Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1912-08-02
GRAIN RUSTS.
E. M. FREEMAN, Chief Of d.
vision Of Vegetable PathoI-
osy, MINI. University Farm.
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Usually once or twice in a decade
sections Of the wheat growing area of
the United States are swept by dis
ease which is known as rust. Epi-
denies are usually more severe In the
spring wheat areas of the Northern
Mississippi valley than in any of the
other large grain growing districts.
In Texas, at least in the cehtral part,
it is even more severe than in the
spring wheat states. Not only are
wheatfields infested, but the disease
is even more serious on oats. In fact
the rust constitutes prohibitive fac
tor in the growing of oats for grain
in certain Southern states.
There usually comes time, in the
progress of any given crop Of wheat,
when farmers and elevator men, and
others who are interested as growers
or spectators, become apprehensive
in regard to the outcome of that crop.
Usually this occurs in early July,
when the first reports of wheat rust
appear in the papers. The rust is
usually present, however, in the fields
some time before the reports appear.
In fact the rust is almost always pres
ent, and can easily be detected in the
air, at almost any time, by filtering
the spores out of the air and examin-
ing them under the microscope. One
will find spores of the rust in the air
at all times from early spring to late
in the fall.
The questions of vital importance
to the farmer are, first, how can he
tell if the rust will be severe, and
second, what can he do to prevent it.
Neither of these questions can be an
swered at the present time with en-
tire satisfaction. Since the rust is
always present to certain extent 1t
are really the determining factor in
the epidemic. The prevailing notion
among farmers, and even among Ger
tain scientific men, that hot, muggy
weather, with abundant rainfall, is
good rust weather is apparently not
correct. The rust spores grow best,
and the rust parasite itself grows
best, in cold weather. It has been
found that the last two great epidem'
les in the spring wheat states, namely
those of 1904 and 1911, were brought
on by a cool spell Of weather between
the heading out time of the wheat and
harvest. If this period is delayed by
cold spell which at the same time
Is the most favorable for the growth
Of the parasite, and which further
more furnishes plenty of moisture IL
the form of dew, even though rain is
not present, then rust is almost sure
to follow. Since the weather condi
most impossible to predict the com
ing of an epidemic.
AS to the second question stated be
fore-namely, the prevention of rus
no satisfactory solution as yet ha'
been evolved, although a tremendous
amount of work has been done, boil
in this country and other countries
on the subject of wheat and grail
rust. In general, good farming, i'm
plying Investigation Of crops, GRO
rotation, good drainage and tillage
are to be recommended since the
give the plant a better chance Of &c
veloping rapidly and Of escaping tn
rust. Early varieties, in the case o
wheat, may sometimes save a croI
but are not absolutely sure. Man
of the durums, or so called macaron
wheats, are actually resistant to III
rust. These wheats are not, however,
we'll adapted to some parts Of tn
spring wheat districts, and eve
where they do grow well-namely, Il
Western North and South Dakota
= the uncertain market and pr05Odicic
price Sometimes deter the farme
d from planting durums. It is to b
! noticed that not all durums are n
sistant to the rust, though some are
while on the other hand none Of tn
common spring wheats show any a.
probable resistance to the rust whe
the latter exists in the form Of a
epidemic.
Experiment stations and the Unite
States government are attempting
obtain, by hybridization and selectio
and by the use of field rust plots, VI
rieties which combine the resistant
of the durum wheat with the worl
famous milling qualities of the har
spring wheat. If this can be accom-
plished it wf1l make possible sa
Ing of millions of dollars annually