P4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 20,1981 Future crop improvement means more basic research BELTSVILLE, Md. - Future increases in crop production in the United States depend upon knowledge of fundamental plant processes, said Gerald G. Still at a recent science writers briefing held during USDA’s Symposium in Agricultural Research, “Strategies in Plant Reproduc tion.” A basic understanding of plant development is already resulting in increased production, said Still, a plant biochemist with USDA’s Science and Education Ad ministration. For example, plant hormones are now used to increase yields of sugar cane and grapes Synthetic Hereford association ROSELAND, Va. - The Mid- Atlantic Hereford Association has announced a field day to be held July 11 at Blue Ridge Herefords (Flat Farm), Roseland, Va. Activities will begin at 8 a.m. with registration. A live animal evaluation contest will be con ducted for 4-H, FFA and other interested individuals and teams. Classes will include pens of bulls and heifers. John Howarth, Cleveland, Ms., vice president of the American Hereford Association, will discuss how the new grading standards will increase the potential of the Hereford breed. Craig Ludwig, AHA director of research and TPR, will comment on the National Reference Sire Evaluation Program and its changes toward the beef cattle industry. “A. 1., Extras Synchronization CATTLE SALES ★ Dairy Replacements ★ Registered & Grade Holsteins ★ Canadian & NY State Holsteins ★ 300 Holsteins to Choose From ★ Heifers of All Ages WE ALSO BUY COWS & HEIFERS Contact: Charles D. Blaisure Meshoppen, PA 717-833-2684 or 833-5624 PLANNING LIQUID MANURE STQRA6E? We Will Custom Design Your System to Meet your Needs Grain and Forage Structures Available For immediate Erection ■ ■ ■ ■ Please Clip t Mail Coupon to ■ Mi ■! ■ ■ PENN DUTCH FARM SYSTEMS, INC. [.F 6/20 I 1730 Highway 72 North Lebanon Pa 17042 ■ I am interested in “ □ Hifh Moisture Com H Haylage or Corn Silage _ Storage Storage ■ i—l Liquid Manure Storage U Replacing my old or ■ □ Please add my name broken bottom unloader ■ to your mailing hst with the Laidif M NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE TELEPHONE (include area code) NO. OF BEEF DAIRY HOGS g fruit-thinning agents prevent overloading of fruit trees with many small fruit. Harvest-aid chemicals hasten the natural maturation processes of potatoes and cotton. By altering the natural photoperiod, flowering of or namental crops can be timed for peak market need, he said. Future research could offer more information about how the time of flowering affects yields. If flowering of crops could be better planned, their fruits or seeds could develop during the best growing season, and in concert with the market. If fertilization of flowers could be synchronized, the entire slates field day and its Possibilities” is the topic to be presented by Norman Vmsel of Select Sires, Inc. Other special guests will include -Jim tadoen, American Junior Hereford Association vice president from Westhope, N.D., and Ed Brown, Blakeley Herefords, Berryville, Va. Brown will speak about fitting and showing cattle. Blue Ridge Herefords at Flat Farm, Roseland, is located at the foot of Blue Ridge Parkway, 40 miles northwest of Lynchburg, or 50 miles southwest of Charlot te ville, or 15 miles west of Amherst. Blue Ridge Herefords is now in their twelfth year of operation and consists of some 75 cows of Line-one and Sam Donald breeding. The general attend. _ZIP public is invited to Here's What You Get For Less Than 15* A Week! ARTICLES OF INTEREST on the latest trends in farming and feature stories about your farming friends and neighbors! A WHOLE SECTION OF HOME NEWS and features, recipes and columns written just for our readers! REPORTS ON OUR YOUTH...photos and articles about the next generation of farmers...our farming youth! Our total farm coverage also gives you NEWS (including Dairy & DHIA Reports)... MAR KET REPORTS...BEST BUYS ON PRODUCTS AND EQUIP MENT...FREE MAILBOX MARKET...and much, much more! growth cycle could be shortened, resulting m less exposure of the crops to weather and pests. “This type of control depends upon an understanding of the regulation of basic processes in the plants,” said Still. Future increases, will also be made by choosing desirable characteristics of certain crop varieties, and manipulating plant reproduction to favor these characteristics, observed Still. Some characteristics which have potential for increasing produc tivity are photosynthetic activity, nitrogen-fixation, and resistance to biological and environmental stresses. 4 , As an example, one current limit to soybean productivity is the short-day control of bean development. If day-neutral soybeans could be developed, soybeans could be grown more effectively in northern and southern regions. Yields of wheat, oats, barley, com, flax, and cotton could be improved by controlled maturation, or maturity to fit the growing period. Cross-breeding, to be successful, is limited to closely related species, explained Still. New \ X • > >' p.o. Box 366, Lititz, PA 17543 t m ** Phone wrimny 717-626-1164 or 394-3047 FISHER'S PAINTING ■ SAND BLASTING « SPRAY A BRUSH ' PAINTING ■ ROOF COATING ■ CEMENT COATING ■ RESTORING Commercial • Agricultural • Residential ALSO-WILL DO SIGN PAINTING AT OUR SHOP. AMOS FISHER f'eatoS^- At LANCASTER FARMING, we think we do a good job of keeping you in formed...and we have over 39,000 paid subscribers who think so too! techniques of molecular biology (genetic engineering), combined with tissue culture propagation, could result in unique new gene combinations for improved crops. These techniques eliminate some of the natural barriers to crop improvement. Also, the development of vehicles for gene transfer may be a technique for transferring desirable traits, like disease resistance or nitrogen-fixing capability, from one type of-plant to another, he said. 667 Hartman Station Rd. Lancaster, PA 17601 717-393-6530