xt78kp7tnv81 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt78kp7tnv81/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1955 journals ky_farm_home_science_v1_8_num_3_special_report_1_07_1955 English Lexington, KY : Agricultural Experiment Station, Lexington. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Kentucky farm and home science. Special progress report. v.1 n.1 July 1955. text Kentucky farm and home science. Special progress report. v.1 n.1 July 1955. 1955 2014 true xt78kp7tnv81 section xt78kp7tnv81 f('•*·..... ___i*V
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Greetings from the Dzrector . . .
    %.,4   It is a pleasure to ex- It is toward improving and strengthening this in- Ni
c   ,, 'VV`   y T 'p't’   tend greetings and to direct and cooperative way of reaching farm people
    invite you to read and with the message of research that this new quarterly f
  cl evaluate this first issue is aimed. Only a small number of copies are printed,
»  · of our new quarterly and these of course cannot reach directly any large
.·    series of re vorts on number of farm readers.
Q   if = l work being ldone by A sound and prosperous agriculture is essential to
l ‘  `   the Kentucky Agricul- the health and soundness of our economy and society c
”  y   tural Experiment Sta- as a whole. \\'e are therefore in service not only to
    tion and on related   farm people but to all the people ol` the state. It is
  V   tension activities. with this principle in inincl that we invite your at-
’    cc  This quarterly publi- tentic>n to our new quarterly, and solicit your com- `
'· cation is launched as a ments and suggestions for intprovement.
~ means pol lllillilllg li€- Si“C€1_cl>_,
. ports of progress in ie- ·
V .   search and education
i ‘ . ° more; readily available   ·
to agricultural aucl other leaders of the state, and y Y _
thereby to make morc· ellec tive our program of provid- 1‘¤¤¤¤l<   ll €l¤¤`¢1· __
ing neeclecl inlorination to the public.
Reseaichwcarelully controlled investigation of the ‘
problems lacing farm Iieople—provicles the solid base »
ol lac ts upon which sound progress in farming. home-
making, and rural life can be built. The facts found I .
in research, liowevc·r, do little or no good until the      
pc·ople who need them actually hnd out about them Page E
ancl put them to use. Important discoveries which lie , , `
hiclclen in laboratory notebooks or in the minds of Nlcotme Problem °''`'''''''`'''`'''''''''``''``'``'' 3 4, 
only a few people seldom light the way to progress. Quick Nicotine TES"; ··-·····-······-·············- 5 »
lly and large, it is the responsibility of the lixtension Better Burley Vqrieties ____________________________ 1 L
Neivice in .\gric ulture and Home lzconotnics to tnlorin Tobacco Work at Wesgern substation   8
the public ol results ol larm and home researcli. l·or _
this iob ol inlortnatiou we have farm and home agents Burley Romhons ‘'‘'‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘'‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘'‘‘‘‘'‘'‘‘ 9
in the counties, state specialists, local leaders, home- Durk Tobuccc ........................................ 11 `
uialcers` clubs aucl l-ll clubs. l)enionstrations and M€¤t_Typ€ Hogs ____________________________________ 12
*··<‘       = ···< * '~··'*¤1_l§>’ '¤0lf·¤_<{0
` ually, but on the auction floor it is impossible to tell merely Uyops Iii {acm yeiu? hils been the msuh Ol Lhdnges m
A from looking at the tobacco and feeling of it whether it is WAYS Ol glowing bullgw _ V
lo"-01-high hl hicmihg The burley tobacco industry rn kentucky was de-
V __ _  I ‘ velopecl on the basis of grass—tobacco rotations. Burley
{ - .¥·#_g_,,i     i... _   _T ’ . at-   I was grown for one or, at the most, for two years on
I - _     __ V i``ii° ° X _ cw, . `\_   land that had been in sod for several years. Not much
5     K    A ·»‘ .._= in { A     K ti fertilizer was used; until after \~Vorlcl \Var l growers
•  A lsgoi w ”~>~‘"f » " ,   if   still commonly thought that fertilizers “'burned" to-
4 _ r __' _' ..;-M,       . A ‘_,,;_ A __;_ .:__;_.. ,   bacco. Average yields were around 750 to 800 pounds
  -- .·Q’ i i» _ __`   ` ‘   per acre.
·—·   .; » . -N Wei;  “`“i;__·»‘»·*¥’·’~`ll§**=‘*§·•~¤.,,y _ _— After \\'orld \\'ar l, the use of fertilizers gradually
..  _ ’_“'° TQ; »? "     — xr, increased and average yields of burley also increased.
I,    — ~  I _, W _¢_5_·-——:.j`·_g_é“_; `jra , `\,Qi·-gig Production was still largely on land broken out of sod,
·` _   Nc 4 T \`—\._ M` *`*' ·      ·I because until the introduction of Ky I0 in 1930 there
. ls ~,`;- "   A   "¥,§j.s`f’  i‘A·  `   was no really good variety of burley resistant to black
  .` _ * H   ·_ ,.§  .,  root rot, a very destructive soil-carriecl disease. \\’here
*1;   . ;` "Ih•~i*"*·;,      VR"   yields of burley were from about l,200 pounds to
i M  ~.   ' ·· ‘  ” V ` ·x‘i~t` · {Q     2 ‘ l l 000 or l 800 rounds ner acre the cualitv
tr. {I _`=.,,   .   gay  ·   "}¢•~ `_  uounc , . I I I , I I
l ' ~ $,,_*__ - Q __   ‘ M‘··— _$;  ·, r. ._`}.*;_ rl  §€‘ll€l`2lll}` was l)€sl. ·l\early always the tobacco was
        yr     nitrogen-starvecl at ttmelof topypmg or rshortly after,
I,         ‘  and the crop rtpened (Il1l(`l(l}`·2lllCl` l0I)I)1tlg. lxrcotme
__ ‘ _ [ge, Q Qi yg,p*);V.,,•#* r * content was moderate except in very dry seasons.
  W   ._ ~ ‘ · ‘ ._ r' This was the kind of tobacco which made a good
4 ‘       I ' ._ A " I   i reputation for burley and led to the later very great
_—_    _ 1 l` __ . {_;   _.   g I   expansion of the crop.
f   ' . i ,   ‘ '   ` · · .\nother factor in the (llllllily upon which the repu-
'l Ac;ruc:u1;ru1tA1. Exrugnrsrrcxtr Strrarrox 3
)

 tation of burley was built was the fact that it was hrst longer a nitrogen—starved crop at topping time. ln-
grown almost (entirely on deep, well-clrainecl soil of stead of ripening quickly after topping, it often re»
limestone origin. It has always grown best on this type mains green until cut, and its leaves are high in nico- A
of land. However, as production of burley has spread tine and other nitrogenous compounds that make a ‘
into other areas, since the nineteen-thirties, a consider- harsh smoking tobacco. SL
able part of the spread has been to land which is ·,_
neither naturally fertile nor well drained. Why do manufacturers continue to buy
_ _ _ high-nicotine burley? B ~
§**s=*_ ¤* *·¢¤*v *¤**·,',·=¤*··>¤ ¤···*· Many farmers are [Mata ts, tha isa that companies
c°nlmu°us Culture have continued to buy burley averaging high in nico- ·
BY ilmllllfl l94f)· mflllll gmlllcls Ol butler were tine and have paid good prices for it, while at the {
realizing the advantages of heavy fertilization for Same time ii is evident that iliov `vill have iioiiblo - .'
l)l‘)llllClllf·l lllfge Yl€l(lS· ilml Some llilll resorted l') the using it in cigarettes. \\lith the control program and Q
l)fil‘ill(`€ ‘)l f-Zlolflllfl il llilflclll feslsllllll lf) l)l“l* l")‘)l price supports it is inevitable that the price of such g E
ml Yclll *lll€l` Yelll ()ll lllc Sillllc Kmllllll lll t>rl€ “·|lCl—C me SQ{l]]ll)l€S are partictilarly high those com- "»
"*ll`l`Y')l'Cl ')l lllll")$ll*ll ll`f)l)l ‘)llC Ycllf ll) lllc l‘€Xl· panies buy very little tobacco. ln other areas they buy
Yields were increased enormously. molvo ' ' ' “°‘;
During the war period, when farm labor was scarce, Aoollieit lull ol llio Hmivoi. is that il ig iiiioossililo Y
these practices had some justification, for they per- lo tell lvom looking at tobacco loaves vvhothm- they are { A
tuittecl a relatively small labor force to produce enough liigli ol. lov`, io oivolioo oi. other Compounds thm mzilvo ‘
l)llfl°Y ll) lll€€l lllc l)C€ll* ‘)li lllc illlllell lf)l`l`€** {ls lllell a harsh smoking tobacco. Buyers have been trained if
lls ‘)l lllli llllilllllll f)‘)l)lllllll‘)ll· to give preference to leaf of a certain color and texture, `
, but they cannot tell, on the market floor, whether the le
Effect of support prices , _ ’ , _ ,- . .   . .
v_ _ _ _ _ _ tobacco they choose will haye the chemical m.1ke—up
))llll lllc Cslflllllsllmg Ol “lll)l")l'l lmlles l°li_l)lll`l€ll their companies want. Much tobacco is purchased
tobacco the proclucers were guaranteed a good income vv.lii(.h llic (.omliliiii(,S liilci. liml (lilliliill lo uso h
for their product, and they could devote their energies
and thought yto cluautity production rather lhan to The problem faced by farmers
cluahty. \\lu|c· no doubt most. producers still were Wil _ y_ _ l . _ I _ Iii L V l_ . l. _.i yi __
intc·restecl in cluality, they cluickly learned that so far ll _ I   film)   yln ”i"‘*"lg? lil. °’_‘i"?l‘.”· ilu {lll im ` i
as dollars per acre were concerned, high yields brought. idl lllelhu) ll) hl(_€ihL€_l) we llilll llll_g_ YS)   limi u('ll({n ~
high income, and that high yields were easier to pro— )) 'ullllllg `ll l‘_'gl‘€‘ _)l€l(lh lm (mp ll“* m llllll  
(him [him high (llmllllo means still more burley tobacco of the type which
manufacturers don t want. V
Effect of pelletized ammonium nitrate
.·\bout the saute time that support prices were placed can the $l“l°ll°n be lmPl'°Y€d? ` A
under burley tobacco. a new nitrate fertilizer that was l\ll\ll0 the ¢l¤1t¤?¤§{C l0 ll\€ l>lt1`l€§’ l0l*Pl<‘ §l`<“\`l¤l2
very handy to use came onto thc- market. This was iuclttstry already is great, in terms of lost clemancl and in
pc·Ilc·ti/cd ammonium nitrate wan crxcellent fc·rtilizer. lost acreage, there seems to be at least a partial solu-
but one that was much higher in nitrogen content tion to the problem, provided that individual t‘at—atos
than thc- fc·rtili¢c·rs to which farmers had been ac- iu large numbers will face the facts scluarefy and set \
customcd. .\s a result, many farmers with whom the their aims on producing smoking-cluality tobacco in-
new fertili/c·r became popular tended to apply more stead of the highest yields they can obtain. “
than the crop nec·clc~cl~ancl probably more nitrogen lo procluce as high a proportion as possible of ,_
than thc-y realizecl they wort- applying, smoking·cluality tobacco, farmers will need to give up  
growing burley on the satue land year alter year, and ll
Result? Burley no l°“9€' the $°m€ Producl go back to a system of tobacco-sod rotations: s
.»\s a result of these changes in growing practices. .\fter a few years in grass and legumes, soil takes on
burley as procluced today is, for the most part, no a structure which is ideal for burley tobacco. This il
4 Umveasirv or Kmiructcr *
(

 does not mean that it will be necessary for farmers to from continuous tobacco Helds to a system of breaking
aim at low yields. The very highest quality of burley their tobacco land out of sod each year or at least
i tobacco can be grown on land broken out of sod, with every other year, without piling on more fertilizer
yields of around 1,800 pounds per acre. Fertility can than the crop needs, the result will be a gradual build-
_ * be kept at a good level on the sodland by proper use ing up of burley stocks of better smoking quality and
e of grasses and legumes, t`ei~t11tzei—s, and ground lime- lower nicotine content. Such stocks of burley will per- '
* stone. In plots at the Kentucky Agricultural Experi- mit manufacturers who now are loaded up with burley
· ment Station where these practices have been followed, of undesirable quality to mix in the undesirable
it is not unusual to produce burley all of which is of stocks gradually and work them off. lt will also allow
Y good smoking grade, and moderate in nicotine. Such the ntanufacturers to gradually use the stocks held by
_ tobacco, while not highest in yield, returns tnore profit the pools without great injury to cigarette quality
V per acre than any other grown at the Experiment such as will occur if manufacturers must use the ob- ·‘
Station. l<`armers can do the same. jectionable tobacco in too large quantities at any one
[11l1C.
E¤€h 9|'0W€|‘ must d€¢id€ lt will take time to save the situation and regain the
a lf individual growers, itt large numbers, will take it good reputation and demand for burley tobaceo——but
y upon themselves to go after the kind of quality II1Elllll— if the industry is to be saved this is the only way out
facturers want, and to change as soon as they can that now seems practical.
Q aid burley breeding program
4 By R. B. Griflith, Agronomy Department
‘ \Vl1at the burley tobacco industry needs today, in known that very little of the nornicotine but muclt of
tlte opinion of many people, is a quick and simple test the nicotine in tobacco is carried in the smoke.
- for nicotine that would be practical for testing crops The new method uses a "paper chromatography"
of individual farmers on the market fioor. Only with technique for separating the nicotine front other,
, such a test could buyers be sure they were bidding 011 closely related compounds. In the procedure, small
the kind of tobacco they Wtillf. lf they could be sure drops of sample extract are placed on treated hlter
of this, their wants would probably be reflected in the paper and through suitable manipulation of the paper
prices they would pay. l~`armers, in turn, would have the different substances in the sample extract are
E {lll inmtediate incentive to produce the kind of burley separated from each other. The different substances
wanted by the manufacturers. become visible and appear as colored spots on the
A "quitk nicotine test" developed at the Kentucky paper. ln a carefully made test, the spot of color for
Station during the past year is not yet rapid enough the nicotine appears in one position on the paper,
and simple enough to be practical for testing individ— while the spot for nornicotine, a closely related com—
tial crops on a wide scale on the market floors—but it pound, appears in another. The size of the spot in
is a vast improvement over previously used cumber- each case depends upon the amount of nicotine or
some methods of analyzing tobacco for nicotine, and nortticotine in the sample. By comparing samples of
has been very useful in the tobacco variety breeding the saute tobacco plants before and after curing, it is
+ program. easy to see which plants have the characteristic of
_ So far. the new method has been used chiefiy in changing nicotine to nornicotine during the curing
"* finding lines or strains of tobacco within the existing process.
i burley varieties which have the characteristic of chang- During the past year a great many suth analyses
Q_ ing part of their nicotine to "nornicotine" during the were made. The plants showing the change of nico-
curing process. This search was made in the hope that tine to nornicotine during curing were classified as
r a milder burley could be developed, as it was already "conversion plants." ln the breeding program, crosses
Y AGRICULTURAL Exrizmxriznr STAT1oN 5
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A small drop of extract from a tobacco sample is placed V 4 E V   VV
near the bottom of a piece of filter paper by Dr. Griffith. V Vi       NORNICOTSM
After several drops from several samples are placed on the   /"’¤ 5   
paper it is rolled into a cylinder and placed in a jar con- __ __  V  _ - ’ ··~4- ·»~ 44~» -»-»~,§»~ _
taining enough alcohol to wet the lower edge of the paper.   A V B V
The alcohol, as it rises to the top of the paper by capillary   j * V _   »
action, carries along the nicotine and other closely related         ` ` , V
compounds. It carries them, however, at different rates for Spots of nicotine and nornicotine from "nonconversion" ~
the different substances. The paper is then removed and and from "conversion" plants before and after curing. The
treated with a gas which causes the nicotine and other samples before curing are labeled "0ven dried." Note that r
substances to appear as colored spots on the paper. for the nonconversion plant the spots of nicotine and of _
noricotine are the same size before and after curing. This
__ _ __ means that in this plant little or no nicotine was changed
WCW umdc between Conversion Plants and plantf to nornicotine during curing. For the conversion plant, on
nm lmlllllli this Ui“l[· Tests made Ou the lniogeny Ol the other hand, the spot of nicotine is smaller after curing
these crosses established the fact that the conversion than bcforcg `vhilc the spot of m,miw[i,,c is larger uflcr
(ll lllt`()[lll€ lt) ll()l`lll(`()llIl€ (lllflllg Cllflllg   2111 ll]- e111·i11g_ In this plant, 5()111e of the 11ie(1[i11e had been
herited trait. changed to nornicotine during curing_ V
ln a survey of individual plants within standard
varieties, "conversion plants" were found. Various con- not overcome, then the "conversion fines" within the  
version selections were isolated within Ky 16, one of present varieties can be eliminated from the varieties. .
the most popular of the burley varieties. Cigarettes This should improve the flavor and aroma of the re-
made from unaged samples of these selections were maining lines in the varieties. F
turned over to tobacco companies for smoke tests. ln Still another possibility exists. lt seems likely that .
the smoking tests, unfortunately the cigarettes were lower nicotine selections can be made—selec1tions that
found to have ofllllavors and unpleasant aroma. This do not have the factor for changing nicotine to nor-
was certainly not very promising—although, as the nicotine during the curing process. lf these breed true, ·
experimental tobacco used was not aged, it is possible it is possible that lower nicotine selections from stand-
that the undesirable flavors and aroma may be elimi· ard varieties will be available regardless of the out-
nated under the conditions of normal cigarette manu- come of the conversion lines.
lacture. .·\s a result of this work, and also of the work with _
lt is therefore too early to say definitely what part litres having very low nicotine content, we know that `
the selections based on nicotine—to—nornicotine con- varieties of burley can be developed with almost any A
version during curing will have in the improvement of nicotine content desired. \\'e can therefore look for- i
bnrlev tobacco. ll the ccmversicm lines do prove satis- ward to the time when burley tobacco farmers can ·
factory under normal cigarette mamrfacturing condi- produce tobacco of any nicotine leyel clesirecl—pro- •
tions, they will prove highly useful as lower nicotine vided always that proper c;ultural methods are used in
selections. ll the objectionable flavor and aroma are growing the crop. t
 
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’ In developing wildFire—resistant tobacco varieties, dependable means
B W D Y U _ must be used to determine to what extent the plants are susceptible.
s l ' ' :1 €`m’ Here plant pathologists E. M. lohnson and G. \V, Stokes examine a
x\gl`OllOlll\` l)€l)21l`UIl(flll . . . ` . . _ _ _ ._ .{
* · leaf which has been inoculated with the wildhte oiganism. This
* variety is susceptible to wildfire, as shown by the dead areas of the
at inoculated leaf, and will therefore be discarded in the breeding pro-
gram.
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Several disease-resistant burley tobaccos developed varieties should be resistant to other diseases as well
. by the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station now as to black shank.
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are well known to growers. Ky lo, 22, 2b, and —llA Another phase ol the breeding program that has
il have resistance to black root rot. Ky 56, 57, and   are promise is the development of burley tohaccos with
P highly resistant to black root rot and mosaic. Ky 55 lower nicotine content. Present varieties are distinctly
A is resistant to mosaic and black root rot, and to the dillerent in nicotine content, Ky —llA being lowest in
” most common strains of the lusarium wilt fungus nicotine and Ky 26 highest. But within these varieties
found in Kentucky. Still higher resistance is desired there appear to be lines that are lower than the aver-
and, we believe, is present in some ol the newer lines. age ol the variety, and these are being selected and
\’Vildhre, a bacterial disease that has been destructive tested to see it they are actually lower. ll` the desired
` in p