- CIRCULAR No. 79 (REVISED

MARCH, 1954

GRASS AND LEGUME SEED CROPS h ALBERTA

PREPARED BY THE ALBERTA FORAGE CROPS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

GOVERNMENT OF THE PROVINCE 0Fl ALB|RTA':

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

PUBLISHED BY DIRECTION <p'f

HON. L . C . H A L M R AS T

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE

N D EX

Page

1 1 2

Seed Inoculation 3

CANADA

Seed Treatment \ 3

Seed

Land

Seeding

CANADIAN OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS

-COLLECTION-

Companion Crops

CANADIAN N S.S

Row Seeding 3

Time of Seeding 3

Use of Fertilizers 4

Roguing 5

Harvesting 6

Threshing 7

Threshing Grass Seed 7

Threshing Legume Seed 7

Summary 8 - 9

Cleaning the Machine _ 10

Combine Settings 10

Seed Storage .... 10

Seed Cleaning 11

Pollinating Insects 11

Clovers 11

Alfalfa 12

Conditions Suitable to Wild Bees 12

Insects Causing Losses in Forage Seed Production 12

Lygus Bug 12

Grasshoppers 13

Sweet Clover Weevil ... 14

Diseases 15

^ GRASS AND LEGUME SEED CROPS

Prepared by The ABberfa Forage Crops Adv's«^'S^omm1t4£e

Grass and legume seed produc- tion has now become an established enterprise on many farms in Alberta. Production of these crops is generally localized. Legume seed production has been profit- able, particularly to farmers on the grey wooded soils. These soils require the soil enrichment capabilities of legumes if satisfac- tory yields of cereals are to be realized. Hence, legume seed pro- duction fits in well with a crop rotation for the grey wooded soils. Production and marketing being somewhat erratic for grass and legume seeds, the wise farmer will not depend wholly upon them for his livelihood. With some of the forage seed crops, by-products of seed production can be profitably used through livestock.

SEED

In any enterprise, quality of the product determines, to a large extent, the returns to the producer. Forage seed is no exception, and the sale of high quality seed is a must for continued success. The seed the grower sows must be of the highest quality available. Only registered and certified seed should be considered by the grower for planting. It is inspected in the field and in the sack, and is guar- anteed to be of high quality and purity. Any seed offered for sale must be graded in accordance with the standards described in "The Seeds Act". Any seed that does not meet these minimum standards cannot be sold or advertised as seed. All seed growers are ad- vised to get a copy of this Act from the Plant Products Division, Canada Department of Agricul- ture, and study the tolerances al- lowed for various seed grades.

LAND

If good seed is sown on weedy land, the extra cost of the seed has been lost. Quality seed cannot be produced if the land contains weeds that cannot be cleaned out of the crop. The seed producer cannot afford to take chances by sowing his crop on weedy land. Clean seed, grown on clean land, will produce a seed crop requiring little processing to get it in shape for grading and marketing, and so a greater profit will be realized. Good, clean grain stubble is a de- sirable seed bed in areas where soil drifting is a menace. Stubble also holds snow, adding to spring moisture, gives sun and wind pro- tection to the small forage seed- lings, and assures a firm seed bed.

SEEDING

A good rule is never to sow for- age seed deeper than one-half to three quarters of an inch. A firm, moist, weed-free seed bed is re- quired.

A special forage seeder, such as the one illustrated, is a wise in- vestment if the farmer is planning to seed large acreages, or if his rotation plan calls for forage seedings every year. Many farm- ers have found a press drill to be satisfactory. The usual procedure is to take all the pressure off the disks and let the packer wheels cover the seed. Drill disks equipped with depth regulators will give a more uniform seeding depth. Broadcasting of seed is never as satisfactory as drilling because of uneven seeding and poor coverage. It should be done only on rough, uneven land, or land too

Page One

Such a seeder does a good job of seeding, but may pulverize the soil, making it

more subject to erosion.

Photo — Lacombe Experimental Station, Lacombe.

loose for the drill. Harrowing and packing following broadcast- ing are essential.

COMPANION CROPS

The use of a companion crop is not advisable in the drier areas, and even in the moister areas it will compete with the forage crops and a weaker stand will result than if the forage seed were sown alone. Frequently, weeds are a problem if a companion crop is not used. Broad-leafed weeds, susceptible to 2,4-D, can be con- trolled in grass seedings by spray- ing with recommended rates of this chemical. Legume seedings cannot be treated with 2,4-D be- cause they are susceptible. How- ever, the chemical M.C.P., a com- pound quite similar to 2,4-D, is available. It has proved to be less injurious to alfalfa, alsike, and red clover. M.C.P., at 2 to 4 ounces per acre, can be used on strong stands of these crops to control

susceptible broad-leafed weeds. Sweet clover is susceptible to M.C.P., and this crop should not be treated with either 2,4-D or M.C.P.

Some farmers sow these small seeded crops in mixture with the companion crop. Constant mixing is required during seeding, and even then, uneven seeding of the small seeds results. When seeding in this manner, time, depth, and moisture conditions of the soil should be those most favorable for the forage crop. It is more desir- able to seed the companion crop in a separate operation. The compan- ion crop should be sown at one- half the usual rate and at the normal depth. The forage crops may then be seeded at the opti- mum depth, which is usually one-half inch. Flax is usually the most satisfactory compan- ion crop, except on irrigated land, where it depresses the forage stand. The cereals rank in this order of desirability : wheat, oats, and barley.

Page Two

SEED INOCULATION

Legume seeds should always be inoculated with the correct inocu- lum. When buying inoculum, al- ways specify the crop for which it is desired. This inoculum con- tains the bacteria which live in the roots of the legume plant. They are able to take nitrogen from the air and make it available to the legume plants. Inoculated legume seed should never be mixed with seed treated with Ceresan or other mercury dusts, nor should it be mixed with fertilizer.

SEED TREATMENT

Legume seed can be treated with some of the newer non-mer- curial fungicides, such as Spergon, Arasan, and Orthocide. This should be done well before seeding, and the seed inoculated just a few hours before seeding.

Grass seed can be treated with Arasan at the rate of ten ounces per hundred pounds, at least twenty-four hours before seeding.

ROW SEEDING

Row seedings of most of the forage crops will produce a larger yield of better quality seed for a longer period of time than solid seedings. An operator must satis- fy himself that the increased re- turns are worth the trouble of cultivating and the expense of row cultivating equipment. The grower who expects to continue grass or legume seed production for a per- iod of years, would be well advised to go to the extra trouble and expense involved in row plantings. Where grass rows are swathed, the swaths will be difficult to pick up.

Spacing of rows at 12 to 14 inches apart, such as would be ob- tained by plugging every second drill run, has given good results in

the production of alfalfa and grass seeds, and does not involve row cultivation or create pickup troubles.

TIME OF SEEDING

In areas where moisture is not a limiting factor, forage seedings can be carried out any time during the growing season, provided suffi- cient time remains of the growing season so that the crop can estab- lish itself. Early fall seedings of most legumes usually fail because the seedlings winter kill. In drier areas, early spring or summer- fallow seedings are the surest. Seedings of grasses and alfalfa can be made in the late fall after freeze-up, enabling the seedlings to take advantage of spring moisture. This is not advised where land is weedy or the soil is not well pre- pared. In the dry areas, early fall seeding is probably best and most suited for the grasses, with the main hazard being grasshopper outbreaks. Late fall seedings or those made just before freeze-up, and very early spring seedings, are usually successful.

On irrigated land, time of seed- ing is not quite as important. We have good results from late sum- mer or early fall seeding. By this, we refer to the middle of August. Seeding at this time usually re- sults in a good stand before win- ter. On very rare occasions, when winter killing occurs in these new stands, it is possible to reseed the following spring.

Forage seedings will be most successful when there is adequate moisture. The seedlings are very small and not nearly so hardy as cereal seedlings. Conditions must be made as favorable as possible if a successful stand is to be grown.

Page Three

A good stand of Creeping Red Fescue.

Photo — Lethbridge Experimental Station.

USE OF FERTILIZERS

In some of the seed producing areas of Alberta, the use of com- mercial fertilizer will result in sub- stantial seed increases in seasons when moisture conditions are sat- isfactory.

The use of sulphur-bearing fer- tilizers on legume seed crops in the sulphur-deficient, grey wooded soil regions of west and north-central Alberta is almost an essential for successful production in that area. Phosphorous applied with the sul- phur usually results in an addi- tional increase in seed yield, pro-

vided, of course, that pollinating insects are plentiful. Barnyard manure is also very effective in promoting vigorous stands, and subsequently increasing legume seed yields on grey wooded soil.

Provided that moisture condi- tions are favorable, nitrogen fer- tilizers are usually effective in in- creasing seed yields of the grasses, particularly when the stands have become sod-bound. Barnyard ma- nure is also effective.

The following fertilizers and rates of application are recom- mended :

Legumes (Grey wooded soils of west-central and north-central Alberta)

Ammonium Phosphate, 16-20 50 to 60 lbs. per acre

Ammonium Sulphate 30 to 50 lbs. per acre

Sodium Sulphate 30 to 50 lbs. per acre

Gypsum 40 to 60 lbs. per acre

(Grey wooded soils of Peace River District) To date, legumes in the Peace River district have not responded to fertilizer.

Grasses (Black, degraded black, and grey wooded soils)

Ammonium Nitrate ( nitraprills ) 150 to 200 lbs. per acre

Ammonium Sulphate 150 to 300 lbs. per acre

Page Four

Ammonium Sulphate is recom- mended for grasses on sulphur deficient grey wooded soils of west- central and north-central Alberta.

Well rotted barnyard manure should be applied uniformly at a rate of 10 to 15 tons per acre.

Fertilizers are best applied to legume crops early in the spring, but late fall applications have given similar results in some sea- sons. Early spring is also one of the best times for fertilizing the grasses. Preliminary testing indi- cates, however, that early fall fer- tilizing of grasses for seed pro- duction may be more beneficial than early spring applications.

With heavy production on irri- gated land in southern Alberta, all crops respond to proper fertilizers. Legumes are particularly heavy users of phosphates, and fertilizers containing a high percentage of phosphates are recommended for their use. Ammonium Phosphate,

11-48-0, at 50 to 100 lbs. per acre, is a common application on alfalfa and clovers. Grasses respond more readily to nitrogenous fertilizers. Ammonium Phosphate, 11-48-0, Ammonium Nitrate (nitraprills) , and Ammonium Sulphate each give good response when used at 50 to 100 lbs. for grass crops. For spe- cific recommendations, see Circu- lar No. 5, "Fertilizers in Alberta".

ROGUING

Roguing refers to the removal of weeds, off-type plants, and other objectionable plants from the seed field. This is usually done by hand, and often amounts to con- siderable work. In most cases, it is a necessary procedure, as it is possible to eliminate seed con- tamination by roguing the plants of which the seed cannot be re- moved by cleaning. A good ex- ample of this is the removal of sweet clover plants from other legume crops so that little or no

Crested Wheat Grass in rows.

Page Five

sweet clover seed gets into the harvested seed crop.

HARVESTING

It is now common practice to use the combine for harvesting grasses and legumes, though more seed may be saved through the use of the stationary thresher. Most operators are not in a position to own both a combine and a thresh- ing machine. With one or two exceptions, only grasses that do not shatter readily should be straight combined. The seed should be dried before storage. Drying can be done by spreading the seed in thin layers, or using a drying machine. More legume seed will be saved by swathing and combining than if straight com- bining is practised. For swathing red and alsike clover crops, a sat- isfactory method is cutting with a mower equipped with a windrower. In heavy stands, a special dividing board, similar to that used in pea harvesting, may be required. The most effective type of windrower is the centre delivery. Most opera- tors find that when using a centre delivery windrower on a heavy crop, it is advisable to remove one bar from each side of the opening. This leaves a wide, flat windrow that will dry quickly.

Wind damage of cl

Every year, a large acreage of swathed clovers is lost, due to wind. Much of this loss could be avoided by cutting the crop while the leaves and stems are still green. This will give a swath which will pack down and knit closely during drying. Some growers have found a swath Dacker, pulled directly behind the mower or swather, reduces the damage caused by wind. One sug- gestion Jc-r a packer is a piece of fairly heavy sheet metal, turned up at the end like a toboggan, so it will slide easily over the swath. Another type is an old gas barrel, mounted so as to roll over and pack the swath.

In picking up from the swath, watch the speed of the pickup — if it travels too fast, it tears the swath apart and a large amount of seed is lost.

For alsike and Altaswede clover, put pickup guards every third or fourth space on the cutter bar. The swath is lifted by these large guards, on to the combine table. Those using this method feel that less seed is lost than with the con- ventional type pickup.

It is important, regardless of what kind of implement is used in cutting, to keep the speed of travel

r cut when over-ripe.

Photo by B. T. Stephanson.

Page Six

down. Far less seed will be lost at 1 to 1V2 miles per hour than at 4 or 5 miles per hour.

Swathing and pickup combining has largely replaced the binder and threshing machine in the harvest- ing and threshing of grass and le- gume seed crops.

THRESHING

For threshing all forage crops, the rub-bar cylinder is better than the toothed type. The rub-bar cylinder does not break the straw nearly so much, and with less straw in the threshed sample, the seed is easier to clean.

Don't overload the machine. Slow, uniform feeding is im- portant. Best results with a com- bine will be obtained by the use of an auxiliary motor.

See that correct adjustments are made for wind, cylinder speed and concave clearance. You may need extra equipment for satisfac- tory operation — equipment such as special concaves, sieves and screens, fan sprockets for reducing fan speed, and sprockets for speed- ing up the cylinder while main- taining normal speed of other parts of the machine.

Before you start to thresh, check the cylinder for alignment and freedom from end-play. Rub- bar cylinders are sometimes dam- aged by small stones which dent the bars. Check for this also.

Watch carefully for leaks. The small seeds of forage crops will pass through a much smaller open- ing than will a kernel of wheat.

There are two ways in which losses of seed can occur in the threshing operation :

1. Incomplete threshing from the head. In this case, in- crease cylinder speed or set the concaves closer. You may have to do both.

2. Seed blown over with the straw and chaff. To reduce the loss of seed in the straw, reduce the volume going into the machine or open the con- caves to avoid breaking up the straw. To reduce the loss of seed in the chaff, reduce the wind or direct it forward on the sieves.

Watch the shoe closely. No com- bine will handle more than the shoe can carry.

THRESHING GRASS SEED

When threshing grass seeds, try to thresh out the seed without breaking the stems into small pieces. You can do this by reduc- ing the speed and using few con- caves. Under dry conditions, thresh when slightly moist from dew or a light shower. If you can avoid breaking the stems, the straw will stay on the straw racks ; the load of broken material on the chaffer and grain racks will be re- duced; you will turn out a cleaner sample, and with lower wind blast needed, there will be less seed carried into the blower.

THRESHING LEGUME SEED

In threshing legume seeds, high- er cylinder speed and more con- caves are needed. The problem is to thresh the seed out of the pods. The crop should be as dry as pos- sible to prevent heavy losses from the seed going over. The straw of some legumes breaks very easily. You may have to use a wire mesh, or other device, over the straw rack so that too much broken straw does not pass through with the seed and overload the shoe. One advantage of the threshing machine compared with the com- bine is that the straw may be put through the separator a second time if it contains too much seed. In seed producing areas in Cali- fornia, combines have been modi-

Page Seven

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Straight combining brome; special care must be taken to prevent spoilage of seed

in storage.

Photo — Beaverlodge Experimental Station.

fied so that the straw and chaff are put in tight wagons. Later, this material is rethreshed and con- siderable seed saved.

The small size and light weight of grass and legume seeds make separation especially difficult. There are times when the operator must choose between considerable loss of seed and a poorly cleaned sample. A good rule is to save as much seed as possible, and reclean later. At normal price levels, a few pounds of seed saved will pay for a lot of cleaning.

CLEANING THE MACHINE

Thorough cleaning of machines and racks is extremely important. It takes only two sweet clover seeds in one ounce of another registered legume seed crop to spoil it for registration. When cleaning the threshing machine, pay special attention to the augers. They can hold large quantities of

seed that may mix with the next lot threshed.

COMBINE SETTINGS

It is suggested that growers fol- low the settings recommended by the manufacturer for any specific combine. Machine specialists point out that cylinder speed is not as important as the perifery speed of the cylinder. As the peri- fery speed depends on the cylinder diameter, and as the cylinder diameter of different makes of combines is not the same, it is readily seen that cylinder speeds vary greatly.

SEED STORAGE

With the greater amount of direct combining that is now being done, serious losses from seed heating in storage are more fre- quent. Seed should be stored where it can be examined daily.

Page Ten

There should be free air circula- tion around the seed. A good method is to sack the seed and stand the sacks separately in a machine shed or other large build- ing. Safer still, seed may be spread out on the granary floor and turned once or twice a day. Spoilage can be cut down by put- ting the seed over the fanning mill to remove green material.

Seed should be stored only in clean, tight granaries and sacks. Contamination of clean seed when it is almost ready for market is costly,

Mice often cause damage to stored seeds. There are a number of practices that will curb this loss. The rat poison, "Warfarin", is effective against mice, and filled bait containers set about the stor- age area will usually solve the problem. Lime, sulphur and salt mixture, sprinkled under and around sacks of seed, will act as a repellant.

SEED CLEANING

It is almost impossible with average farm equipment to clean grass and legume seeds to a recog- nized seed grade. The best way is to attempt only rough cleaning on the farm. For final cleaning and grading, the seed can be shipped to one of the commercial concerns operating an efficient, well equip- ped plant. A few pounds of seed saved in this way, with the pos- sibility of a higher grade, will easily pay shipping and cleaning costs.

POLLINATING INSECTS

Commercial seed production of alfalfa, alsike and red clover de- pends upon the activity of pollinat- ing insects. Bees are by far the most important pollinators of le- gume flowers.

CLOVERS

Honey bees are effective in pol- linating the clovers, and seed yields can be increased through the placement of honey bee

Page Eleven

colonies on the field during bloom- ing time. One hive or more per acre can be used; honey yields per hive will probably be lower with more hives per acre. However, profitable seed increase could probably be realized with up to three hives per acre.

In years when wild bee popula- tions are high, honey bees will not be so effective in raising seed yields.

Red clover blossoms are more difficult for the bees to work than are alsike and sweet clover flow- ers. Consequently, red clover fields should be as far away as possible from these competing crops.

ALFALFA

Alfalfa seed yields in Alberta have not been increased through the use of honey bees, as the al- falfa flowers are difficult for honey bees to "trip". There are many other flowers that honey bees have less difficulty in working.

Wild bees are necessary for satisfactory seed yields of alfalfa. A number of species of leaf cutter and bumble bee are important trip- pers of alfalfa. The numbers of these bees fluctuate widely from year to year. In years when they are numerous, alfalfa usually sets seed readily.

Mechanical tripping devices, chemical tripping sprays, log chains, stone boats and barbed wire, dragged over alfalfa fields, can do no good, and will only in- jure the growth. The slightest in- jury to the flower causes it to wilt and drop. For the present, the job must be left to the wild bees.

CONDITIONS SUITABLE TO WILD BEES

Leaf cutter bees nest in old logs, hard places in the ground, and in native sod. Some species of bum-

ble bee nest above ground and others below ground. In both cases, breaking up of the soil and clear- ing the brush destroys many nest- ing sites available to the bees, and a reduction in population is bound to occur. A small field that is pro- ducing seed abundantly should be left small. Enlarging of the field will only destroy the nests of the bees, and a lower bee population will result. There will be fewer bees to work more alfalfa, and yields will, of course, drop. Mice are predators of bees, and any practice that will reduce mouse in- festation will aid in the establish- ment of wild bees.

Insects Causing Losses in Forage Seed Production

LYGUS BUG

Adult lygus bug.

Photo — Dr. G. A. Hobbs. Science Service, Lethbridge

DESCRIPTION

Adults 3/16" long, about one- half as wide. Color varies from pale green to reddish or dark brown. This insect goes through five stages before becoming an adult. The adult has a half dia- mond mark on the back, which makes it easily identified. The

Page Twelve

smaller green "nymphs", as the young are called, have five black spots located on the back.

DAMAGE

The bugs feed on the plant juice in the buds, flowers and developing seeds of alfalfa. No reports have been made of damage in alsike and Altaswede clover, but ladino clover is subject to damage, so it can be surmised that they may also cause seed loss in alsike and Altaswede crops. The insect-damaged buds and flowers soon die and drop to the ground. The injured seed dies, and at harvest time the resulting dry, shrivelled seed is often seen. With a high population of these insects, seed yields can be reduced considerably. Workers in Utah have reported that they increased seed yields in one field from twenty-two pounds per acre to one hundred and sixty pounds per acre by controlling lygus bugs. The life cycle of this pest is completed in six to seven weeks; consequently, it should not reach such high num- bers in Alberta as in the United States seed producing areas, where the growing season is much longer and two or three generations may be produced before alfalfa flower- ing takes place.

CHECKING FOR LYGUS BUGS

Fields should be checked for ly- gus bugs, one, two and three weeks before the major flowering period. In order to determine if lygus bugs are present in the field, it is necessary to take a sweep with a standard 15" insect net. A white sack, held open by a wire loop 15" across, will work satisfactorily. A sweep with the net is accomplished by swinging the net at arms' length, through the top growth of the vegetation, through a 180 de- gree arc. Stand facing south with the net in the right hand pointing west. Now, with the net well down

in the growth, hold the arm stiff. Turn and face north. Count the number of lygus and nymphs caught in the sweep. Turn the net inside out so lygus captured will not be counted again. Move ten or twenty feet away and repeat. Carry out ten or twenty such sweeps, keeping track of the total number of lygus captured; divide the total number of lygus caught by the number of sweeps. This is the average number of lygus per sweep. If at any time an average of four lygus or more per sweep is obtained, it will usually pay to employ control measures.

CONTROL

Spraying or dusting with D.D.T. will control lygus bugs during the pre-bloom period, but D.D.T. should not be used during the bloom period because the pollinat- ing insects will also be killed. Tox- aphene dust or spray, applied be- tween seven in the evening and seven o'clock in the morning, is recommended for the bloom period. Applying between these hours will kill fewer bees.

D.D.T. should be applied at the following rates :

As a spray, % to pounds of actual D.D.T. per acre in a water emulsion spray.

As a dust, 15 to 20 pounds of 10% D.D.T. per acre should be applied.

Toxaphene is the only chemical that should be applied in the flowering stage. The following rates are recommended :

iy2 pounds actual Toxaphene per acre in a water emulsion, or 20 pounds of 10% Toxaphene dust per acre.

If the lygus population has been exceedingly high, burn the alfalfa stubble the following spring before plants start to grow.

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GRASSHOPPERS

These pests can be controlled with Toxaphene at the same rates as used for lygus control. Aldrin and Chlordane are also effective in grasshopper control. These in- secticides should be used as fol- lows :

2 to 3 ounces of technical Aldrin per acre, or 8 ounces of technical Chlordane per acre; both in spray form. With dusts, use one and a half to twice as much per acre.

In cases of very heavy infesta- tion, the above rates can be doubled or tripled.

SWEET CLOVER WEEVIL

Adult sweet clover weevil.

Photo — Dr. G. A. Hobbs, Science Service, Lethbridge

DESCRIPTION

The adult weevil is small, dark grey, about 3/16 inch long. It has a long snout, which aids in identifi- cation. When approached, these weevils drop from the foliage and remain still, consequently, they can easily escape notice.

DAMAGE

The adult weevil is responsible for the major part of the damage to the sweet clover plant. This damage is very characteristic, crescent-shaped pieces being eaten

out of the leaves. In severe infes- tations, the plants may be stripped of all leaf surface, and the outer bark of the stem chewed. These weevils prefer sweet clover, but will eat alfalfa if sweet clover is not available. Sweet clover field margins usually show the severest damage, because the beetles mi- grate from second-year stands to new plantings.

CULTURAL CONTROL

Crop rotation, using crops un- attractive to the weevil, such as the cereals and grasses.

New plantings should be located a good distance from second-year stands of sweet clover. In the fall, plough down marginal strip of de- foliated sweet clover to a depth of six inches. This will bury many bugs which would over-winter. The following spring, this can be sown to a cereal crop.

The most effective means of con- trol is through shallow cultivation of sweet clover hay fields immedi- ately after cutting in July. This, of course, is impossible in fields left for seed, but if damage is severe, the pest will have to be controlled with chemicals. After the seed has been harvested, if weevils have done damage, the field should be ploughed to bury the insects.

CHEMICAL CONTROL

The most effective time for spraying or dusting is in the spring just after the plants have started to grow the second year. This will kill most of the weevils and pre- vent them from laying eggs.

D.D.T., Chlordane and Toxa- phene have been found to be effec- tive. Aldrin should also be effec- tive. It is much more toxic than the other three chemicals, and should be handled with greater care.

Pa<je Fourteen

RATES

1. Dust 20 pounds of 5% D.D.T. per acre.

2. Spray at rate of 1 pound D.D.T. per acre.

3. 1 pound Technical Chlor- dane per acre mixed in 8 to 10 gallons of water.

4. iy2 pounds Technical Chlor- dane dust per acre.

5. 2 pounds Technical Toxa- phene per acre in spray form.

NOTE ON CHEMICALS

Growth treated with the insec- ticides mentioned, should not be pastured. Forage from treated fields should not be fed to milk

cows or meat animals. Always follow the manufacturer's instruc- tions carefully when using chemi- cals. Legume seed crops should never be sprayed or dusted with insecticides when beneficial insects are present in the field. If at all possible, this spraying or dusting should be done before the plants are in bloom. Where spraying is necessary when a field is in bloom, it should be done in the late even- ing after the bees have left the fields.

DISEASES

Forage crops are subject to a number of diseases, but we can mention only those which are most important to the seed grower.

Disease

Bacterial Wilt

Crop Alfalfa

Area

Present throu- out most of the alfalfa growing area.

SYMPTOMS

Yellowing of leaves; plants may die ; num- erous branch- ing and leaf- ing. Dwarf- ing of plant.

Control

Resistant varieties.

VERNAL is

resistant.

When tap root is cut, shows dark ring.

LADAK more resistant than GRIMM.

Winter Crown Rot or

Snow Mould

Alsike Alfalfa Red Clover Grasses

North & Cen- tral Alberta. Foothills.

Damage to crowns occurs in early spring. Rotting and dis- coloration of upper part of roots.

Crown Bud Rot

Alfalfa

Irrigated areas.

Rotting of crowns during growing season.

Root Rots

Clovers Alfalfa

Grasses

Throughout the pro- vince.

Killing out of patches. Plants turn yellow; roots and crowns show dark rotting.

Seed treat- ment. Crop rota- tion.

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This circular has been prepared by the Alberta Forage Crops Advisory Committee, appointed by Honourable L. C. Halmrast, Minister of Agriculture.

PERSONNEL OF COMMITTEE

Dept. of Plant Science, University of Alberta W. E. Smith (Chairman)

Dept. of Plant Science, University of Alberta J. Unrau

Dept. of Soils, University of Alberta C. F. Bentley

Field Crops Branch, Alberta Dept. of Agriculture R. L. Pharis

(Secretary)

Field Crops Branch, Alberta Dept. of Agriculture A. M. Wilson

Dominion Experimental Station, Beaverlodge C. R. Elliott

Dominion Experimental Station, Lacombe H. B. Stelfox

Dominion Experimental Station, Lethbridge R. W. Peake

Science Service, Plant Pathology Lab., Canada Agriculture,

Edmonton J. B. LeBeau

Plant Products Division, Canada Dept. of Agriculture C. A. Weir

Seed Trade Representative J. A. Robertson

Seed Growers' Co-operatives Representative R. B. Frankish

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

R. L. Pharis, Chairman W. E. Smith H. B. Stelfox

C. F. Bentley R. W. Peake C. R. Elliott

Page Sixteen

OTHER BULLETINS

Extension Service, Alberta Department of Agriculture — Circular 63 — Hay and Pasture Crops for Alberta.

Department of Extension, University of Alberta, Edmonton — Bulletin 44 — Cropping for Profit and Permanency. Bulletin 21 — Wooded Soils and Their Management. Circular 4 — Legume Inoculation.

Information Service, Canada Department of Agriculture —

Mimeograph — Growing Crested Wheat Grass for Seed.

Publication 866 — Brome Grass Seed Production in Western Canada.

Publication 894 — Red Clover for Hay, Pasture and Seed.

Information can also be obtained from your District Agri- culturist; the Field Crops Branch, Alberta Department of Agriculture; Department of Plant Science, University of Alberta, or from your nearest Experimental Station.

N.L.C. - B.N.C.

3 3286 10638556 6

EDMONTON : Printed by A. Shnitka, Queen's Printer.