Plant scientist explores
UNIVERSITY PARK - Plant
scientists at Penn State are
working to build into corn plants
the ability to convert maximum
solar energy into expanded yields
of grain or forage.
The complex process of con
verting solar energy into grain in
complants is two-fold, stated
Damel-P. Kmevel of Penn State’s
College of Agriculture during
national meetings of crop and soil
scientists December 2 in Atlanta,
Ga.
Knievel and associates are
seeking ways to enable corn plants
to unprove their efficiency in using
the sun’s energy, through the
natural process of photosynthesis,
to produce high levels of car
Export grain firms must
register by Dec. 31
WASHINGTON, D.C. —All grain The registration fee Is |135 for
firms which export 15,000 or more firms which sell or ship grain
metric tons of grain annually must overseas, and $270 for export firms
register with the U.S. Department which own a controlling interest in
of Agriculture’s Federal Grain other companies engaged in in-
Inspection Service by-Dec. 31. terstate commerce.
Kenneth A. Giles, administrator USDA has mailed application
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spection Service, said registration registered. Others who need ap
is required by the U.S. Grain plication forms or more in-
Standards Act. formation should call or write
“All firms currently registered James Conrad, Regulatory
must re-apply if they exported Branch, Compliance Division, Km.
15,000 or more metric tons of grain 2405 - Auditors Bldg., FGIS-USDA,
in 1981, or plan to do so in 1982,” Washington, D.C. 20250, telephone
Gilles said. 202/447-4759.
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The second factor, he said, is
that plants must have the capacity
to accumulate and store high
levels ofcarbohydrates as grain.
Improved carbohydrates
storage is essential, he pointed out,
since high pbotosynthetic rates do
not necessarily lead to high grain
production. That’s the crux of the
problem, be affirmed.
“Our experiments with com
show that, after pollination, car
bohydrates can accumulate in
plants during periods of high
photosynthesis without increasing
the growth rate of the developing
grain.”
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solar energy to increase com yields
“To complicate the situation, we
also found that com plants ac
cumulating high carbohydrate
levels in their tissues during grain
filling had lower than normal rates
of photosynthesis,” Knievel
commented.
This means, he explained, that a
scientific “breakthrough” to in
crease plant photosynthesis would
not, by itself, improve crop yields.
Corn plants would need the genetic
ability to accept and convert ad
ditional carbohydrates into grain.
Attending the Atlanta meeting
were members of the American
Society of Agronomy, Crop Science
Society of America, and the Soil
Society of America. Programs and
events from November 29 to
December 4 made up the 73rd
annual meeting of the combined
organizations. '
The Penn Staters grew com in a
way to simulate high photosyn
thesis capacity, as yet not
developed in commercial hybrids.
Plants were grown at high and low
populations to vary the degree of
shading between plants to control
the level of photosynthetic energy
per plant. Pollination was done by
hand to control the number of
grains per plant.
Elate of grain growth per kernel
was the same for all treatments,
regardless of the number of ker
nels per ear. Where kernel num
bers were low, plants stored higher
amounts of carbohydrates in stalk
tissues than where kernel numbers
were high.
“The high accumulation of
carbohydrates occurred because
Contact
Allen B. Shirk
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 12,1981—D23
the existing kernels were unable to from photosynthesis,” Knievel
accept all of the available energy said.
Retired supervisor
spent on the farm. And now, of
course, computerization has taken
over, and the samples are shipped
to Penn Suite to be run in a central
laboratory.
The hours for a DHIA supervisor
are nothing to brag about. Brinton
remembers leaving home as early
as 3:30 a.m. to be on a farm for the
morning milking. Other times
there were late evenings when
Mrs. Brinton would patiently Wait
for supper.
There was only one occasion
when Brinton was forced by the
weather to stay overnight. He
says, “I stayed overnight because
I wouldn’t have been able to get
back the next morning. I never had
a really full circuit, so in bad
weather I could make a change.”
In his 21 years, Brinton has
experienced watching the younger
generation grow up and take over
the management of the farms in
some cases.
There have been other changes
too. By the time he retired in
October, all the herds he tested had
pipeline milkers and herds have
grown tremendously in size.
Nevertheless, Brinton doesn’t see'
larger herds as an absolute
necessity to make ends meet.
“They need to do a better job with
the cows they have,” he says. He
points out the records dairymen
use through the OHI testing
program are helpful in the overall
management of the farm, adding,
“I wouldn’t milk cows without
records.”
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(Continued from Page D 22)
He also expressed his belief that
over production is not the problem
causing the surplus in the dairy
industry, rather it is under con
sumption.
Asked how many cars he wore
out throughout the 21 years,
Brinton says, “One car probably
would have lasted the whole time if
I had used it just for that.’’
About farming’s future, Brinton
said, “I think farming has a bright
future. I think if they are in
terested they can make it, but you
can’t just start farming like you
once did. 1 think the only way is to
work in gradually.’’
Brinton and his wife enjoy
traveling, and will probably do
more of that in retirement. But he
also keeps busy with community
activities. Being groundskeeper at
the Southern Lancaster County
Sportsmen’s Club is a job which
keeps him interested and involved.
He is also a trustee at the Faith
Reformed Presbyterian Church in
Quarryville, which has recently
built a new building.
Hunting and fishing have always
been a big interest for Brinton, so
perhaps he will find more time for
that. He and his wife enjoy the
'solitude of a camp in Perry
County.
He is a member of the Slum
bering Groundhog Lodge of
Quarryville.
Just as he enjoyed his work,
Brinton now says he is enjoying
retirement.