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-
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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
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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
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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.
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