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com. Middleton admitted that he had no experience but said that Bagley would
have to start by self-pollinating (inbreeding) a group of varieties to obtain some
purebred lines (inbred lines), then cross these lines with each other, and finally test
the crosses. Bagley was anxious to start.
Samples of seed of all the open-pollinated com varieties being certified in North
Carolina, plus a few from adjoining states, were collected. Bagley began to self-pollinate,
or inbreed, each variety. During the first 2 years, Middleton made trips to
Moyock to assist Bagley as best he could. After 2 years, however, Middleton gave
up his work with the Crop Improvement Association to begin work with the Experi-ment
Station. He was to initiate a breeding program with small grain and to con-tinue
work with peanuts started by agronomist P. H. Kime.
Bagley, on the other hand, was appointed to a new position as director of the
Rural Electrification Program. Between his new work and his farm, the demands on
his time were such that he had to give up any further work with hybrid com. He
gave all his seed (inbreds etc.) to the Experiment Station.
The present com breeding project of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment
Station was formally started in 1936. Initial breeding materials included 54 varieties
from the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont, and the Mountains as well as eight other
Southern states. Inbreeding (self-pollinating) was concentrated in 14 of these
varieties and continued for several years, resulting in the development of inbred
lines. Inbreds, single crosses (two inbreds), and other breeding materials from other
states were added to the program.
In addition to his work with small grain and peanuts, Middleton continued the
com breeding program until someone else could take it over. Paul H. Harvey, a
young man who would soon finish his doctoral program at Iowa State College at
Ames, was asked to assist him. Harvey reported for work on January 1, 1938.
Harvey and Middleton worked together about a year with both com and
peanuts. Middleton then gave up the corn work, and Harvey took full responsibility
for this crop. He made a success of it and came to be considered one of the out-standing
com breeders in the South.
Harvey crossed some of our locally developed inbreds and introduced some in-breds
from the Midwestern Com Belt. These inbreds were intercrossed to make
single crosses. Our better open-pollinated corns were then crossed with the single
crosses to make what he called top crosses. These top crosses were tested to see
which ones were best. From there, Harvey went on to produce adapted double-cross
hybrids (four inbred lines).
The breeding program proceeded along traditional lines by inbreeding, selecting,
and testing of top-cross, single-cross, and experimental double-cross combinations.
As with any breeding program, the objective was to identify the most productive
hybrids, and this required the systematic evaluation of a large number of possible
combinations. In 1952 I joined the com project as an assistant to Harvey. I
assumed responsibility for the project when Harvey became head of the new Crop
Science Department at the time the Agronomy Department was split into crops
and soils in 1956. Harvey continued his interest in the seed program and was a
strong supporter of the Crop Improvement Association.
29
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Description
| Title | Page 37 |
| Full Text | com. Middleton admitted that he had no experience but said that Bagley would have to start by self-pollinating (inbreeding) a group of varieties to obtain some purebred lines (inbred lines), then cross these lines with each other, and finally test the crosses. Bagley was anxious to start. Samples of seed of all the open-pollinated com varieties being certified in North Carolina, plus a few from adjoining states, were collected. Bagley began to self-pollinate, or inbreed, each variety. During the first 2 years, Middleton made trips to Moyock to assist Bagley as best he could. After 2 years, however, Middleton gave up his work with the Crop Improvement Association to begin work with the Experi-ment Station. He was to initiate a breeding program with small grain and to con-tinue work with peanuts started by agronomist P. H. Kime. Bagley, on the other hand, was appointed to a new position as director of the Rural Electrification Program. Between his new work and his farm, the demands on his time were such that he had to give up any further work with hybrid com. He gave all his seed (inbreds etc.) to the Experiment Station. The present com breeding project of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station was formally started in 1936. Initial breeding materials included 54 varieties from the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont, and the Mountains as well as eight other Southern states. Inbreeding (self-pollinating) was concentrated in 14 of these varieties and continued for several years, resulting in the development of inbred lines. Inbreds, single crosses (two inbreds), and other breeding materials from other states were added to the program. In addition to his work with small grain and peanuts, Middleton continued the com breeding program until someone else could take it over. Paul H. Harvey, a young man who would soon finish his doctoral program at Iowa State College at Ames, was asked to assist him. Harvey reported for work on January 1, 1938. Harvey and Middleton worked together about a year with both com and peanuts. Middleton then gave up the corn work, and Harvey took full responsibility for this crop. He made a success of it and came to be considered one of the out-standing com breeders in the South. Harvey crossed some of our locally developed inbreds and introduced some in-breds from the Midwestern Com Belt. These inbreds were intercrossed to make single crosses. Our better open-pollinated corns were then crossed with the single crosses to make what he called top crosses. These top crosses were tested to see which ones were best. From there, Harvey went on to produce adapted double-cross hybrids (four inbred lines). The breeding program proceeded along traditional lines by inbreeding, selecting, and testing of top-cross, single-cross, and experimental double-cross combinations. As with any breeding program, the objective was to identify the most productive hybrids, and this required the systematic evaluation of a large number of possible combinations. In 1952 I joined the com project as an assistant to Harvey. I assumed responsibility for the project when Harvey became head of the new Crop Science Department at the time the Agronomy Department was split into crops and soils in 1956. Harvey continued his interest in the seed program and was a strong supporter of the Crop Improvement Association. 29 |
