Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-10-25
some RESULTS
In SEED SELECTION
Alfalfa Information from an
Instructive Address
BY PHIL0 X. BLINN
COLO. EXP. STATION
Before the Scientific Section at the
Dry Farming Congress In Leth-
bridge This Week

In presenting this topic ! have no
new principles of plant breed to
elaborate, but simply to indicate the
application of some OF the approved
methods of seed selection to this
most valuauie crop, and show how it
has unfolded great possibilities OF inn
proving both the quality and incrcas-
ing the production OF alfalfa; the i'm
portance of such investigation is evil
dent when we consider that alfalfa is
the very foundation of successful
farming, not only for its hay, honey,
and seed production, but in crop ro-
tation 1t meets our greatest need. as
means of making available an mex
haustible supply OF nitrogen; thus.
preserving a balance of soil fertility.
Our first steps toward improving
alfalfa. were made with a view to in
creasing seed production, by selecting
seed from heavily seeded plants, this
was done in the fall of 1905, from
field in which most of the plants were
not producing seed very satisfactorily;
these selections were sown in COM
parative test with two other samples
from unsolicited commercial seed, one
of ordinary alfalfa, and the other of
Turkestan alfalfa from Germany; the
growth and development in this test
were observed or three years. and the
superiority of merit was so markedly
in favor OF one of the unsolicited lots.
that the first selections were abandon
ed, it being very apparent that they
were not desirable stock for seed
breeding.
Accordingly. in the spring of 1907.
a larger test OF sixiy-four plots, of
different selections and varieties OF
alfalfa frntr, a,,I
states, were sown under as uniform
conditions as possible: then to serve
as a basis for comparison and future
breeding work observations and selec-
tons from this test, and others that
have been made. have continued for
five consecutive years. and have re-
vealed some interesting and valuable
results.
1t has been clearly shown that
improving alfalfa by seed selection. is
not merely a process of finding de-
sirable traits in plant, and then in
creasing the progeny of that plant,
but it is more the problem of deter
mining the desirable qualities that
are inherent in the plant which il will
transmit should the plant be propa-
gated for seed; it thus becomes a
problem of breeding as well as of Sc
lection-and involves a process that
NAV require years TO consumate.
In some respects alfalfa seems to
be extremely variable. which may be
due chiefly to two causes, first, there
may be considerable cross pollinaiion
through the agency OF bees and 9TH
er insects. thus producing the un-
stable character OF hybrids; second,
the endless variations OF environ
ments. the soil. moisture. and climat-
ic changes which may be more evident
in forage crop. where only the leaf
and stem characters are usually OBJ
served.
1t has distinctly shown that hered-
itary tendencies in alfalfa cannot be
judged from one comparative test.
nor even the results of several years,
but rather the performance records
If individual plants and their prog
.ny for several years under different
conditions is more reliable basis.
There are many points OF contrast
| IN the different strains OF alfalfa, and
even in the same strain OF our present
commercial varieties may be plants
of wide variations that the casual OBJ
server would hardly detect; some OF
.hcse points OF difference are of
lon-cssential charcter. and doubtless
II little value. except As they might
1e correlated with some desirable
rait, for instance the color OF the
| flowers, seems to have no particular
significance eNcept as it might serve
20 trace or identify strain OF seed.
as an earmark.
There arep lants of superior hay
and seed producing traits which if de
seloped as characteristic OF a COM
mercial strain of alfalfa. would be of
| inestimable value to the farmers of
this country. and it is success along
this line that oners great encourage
ment for the practical utility OF the
alfalfa investigations.
The most definite results we have
secured thus far. has been to establish
The fact that there is difference be-
| tween the types OF crown or stooling
habits of different strains of alfalfa.
and that there seems to be direct re-
lation between the susceptibility to
| winterkilling of plants. and the char
| acter of the type of crown; a plant
that has a small upright stooling
crown with the shoots forming the
stems, starting at or very near the
surface of the soil. has its buds ex-
posed to frost injuries and is a non
hardy type, while thep liant that has
a deeper and more spreading stooling
habit. and sending out its shoots be
low the surface line of the soil an inch
or two as underground rootstems.
has most OF its buds protected by soil
and will prove hardy.
1t has been fully demonstrated that
| the alfalfas from the hot countries
| like Arabia. Ecuedor and Peru are