Full text of "Grass and legume seed crops for Alberta"

See other formats

- 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

CO
<

CJ H

ft <c

3§

h- 1 O

H w
H

g 25
OS >

£ o-
£0

l-H

CO
I— (
03
W
H
O
<d
03

■3

S3
U

o
u

trai

wat

02
4)

-3

3 'o 4>
o 2 _j <"

13 a>

' O) r-J

03 a>

3 Sh

O 4>
03 O 03

. a>

CJ cD

o .s

.3*3 « *
c

A to o ~

eq 3

2 >

. 02 o> 03

* kJ TS tO

3 43 S jm

o £ .2 bi

U co co

r-i CN CO

ft g

SO n

-3 I

T3
<0
,Q

03
4)
03

+->

o . o

3 TS 3

4> .3

o " O 4j .„

co ^tf £

0) _

•3 »

3 .5

03 p,

Sh a)

2 <u

ft Sh

T> °

2 4)

T 02 CD -h

C 4) H >!

o t

P i

"3 3
*• >>

£ -3
1-1 CD

03 4)
4) 03

O
O

IS CO

03 03

* bO

o o

4> .5
5 -3

- 2 1 = s S

02 ? g

0 m 3 -3 be -

g cs o a> 2 g

W j £ 5} co w

* I IP
-r3 B,

s a

Cfl 4> .

-3 02 O

CO ^>

O
Sh

02
<

2 J
02 ,-'

02 ft

ri 'H 41

O 03

h «

S t£> £ -o 3

O J) £
m !h 02 *j

b3 +j

0) bo

^2 3

"3 0
<
-)_>

3 02

o ^

§ a

-, 4)
ft -

3 03

to .2

- T3

3 (C

4) ,3

Sh bO

42 r-(

ft O
T3

4> a)

> >

3 a

-1 O
3

>;| si

h-1

.s §

O
O

CO
CO

03
Q O

M H

Eh <
co W
H S3

03 ^

-o 02 g

s I

■-■ 02

4> ?

.3 O

0 T.

bo 02

fe 3 C

* 2 ° ■« 2

P 3 H 3 w

4> S

M = ^ <2

-12 3 — J)

3 0 8

gj « .13

O 43 CD O

^ 3 w ^

h3
3

o
O

-3

02 4;
ft

03 CJ
X2 CS
— ft

.ii 4>

4) ^

-2

O fL,

c3 . 03 5

< £ 0 £

03 03 o

4)
ft

>} >>

43 bo
> 43 bxj .

g C 3

s ^ T3 cS

CN IT1 <V JS

rH X2 +-1

bo -
3 £

P ^ S3 bo to

Oh D

w _ o

W Q co

03 W W

3 ^

S to

£ 3

CO □

bo
43 3

03 43 g

_ « CD "3

j u ; io£

tj U "3 03 03

2 . a, S h3

02 >. ^0 — r

^ "3 "to £ ~

2 * 3 ^

co £ £ 3i

"3 d

«-i o .

_ <-h 02

43 02

43 3 OS

O1 fH

43
03

to u

4)
02

3 «
" 02

fc. 03

2 g
o ^

CL 3

03
-3
-
3

■3 cj
CO CO U

03 .2 ft

S O 4)

03 3

id ^ >h^

in "3 T3 3

. U 4> oi

K if. SI S

2 >>
'£ "3

S S

Sh *^

ft bo

4) "ft

£ 4) rj
3 j)

* £

CO 3

03
3

2
£

-a

£ M

c3 4.

O 03

03 ^ 3

»- . <x

3 bo

ti T3 33 ii ^

** o:

— c^
CO ~

oi 3

4, .a

. . bo

hO 3
• £3 C

v 3 _H

O 3 CO

fi^ s

T3 to « .

S h S3 S
3^ £ £
u p <; c

§3 I

H ^ CO

03 r™1 CO
ft CN ,

£ ^ «

10 'S 4>

, Sh

o o
k w a)

-3

bO 03 •

3 *j 2

C O w cS

n — *h J<

.2 3 4) 33

H-> Sh ^3 Oj

03 ft O

. 4)

^ bo «

«3

03 "2

^ ^ C3 5

OS ^H

«H ^H

3 cS
3

fe 02

43 h-j

ft O 02

•o £ £

03 43

1 — 03

b£ ft o:

C 43 S-

O 4) 03

^ Sh O

M O CJ

cS
— <

Pa^/e Eight

3 °3

I— I
Eh
CU
i— i
«

03
H

cu
o

2
a

o
o

-3

■3
-i->
cd

-3
3

u *
° -3
3

Z g

T} O

■g CD .

P > fl

« t> -2
1 »s

3 . 3

"5 o °

Ph <2 a

bX)

Sh
Cd

. -i->
r-> 02

•3

CD CD
Ti 9

ft -3

,3 +J _ -3

o
M
cd
Sh

10 K B g
TO ^, 3 3 J

pq £ Ph pj m <J

CO ITS CO E- 00

I " 02

o > a

ffl O ■* H

in
-3

ft O

& ft
S cd

bJD
3

o 33

J -3

oi cd

02^

■rH

4->

CD >,

V, V

^ ,3
■3

CD Sh

£ a

CD .3

a
<

si c

-t->
02

02 £

. CO
CD Sh

c ,2

o o
O U

,Q Sh
« ,3 03"

co f bD.g

03 bl) S

CD .g H

■° * s

« - £ *

£ 03

!J CD

O (D

O CD

CD CO

c 2

>> '>>

co _,
S CD

CD w
P5 O

b£ o

.5 02

U CD

co >

CD CO

$ 2 § ^

03
CD

i*
be

Sift

Pi
co

. o

■ • r° ft

tC fu M

O C

' CP

g a e to jS g b 9

s ft

■-1 CD

-73

PI .2

03 CD
CO CD
ft 03

bC 13
PI u

O O S3
03 S M 02 !h

ft'g

02
CO

id rf

e ™

'cd

^ s

CD O

J3 be

® 03

t3 a

cd t3 bo

« 5s

S3 _g

CD «

fn ° U

S S3 ^

ft *h -t->

1 S_i >^

£3
03

ft CD Cu

cd « cS

4- ft +J

O 03

CD Cd 03

Sh . Cd

O g CD

S ft 6

o <
3

Sh i

ft :
>»

o •
5 i

03 CD

Sh be -3
Cd -rn CD

3 Ph -3

o v
o D2 w

O P W rH

Pills

£ J Pu 03

t — J

■<JH

J->

H-l

-u

1— i

73 Sh I

-3

CD
-3
O

o
o

03 13
03' 3 CD
= |3 S

o cd o

03 02

2 cd •■-h cd

OrO S 10

■a a U

.H o 3
Sou

S3 cd

u *j *

- 2 Sh

3 cd

ft
-3

CD
>

ft CD 2

* 73 *
+j ft 03

o
o

cd
03

3 o

a c
S 1

8 .§

« 02

52 43 Sh

■3 •

CD 03

>3 C

Sh ^

cd y) 3

0) fe

3 - b

-rt u u

03 bJD

3 ^3
o

CD
bJD Sh

03 -g

CD
Sh

03 .
ft T3

O CD

CD
CD

02 <J

■3

03
« Sh

H Sh
° ft

T3
1 CD

00 03

b. ft

-3 u

o >
02 o

CO o

SU CD

<J o

3 03

,3 s a

b.§l

.3 cd

h W 3

*• ^3
O ■*->

Sh o

ft 60

4-> ^-1

3 »3
3 Sh

CD cd

o
1-3
U

E-<

H
H

c72

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.

Page Thirteen

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.

Page Fifteen

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.

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Books

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "Grass and legume seed crops for Alberta"

See other formats