162 AMERICAN POTATO JOURNAL [Vol. 39

NEWS AND REVIEWS

CALL FOR P A P E R S

The 46th Annual Meeting of the Potato Association of America will be held on the campns of the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks on August 15, 16 and 17, 1962. The Red River Valley Potato Growers will be the hosts.

Please send titles of papers to be presented at this annual meeting to Richard L. Sawyer, Long Island Vegetable Research Farm, Cornell Uni- versity, Riverl;ead, New York, by May 15. Along with_ the title, please include.

(a) (b) (c)

approximate time required to present your paper; if an illustrated talk, the size of the slides to be used, and the names and official addresses of the authors as you wish them to appear on the program.

As has been our custom, we will again distribute mimeographed abstracts of these papers to members attending the annual meeting. These abstracts will be published in the American Potato Journal; therefore abstracts should accompany the titles of the papers. Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. Presentation of papers should not exceed 15 minutes, and the use of 2 x 2 slides is preferred.

We would like to receive good papers concerned with problems in potato physiology, breeding, diseases, production, quality, nutrition, stor- age, transportation, processing and marketing.

Your cooperation in sending the titles and abstracts as early as possible will aid in the mimeographing of these abstracts and the prompt prepara- tion and printing of programs. Titles and abstracts received after our deadline of May 15 may not be accepted. Please bring this notice to the attention of your students and colleagues.

RICHARD L. SAWYER, Secretary Potato Association of America L. I. Vegetable Research Farm Riverhead, New York

A D A P T I N G E Q U I P M E N T FOR A P P L Y I N G C H E M I C A L S F O R I~AY-BY W E E D C O N T R O L 1N P O T A T O E S

ARTII UR I-IAw KIN S 1

Equipment for Sprayin 9 Chemicals for Lay-by Weed Control while Culti- vatinq Potatoes.

Directing a spray application of chemicals to the soil for weed control after the last cultivation in potatoes when vines are large is practically impossible with standard potato sprayers. Special equipment would have to be devised to part the vines and direct the spray on the soil. A more immediately usable practice is the use of low pressure spray equipment to spray the chemicals behind the hillers while making the final cultivation.

1Agronomist, Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn.

FOR TOP GRADE SPUDS

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Thioclan is a registered trademark of Farbwerke Hoechst A.G.

TECHNICAL CHEMICALS DEPARTMENT

N I A G A R A C H E M I C A L D I V I S I O NMIDDLEPORT, NEW YORK

164 AMERICAN POTATO JOURNAL [Vol. 39

During the past three years, three Connecticut potato growers equipped their two-row-cultivator tractors with low pressure power take- off pumps and equipment to spray weed control chemicals on the soil while making the final cultivation. They obtained good control of weeds through the season in most cases with the chemicals applied.

One of the growers built a platform at the rear of his tractor to support a 50-gallon metal barrel which was used as a container for the spray solution. Copper tubing was used to make the boom which was located behind the barrel. Two nozzles located behind each rear wheel and three nozzles on a drop pipe between the rows, just behind the barrel, were directed to spray the soil. Regular potato sprayer nozzles with No. 3 discs and 30 lbs. pressure were used to apply 8 gallons of solution per acre.

With a different kind of tractor, another grower raised the drawbar sufficiently so that the power-take-off-pump could be mounted under it. The barrel was located off-center on the drawbar.

The third grower, using a tool bar (drawbar removed), located two rectangular-shaped metal tanks of 40-gallon capacity between the wheels and the controls; the tanks were bolted to the axle housing. The spray nozzles were attached to the spades held by the tool bar at the rear of the tractor. The nozzles were directed to spray the soil behind the spades. Thirty-pounds pressure was used to apply 12 gallons of solution per acre. Rubber hose. was used to supply the nozzles instead of copper tubing.

Use of Granutar Chemical Applicator. The application of some chemicals in granular formulations permits

the use of chemicals which if sprayed on would be injurious to potato foliage.

Lay-by weed control in potatoes was obtained with granular formula- tions of several chemicals when broadcast by hand after the last cultivation in Connecticut in 1960. Hawkins (1) reported yield increases of potatoes where chemicals controlled crabgrass and caused little or no injury to potatoes. It appears desirable to make further comparisons using a com- mercially available applicator suitable for applying checnicals in granular fornmlations.

In 1961 granular formations of several chemicals were applied broad- cast with an eight-foot applicator. The granules were applied on freshly cultivated soil within a few hours to one day after the final cultivation of Katahdin potatoes in six commercial fields. No rain occurred to pack the soil between the time of last cultivation and appication of granules.

The applicator hopper was adjusted to a height of about six inches above the potato foliage to obtain satisfactory spread of the granules.

Burlap bags were attached behind the machine to brush granules from the plants to reduce injury from leaf absorption of certain chemicals. The distribution of granules appeared to be uniform and resulted in uniform control of weeds on the hills and between the rows under 1961 conditions.

Effective control of weeds was obtained with granular formulations of some of the chemicals applied at adequate rates with the granular applicator. Rains occurred a few days after application of the granules to make the chemicals effective.

1962] NEWS AND REVIEWS 165

Increases in yields of potatoes to 25% were obtained where crabgrass or barnyard grass was controlled (2) . The highest yield increase occurred in a field where a heavy population of crabgrass was controlled and pota- toes were not killed by frost until October 16.

Since the machine used was of the gravity-feed type, 2 a constant field speed was maintained to obtain a uniform rate of application. It was operated at a field speed of 4 M P H (352 feet of travel in one minute).

When calibrating the machine, it was pulled at predetermined field speed for a distance that would give 1/20 acre. The granules were caught in a piece of plastic film and the contents accurately weighed. Accurate calibrations for quantities of 20 lbs. or more per acre were more readily obtained than for lower rates.

2Manufactured by Gandy Co., Owatonna, Minnesota.

1.

2.

LITERATURE CITED

Hawkins, Arthur. 1961. Post-hill chemical weed control in potatoes with granu- lar formations. Proc. Northeastern Weed Control Conf. 15: 180-181.

Hawkins, Arthur. :1962. Lay-by chemical weed control in potatoes with granular formations of CDAA, Dalapon, and other chemicals. Proc. Northeastern Weed Control Conf. 16:178-180.

O P E N H O U S E A T U T I L I Z A T I O N R E S E A R C H L A B O R A T O R Y M A Y 22 W I L L M A R K U S D A C E N T E N N I A L

In observance of the 100th anniversary of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, a special Open House will be held Tuesday, May 22, at the Eastern Utilization Research and Development Division, 600 E. Mermaid I,ane, Wyndmoor, Pa.

Visitors will see demonstrations of research being pursued there in chemistry and chemical engineering which is finding new and wider uses for agricultural commodities. Some foods of the future, such as quick- cooking dehydrated fruit and vegetable pieces, dried whole milk, and fruit- juice powders, will be shown. Newest developments in leather tanning will be displayed, and materials made from surplus animal fats, such as plastics and lubricants with unusual properties, will be demonstrated. Scientists will be available to explain some of the modern research labora- tory.

The Division, one of four such Agricultural Research Service installa- tions in the country, is undertaking a broad program of basic and applied research on behalf of American agriculture.

One of its most famous developments is potato flakes. This and other products are serving the Nation by giving farmers larger outlets for their crops, industry new things to make and sell, and consumers a wider array of goods for their comfort and enjoyment.

Open House hours on May 22 will be 2 to 4:30, and 7:30 to 10 p. m. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

166 AMERICAN POTATO JOURNAL [Vol. 39

P O T A T O EYES K N O C K E D OUT " O P T R O N I C A I . I . Y "

Better french fried, instant mashed and other potato products produced at lower cost are the goals set for a new whizz machine that has a world-of-tomorrow name - - The Optronic D.E. (Defect Eliminator).

The idea was fathered by Jack B. Bishop, a pioneer and leader in potato processing. President of American Farm Foods Inc., Wayland, N. Y., Mr. Bishop stated that one of the industry's major problems is the high cost and waste of trimming - - that is, the removal of eyes and other defects by hand.

A prototype is now under construction with requirements for cutting the present cost of trimming by at least one half, virtually eliminating waste of potato meat, and providing maximum quality control. Mr. Bishop stated that the Optronic D. E. will also have application for removing bruises and other defects from apples, peaches, and other fruits and vegetables.

R E S U L T S O F 1961 F U N G I C I D E AND N E M A T O C I D E T E S T S

The "Results of 1961 Fungicide and Nenlatocide Tests" is now avail- able. This report is issued annually by the American Phytopathological Society, Subcommittee on New Fungicide and Nematocide Data. The report serves as a medium for organizing and presenting the summarized results of current fungicide and nematocide testing projects. Much of the information is never otherwise published or made conveniently available. Information on products available for testing, their composition and sources are also given. This report is offered by the American Phyto- pathological Society at a nominal cost as a service to plant pathologists, and other agricukural scientists.. .

Copies of this report are available at $i.00 per copy when accompanied by a remittance, $1.25 when invoiced and billed. Address orders to A. B. Groves; Winchester Fruit Research Laboratory, 2500 Valley Avenue, Winchester, Virginia. Make remittance payable to the American Phyto- pathological Society.

1962 A G R O N O M Y M E E T I N G AT C O R N E L I . U N I V E R S I T Y A U G U S T 20-23, 1962

The 1962 meeting of the American Society of Agronomy will be held, August 20-23, at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. This 54th annual meeting of ASA will also include tile meetings of affiliated g r o u p s - - t h e Soil Science Society of America and the Crop Science Society of America.

Highlights of the meetings include the presentation of 350 to 400 scientific papers on research in crop and soil science; field trips to i~earby experiment stations, including the widely known Cornell and USDA research center for climatology and photosynthesis; an outdoor barbecue; and a banquet and dance.

This is the first time the ASA has returned to the Corndl campus for a meeting since July of 1908. The 1962 meeting is expected to attract an attendance of at least 1,500, including many wives and children of society members.