- School of Veterinary Medicine PUERTO RICO: · Agricultural Experiment Station Agricultural Experiment Station and College 1980 Actual $98,576 51,921 148,637 6, 145 58,795 54,644 67,793 2,791 74,501 19,280 12, 199 28,671 118,702 73,301 PAYMENTS UNDER THE HATCH ACT The Hatch program of research at the State agricultural experiment stations is aimed at improving rural living conditions, conserving resources, and promoting efficient production, marketing, distribution, and ultilization of crops and livestock essential to the food supply or health and welfare of the people of the United States. The following is a description of current activities and selected examples of accomplishments from these appropriated funds: 1. 2. NATURAL RESOURCES Current activities: 11 percent of total Hatch funds for research. Included are soil and land use, water and watersheds, outdoor recreation, environmental quality, fish and wildlife, and remote sensing. Selected examples of recent progress: Water Storage and Runoff. A model for calculating surface storage of water and runoff amounts was developed by engineers at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station for a plot using grid elevations. The model, which operates independently of rainfall and infiltration rates, was applied to field observations on sixteen plots, before and after rainfall application. The results showed that limited runoff occurs concurrently with buildup of micro-relief storage. Percentage of area contributing runoff increases by steps. Microrelief storage was increased three to four times by plowing, but was substantially reduced by subsequent rainfall. Simplified Drip Irrigation Design. University of Hawaii agricultural engineers nave developed a manual for simplified design of drip irrigation systems. The manual enables the designer to select the degree of variation in distribution of water in the field which he can accept. Then the lateral and submain can be rapidly designed for various topographic conditions, field size, types of lateral line and rates of application. In addition, main line design for either simple or complicated distribution systems can be easily handled using the straight energy gradient concept developed at the University of Hawaii. The manual includes charts for design with explanations and examples of their use. For cases of uniform slopes, a pocket-size design calculator consisting of three charts with explanation has also been developed. This calculator is all the designers need in the field for drip irrigation design. Programmed Irrigation. Test results at the University of Nebraska showed that up to 30 percent of the water normally used in irrigation can be saved without crop loss with programmed irrigation and rates determined by instrumented measurements of rainfall and soil moisture conditions. These results, and the programming information necessary to achieve them, have been widely disseminated throughout the state. In 1979, a survey by the Nebraska Energy Office found that 1.8 million acres (25 percent) of the state's irrigated land) were programmed, saving $26.9 million in direct energy costs and $12 million in reduced percolation of nitrogen fertilizer into the aquifer for that year. FORESTRY RESOURCES Current activities: 2 percent of total Hatch funds for research. Forestry related research under Hatch is closely coordinated with the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Research program which has similar research objectives. The Hatch forestry research program is characterized by a higher degree of multi-institutional or regional projects. Soucted roles of recent progress: Air Drying Techniques to Control Surface Checking in Refractory Hardwoods. Scientists at North Carolina State University have developed and tested a method for drying oaks and other hard-to-dry lumber with greatly reduced surface checking and other degrading. Use of plywood sheets to slow the movement of moisture from the lumber surface could reduce the dollar loss for all hardwoods by one hundred million dollars annually. Fertilization Nutrition of Southern Pine. Florida researchers have produced results showing how minimal preparation of forest sites for replanting can cut investments in fertilizers to replace harvested nutrients and reduce fuel use in site preparation. More complete harvesting of wood material and leaving a blanket of slash and forest floor material to protect mineral soil with slow release of nutrients resulted in 30 percent taller slash pines after 3 years. Coniferous Tree Improvement in Minnesota. Minnesota is moving out of a period of forest surpluses. This is a threat to the State's forest products industry which contributes one billion dollars annually to the State's economy. Through research, genetically superior, more productive nursery stock for reforestation can be developed. Before superior trees can be planted or harvested, superior parental material must be identified, collected or developed and grown to sexual maturity in seed orchards. Research has demonstrated that a five percent increment in growth rate is to be expected in the first improved generation with red pine, Minnesota's most widely planted species. Potential gains in other softwoods are even more impressive--10 to 11 percent with jack pine and 20 percent with white spruce. Additional increases in production are anticipated in the second and subsequent generations. The acreage that will be reforested yearly in Minnesota is expected to increase from 18,500 acres to 55,000 acres by the year 2000. Most of this will be planted to red pine, jack pine, white spruce and black spruce. The State's forests could double their production with genetic improvement, tailoring the strain to the si, ftilization, better site preparation, and better control of competing vegetation. 3. CROPS PESOURCES Current activities: 40 percent of total Hatch funds for research. Included under this research prograr grouping are crop protection and production systems for dependable and efficient production, quality improvement, quality mainterance, product development, and related commodity aspects of marketing of crops. Selected examples of recent progress: Wild Perennial Corn, in Exciting Gene Resource. A team of Ohio scientists is exploring the potential use of a wild relative of corn as a source of maize virus reistance for modern corn hybrids. Zea diploperennis, a previously unknown perennial teosinte," was discovered in 1978 in the Sierra de Man atlan Mountains in Jalisco, Mexico. Preliminary studies by the Ohio scientists revealed that Zea diploperennis is resistant to major corn viruses, including maize chiorotic dwarf virus, maize chlorotic mottle virus, and maize streak virus. It also is tolerant o maize dwarf mosaic virus (strain B), mize rayad. no virus, and maize stripe virus. All of these virus diseases cause icises of varying seriousness in different maize (corn) production areas of the world. First crosses of Zea diploperennis are now being grown to see whether the resistance can be transferred and recovered. Potential resistance of the wild corn to such damaging insects as European cornborer, corn rootworm, and cutworm is being examined. Genes for higher yields, improved nutritive quality, or greater root and stalk strength may be derived from Zea diploperennis. Because the wild corn is a perennial, scientists are looking at the remote possibility of developing a perennial corn hybrid sometime in the future. In its native habitat in Mexico, Zea diploperennis has very prolific vegetative growth. Thus, it has also created interest in its potential for production of biomass for fuel alcohol. It is estimated that it may take as long as 20 years of concentrated efforts to realize the full potential of Zea diploperennis, considered by many botanists as the missing link in the evolution of corn. High Quality, Semidwarf Durum Wheat Varieties, a First. North Dakota State University (NDSU) in cooperation with SEA/AR has developed and released several new durum wheat varieties in recent years. Cando and Calvin are the first high quality, semidwarf durums produced in North America. The grain yield levels of these semidwarf durums have been equal to the highest yielding hard red spring wheats. These varieties will not shatter or lodge under the highest fertility and moisture conditions. Edmore and Vic are the first NDSU durum varieties with high gluten strength. They will improve the export demand for U.S. durum since some countries prefer a durum which will produce a higher cooked pasta firmness. Edmore and Vic also are superior to all other durum varieties grown for kernel size, spaghetti color and resistance to the root-crown rot disease. For each dollar invested in durum wheat breeding research at NDSU, approximately $130 dividend is returned to North Dakota producers and for the State's economic benefit. The yield advantage of first Ward (1972) and later Botno, Rugby, Crosby (1973) and Cando (1975) over earlier varieties such as Leeds have netted nearly $120 million additional income to North Dakota producers since their release. The first semidwarf varieties Cando and Calvin will bring additional financial benefits to North Dakota over even the more recent high yielding varieties while maintaining high levels of quality and disease resistance. Sunflower Oil for Diesel Engines. Tests using sunflower oil as a fuel for diesel engines at North Dakota State University indicate that this energy alternative has a good potential for success. In the 1979 crop year, 3 1/2 million acres of sunflower were produced in the state. The hybrid varieties of sunflower that are grown have an oil content of about 40 percent. The energy in No. 2 diesel fuel is about 140,000 btu's per gallon, while the energy in sunflower oil is about 128,000 btu's per gallon. Sunflower is yielding up to about 2,000 lb per acre in North Dakota. The average yield is about 1,400 lb per acre. At 1,400 lbs per acre, an oil yield of 73 gallons per acre is available. If three-fourths of the oil can be extracted on the farm, the yield would be about 55 gallons per acre. Fuel requirements for crop production are about 5-7 gallons per acre. The fuel from one acre of sunflower then could produce another 8-11 acres of crop. Emphasis in the research is being placed on the processing of the oil on farms or in community processing plants. This would provide a source of fuel that would be independent of the national transportation system. A small auger press being tested will extract 75 to 80 percent of the oil from the seed. A major part of the sediment can be removed from the oil by settling. Final filtration of the oil has yielded a product that will burn in a diesel engine. Short term tests with engines show that the sunflower oil can be blended with diesel fuel satisfactorily. One hundred percent sunflower oil is being used regularly as a fuel in the testing program. Improving Potatoes by Cloning. Cloning techniques have been developed for regenerating single leaf cells of commercial potato varieties into complete |