D24-Lancast»r Farming Saturday, November 18,1989
NEWARK, DE. A major
objective of the University of
Delaware Agricultural Experi
ment Station’s corn breeding
program is the identification and
development of disease resistance.
In 1984, plant geneticist Dr. James
A. Hawk, plant pathologist Dr.
Robert B. Carroll and master’s
degree candidate Jose Ureta eva
luated 770 plant introductions and
573 inbreds for their resistance to
the fungus that causes gray leaf
TIMONIUM, MD. Local
and national issues affecting far
mers will be addressed by most of
the speakers at this year’s Mid-
Atlantic Conservation Tillage
Conference. Other topics will deal
with efficient use of nitrogen and
agrichemicals.
Thj sixteenth annual event is
scheduled December 13 at the
Maryland state fairground in
Timonium. Prior to last year, it
was known as the Mid-Atlantic
No-Till Conference. Crop fanners
from Delaware, Maryland, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia
and West Virginia are invited to
attend.
Sponsoring organizations
include the Cooperative Extension
at land-grant universities in the
participating states, with assis
tance from interested agribusiness
representatives. More than 800
persons are expected to attend.
Activities will begin at 8 a.m.
with free coffee and doughnuts,
plus an opportunity to visit indus
try displays in Exhibition Hall at
the state fairground. The educa
tional program will run from 9:15
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the same
building, with 1-A hours off for
lunch in the Home Arls/4-H
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Delaware Program Seeks GLS-Resistant Corn
spot (GLS), a leaf blight on com.
With the assistance of graduate
students, the researchers continue
to seek improved com varieties.
Under the direction of Professors
Hawk and Carroll, master’s
degree candidate Michael Graham
is participating in the ongoing
field studies to develop fqrn that is
genetically resistant to GLS. He
presented the results of his
research at the annual meetings of
Conservation Tillage
Building and another chance to
visit industry displays in Exhibi
tion Hall.
Tickets for the noon lunch will
be available soon at $4 from local
county offices of the Cooperative
Extension Service throughout the
Mid-Atlantic area. They must be
purchased in advance-not later
than December Ist These are not
available at the door.
Speakers and topics for the
morning program are:
“Environmental Issues Facing
Ronks, PA
“Right To
• Corn
• Soybeans
THENEW
eec * s an< * serv,ce
NORTHRUP KING
the American Society of Agro
nomy, the Crop Science Society of
America and the Soil Science Soc
iety of America last month in Las
Vegas, Nev.
GLS is a disease of com caused
by the fungus Cercospora zeae
maydis. It is generally associated
with com production in areas west
of the Blue Ridge Mountains in
Virginia. It is commonly found in
fields along creeks or river bot
toms after tasseling.
Event Highlights
Farm”
Today’s Farmer”- James Porter
field, associate director. Natural &
Environmental Resources Divi
sion, American Farm Bureau Fed
eration. Porterfield also is a mem
ber of the executive committee.
Conservation Technology Infor
mation Center, W. Lafayette, Inc.
“Nitrogen Management Based
on Soil Testing” (A new method
for efficient use of nitrogen)-
Douglas B. Beegle, Extension
agronomist, Penn State.
“How Much Chemical Do You
Now Handling:
Recendy, GLS has been on the
rise as a result of modem farming
practices. Graham, who is work
ing on a master’s degree in plant
breeding, says, “The increased
prevalence and severity of GLS
have been associated with conti
nuous corn production and
reduced tillage practices that favor
overwintering of the fungus.”
According to Graham, “Genetic
resistance appears to be the best
Really Need?”— Betty H. Marose,
Extension IPM coordinator. Uni
versity of Maryland.
“Local Issues Affecting Your
Farm”- Panel discussion by far
mers and local government offi
cials from Lancaster County, PA,
and Baltimore County, MD.
The afternoon program will
include “Handling Problems With
Neighbors” and “National Policy
and Your Farm.”
For information contact: your
local extension office.
second to none.’
control measure of gray leaf spot
since both moldboard tillage and
the application of fungicides have
adverse economic and ecological
consequences. However, to date,
few commercially available
hybrids exist that exhibit resis
tance to this organism.”
Graham’s goal is to find hybrid
com varieties that will be resistant
to GLS, eliminating the need for
fungicides while maintaining com
yields.
“Identification of various sour
ces of GLS resistance will facili
tate the production of resistant
elite hybrids,” explains Graham.
“Information on the inheritance of
GLS resistance will be useful for
determining the best breeding
strategies for incorporating resis
tance genes into elite hybrids.”
Resistance to GLS is only one
of the traits the com breeding
program looks for in its constant
search for promising genetic
material which commercial seed
companies could use to produce
the hybrids planted in Delmarva
cornfields. Hawk routinely deve
lops and screens more than 100
new com lines each year.
Bedford
Farm Bureau
Bedford, PA
814-623-6194
Rhoads Mill, Inc.
Seiinsgrove, PA
717-374-8141
Walnut Bam &
Dairy Equipment
Port Royal, PA
717-436-9429
Alfalfa
Sorghum