Smyrna times., 1928-11-21
WHEAT SMUT CONTROL IN STATE
DELAWARE HAS BEEN SUCCESS
CAMPAIGN WAGED FOR PAST
FOUR YEARS BENEFICIAL
One Of the Main Steps Was the Plan
ming and Conducting of Seven
Designated Seed Treatments

Designated Seed Treatments
The campaign which has been wag-
ed in Delaware for tht past four years
to eradicate the sinking smut in
wheat has met with very good results
and especially in Kent county where
it has been estimated that about
eighty percent Of the farmers are
treating their seed wheat for the con-
troll Of this disease. This smut has
caused a loss amounting to many
thousands of dollars annually to the
wheat crop in this state, and a pro-
portionate damage to the crop in 9th
er wheat growing sections of the
United States, SO those farmers who
are not following this seed treatment
practice are receiving their portion of
this loss One of the main steps tax
en- in connection with the smut control
program in Kent County again this
year was the planning and conducting
of seven seed treatment meetings for
the purpose of demonstrating to the
| farmers the most effective and practi-
cal method of eradicating this disease
from the wheat crop. These meetings
were held during the last two weeks
lin September with total attendance
Of ninety-eight wheat growers. Dr..
~. f. Adams, Plant Pathologist Of the
University of Delaware and the State
Board of Agriculture, assisted in five
Of these demonstrations, and the
other two were conducted by County
Agent Russell E. Wilson, under whose
direction these meetings were plan
ned.
IN accordance with the program as
followed for the past three previous
years, the use Of the dust disinfect-
ants was demonstrated at each Of
these meetings, and the attention Of
the farmers was also called to the I'M
pOrtance of treating their wheat III
revolving barrels, or drums, in order
that these dust materials will become
thoroughly mixed with the seed to IN
sure a satisfactory control Of this
smut. The use Of these dust disin-
Ifectants saves considerable time and
labor as compared with the formalde-
hyde dipping or sprinkling methods.
Jas another means Of checking up the
results Of this smut control project q
survey was made through the various
local dealers of dust moterials to de-
ltermine how many pounds had been
fused by the wheat growers this fall,
as compared to the amount distrlbut-
ed III each of the other three previous
wears. According to this survey 1T
was learned that the farmers IN Kent
County this year used 1925 pounds ot
these dust materials, Of which cop
percarg comprised 681O pounds, COP
pef carbonate 525 pounds, and seme-
san 80 pounds. As a comparison to
these figures it may be Of interest To
note that 1850 pounds Of these dusts
were used in 1927, and 1864 pounds IL
1926, while only 906 pounds were dis
tributed in the fail Of 1925 when this
smut control campaign was started III
this state.
although the farmers were advised
to use the coppercarb and the copper
carbonate dusts at the rate of three
ounces to the bushel of wheat, many
of the growers this fall did not use
but two ounces for each bushel II
view Of the fact that mich Of theIl
wheat was practically free from smut
The three-ounce treatment was re-
commended especially in those case;
where the smut infection was sufficient
to warrant this extra amount Of dust
Using the above figures and deduc
tions as a basis for summarizing tn
results Of this campaign for 1928, !
is calculated that 1880 bushels O
seed wheat were treated this fall. A.
the usual rate of seeding in this sec
ton is one and one-half bushels pc
acre. this amount of treated seed wa
sufficient to sow 33,125 acres, or 78.'
per cent, of the total wheta acreag
in the county. In comparing thes
results with those obtained during tn
past four years it is interesting t
| note the rapid advance that has bee
/ made in the quantity of seed whea
| treated. for in 1927 there were 1880
4 bushels treated, and 10000 bushel
treated in 1926, as compared to bu
y 1900 bushels in 1925.