OCR Text |
Show UTAH PRODUCES OWN SUGAR BEET SEED; NEW INDUSTRYJOR STATE by Clarence Schmutz UTAH'S DIXIE, well known for its unexcelled climate and the production of quality fruits, vegetables, vege-tables, nuts, basketball teams, and pretty girls, now findss itself host to a new and very promising promis-ing industry. The connecting link in two of Utah's most important agricultural industries. Since its beginning the sugar beet industry of Utah, and the i United States in general, has had the handicap of importing from Europe all the seed in the production of sugar beets for the manufacture of sugar. This caused caus-ed an annual drain of approximately approxi-mately $3,000,000 from the sugar su-gar beet growers of America. The growers, the manufacturers of .sugar from sugar beets, local and state governmental departments, depart-ments, of this state and other states where beets are produced for ugar, combined with the i federal government have spent j in the aggregate millions of dollars in attempts to make a ! success of the production of the i seed in America. Their results, i although costly, have not been I fruitless. It is the opinion of I those connected with the sugar industry that within the next two years, the major portion of the beet seed consumed in the United States will be produced in this country. For a few years the duplication duplica-tion of the European method of production was followed in the United State but without econof-ic econof-ic success. The amount of time and labor required in this method meth-od of production was too long and expensive for its successful adoption in these areas. In southern Utah the new method of production not only eliminates elimin-ates much time and labor for the grower, hut has furnished a new source of revenue for the people of this state. Most iin-j iin-j portant of all, it has reduced the j danger and costly losses for su-I su-I par beet producers due to the invasions of the "white fly" or "curly-ten'." a 'fact effectively demonstrated by the growers and the Utah-Idaho Sugar company in pxtensve field experiments in j Utah and Idaho in 1 93 4. The I (Continued on page three) SUGAR BEET SEED (Continued from first page) seed produced in the St. George area has a positive resistance to this destructive infestation. History of the Development In 192 8 some beet seed grown I in St. George by B. J. Jarvis, Jr., a very careful truck gardner, was sent into the State Department of Agriculture for testing and certification. Some of this seed was given to the U. S. Dept. of Sugar Beet Investigation as a sample for germination testing. The unusual vigor and vitality of the seed caused Dr. D. A. Pack, then head of the department, depart-ment, to come to St. George for a more thorough investigation. investiga-tion. He started officially-supervised plots for the investigation and experimentation of the sugar su-gar beet seed. This department has continued to be very active in its, study of this problem and is disclosing some very interesting interest-ing and important facts regarding regard-ing cultural methods and production, pro-duction, under the leadership of Dr. P. V. Owens and Mrs. J. C. Culbertson. After three years of careful investigation the Utah-Idaho Sugar Su-gar company was converted to the value of this seed sufficiently to try some commercial plantings. plant-ings. The seed used in these i plantings was a veriety developed develop-ed by the Buerau of Plant Industry, In-dustry, U. S. Department of Agriculture Agri-culture and was given the name of U. S. No. 1. Four and one-half one-half acres were contracted one acre to Morgan Adamson of Washington, one acre to George H. Seegmiller of St. George, and two and one-half acres to John Schmutz, of St. George. The seed was planted in the first part o'f September, 19 31. It was carefully tended and in June, 1932 a very satisfying harvest was gathered. The results of the experiments were so successful that in September, Sep-tember, 1932, four hundred acres were contracted by the Sugar company. This acreage was distributed dis-tributed throughout' the southeastern south-eastern nart of Washington Coun ty. In 1933 the acreage was increased and very satisfying yields were obtained. The crop now planted for harvest in June, 1935 utilizes four hundred sixty-five sixty-five acres, and indicates a very satisfying yield. Methods of Culture and Harvest The American people are noted for their evolutionary ideas and ability, it seems to be in the air, at least it is in this particular instance. Seasonal conditions in this territory are such that the required time for the production of seed from sugar beets has been reduced from two full-growing seasons to but ten months. The seed is planted in September and the seed crop is ready for harvest the following June. The European method has required two full growing seasons in both Europe and America, whereas seed produced by the method adopted at fit. George and other areas in the western part of the United States requires but ten months. The European method of growing beet seed followed in Europe and America requires the growing of the sugar beet, harvesting, and siloing the matured ma-tured beet through the winter months, and the replanting in the spring of the second year in order to produce a crop of beet seed. During the months of December and January, tempera-tures tempera-tures and climatic conditions change and the growth of the young beet is checked but not to the extent of destroying the beet. By this improved method of production in locations where cli-matical cli-matical conditions permit, the seed is planted in the early part of September. This gives the grower ample time during the summer months to rid his ground of foreign growth, or if proper diligence is applied, he may harvest har-vest two crops of alfalfa hay or some other early-maturing crop from this ground before planting the beet seed. The seed sprouts quickly and makes a rapid growth during the fall months if proper cultivating and tilling is applied. When the weather chills sufficiently suffic-iently to stop the growth of the young beet, it is not necessary to pull it but it is left in the ground during the winter. In climates not sufficiently cold to stop or retard the growth of the foliage of this young beet, leaves and roots only are produced. pro-duced. On the other hand, if the weather is so cold as to freeze the root of the beet, mortality mor-tality follows. The climate must chill sufficiently to check or retard re-tard the first growth, but not get so cold that the root is frozen froz-en in the ground. So far, in the experimental work and the geld trials there has not been a single sin-gle crop failure due to either cause in the St. George area. The leaves are usually frozen and appear dead, but the spring brings the new foilage and seed stalks and the seed is ready for harvest in June. The most critical criti-cal 'period in the successful growing grow-ing of b(-et seed is during its blooming period when it is absolutely ab-solutely necessary that the grower grow-er maintain the right moisture content of the soil which necessitates neces-sitates ample water supply during dur-ing this period. Failure to sustain sus-tain soil moisture during the blooming period results In a decreased de-creased production and a poor quality of seed. Fortunately, the St. George area has ample water tor the successful maturing of the beet seed crop during the entire growing period. The seed stalks, when ripe, are cut, shocked or ricked and left, to dry. The seed is then thrashed out and bagged. The methods used in harvesting are slow and mostly hand labor. Great care must be given to prevent pre-vent the shattering of the seed in handling. Several machines have been tried in harvesting this seed, but it yet remain; for someone to devise equipment that will cut the seed stalks without the losss of seed in handling. The ordinary grain thrasher, with a few alterations, makes a fair machine for separating sep-arating the seed from the stalks. Special drapes and screens are used to grade and clean the seed before it is finally bagged and sold to the planter. Quality of the Soel The value of a sugar beet crop is determined by the number num-ber of tons of beets that are produced per acre and the per cent of sugar in the beet. The sugar content o: the beet produced pro-duced from U. S. No. 1 blight resistant seed as compared to the commercial seed imported from Europe has hown that there is practically no difference in that respect, even in years when there is no damage done to the beets from the commercial sorcl by the white tiy. After years of extensive exten-sive investigation and thousands of acres grown on a commercial basis, it has been thoroughly demonstrated by the Bureau of Plant Industry, U. S. department of Agriculture and the Vtah-Idaho Vtah-Idaho Sugar company that there is practically no difference in regard re-gard to the production and the quality of the beet. During years when the beet growing areas of the west are subject to infestation of the white fly, the crop produced from commercial seed in many areas becomes almost a total failure. In 19 3 4, the Utah-Idaho Sugar company planted approximately 14,000 arcres of beets with U. S. No. 1 seed grown in the St. George area. This extensive planting has absolutely taken this seed out of the experimental stage. The results have confirmed con-firmed the former promise of this type of seed to the resistant characteristic of the curly-top disease. The results obtained in 19 3 4, which was one of the worst years for blight in the history of the industry, have thoroughly demonstrated that under correct cultural conditions, U. S. No. 1 seed means the difference between be-tween failure and success. Food Value of Beet, After Seed is Harvested After the crop is harvested; new leaves are sent out from the old beet and if properly cared for, will continue to grow the remainder of the growing season. sea-son. This produces an abundance abun-dance of green foilage for feed and also a larger beet root, both, if properly taken care of, will be a very valuable food for livestock. live-stock. The extent of this feed is not known but it is demonstrated demon-strated that it will be well worth the trouble of harvesting and curing. Some of the farmers are pulling these beets and letting the livestock eat them in the field, but they say that the feed is of sufficient value to warrant the necessary expense of proper handling and storing for winter feed. The growers of Washington County realizing the value of this crop have organized "The Superior Beet Seed Growers' Organization" Or-ganization" with the intention of having this area established as a pure-beet-seed-growing district and improving all cultural conditions con-ditions in the growing of this crop with the idea in mind of improving the quality and increasing in-creasing the production. New strains Of seed shall be grown from year to year and it is absolutely ab-solutely necessary that one strain be completely separated and isolated iso-lated from any other strain of seed grown in the district which will guarantee pure seed to the growers of sugar beets of uniform uni-form standard and high quality. |