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2A. What is the Responsibility of the Agronomy Department of the College in Developing Good Seed and Seed Certification 1
Author(s) -
Smith C. B.
Publication year - 1926
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1926.00021962001800010003x
Subject(s) - certification , extension (predicate logic) , citation , work (physics) , library science , political science , mathematics , computer science , engineering , law , mechanical engineering , programming language
"Better Seed" is an extension slogan in a good many states. There were 224,000 demonstrations carried on by the state extension services in i924 to teach the value of better seed. This was about . a fifth of all the demonstrations carried on in 1924 of all kinds.. A lot of our extension energy is spent on securing and planting better seed every year, and yet, when I came to look into just how important better seed is to the farmer in ~tollars and cents, I found very little definite information. I wrote~ therefore, to a number of agronomists in the central states to get their estimates of the value to the farmer of improved seeds. I summarize only a few of the replies received, but sufficient to show the trend and establish the point I desire to make. Michigan estimates the planting of about 6oo,ooo acres of improved cereal seed, including corn and beans, annually, resulting in an increased income of nearly $2,000,000 to the farmers of that state, while the’ income resulting from the substitution of Grimm and Hardigan alfalfa for clover has been worth to the farmer over $8,ooo,ooo, a total average of about $5o per farm more for every farm in Michigan because of better seed. Nebraska estimates over 5,650,ooo acres of cereals planted to improved seed, with an increased money value of at least $7,825,ooo or over $62 per farm, annually. No one knows how much of this gain is offset by farm losses due to unknowingly planting unadapted clover and alfalfa seed from Italy, Peru, and the Argentine. Ohio estimates that could she but get 50% of her farmers to use better cereal and forage seeds and potatoes the increased income to the farmers would amount to a minimum of $13,ooo, ooo annually, or an average of $57 per farm for every farm in the state. Iowa gives data showing that in 1924 there were grown over 2,66%ooo acres of improved oats alone in that state and that the increase from this acreage was over 11,ooo,ooo bushels. About 46% of the entire oat crop of the state was from station-improved seed.