Evening star., 1937-01-19
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Wheat, oldest of cultivated plants, the
staff Of life for large part of the human
race for at least 10000 years and a crop
which today covers more than 300 ,000, 900
acres of the earth's surface, may be
standing on a new frontier.
1t has grown old in domestication. 1t
was already a cultivated plant at the
beginning Of human history. The fact
that large quantities could be produced
by a relatively few men and that sur
pluSes could be stored for years, COM
bined with its superior qualities as
food plant, made it natural basis for
ancient wealth and one of the chief
corner stones of civilization.
Demands upon it have grown greater
and greater as the race has increased.
Under the heavy stresses to which the
crop has been subjected it has shown
various weaknesses, such as lack of en-
durance under severe climatic conditions
and susceptibility to various diseases. 1t
has become in many places a very un-
certain crop, with amounts and prices
fluctuating and not easily predictable.
But in the wild relatives of the wheat
plant, upon which no artificial stresses
have been made, are qualities of en-
durance and resistance which have been
weakened in the domestic grain. 1t Is to
these wild grasses, according to the
geneticS monograph of the Department
of Agriculture, that plant breeders the
world over now are turning. They hope
to produce fertile crosses which will make
possible the growing of wheat over
much greater geographical range and
which will be largely resistant to the
most devastating wheat diseases.
Such crossing experiments, with the
increasing knowledge of genetics, are
going on throughout most of the tenn
perate zone. Already in few lines the
results are highly promising, while in
others unexpected obstacles have been
encountered.
The most promising experiments are
those seeking the production of an
amphidiploid of wheat and various
species of wheat grass which occur over
most of the earth. Certain forms of
this grass have resistance to diseases
and drought and a tolerance for ex-
tremely high and extremely low tempera-
lures far greater than is found either
in wheat or rye. Practically all species
are perennialS.
Should it ever be possible to produce
wheat with a combination of the
superior qualities of wheat grass" says
the report, "it might revolutionize wheat
growing, since many of the hazards
would be eliminated and the annual crop
could be estimated in advance with GER
tainty not now possible.
1T Is too early to predict what the
ultimate accomplishment will be in this
field. However, most of the species of
wheat now have been crossed with one
or the other of three species Of wheat
grass. The first generation hybrids OF
q cross between common bread wheat
and one Of these species are reported as
being extremely fertile and number
of forms have been produced which show
q high resistance to rustS and Smuts."
Plant breeders for years have been
intrigued with the possibility OF sue
cessful cross between wheat and rye.
The latter grain will grow in far north
ern latitudes where wheat crops are i'm.
possible. If this tolerance for cold and
a short season could be bred into wheat
it might be possible to extend the cul-
ture of the grain much closer to the
Arctic Circle.
The success of the experiments re-
mains questionable. Although the first
generation hybrids are readily made,
they are entirely st>file to their own