Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Pollination Cycles And Pollen Dispersal In Relation To Grass Improvement, Melvin D. Jones, L. C. Newell

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The plant breeder is initially concerned with gaining a knowledge of the breeding behavior of his plant materials in order that improvement may be undertaken effectively. It is important to know the different characteristic pollination habits of these plants. To develop and apply techniques applicable to the improvement of a given grass crop, it is desirable to know the time of day and the number of days that the grass sheds pollen. The effects of temperature, humidity, light, and wind on pollination must be considered. Once superiority of germplasm is obtained, the most important consideration is the maintenance of this …

Carotene Content Of Native Nebraska Grasses, I. L. Hathaway, H. P. Davis, F. D. Keim

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The carotene content of twenty-four grasses native to Nebraska were determined at approximately monthly intervals from June to November. While the carotene concentration of most of the grasses was moderately high during the growing season, it declined to a rather low point by late November. With the exception of Switchgrass, Hairy Grama, Little Bluestem and Prairie Dropseed, all of the grasses contained enough carotene to supply the needs of range cattle until late November. However, only eighteen of the grasses still contained enough carotene by the latter part of September to furnish the carotene required by dairy cows. Even as …

Charcoal Rot Of Corn And Sorghum, J. E. Livingston

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

In Nebraska, the charcoal rot caused considerable damage to the 1940 grain sorghum crop in the south central counties, and the following year it caused serious lodging and reduction of yield in both corn and sorghum in all sections of the state. Field observations indicated that some varieties of sorghum were damaged less than others; thus it appeared desirable to test thoroughly all varieties to determine whether any were sufficiently resistant to be recommended for field planting or to be used in a breeding program. It seemed desirable to study the influence of soil environment on infection and the development …

The Scottsbluff Pinto Bean, J. H. Jensen

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

Scottsbluff Pinto is the name of a new variety of pinto field bean being released this year by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. The new bean variety is a selection from a cross between Great Northern and the common pinto bean. In a bean-breeding program conducted for the past several years by the Department of Plant Pathology, attempts have been made to obtain improved varieties of both field and garden beans for Nebraska. Although the breeding program was primarily concerned with the development of disease-resistant varieties, it was observed that Scottsbluff Pinto, possessing no notable disease resistance, has been outstanding …

Bindweed Eradication In Nebraska, N. S. Hanson, F. D. Keim, D. L. Gross

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

Bindweed, which is easily recognized by its creeping, entwining habit of growth, is Nebraska's most destructive weed because of its effect on crop plants. Its total annual cost to the agricultural industry of the state is several million dollars, which ultimately affects all those citizens who depend directly or indirectly upon income from agriculture.

Nitrate Production As Affected By Grain-Crop Residues On The Surface Of The Soil, T. M. Mccalla, J. C. Russel

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The purpose of this bulletin is to present the data on nitrate contents and nitrate production in tests where straw or stalk residues were left on the surface through subsurface tillage, as compared with check treatments where these residues were plowed under or were absent. Nine of these tests were at Lincoln, Nebraska, and one was at the Hastings, Nebraska, Hydrological Project. Two tests were conducted in 1939, four in 1941, and four in 1942.

Alfalfa Breeding, H. M. Tysdal, T. A. Kiesselbach, H. M. Westover

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Interest in the principles of alfalfa breeding has increased greatly with the growing "forage consciousness" of the country at large and the more specific interest developed through cooperation in the Alfalfa Improvement Conference. As is true of many other forage crops, information on the breeding behavior of alfalfa is meager. During the past few years, however, the genetics and principles of reproduction of this crop have come to be better understood and it is the purpose of this paper to bring together the available information pertaining to the improvement of alfalfa and to add certain suggestions with respect to future …

Leoti For Starch, R. L. Cushing

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The popular forage crop, Leoti sorghum, has possibilities of becoming an important special purpose grain crop for industrial utilization. Investigations of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry have shown that starch manufactured from the waxy grain of this variety has properties similar to those of tapioca starch. Tapioca starch, made from the roots of the cassava plant, has been imported by the United States to the extent of 175,000 tons annually. The chief source of supply, the Dutch East Indies, has been eliminated by the war, and domestic substitutes are being urgently sought by the industry. This type of starch is …

The Relations Of Vegetative Composition And Cattle Grazing On Nebraska Range Land, T. E. Brinegar, F. D. Keim

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The objectives of the studies reported in this paper were: (1) to obtain an analysis of the vegetation in tall and short grass range lands, (2) to observe the activities of cattle on the range, and (3) to determine the effects of grazing upon vegetation.

Bromegrass Production In Nebraska, A. L. Frolik, L. C. Newell

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

A native of the old world, from central Europe to China, bromegrass was introduced into the United States about 1884. In 1899, the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station reported that "all things considered, it is the most promising cultivated pasture grass for this state that has been tested on the Station farm." Early records of the Station show that considerable seed was distributed to farmers during the period from 1898 to 1902. A few of these early plantings are still in existence. Bromegrass increased in popularity in Nebraska until about 1910. Very little interest was shown in this crop during the …

Nebraska Pastures: Seeding And Management, A. L. Frolik, E. F. Frolik

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

Pastures are an important source of feed in the livestock industry. Approximately 70 per cent of the income from Nebraska farms is from the sale of livestock and livestock products, and for this reason consideration should be given to the maintenance of good pastures. Poor pastures, like other poor crops, are expensive. Good grass cover is also an effective means of conserving the soil resources.

Adjusting Planters And Listers For Sorghums, L. W. Hurlbut

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

It is the purpose of this circular to present data and suggestions that will aid the farmer in attaining greater success in the planting of sorghum. It has been prepared primarily for the machine operator; and, although it is not a complete discussion of planters and listers, it contains highly practical suggestions regarding the adjustment of the corn planter and lister for sorghum seed.

Vegetative Composition And Grazing Capacity Of A Typical Area Of Nebraska Sandhill Range Land, A. L. Frolik, W. O. Shepherd

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The sandhill area of Nebraska occupies approximately 20,000 square miles of the central portion of the state. Being unadapted to cultivation, the land is for the most part still covered with native vegetation. It is utilized primarily for the production of livestock, chiefly cattle. During the period 1931 to 1938 the sandhills carried annually an average of 1,041,000 cattle, which amounted to 31 per cent of the total number in the state. The management practices used in the Nebraska sandhills have gained national recognition as a good example of range conservation in the United States. The purpose of this study …

The Genetics Congress, R. A. Emerson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Mice and men reported from

Edinburgh after the Congress

(JOURNAL OF HEREDITY for

September 1939) but since then there

has been silence, as far as getting into the

record any details of the Congress. On

account of the disruption to trans-Atlantic

travel caused by the declaration of

war between England and Germany,

September 3, the American delegation to

the Congress was considerably delayed

in getting back. Only two failed ultimately

to return, Dr. and Mrs. F. W.

Tinney of the Division of Farm Crops

of the University of Wisconsin. They

were among about a dozen members of

the Congress who …

The Effects Of Stinking Smut (Bunt) And Seed Treatment Upon The Yield Of Winter Wheat, T. A. Kiesselbach, W. E. Lyness

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The depreciating effects of bunt or stinking smut (Tilletia levis Kuhn and tritici [Bjerk.] Wint.) upon the yield and quality of winter wheat in Nebraska and many other states are well known. The practical control of this disease through seed treatment has also been established and is being extensively practiced by growers. At the time these experiments were initiated in 1923, formaldehyde was the most commonly used disinfectant, while copper carbonate was just gaining recognition following its introduction by Darnell-Smith in 1915. It has been the chief purpose of the investigations herein reported to study the relative merits of …

A Zygotic Lethal In Chromosome 1 Of Maize And Its Linkage With Neighboring Genes, R. A. Emerson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

A Bolivian maize

maize with mosaic red pericarp and cob, here designated by the symbol M-M, crossed with a local inbred strain of maize having white pericarp and cob, W-W, produced in F₁ 21 M-M and 28

W-W plants, not far from the I : I relation expected on the assumption that

the M-M parent was heterozygous for pericarp and cob color, M-M/W-W.

In F₂ and segregating F₃ cultures, however, there were 130 M-M and 64

W-W plants obviously a 2 : I instead of the 3 : I relation expected. Later cultures

increased these records to …

A Proposed Method For Classifying And Evaluating Soils On The Basis Of Productivity And Use Suitabilities, Arthur Anderson, A. P. Nelson, F. A. Hayes, I. D. Wood

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

It is the object of this paper to present a method for classifying and evaluating the soils as mapped in regular soil surveys on the basis of land types, which are here defined as areas having reasonably similar productivity and use suitabilities. The standards used to differentiate land types will vary according to the desired objectives, but any material difference in yield, or in practices necessary to maintain a desirable level of productivity will justify recognition of land types. The proposed procedure involves a more detailed study of the influence which soils, slope, erosion, and drainage have on specific crops …

The Effects Of X-Rays Upon The Roots Of Zea Mays, Bernard Louis Wolfe

Bachelors’ Theses

Since. the discovery of X-rays by Rontgen in 1895, the majority of published papers dealing with the influence of these rays on plant life have considered their general effects on physiological processes including rate of seed germination and growth, respiration, and movements. A large number of investigators have worked on the morphological and cytological aspects while comparatively few workers have been interested in the histological effects of the stimulated tissues. The purpose of this thesis is to show the histological, morphological, and cytological effects of X-rays upon the root tips or the Zea Mays as well as the effects these …

The Effect Of Cultivation On Certain Chemical And Physical Properties Of Some South Dakota Soils, Oscar E. Olson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Soil Nutrient losses have followed closely in the paths of advancing frontiers in agriculture. Remedies for depletion as the result of overcropping were sought by George Washington, whose interest and investigation of soil nutrient losses probably represent the earliest attention given to land exploitation in the United States, which at the present time has become a problem of national concern. Soil losses have been attributed to a number of causes , among which are cropping, erosion, leaching, burning, and rapid oxidation of organic matter in the soil. Associated with soil nutrient losses, certain significant physical and chemical changes may occur …

Water Relations To Germination Of Zea Mays, Mary Hood

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Four experiments regarding water relations to germination of zea mays.

1. Per cent of water absorbed by seeds of zea mays with supply of water controlled and filter paper used as water absorbent.
2. Per cent of water absorbed by seeds of zea mays with supply of water controlled and filter paper used as water absorbent.
3. Per cent of water absorbed by seeds of zea mays with supply of water controlled and cotton used as water absorbent.
4. Per cent of water absorbed by seeds of zea mays with supply of water controlled and cotton used as water absorbent.

Annual Fodder And Silage Crops For Nebraska, W. E. Lyness, T. A. Kiesselbach

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Circulars

The present shortage in the seed supply of all standard varieties of annual forage crops has created a special demand for information concerning their relative productivity and the possible use of substitute crops. This circular reports the yields secured from such crops at the Experiment Station, in an effort to help farmers reach a decision as to which crops should be grown this year for roughage, and which ones especially should have their seed supply increased for use in future years. Feed value and production costs as well as yields should be taken into consideration by the grower.

Wilt And Cold Resistance Of Self-Fertilized Lines Of Alfalfas, George L. Peltier, H. M. Tysdal

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

The relative reactions to cold and wilt of self-fertilized lines of alfalfa through to the fifth generation are reported. Some of the reasons for undertaking a breeding program are given as well as methods used in the controlled cold and wilt determinations. Preliminary studies showed that reinoculating healthy individuals which had already resisted one wilt infection test served to eliminate additional plants, but the percentage healthy was much higher after the reinoculation than after the first inoculation. The foundation materials from which selections were made consisted of selected plants from a number of old Nebraska fields and a large collection …

Relation Of The Differential Fertilization Genes, Ga Ga, To Certain Other Genes Of The Su-Tu Linkage Group Of Maize, R. A. Emerson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

The Ga, or “gamete” gene of maize can be studied only or principally by its disturbance of normal Mendelian ratios of contrasted characters differentiated by genes linked with it. The amount of this disturbance can be used as a measure of the intensity of linkage between Ga and other genes of the su-Tu group.

Disturbance of the 3:1 ratio of starchy, Su, to sugary, su, endosperm has been most studied. In one of the early papers on Mendelian inheritance, Correns (1902) reported that, although crosses between most starchy and sugary varieties gave an F₂ ratio of …

Inheritance Of Resistance To Loose Smut (U. Tritici) In Certain Wheat Crosses, Bion Tolman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

During recent years the principles of Mendelism have been used extensively in the production of the new types of plants possessing resistance to various diseases. Results of this mode of attacking the disease problem have been very favorable. Old varieties are gradually giving way to newer types equal to or exceeding in quality and productivity as well as possessing resistance to one or more diseases.

Loose smut (U. tritici) in wheat, while not as serious a problem in Utah as the covered smut (T. tritici), according to Tapke (14) has caused an average annual loss of between 50,000 and 100,000 …

The Relative Susceptibility Of Alfalfas To Wilt, George L. Peltier

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Except for alfalfa seed originating from a few old fields of Turkestan and Ladak, all varieties and strains now grown for commercial seed production in the United States, so far tested, have proved susceptible to wilt. All seed lots tested from South America (Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay), Europe (France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Roumania, and Ukranian S.S.R.), Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Abyssinia), and Asia (Palestine, Manchuria, China, Korea, and Chinese Turkestan) were found to be susceptible to wilt. All seed lots of Turkestan origin so far tested are as resistant as Hardistan, or more so. Seed samples from the …

The Identification Of The More Important Prairie Hay Grasses Of Nebraska By Their Vegetative Characters, F. D. Keim, G. W. Beadle, A. L. Frolik

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

It is convenient and sometimes necessary to identify the grasses in their vegetative stage of growth. This is especially desirable in a study of the vegetation of native hay meadows and permanent pastures. This key is prepared as a guide in the identification of the more important prairie hay grasses of Nebraska. The meadows are often harvested before the floral parts of many of the grasses appear. If it is desired, therefore, to study the botanical composition of the native meadows, it becomes necessary to rely on identification of many of the grasses by means of vegetative characters.

The Nature Of Resistance In Alfalfa To Wilt (Aplanobacter Insidiosum L. Mc.), George L. Peltier, F. R. Schroeder

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

Alfalfa wilt was first discovered in 1924 in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The causal organism, Aplanobacter insidiosum, was later described by McCulloch. Since that time wilt has been reported from most of the alfalfa-growing sections of the United States and in some states it has been responsible for a rapid decrease in the acreage of alfalfa. During the past three years a number of investigators have found that certain alfalfas are somewhat resistant to wilt, whereas others are very susceptible. At the Nebraska station the results to date indicate that all common and most variegated alfalfas are very …

Fertilizer Studies As Conducted On The Carbon County Experimental Farm With Special Reference To Treble-Superphosphate, Delos Zobell

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 1927 an experimental farm was established in Carbon County, Utah. The farm is on a new irrigation tract south of the Price River and about four miles south of Price. The agricultural problems of the Carbon County Experimental Farm and the locality which it serves are distinctly different from those of most of the farming sections in Utah. The soil of this region is of a sandy, silty nature apparently with deflocculated colloids which make it somewhat difficult to manage. There is a low percentage of organic matter in this soil, and because of this and its impervious condition …

Studies Of Prairie Hay In North Central Nebraska, F. D. Keim, A. L. Frolik, G. W. Beadle

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

During five years, 1924-1928, Nebraska ranked first among the states in the production of prairie hay. Approximately 2,500,000 tons were grown annually during this period. In acreage utilized, wild hay ranked third among the field crops of Nebraska. As a forage crop in the state, prairie hay ranked first in acreage, but second to alfalfa in production. The purpose of this bulletin is to report studies made of the botanical structure and yields of the native hay meadows during a period of four years, 1926-1929, in the most prominent prairie hay producing section of the state. Four counties in this …

The A Series Of Allelomorphs In Relation To Pigmentation In Maize, R. A. Emerson, E. G. Anderson

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Introduction ... 503

The allelomorph A^b ... 504

The allelomorph a^p ... 505

Dominance ... 508

Summary ... 508

Literature Cited ... 509