WASHINGTON, D.C. East ern gamagrass, a perennial cousin to com that resists drought and withstands wet soggy soils, holds promise of becoming a dual-pur pose forage-grain crop for the 21st century, according to U.S. Depart- Farm Forum (Continued from Pago A 10) of life improved comparatively? Do we have more leisure time, do we work fewer hours and less strenuously? I don’t know about you, but I don’t, and neither do many of the fanners I know. Somehow, die farmer is the eter nal optimist, forever hanging in there, hoping and praying that tomonow it will get better, but Farm Calendar (Continued from Page A 10) Nutrient Management Advisory Board meeting, 2301 N. Came ron St., Harrisburg, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Pa. Dairy Industry Futures Forum, Penn State Scanticon Confer ence Center Hotel, University Park. Dairy On-Farm Problem-Solving Satellite Conference, down linked to Lancaster Farm and Home Center and other sites, call local extension office for details. Philadelphia County Fair, Fair- Cut Your Heating Cost With Our Outdoor Furnace Eastern Gamagrass ment of Agriculture scientists. The grass produces high-pro tein, nutty flavored grain kernels, about a seventeenth the size of com. Someday the grain may be produced to feed farm animals or ground into flour for bakery goods before that tomorrow comes for most of us, we are like that old Dutchman, “too soon old, too late smart” God bless the optimists. No one else will! P.S.: I seriously doubt whether you have the intestinal fortitude to print this one, but I sure hope you will. test, Howard County Fairground. Md. 4-H Dairy Youth Fun, Freder ick County 4-H Camp and Mon<l;i\, .lunc 6 I msd.u, .)iilie 7 Ag Technology Day, Early Sum mer Crop Management Field Session, Westmoreland Fair grounds. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. and 7 Pa. Veterinary Nutrition Forum monthly meeting. Days Inn, Lancaster. Catawissa Valley Fair, Catawissa, thru June 11. I (mi sd.n . liini' Harold R. Stoudt Hamburg 1 Corn’s Cousin With A Future savored by nutritious-conscious consumers, said Chester L. De wald, an agronomist of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Unlike corn, eastern gamagrass, which was a common sight to ear ly sealers in the eastern half of the U.S., thrives without annual re plantings. Improvements in the warm-season forage grass and its reestablishment may relieve farm ers’ anxiety in future years like 1993, when many Midwestern Helds remained wet through plant ing season. Through modem genetics, De wald and his colleagues at Wood ward, Oklahoma expea crosses between eastern gamagrass and com will be used to speed im provements to both crops. As for a dual-purpose crop, De wald said, “We still have a long way to go but it can be done.” Within the past few months, Bryan K. Kindigcr, an ARS cyto geneticist at Woodward, has re ported discovery of at least a doz en proteins or enzymes that differ between eastern gamagrass and its cousin com. ‘These enzymes could serve as markers for map ping genes in a corn-eastern gamagrass cross,” Kindiger said. “Researchers could use these markers to identify plants with the desired combinations of genes, such as for resistance to disease or insects, without having to breed such high numbers of plants.” The scientists are trying to de velop new strains of eastern gama grass with genes that feminize male portions of the flower. Such plants could produce up to 20 times as many seeds as plants without the gene. “After we develop eastern gamagrass breeding lines with many desired genes, we hope to lock in these genes for succeeding generations through apomixis asexual reproduction through seed,” Kindiger said. The research team has found that a plant must have two genes on different chromosones to apomictic. Now they are looking for an enzyme or other genetic marker that is associated with the two apomixis genes. Using mar ker assistance to select parent V oti 'e «° W |994 C * Power DRIVE mir SALE r $347 Rugged-Duty ■ Stapler Framing Nailer Available at: Blue Ball Machine Co., Inc. 1116 Division Highway Blue Ball, PA 17506 (717) 354-4478 Fax (717) 355-2611 strains with the apomixis genes would help plant breeders avoid making many crosses to produce just a few apomictic plants. Kin diger said. New generations of apomictic plants have exactly the same genes as their maternal parent. No new genes from a second parent come into play to alter the off spring’s genetic makeup. By crossing two eastern g«magra«g strains, each with a different gene tic makeup for apomixis, the ARS scientists have produced hybrids called diploids that reproduce on ly by apomixis. Coyne Named Division Manager Of Empire Livestock SYRACUSE, N.Y. Tom Coyne of Avon, N.Y., has been named division manager, for the western region of Empire Live stock Marketing Cooperative. Inc., announced Rick Smith, gen eral manager of Empire Live stock. As division manager, Coyne will be primarily responsible for the overall operations of Empire Livestock's markets at Bath, Cherry Creek, and Pavilion, N.Y., providing hands-on direction for market managers and helping to establish more uniform policies and pricing in the markets. Pre viously. Coyne was the market manager of the Pavilion operation. “During the two years that Tom Coyne has served as market man ager in Pavilion, we have seen much improvement in operations and a substantial growth in busi ness,” said Smith. “Through this new position, we intend to further utilize Tom’s knowledge and ex perience in the area of dairy cattle replacements and livestock mar keting.” The fairly recent addition of the Cherry Creek market, according to Smith, has positioned Empire Livestock for substantial growth in the western part of the state. By having Coyne manage operations in this region, the three markets will become more integrated, ex panding their capabilities, and SENCQ SN6O SALE SALE Full Round Head A fi Framing Nailer Framing Nailer "t I 9 w SALE NOW THRU MAY 31, 1994 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 14, 1994-A3l Kindiger says eastern gama grass genes for apomixis may someday be put into com breeding lines to produce asexual hybrid seed. Although hybrid vigor of apomictic plants would persist generation after generation, tempting some farmers to grow their own “perpetual hybrid” seed, commercial seed producers also could use the technology for de veloping new hybrids. A report on ARS research on eastern gamagrass appears in the April issue of Agricultural Re search magazine, the monthly publication of the Agricultural Re search Service. therefore, better serve the needs of the region’s fanners. Coyne brings more than 3S years of experience in the live stock, auction and sale manage ment business to his new position. At Empire Livestock, Coyne was instrumental in developing the highly successful Certified Grow er Calf Program and expanding the dairy replacement sale busi ness. Prior to joining Empire Live stock, he served as head of apprai sal services, farm consultant, and supervisor of construction for the Bank of Castile. Since 1966, Coyne has been actively involved in the auction business in more than 20 states. A graduate of Cornell Univer sity where he received a bache lor’s degree in agricultural eco nomics, Coyne is a member of the New York State Fair’s Advisory Board and is treasurer of the Liv ingston County Cooperative Ex tension Service. Empire Livestock has gross an nual sales of $6O million and handles more than 200,000 head of livestock per year. The majority of its consignor-members are farmers marketing cows and calves. For more information on Em pire Livestock, call (800) 462-8802. Brad Nailer SALE (‘Details In Store) 55?; $ 259 Store Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 7:30-5:00 Frl. 7:30 - 9:00 Sat. 8:00-12:00
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