Barley has had wide acceptance not only as a cultivated crop but also as an excellent source of genetic material. Barley was being used in inheritance studies by Tschermak when he rediscovered Mendel's laws of heredity. Since then barley has become one of the most widely used plants for genetic studies known today. More than 100 characters have been investigated indicating the relative ease of classification. There are 7 linkage groups corresponding to the 7 chromosomes in which 2 or more characters have been located as reported by Robertson (1939). But Kramer, Veyl, and Hanson (1954), from translocation experiments, suggest that linkage group III and VII should be combined in separate arms of the same chromosome. The present work is a study of character inheritance and linkage relationships aimed toward identifying the number of genes conditioning individual characters and associating them with linkage groups. When barley genes are more completely placed in their respective linkage groups, breeding for various good characteristics can be enhanced materially. This is readily accomplished when linkages are found between desirable characters for which selection is difficult or time-consuming.

Present-day plant breeding, on the foundation made many years ago, has achieved important scientific and economic results. By means of introductions and selections, superior strains such as Turkey and Kanred have been obtained. Through hybridization new combinations of characters result, combining desirable characters of different plant types in a single individual. In this program, wheat hybridization has occupied a worthy place. Each year a number of wheat crosses are made at the Utah Experiment Station, the main purpose of which is to develop superior strains of wheat. Such an economic program is aided and hastened by studies in genetic behavior. This paper reports such a genetic study of the inheritance of awns, spike density, and kernel color in a cross between Ridit and Utac wheat varieties.

Wheat is an important food crop of the world, especially in Soviet Russia, U.S.A., China, India and Pakistan. Over one billion bushels of wheat are produced annually in U.S.A. The total area under wheat production in Pakistan during 1947-48 was 10 million aeres with an average yield of 12 bushels per acre. The stem rust disease has been known for along time to be destructive to grain crops, even centuries before the Christian era. Rust is of major importance in both the U.S. and Pakistan. Jethro Tull recorded rust in England in 1725. In 1916, rust was serious over the entire world. Since 1900 there have been eight epidemic rust years when losses were estimated as much as 160 million bushels per year. The heaviest losses are in the humid hard red winter and hard red spring wheat areas. Three methods of control are generally practiced for black stem rust of wheat. They are breeding resistant varieties barberry eradication and sulphur dusting. Of these, resistant varieties appear to be the most effective in the control of this disease. The problem discussed in this paper involves the breeding and selection of rust-resistant spring wheat strains.

The practice of applying fertilizers to the soil by adding the liquid form to the irrigation water is increasing in popularity. There are several advantages maintained for such a method of application. Some of the advantages are: (A) Ease of application (B) No special equipment is required for application. (C) The fertilizer can be applied at any stage of plant growth without physical disturbance of the plant. (D) Penetration into the root zone may be greater than the dry fertilizers. Considerable phosphate fertilizer is used on soils of irrigated regions. If the behavior of liquid phosphoric acid after its incorporation with soil is such that it penetrates into the root zone and is otherwise as efficient as dry phosphate fertilizers in inducing favorable plant response, then it would seem practical to utilize the other advantages offered by applying the fertilizer in irrigation water. Commercial phosphoric acid (52% available P2O5) is produced by applying an excess of sulfuric acid to ground rock phosphate. This phosphoric acid is usually applied to an additional amount of phosphate rock to make concentrated superphosphate. A given quantity of phosphoric acid can yield more available phosphorus by applying it to rock phosphate than by using it directly as a fertilizer. Because of its potential value in producing concentrated superphosphate commercial phosphoric acid has been used very little as a fertilizer. There is insufficient research in which the comparative value of the acid as a fertilizer has been investigated the purpose of the studies reported in this paper are, to compare: (A) the value of commercial phosphoric acid and concentrated superphosphate as fertilizers when applied in equivalent amounts and, (B) the different methods of application and dilution of the phosphoric acid.

Chlorosis, the yellowing of plant leaves, results from reduced synthesis of chlorophyll. It is caused by a deficiency or an unbalance of essential nutrient elements. The amount and pattern of yellowing varies with the cause and severity of the disturbance. Chlorosis results in reduced vigor of the affected plants and a corresponding loss in quantity and quality of the product grown. In severe cases chlorosis may lead to the eventual death of the plant. Lime-induced chlorosis refers to a chlorosis occurring on high lime soils. It affects principally horticultural plants. The disease is found in about 23 percent of Utah orchards. Lime-induced chlorosis is characteristically accompanied by high potasseium in the affected leaves. The hypothesis had been offered that this high potassium is a cause of lime-induced chlorosis. The object of this study is to investigate the validity of this hypothesis.

Irrigation is "the artificial application of water to the soil for the purpose of getting large and steady crop yields". It is supplementary to rainfall and the quantity of water applied and the time of application, therefore, must be determined by the character of the rainfall. Irrigation is usually practiced in those regions which have low rainfall as natural precipitation at such places is insufficient to meet the full water requirements of crops.

Sweet clover has become increasingly important as a forage and green manure crop. The main objection in recent years to sweet clover is its coumarin content, identified by a sweet odor and bitter taste, making it less desirable to farm animals. When sweet clover hay spoils, the coumarin is converted into dicoumarol which is toxic to animals, especially to ruminants. When ingested this may cause internal and/or external hemorrhages.

Lettuce heads (Cultivar "Great Lakes") were stored in different concentrations of O2 and CO2, including l percent O2 and l percent CO2, 2.5 percent O2 and 2.5 percent CO2, 5 percent O2 and 0 percent CO2, and 5 percent O2 and 5 percent CO2; temperatures of 35 and 70 F; and with or without microbe- and senescence-inhibiting chemicals and packaging. The samples were taken on the twentieth and fortieth days in the first series of experiments; and in the subsequent experiments, on the fifteenth, thirtieth, forty-fifth, sixtieth, and seventy-fifth days of storage for quality evaluation, determination of rate of respiration, and chemical analyses. The results indicated that lettuce could be stored at 35 F for at least 2 to 3 weeks. At this temperature, lettuce heads were still field fresh and bright green, without apparent sign of quality deterioration. At 70 F, none of the treatments could prolong the shelf-life of the lettuce more than l week. Lettuce heads maintained the best marketing quality when stored in atmospheres of 2.5 percent O2 and 2.5 percent CO2 at 35 F for 60 days. Microbe- and senescence-inhibiting chemicals (Captan, Phaltan, Mycostatin, and N6-benzyladenine) had detrimental effects on the quality of lettuce stored in controlled atmosphere. The reduction in russet spotting was the major benefit in controlled atmosphere storage at 35 F. In addition, the incidence of pink rib and butt discoloration was less than for those lettuce heads held in the conventional refrigerator. However, the hearts of the lettuce were sensitive to low O2 injury in controlled atmospheres consisting of 1 percent O2 and l percent CO2. Controlled atmosphere (2.5 percent O2, 2.5 percent CO2) and controlled atmosphere combined with polyethylene packaging reduced the CO2 production, degradation of chlorophyll, loss of total sugar, and starch. Phaltan (microbe inhibitor, 1,000 ppm) or Phaltan in combination with polyethylene packaging under controlled atmosphere storage had an adverse effect on the lettuce held in the conventional refrigerator. In every case, the rate of respiration was in direct correlation with the sugar retention data.

Distichlis stricts as indicated by the available literature is rather unpalatable, but has the ability to grow vigorously on wet, saline, or alkali soils where more palatable species will not survive. D. stricts can be eradicated quickly where drainage and cultivation can be practices, but there are thousands of acres in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina where cultivation or drainage are impractical or impossible.

Investigations on factors affecting yield of sugar beets during the past two years at Newton and Garland, Utah, have shown two outstanding facts about irrigating sugar beets. First, the amount of water applied may not be as important as the time at which they receive it. Second, sugar beets should not be made to suffer for water in the early part of their growing season. These observations suggest the need for further studies on method, time and quantity of irrigation. Further information on the most economical use of irrigation water for sugar beets would be of great value to the sugar beet industry. The object of this study was to determine the best time and type of irrigation, and quantity of water as they influence the yield of sugar beets. In order to reach this objective six moisture variables were used. They consisted of applying water by furrow and sprinkle methods; early and late irrigation in the spring; discontinuing irrigation for the last part of the growing season and continuous irrigation until harvesting; and, frequency of irrigation throughout the growing season. In order to determine the effect of moisture on the yield of sugar beets at different fertility levels, six different fertility levels were combined with each moisture variable.