Show Drouth Threat Spurs Research On Water Mater Use Agricultural scientists In the Great Plains are pressing hard these days to come up with answers an savers to a critical farm lem drouth Most weather experts say this region Is already In a decade of drouth Research Meteorologist Emmett Pybus of Oklahoma State University says the probability ability of renewed drouth late this year vear Is better than 65 And based on 80 years of records records rec rec- the probability of continued continued con con- drouth In 1976 Is more than 90 In studying new ways to stretch limited water to get the highest attainable crop yields scientists are looking at hundreds hundreds hundreds hun hun- of factors ranging from the way plants breathe to the direction In which crop rows are ara plant planted plante t d. d Redesigning plants them them- seh allow more efficient water water- use is one approach Plants are naturally wasteful of the extract from the soil soU In fact 95 t of the water taken up tip by a plant in its It lifetime life lie time evaporates and never contributes contributes con tributes to the plants plant's sub stance Breathing pores on plant leaves exert critical control over overwater overwater overwater water m through the And if these can be genetically genetically ge regulated by scientists its it's possible water efficiency can be improved also are working work workS ing lag to ton varieties with t dot ot systems ms to follow a declining water table and with a leaf system that develops devel devel- ops bps early t td tb completely shade the soil Another Oklahoma State research research re reo re- re search project Is providing some clues from another angle One year live experiment has revealed that plants In north north- south rows lose less water to evaporation than west east rows In some seasons It was WM shown that peanuts and grain sorghum planted in north south north south directions saved up to 25 inch inch- oi 01 ol water This practice should help save irrigation water and could help carry plants through periods pe pe- pe nods of water stress whether Irrigated or not says Agronomist Agronomist Agronomist mist Jack Stone of ot the states state's Experiment Station Scientists believe the water water- savings effect from planting crops in north south north south rows may be bo due to predominant wind direction direction di di- and radiation from the sun Still another test in Oklahoma Okla Oklahoma homa has shown that plants grown In rows spaced 30 inches or less apart lose less water than traditional wide wide spaced spaced rows While Wille research payoffs usually usually ally come Ome in trickles rather r than deluges Agronomist Stone Is optimistic about the outcome Research gradually will wUl pay payoff payoff off oft with new practices and varieties that will help the farmer fight drouth and keep Americans supplied with food during adverse growing condi condi- conditions conditions he said |