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Show Plant breeding takes time, but pays in the long run By Justin Scharff Perpetual motion and plant Pirie stated, are subject to bad weather, excess moisture in the breeding seem inseparable. corn and the possibility of ducks Once a project gets started it stripping the field by as much appears to go on indefinitely. as 2,000 pounds per acre. And The search for variety im- late maturing varieties often In provement is delay land preparation for the time, each new introduction following crop. becomes just a stepping stone to The final proving ground for its successor. new experimental is the test success Nor is ever plot. There are two separate New guaranteed. types: 1. small packet plots are introduced which are seeded by hand due to commercially only when, and scarcity of seed and 2. research if, they show statistical evaluation plots, known as superiority over established REPs which are machine varieties. planted and machine harvested You get some idea of what in with local plant breeding is all about by farmers. tracing how Jim Linder, plant Seeds for the hand planted breeder for Funk Seeds Inplots are machine counted, the ternational, Inc., Bloomington, number of seeds of each variety Illinois, developed a new grain being related to row length, corn variety for Utah. spacing and plant population. Patience, skill and per- Packet plots contain about 25 severance are necessary traits varieties, each of which is for a plant breeder. "Up to a on two rows apdozen years may be required, planted 25 feet long and proximately says Linder, to develop a new replicated seven times. grain corn variety. After two successful years in Linders breeding program was shaped l&je a pyramid. The bi;oad bas'eii marking the beginning of the project or triangle included several thousand jgnetic crosses. During the4arly generation screening andtesting period the base was gradually narrowed until just a tew combinations reached the (pp of the pyramid. Linders major objective was to develop a hybrid that would combine early maturity with high yield plus, wide adaptation never-endin- Shots will not cure all to Utah growing conditions. The parenti. selected for of the new inthe ns troduction, rJesented a wide ; . ; cross betw fearly and late maturity geJplasms. A big difference parent lines, increases Lnder expajoed, the potentiaLfet hybrid vigor or what is ofJ referred to as maximum fatefosis. Linder his staff high cost recognized of propana encouraging farmers t(LJyitch to early maturing vajuties in order to reduce theiraSfing costs. If an early, higB3elding variety could be ajbaloped, they reasoned, might attract growers wtML'.previously had planted otheif- - crops and thus increase grain corn acreage. Big yield potential would be inherited from the parent possessing the late maturing germ Generally plasm. speaking, Linder explained, the later the variety the greater the yield potential. Another trait desired for the new hybrid was efficient combining. Hus means the cob would be strong enough to remain intact as it passed If the through the combine. cobs break up, Linder pointed out, some corn may be lost. Still another objective for was a small cob with deep kernels. According to Roger Pirie, Agricultural Division Manager for Germains, Inc., a century old western seed Arm and a Funks Associate, the importance of breeding earliness into a grain com for Utah ffcthe cannot be d. "Late maturing varieties, disease Dont consider vaccination a panacea that will solve all problems in disease control. That caution has been repeatedly stressed in extension animal health seminars held throughout Utah. Vaccination should always be with sanitary and measures good management designed to prevent the introduction and spread of infection. It is a big help in controlling many livestock diseases, but the immunity can be overcome by massive exposure or by moderate contact with a highly virulent strain of the infecting agent. Stress caused by poor environmental conditions also may overcome the protective immunity. Do not needlessly subject vaccinated animals to stress and do not carelessly expose them to possible disease threats. Good vaccines selected to fit the disease problems of the particular locality provide protection if used properly. This requires planning, adequate records, and correct handling. The vaccines must be ad ministered to healthy animals at the recommended ages. Vaccination requirements should be evaluated by the who has veterinarian knowledge of the herd and is aware of disease prevalence in the area. The Utah Veterinary Medical Association, Utah Cattlemens Association and Utah State University Extension, and supplemented departments of Veterinary and Animal Science, have cooperated in sponsoring the seminars. Science the hand planted plots the best performing varieties graduate to the research evaluation plots which include from six to ten varieties, planted six to twelve rows per variety and running the length of the field. The research agronomists of both Funks and Germains evaluate the agronomic traits of all entries in the test plots. A rating system ranging from 1 for perfect to 10 for poor is used. Top performance averages a rating of from 2 to 3; a scoring of 9 or 10 would be considered a complete failure. like all grain varieties, was evaluated for yield, maturity, stalk quality (standability), ear quality and ear height. Yield data of all test plot varieties is computed to a 15.5 moisture percent by a portable moisture tester. The readings provide a basis for comparing yield potential of different varieties even though their moisture content at harvest time may differ. Based on its test plot scoring, Linder stated, should prove highly adaptable for Utah growing conditions. Its outstanding traits, he concluded, "are top yield potential, earliness, standability, good ear height and excellent cob strength. D D D D 0 D D D Zeeman s Rental & Sales D D D D D D 3 D D Power Rake Power Lawn Rakes Lawn Sweepers Steam Rug Cleaners Weed Burner Edgers D Garden Tillers D Mowers Hedge Trimmer; D D D D D D D D For Contractors Rotary Drills & Bits Chain Saws Power Trowel Cement Mixer-WheBarrows Cement Tampers Sewer Snake & Pump D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D el D D D D, 1st N. 800 E. Payson D D 0 0 |