Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Performance Of Alfalfas Under Five Management Systems, W. R. Kehr, E. C. Conard, M. A. Alexander, F. G. Owen

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This bulletin reports stands, forage yields, and other agronomic data on alfalfas of diverse origin or type tested under five management systems at Lincoln, Nebraska. Narrow-crowned and broad-crowned types were tested. The management systems involved non-irrigated alfalfa-bromegrass tests (a) continuously grazed with steers, (b) cut for hay, and (c) rotationally grazed with sheep; an irrigated alfalfa-bromegrass test rotationally grazed with dairy cattle; and irrigated tests of alfalfas in pure stands cut for hay.

The Development Of Irrigation In Nebraska, 1854–1910: A Descriptive Survey, Martin Evald Carlson

Department of History: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Preface (excerpted)

The primary purpose of this study is tto trace the development of irrigation in Nebraska from the organization of the state as a territory in 1854 through the rest of the nineteenth century. This period covers the first four stages through which irrigation progressed: individualistic, corporate, district, and state. A brief discussion of the North Platte Project is included, however, in order to carry the story into the fifth and final stage--the development of irrigation with Federal aid, as provided for in the Reclamation Act of 1902.

The emphasis of this work is on the irrigation movement and …

Studies Of The Mechanisms And Sources Of Spotted Alfalfa Aphid Resistance In Ranger Alfalfa, W. L. Howe, W. R. Kehr, M. E. Mcknight, G. R. Manglitz

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Mechanisms and sources of spotted alfalfa aphid resistance in Ranger alfalfa and its five parental strains were investigated during 1957-1960.

Relationship Of Self-Fertility, Pollen Abortion, And Micronuclei Number To Agronomic Performance In Alfalfa, P. P. Rotar, W. R. Kehr

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The purpose of this investigation was to study self-fertility, pollen abortion, and meiosis in a randomly selected population of Ranger alfalfa clones and their polycross progenies, and to relate such information to agronomic data obtained on the same materials.

Side-Oats Grama In The Central Great Plains, L. C. Newell, R. D. Staten, E. B. Jackson, E. C. Conard

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Side-oats grama, Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr., is a warm-season grass distributed widely in the native grasslands of continental United States. It has long been considered a valuable forage grass. Its habit of growth and favorable seed-producing qualities have suggested its suitability for domestication as a pasture crop. Investigations which contributed to the domestication of side-oats grama were conducted at the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station in a 12-year period, 1948 to 1960. Field trials were carried on to evaluate forage and seed yields of selected strains and varieties from different regions. The photoperiodic responses of these strains were studied under controlled …

The Effects Of Irradiating Dormant Maize Seeds With Xrays And Thermal Neutrons, Rosalind Morris, E. F. Frolik

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

In 1951 a research program was started at the University of Nebraska to compare the developmental effects of thermal neutrons and X rays on different crop seeds. Three crops, barley, tomato and maize, were chosen for additional information involving induced chromosomal aberrations and seedling mutations. The maize investigations are presented in this bulletin, along with a comparison among the three crops with respect to irradiation effects.

The Performance Of Alfalfa Synthetics In The First And Advanced Generations, W. R. Kehr, H. O. Graumann, C. C. Lowe, C. O. Gardner

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

During alfalfa breeding investigations conducted at the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station, numerous superior clones were selected and tested as clones, and in polycross progeny tests. Information was needed on the performance of synthetic varieties in the first and advanced generations, on the optimum number of clones to include in a synthetic variety, and on parent-progeny relationships. Clones with high general combining ability for forage yield as measured by polycross progeny tests, and in certain instances specific combining ability based on single-cross tests, were intercrossed in various ways to produce synthetic varieties. A group of synthetics varying in number of parents …

Progress From Recurrent Selection Procedures For The Improvement Of Corn Populations, John H. Lonnquist

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The possibilities of developing synthetic varieties suitable for the fringe areas of the corn belt, where cost of hybrid seed is high relative to the value of the expected crop, and in areas where hybrid corn might not be a feasible approach for other reasons, made it seem a worthwhile objective for study. Effort has been made in recent years to increase the productivity of hybrid combinations through selection of new superior lines using standard breeding procedures. The limited progress realized has resulted in an increased interest in the possible use of alternate methods for the development of superior germplasm …

Microorganisms And Soil Structure, T. M. Mccalla, F. A. Haskins

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

SUMMARY

Good stable soil structure is valuable for promoting the growth of plants and micro-organisms by permitting enhanced aeration and water penetration and by decreasing erosion under some conditions.

Micro-organisms influence water percolation through the soil. They may plug up soil pores with byproducts of growth and reduce water percolation. On the other hand, if a soil containing a large amount of microbial products is stirred and allowed to dry, then the percolation may be high.

Micro-organisms are involved in stabilizing soil structure by their products of decomposition and their cellular binding material, such as mycelia. Microorganisms differ greatly in …

Pensternon In Your Garden, Glenn Viehmeyer

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A new race of hardy perennials is beginning to appear in American gardens. These are the penstemons, a genus of plants closely related to the familiar snapdragon, which may become important ornamentals as they become better known to gardeners. The purpose of this bulletin is to show the possibility of the genus as an ornamental and to suggest species and species hybrids of possible value to Great Plains gardeners; to provide information about propagation and culture; and to encourage gardeners to engage in penstemon breeding as an avocation.

Genetic Studies Of Winter Hardiness In Barley, C. R. Rohde, C. F. Pulham

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

An important obstacle toward the development of winter barley varieties with a higher level of winter hardiness has been the deficiency of genetic information on this character. The primary objective of these studies was to obtain information on the genetics of the winter hardiness of a group of 18 winter barley varieties which originated from widely different geographic areas of the world. It was hoped that this information might be helpful in determining whether or not it would be possible for barley breeders to combine different genetic sources of winter hardiness and attain a higher level of hardiness than presently …

The Significance Of Xenia Effects On The Kernel Weight Of Corn, T. A. Kiesselbach

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The purpose of this paper is to appraise the xenia effects of the pollen parent on the kernel weight of corn (Zea mays L.), and to interpret so far as possible their genetic, physiologic and applied significance. The conclusions will be based on local experiments and a review of the literature.

Yields In Different Cropping Systems And Fertilizer Tests Under Stubble Mulching And Plowing In Eastern Nebraska, F. L. Duley

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The material in this report will be confined chiefly to studies on crop production with stubble-mulching compared with plowing. Major cash crops have been studied in different rotations including legumes and non-legume crops. In all tests, plowing has been compared with subsurface tillage. Different types of equipment have been devised and tested for the various operations during the course of these studies.

Agricultural Aircraft Equipment, N. Shafer

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

This bulletin gives a detailed account of the installation, operation, and performance of spray dispersal equipment as tested on the Piper PA-18A airplane. Equipment is also applicable to other types of agricultural aircraft now being used. A list of various aircraft equipment and where it can be obtained is included.

Origin And Performance Of Ranger Alfalfa, W. R. Kehr

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Ranger alfalfa was developed through the cooperative efforts of personnel of the United States Department of Agriculture and the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and released for seed increase in 1940. It is a winter-hardy, bacterial wilt resistant variety synthesized from five basic strains selected from Cossack, Turkistan and Ladak. Breeding methods used in the development of this variety were described in detail. Research results obtained on the performance of the basic strains and on the seed lots, produced under certification procedures, in controlled wilt and cold tests and forage yield trials under field conditions at the Nebraska station were presented …

Symptoms And Control Of Zinc Deficiency In Corn, F. V. Pumphrey, F. E. Koehler

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The purpose of this publication is to describe zinc deficiency symptoms in corn and to present recommendations for applications of zinc fertilizer.

Revised Grain Standards...Their Effect On Nebraska Wheat In 1957, J. A. Goodding, C. J. Miller

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

Although Federal grain standards for Hard Red Winter Wheat were revised in 1957, a Nebraska Experiment Station study shows that the new regulations had very little effect on grades received by wheat marketed at country points by Nebraska farmers in 1957. Results of the study are described in this circular.

The Effect Of Inbreeding Diallel Crosses Of Inbred Lines Of Corn Selected For High And Low Combining Ability, Melvin Dale Rumbaugh

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The present day hybrid seed corn industry is based upon the development and utilization of inbred lines in hybrid combination. Current breeding procedures are largely predicated on the assumption that the actions of complementary, dominant or partially dominant favorable genes are responsible for the heterosis observed in the hybrids produced. If heterosis were due in considerable part to nonallelic interactions or to overdominance, the present breeding procedures might be expected to yield superior hybrids but would not be highly efficient.

Since the proposal of complementary growth factors as a genetic explanation of heterosis and the alternative proposal of physiological stimulation …

Effect Of Time Of Cutting On Yield And Botanical Composition Of Prairie Hay In Southeastern Nebraska, Elverne C. Conard, Vincent H. Arthaud

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Approximately three and one-third million acres of native prairie are harvested annually in Nebraska for hay. In the four-year period 1948-1951, the State ranked first in wild hay production with an average yield of more than two and one-quarter million tons per year. This crop is an important natural resource in Nebraska's livestock industry. Studies were initiated in 1945 to determine the effects of time of cutting on the yield and feeding value of prairie hay in southeastern Nebraska. The studies were continued through the summer of 1952 to determine the effects of different cutting treatments on the vigor and …

Field Bean Production Under Irrigation In Nebraska, F. V. Pumphrey

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The purpose of this bulletin is to bring together the latest information available on the production of dry edible beans under irrigation in Nebraska. Cultural practices and disease control are stressed, but included are items on marketing, cleaning, and the use of by-products - straw and cull beans.

Rate Of Potato Tuber Growth On Dryland At The Box Butte Experiment Farm, H. O. Werner

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Relatively late planting of potatoes, i.e., between June 12 and 25, has become the prevailing practice in the dryland areas of western Nebraska. Late planting distinctly improves the color and type of tubers, and reduces losses due to insects and diseases (especially soil-borne diseases caused by Fusarium and Streptomyces). Growers must decide each year whether the increase in yield and tuber maturity gained by delaying harvest will be offset by the risk of impaired tuber quality due to scab or possible serious field frost damage. Information about the rate at which tubers are developing by various dates is essential …

Streak Mosaic Of Wheat In Nebraska And Its Control, R. Staples, W. B. Allington

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This bulletin reports the results of studies on the epidemiology of wheat streak mosaic under Nebraska conditions. Particular attention is given to the occurrence and certain characteristics of the mite vector of the virus, the relation of weather and other factors to some of its activities, a correlation of certain mite situations with epidemics of the disease, and recommendations for disease control.

Introduced Forage Grasses For Nebraska, F. D. Keim, L. C. Newell

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

This circular presents illustrations, descriptions and recommended usage of fourteen introduced cultivated grasses that are worthy of practical consideration in Nebraska. Most of them can easily be identified by comparing plant specimens with the illustrations and descriptions. This circular has been prepared for use by farmers, county agricultural agents, teachers and others who are interested in our most important grasses. Station Circular 59 contains information and illustrations of the more common native perennial grasses of Nebraska.

Answers To Questions About Partridge Pea, T. H. Goodding, J. C. Russel

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station has been working with partridge pea since 1944. Seed has been distributed for tests, and several farmers are now growing it. It is primarily a plant for soil conservation and soil improvement. Its value in comparison with other legumes have not been fully established.

Commercial Fertilizers For Winter Wheat In Relation To The Properties Of Nebraska Soils, R. A. Olson, H. F. Rhoades

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

It is the purpose of this bulletin to report the investigations that have been made correlating soil properties and fertilization practices with yields of winter wheat. Since the success or failure of fertilization practices is so dependent on specific soil conditions, an attempt has been made here to further characterize the major soils of the different sections of the state which are devoted to wheat production and to analyze fertilizer practices and results in relation to the soil properties determined. The data are summarized for the four sections of the state designated as southeastern, east-south-central, west-south-central and western Nebraska. These …

The Use Of The Monoploid Method For The Production Of Homozygous Diploid Lines Of Corn, Melvin Dale Rumbaugh

Open Access Master's Theses (through 2010)

The development of a practical method of breedings corn through the utilization of homozygous lines obtained from the doubling of monoploids will depend upon the obtaining of a reasonably high rate of monoploids from any particular stock, representing desirable gametes for corn production, and on the successful doubling of such monoploids. This study is an investigation of various aspects of these problems.

Approximately one hundred twenty thousand individual plants representing the progenies of eighteen crosses of corn were examined for monoploid sporophytes. Monoploids were found to occur at a mean frequency of 0.82 per thousand seedlings screened. Significant differences in …

Inheritance Of Sterility, Flower Color, Spinelessness, Attached Pappus And Rust Resistance In Safflower, Carthamus Tinctorius, Carl E. Claassen

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Since literature pertaining to breeding and inheritance in safflower was found to be very limited, fundamental research was instituted to determine: (A) a method for making controlled crosses, (B) the amount of natural crossing that occurs, (C) the association of oil content of seed with other seed and plant characteristics, and (D) the mode of inheritance of sterility, flower color, spinelessness, attached pappus and rust resistance. Results on natural and controlled crossing in safflower and the association of oil content in seed with other plant and seed characteristics have been reported. It is the purpose of this bulletin to report …

Fertilization And Improvement Of Native Subirrigated Meadows In Nebraska, P. Ehlers, G. Viehmeyer, R. Ramig, E. M. Brouse

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

It is the purpose of this circular to summarize the 1948-51 results of fertilizer applications upon subirrigated native meadows. It is upon these lands that the cattleman depends to a large extent for winter feed.

Microorganisms And Their Effects On Crops And Soils, T. M. Mccalla, T. H. Goodding

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

Many of the cropping and tillage practices that a farmer uses are effective in crop productivity because of their influence on microbial activity.

Hairy Vetch For Nebraska, T. H. Goodding

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

Hairy vetch is a winter annual legume. It may be planted either in the spring or fall. Hairy vetch often succeeds on soils where sweet clover and alfalfa fail. It is more tolerant to acid (lime-deficient) soils than most leguminous crops.