Planting soybeans earlier to synchronize with rainfall can boost crop yields, avoid drought and produce an earlier harvest. Midsouth growers usually plant their soybeans in May and June. But ARS scientists have developed an Early Soybean Production System (ESPS) in which farmers can plant early-maturing soybean varieties in April. The early planting means the soybean plants will be going through their reproductive stage-- when their water demands are especially high--during the high-rainfall season from April through June. Drought is common in the Midsouth region later in the growing season from July through early September. That means plants sown on the conventional timetable develop pods and seeds and fill these seeds during hot, dry months when water is scarce. In a 3-year field study, ESPS beans planted outperformed conventional soybean plantings. Since ESPS plants will be harvested earlier than those planted in the conventional system, growers may benefit from a higher price received for their early delivery. Researchers say ESPS should allow soybeans to avoid late-season, foliage-feeding insects. That's because by then, the plants have matured and are less susceptible to insect damage. Soybean yields have remained about the same for 30 years mainly because of dry spells in the growing season. But farmers may change that--and boost their profits--by planting an earlier crop.
Soybean Research Unit, Stoneville, MS
Larry G. Heatherly, (601) 686-3128, lheather@ag.gov

A gene-transfer system designed by ARS scientists could result in garlic and onion plants with new desirable traits for home and commercial gardens. Using a gene gun, the researchers transferred bacterial genes into garlic, the first step toward introducing beneficial traits such as virus resistance. These benign genes were integrated into the garlic chromosomes and were still present in 16-month-old plants. The researchers are now planning to "blast" garlic plants with useful genes for traits such as resistance to onion yellow dwarf virus. Each year this pathogen reduces yields by 30 to 50 percent in infected garlic plants--a serious loss to growers worldwide. Commonly grown garlic varieties are highly susceptible to onion yellow dwarf virus. Scientists have come up with techniques for introducing foreign genes into many crops, but this is the first system that shows promise for garlic and onions.
Vegetable Crops Research, Madison, WI
Philipp W. Simon, (608) 264-5406, psimon@facstaff.wisc.edu

Sunflower growers could boost pollination of their crop by also growing some canola, ARS scientists report. High yields depend on having the healthiest, most effective pollinators possible. But while sunflower pollen is a favorite of the hardworking domestic honey bee, the scientists found that it doesn't provide enough protein to keep the insects healthy. Undernourished bees lose strength and may not do a good job in any crops they're "hired" to pollinate. The scientists found that sunflower growers can help bees get the mix of pollen- derived nutrients they need by planting small areas of other crops such as canola (also known as rape) near sunflower fields. Tests showed canola pollen is higher in protein than pollen from sunflower and sesame. Results from monitoring 125 honey bees in indoor cages showed that bees fed canola pollen lived 48 to 65 percent longer than those fed sesame or sunflower pollens. Researchers chose these crops because their planted acreages are increasing.
Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Tucson, AZ
Justin O. Schmidt, (520) 670-6481, ext. 109, joschmid@u.arizona.edu

Seeds of winterfat, an important shrub for livestock and wildlife, are even more freeze tolerant than scientists have suspected. The discovery can help land managers--and someday, perhaps, breeders of a variety of crops. In ARS studies in Wyoming, soaking-wet seed embryos of winterfat survived temperatures as low as minus 22 F. The seeds can survive even when they contain large ice crystals. A study of seeds from Colorado, Wyoming and Saskatchewan, Canada, showed that the colder the temperature at which the seeds were soaked, the better they survived subsequent freezing. But seedling vigor varied by where the seeds were collected. This indicates that those interested in planting winterfat in areas with harsh winters should look for local sources of winterfat seed. If scientists uncover the reason for winterfat's freeze tolerance, breeders might have a new approach for gene- engineering crops such as corn, soybeans and lettuce for improved freeze tolerance. The scientists soaked and froze the seeds to simulate typical early-spring cycles of thawing and freezing in the Northern Great Plains and other parts of the West. Their next step: taking a closer look at super-chilled winterfat seeds under an electron microscope. This could determine whether--as the scientists suspect--winterfat seed survives extreme cold because ice crystals form first in the outer, hairy layers of its fuzzy covering. If so, the crystals could "suck" water from the embryo, protecting it from severe ice damage.
High Plains Grasslands Research Station, Cheyenne, WY
D. Terrance Booth, (307) 772-2433, tbooth@lamar.colo.state.edu

Flax plants don't easily give up their soft white fiber, known as linen. Like bricks, carbohydrates called pectin hold the fiber firmly inside the plant stem. The pectin "bricks" are cemented together by calcium. An ARS scientist and collaborators found a chemical that breaks down the calcium so an enzyme, developed by Novo Nordisk, of Bagsvaerd, Denmark, can more easily reach the flax fiber. This means less enzyme is needed in fiber extraction, reducing costs. The research might bring alternatives to dew-retting--leaving the flax in the field to allow dampness to loosen the fiber. The U.S. imports up to 7 million pounds of the raw fiber every year from Asia and Europe, but domestic flax production ended with World War II tent-making efforts. Efficient alternatives to dew-retting could help bring back domestic flax production.
Quality Assessment Research, Richard B. Russell Agricultural Research Center, Athens, GA
Danny E. Akin, (706) 546-3482, deakin@athens.net

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