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The Effects of Variations in Plant Density, Soil Moisture, and Fertility Levels Upon Rubber Production by Krim‐Saghyz
Author(s) -
Hunter Albert S.,
Burtch Lauren M.
Publication year - 1955
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/agronj1955.00021962004700070006x
Subject(s) - natural rubber , environmental science , soil fertility , geography , soil water , forestry , soil science , chemistry , organic chemistry
K R I M S A G H Y Z , Tavaxacmm megalowhizon, is a rubberbearing dandel'ion native to the 'Crimean area of Russia. Seeds of kri'm-saghyz an'd of kok-saghyz ( T . koksaghyz) were .suppl,ied to 'the United States #Department of Agricul'ture by Russia shortly after 'the entrance of the United States into World War 11. During .the war years, major aftenpion was given to study of the ,r&ber-production capabilities of kok-saghyz, which has reportedly 'been grown extensively in Russia. A report on the war-time studies on ru'bber production from kok-saghyz in the United 'State,s has been made 'by Whaley and B ~ w e n . ~ Little a'ttention was given to krim-saghyz. It is understood that the Russians have not cultivated it to any great extedt, ,because it is climatically adapted 'to a relatively small area, in contrast with khe much wider dimdt,ic adaptation of kok-saghyz. A small planking of krim-saghyz (made during the war by George Harrison at the U. S. 'Cotton ,Field Station, Shafter, Cal'i'f., gave resdlts indicating si,ts possisble superiority over koksaghyz as a rdbber producer under San Joaquin Valley conditions. The war-,time 'rubber research 'program was curtailed !before the possibilit,ies of krim-saghyz could 'be fully evaluated. Upon reactivation in 1948 of the agronomic research progra'm on domestic rubber-producing plants, it appeared desirable to study furt'her the po'tentialities of krim-saghyz as a source of rubber. The plant is highly apomictlic and uniform, and it is to be expected mthdt improvement through lbreeding will 'be relatively slow in comparison with !khat of the highly sexual and variable koksaghyz. Accordingly, an experiment was estalblished to 'test the effects of variations in plant ,density, soil moisture, and soil ferbillity upon rubber production by krim-.saghyz. As a suppkmen't to .the main ex'peri'ment, a planting of kok-saghyz, krim-saghyz, and tau-saghyz (Scorzonera tamsaghyz, closely rela'ted to bhe garden salsify and also native to Russia) was made for rhe purpose of comparing 'the rutlber-production capabilities o'f these three plants. The kok-saghyz seed was from some of bhe selec'tions made during the war 'from ;he Russian imports.