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Show HqUJ 0008898 for Ifdi ffOiipS ed grass. Through the hybridization hy-bridization process the rhizome rhi-zome characteristic of quackgrass has been tamed. Germ plasm of this hybrid has been released for other scientists to work with in their grass breeding. A Russian influence Is also being seen in the grass development. de-velopment. Bozoisky, a strain of Russian wild rye, was obtained by Doug Dewey, research plant geneticist, during a visit in 1978. Selections Se-lections from It are being increased and will be available avail-able this summer for people to see in the North Logan area as will improved strains of crested wheat -grass. How well will these grasses grass-es produce under Utah range conditions? How well will livestock and wildlife utilize utili-ze them? How susceptable will they be to range Insects? In-sects? As the answers to these questions are determined, deter-mined, Utah can look for benefits of new improved grasses for the ranges. Many authorities agree that range lands not suited for intensive cropping offer greatest potential for additional ad-ditional development in Utah and other western states. Some new grasses being selected se-lected and bred by research geneticists with the USDA Crop Research Lab at Utah State University look promising prom-ising for that role. This year several' grasses grass-es are being field tested at a number of range sites in Utah and Wyoming, and further data is being collected col-lected in research plantings near. Logan. People responsible res-ponsible for managing the ranges, and others interested interest-ed will be watching closely. If the more promising ones continue, to test out favorably, favor-ably, you can expect seed to be available within two to three years. Experiments near Farm -ington are producing breeder breed-er seed simultaneously with the final testing phases, and researchers aim to shorten the normal time period by about two years for getting new seed material out. A really good hybrid com -bination between bluebunch wheatgrass (Agropyron spi-catum) spi-catum) and quack grass (Agropyron repens). It incorporates in-corporates the desirable qualities of a standard range grass and an agressive weed to produce a highly productive and widely adapt- |