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Show Alfalfa Weevil Control Cost $1 Per Acre; Earns $15 Per Acre The old plague of pastures and hay crops the alfalfa weevil will soon be coming out of winter hibernation. Experts Ex-perts are recommending that farmers in this area take care of this pest right away, with an early season program. It is estimated that control costs $1 per acre, but returns up to $15 per acre extra profit. This profit is from increased feed value and tonnage. Alfalfa weevils overwinter as adults, and lay eggs the following spring. These eggs hatch into hungry larvae, and that's when the trouble starts. Larvae eat the prowing parts of alfalfa. They have a special liking for crowns, buds, and leaves. If infestations are severe, se-vere, larvae may completely skeletonize plants, leaving only the stems. Sad but true, alfalfa weevil larvae eat the plant parts that do your cattle the most good. About 75 of the protein and calcium and about 60 of the total digestable nutrients in alfalfa are found in the leafy parts of the plant. Yields are also reduced in fields infested with alfalfa weevils. wee-vils. Usually, their damage will destroy about Vz ton of hay per acre. Even if you feed all your hay, this is a big loss to take. Fortunately, modern methods make alfalfa weevil control simple and inexpensive. One widely recommended method is to apply Heptachlor early in the season. For best results, application ap-plication should be made on warm, sunny days, before new growth of alfalfa exceeds 2 t ft les. Ju.s (ne treatment is needed. Getting the job done early kills off over-wintering adults before they can lay eggs. This, in turn, prevents larvae from developing in the spring. Thus, you get rid of the weevil problem before there is any chance of damage to your crop. Do not apply more than four ounces of actual Heptachlor Hepta-chlor per acre. This much actual act-ual chemical is contained in 1 pint of Heptachlor 2 lb. per gallon emulsifiable concentrate, pint of the 3 lb. per gallon emulsifiable concentrate, or 10 lbs. of 2y2 granules. Either ground or aerial equip-ment equip-ment can be used. It is important im-portant to get thorough coverage cover-age of plants, and to distribute the material evenly. Consult your county agent of chemicals dealer for detailed information on the use of Heptachlor, within with-in the scope of actual insecticide insect-icide label directions. But get your control program pro-gram underway now! Put that extra $15 per acre into your cattle or into the bank instead of feeding it to alfalfa weevils. |