Wheat varieties from the Middle East, such as Turkey and Iran, will provide the genetic base for U.S. varieties that resist powdery mildew. Researchers breed domestic red winter wheat with these wild varieties to create new hybrids. The hybrids themselves may not be suitable for growers, but can be bred with other varieties to create a winning combination of high yields and powdery mildew resistance. These hybrids demonstrated strong resistance to powdery mildew in three years of field tests. Seed is available from the National Plant Germplasm System.
Plant Science Research, Raleigh, NC
Steve Leath, (919) 515-6819

Waxy build-up may be bad on floors, but it could be good news if you're growing corn. Researchers found kernels of a corn line called GT:MAS:gk seem to have an unusually thick waxy outer layer. This appears to protect them from fungal invaders such as Aspergillus flavus, a contaminant of feed and sweet corn, and other commodities. This corn line's resistance to the fungus was observed years ago by ARS scientists, but until now researchers were unable to explain it. Analysis of the waxy covering shows it may be both a chemical and physical barrier to microbial attack.
Southern Regional Research Center, New Orleans, LA
Robert Brown, (504) 286-4531

Two new sugarcane varieties are giving Florida growers better production and new management options. One of the new varieties, CP 89-2143, has eight percent higher sucrose content and 17 percent higher sugar yields than CP 70-1133, a widely grown sugarcane cultivar. CP 89-2143 is suitable for either sandy or muck soils. It's already being used by Florida growers and is being tested elsewhere. The other new variety, CP 88-1540, was specially developed to meet the needs of producers with sandy soils. The bulk of previous sugarcane breeding research has been geared to production on muck soils.
Sugarcane Field Station, Canal Point, FL
J.D. Miller, (561) 924-5227

Onions may join the ranks of crops such as garlic that have a natural blood-thinning property to help slow down clotting and improve blood circulation. ARS researchers have developed the first genetic map of onions. This is an important step toward a whole new generation of publicly developed inbred onions to meet consumer demands for flavor and health benefits as well as grower requirements of yield, maturity, and disease resistance. Development of a commercial onion with these attributes could come within the next 10 years. University of Wisconsin scientists collaborated with the ARS scientists on the onion research.
Vegetable Crops Research Unit, Madison, WI
Michael J. Havey, (608) 262-1830

A new soybean cultivar named Athow resists multiple races of Phytophthora sojae plant pathogens and also promises early and plentiful yields. In performance tests in 1994-95, Athow's early-maturity beans produced more oil than the popular commercial soybean cultivars Flyer, Macon, Iroquois and Thorne, and it outyielded all but Iroquois. Developed cooperatively by ARS, Purdue University and the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, Athow also resists lodging--when the plant stalk snaps under the weight of the seed, making harvest more difficult. Athow seed will be available to qualified seed producers for 1997 planting. Samples of Athow germplasm are available for research, including development of other new cultivars. Named for longtime Purdue plant pathology professor Kirk L. Athow, the new cultivar is part of a continuing project to improve Midwestern soybean productivity.
Crop Production and Pest Control Research, West Layfayette, IN
James Wilcox, (317) 494-8074

Last Updated: April 25, 1997
Return to: Quarterly Report Table of Contents