Agriculture Commons^™

Irrigating For Rainbows, Jack Keller

Faculty Honor Lectures

Quite simply. irrigation is the act of applying water to land. It is usually done to improve plant growth and it lies somewhere between an art. a science. and plain hard work. Even though we do not often think about it. irrigation is very important to the well-being of the world. It is important because we need basic foods to survive. and luxury foods and pleasant views to enjoy this survival. For the many people directly involved in irrigation. especially farmers. it provides a livelihood which is both satisfying and peaceful. And for the few of us lucky enough to …

Utah's Future Water Problems, Wayne D. Criddle

Faculty Honor Lectures

Utah is rapidly changing from what was once predominately an agricultural state to an urban and industrial state. This shift is not decreasing our water needs; it is often intensifying these needs and creating many new problems. Perhaps we should ask ourselves-are we prepared to recognize and accept these changes? Are we really facing up to the problems that are developing or are we turning our heads and hoping they will go away? These changes involve technical, legal, and sociological problems never before encountered, some of which I should like to discuss.

Before attempting to look at Utah's water problems …

The Desert Shall Blossom As The Rose, D. Wynne Thorne

Faculty Honor Lectures

IRRIGATION AGRICULTURE has not received attention commensurate with its significance in either ancient or modem times. Although most ancient civilizations depended on irrigation for their very existence, one can consult volume after volume of history only to find irrigation scarcely mentioned. To the agricultural specialist the great challenge and the strength and weakness of irrigation agriculture is not in constructing Boulder Dams nor in planning winding canals and syphons to carry water from the Columbia River to California. The critical point is on the farms where water is applied to the soil and crops are harvested. There the real battles …

The Bunt Problem In Relation To Winter Wheat Breeding, Delmar C. Tingey

Faculty Honor Lectures

Man is forever in search of new and better crops. He has for centuries been a persistant and fairly successful plant . breeder. Ancient Chinese are credited with breeding superior varieties of rice and hybrid flowers. Indians in America produced remarkable varieties of corn, and it was not until modern corn breeders developed "hybrid corn" that they produced superior yielding varieties.

The discovery of Mendel's work on hybridization 50 years ago pointed the way to almost limitless possibilities in plant improvement through breeding. Mendel discovered that if two related individuals were hybridized, it was possible in later generations to obtain …

The Future Of Utah's Agriculture, W. Preston Thomas

Faculty Honor Lectures

Since the settlement of the state Utah's agriculture has been based primarily on irrigated farming. The major part of farm income and the livelihood of farmers and farm families comes from this type of farming. Also, Utah's hopes for agricultural expansion and development, the adding of new wealth, and the providing of employment for Utah rural people, lie in a further development of irrigation and irrigated farming. Range livestock and dry farming, when measured by income and employment of labor have been, and are likely to remain, minor enterprises when compared to irrigated farming. In this discussion of Utah's agriculture …

The Foundation Of Permanent Agriculture In Arid Regions, Orson W. Israelsen

Faculty Honor Lectures

The engineer, like other scientists, is continuously seeking knowledge and understanding of the universe in which he lives. He is vitally interested in the control and the use of the forces and materials of nature for the benefit of man. He strives for the maximum economy in the use of these forces and materials which is consistent with safety and durability. He abhors waste and he works vigorously to increase efficiency. To the engineer, mastery of the physical obstacles of life is not only a challenge-it is also an opportunity. He knows that full understanding of the physical sciences is …