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