, sol.
packers, wide and narrow discs
and other disc opener modifica-
tons r also being attached to
the drills.
An interesting departure IS
the placing of water containing
fertilizers and fungicideS in So
luton around the seed in the
soil. This is intended to hasten
the termination process aiding
the beet plant to get a head
start on competitive weeds and
diseases.
U. S. D. A. and sugar conf
pany engineers are conducting
their own programs on planter
development work this season.
They are trying many of the
ideas previously mentioned be-
sides new and different ap-
proaches to the problem.
Seed processing procedures
are being compared in conjunc-
ton with the planter tests. Beet
seed from several different
methods of segmenting along
with pelleted seed are beii.g
compared with the whole seed.
Pelleting seed has been prac-
ticed with various garden seeds
in the past. It consists of plac-
ing a coating around the seed
which makes it easier to plant.
This coating also contains a
combination fertilizer and flung