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Newsletter

November 2011

Exploring the Expanding Complexities of Water
200+
Texas "T" Germplasm and the Disaster of the Early 1970's
Zinc
Introduction To Plant Feeding Using the Biological Theory of Ionization, Part 2
GMO Mosquitoes
Strip-Till: A Natural Evolution of TheU-Trough Concept
A Brief History of Corn, Part 2
Team Spotlight
Upcoming Events

Exploring the Expanding Complexities of Water

Water is the most basic "nutrient" that we all need, be it animal, vegetable, or mineral. Recent investigations have revealed that water is more than just H2O, but it is still the universal solvent.

According to present theories, water in the liquid form contains three different molecule populations. At the highest temperatures single molecules are the rule, with little hydrogen bonding because of the high thermal energy of the molecules. In the middle range of temperatures there is more hydrogen bonding, and clusters of molecules are formed. At lower temperatures aggregates of clusters also form, these aggregates being the most common arrangement below about 15°C. On the basis of these three population types and the transitions between them, many aspects of the anomalous behavior of water can be explained.

The discovery in the late 1960s of "super water," or "polywater," helped to shed light on some aspects of the structure of water. This substance was thought by some to be a giant polymer of water molecules, 40 times denser and 15 times more viscous than ordinary water. Studies showed, howe ve r, tha t the s e new and unexplained properties were connected with the presence of contaminants in the water. Even so, the interaction of the water molecules with these other substances may be helpful in understanding the way in which water molecules interact with each other.

In ice, each molecule forms the maximum number of hydrogen bonds, resulting in crystals composed of open, hexagonal columns. Because these crystals have a number of open regions and pockets, normal ice is less dense than water. This is why ice floats on liquid water.

Water and More
Western scientists are just now discovering what sustainable ancient civilizations and native peoples have always known—that water is a living being. Water is alive. It is intelligent. It has a consciousness and memory. Water can convey information, emotion and vitality. And water responds intimately to human communication. Before our materialistic age lost the ability to sense subtle energy, water was a sacred substance used for purification, healing and regeneration: baptism, holy water, the holy Ganges, Loudes and other healing springs, spiritual visions of the Ocean of Love, myths of the Flood, and the drinking of sacred waters when visiting an oracle or a shrine. The Sumerian goddess Inanna had a vase in place of a heart, from which flowed miraculous water. Tibetan monks still chant regularly around the community water supply. Water thus energized assists the villagers in the cure of all physical ailments and social disharmonies.

What we are still in touch with is that we live on a water planet, unique and unlike any other in our Solar System. All of the humans, animals, trees and life forms that live here come from water. Our human body is 70% water. The earth is called the "Water Planet" because 70% of its surface is covered with water. Around the planet, leading-edge research (or is it "re-search") is reporting amazing, new, measurable evidence about exactly how this fundamental substance supports and sustains our lives.

Water Reflects Our Thoughts
Researchers are now demonstrating to us scientifically what ancient and native peoples also knew—that our thoughts affect our own vibrational energy which directly affects the structure of the very water within our bodies AND within our environment. Dr. David Schweitzer, grandson of Albert Schweitzer, is the first scientist to photograph the effects of thoughts captured in water. His photographic evidence shows that water can act as a liquid memory system capable of storing information. Dr. Masaru Emoto, in 2001 published 'The Hidden Messages in Water' theory showing how water is deeply connected to people's individual and collective consciousness. Drawing from his own research, scientific researcher, healer, and popular lecturer Dr. Masaru Emoto describes the ability of water to absorb, hold, and even re-transmit human feelings and emotions. Using high-speed photography, he found that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward it. Music, visual images, words written on paper, and photographs also have an impact on the crystal structure. Emoto theorizes that since water has the ability to receive a wide range of frequencies, it can also reflect the universe in this manner. In Canada, also, water is being explored as an information carrier. The super business computers of the future will be made of mostly water—just like the one in your skull.

Water Has a Great Memory
French scientists, led by Jacques Benveniste, have proven that water can retain a "memory" of molecules that it once contained. In 1988, the prestigious British scientific journal Nature published the French experiments showing that if water containing antibodies is diluted repeatedly until the water no longer contains a single molecule of antibody, the water still retains its antibiotic power. This is one of the basic tenants of Homeopathy Medicine. Water will become the medicine of the future if we can just unlock a few more of its secrets.

Water Resonates with Our Vibration
Japanese scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto's water crystal photographs provide factual physical evidence that the vibration of positive human intention, thoughts, prayer and music affect the molecular crystal structure of water—and can make the water we consume more clear, clean, healthy and harmonious to our well-being.

Biological organisms respond to and are affected by energetic frequencies in the same way that they respond to and are affected by physical matter. In fact, living organisms will spend enormous amounts of energy compensating for the discordant harmonics created by the bad energy messages in water.

Water Re-vitalizes Itself
Victor Schauburger, a German forester, discovered many of the wondrous secret properties by which water recharges and re-enlivens itself. In nature, bodies of water that are left undisturbed by man seek to imbue themselves with the geomagnetic energies that pervade our planet. They turn within themselves, wind, bend and bubble, froth and foam, spiral and cascade. From these actions, a strong renewal occurs in streams and lakes. Also, these untouched waters have the striking ability to neutralize and transform poisons and toxins that are added to it. In this natural process, the water is cleansed and revitalized. This is the theory and practice of Pursanova water, used exclusively by FHR Farms in formulating our products. Clean, clear water is needed for the delivery and absorption of nutrients. Vital, alive water is needed for the elimination of wastes and pollutants. The quality of your life is directly connected to the purity and integrity of your water. You can purchase this technology for your own health as well.

Revolutionary "Structured Water"
Recently a new process has been discovered that returns water to a more natural, ancient state. "Structured Water" is water that has been restructured to give the water the identical lifeenhancing properties that water used to possess thousands of years ago when the electromagnetic field of the planet was much stronger—and when global pollution was non-existent. Today this form of "bio-active" water exists only in remote places on Earth where unique geological conditions give these natural springs "miraculous" healing powers that other water sources simply do not have.

When we are young, our bodies are full of Structured Water. As we grow older and drink the commonly polluted and "dead" water of our modern civilization, our body's Structured Water becomes unable to move freely through our cell walls. Research has shown that the lack of this specific form of water is responsible for cellular aging and cellular health problems, leading to the common physical and emotional ailments of our modern society.

The life-promoting qualities of Structured Water are instrumental in key cellular functions of the body. The core of a cell's DNA is a column of Structured Water. Unlike tap water, rain or mineral water, Structured Water has a particular characteristic, which allows it to pass freely through cell walls—delivering oxygen, nutrients, protein chains, and enzymes; removing the toxic build up, that accumulates in our cells. These basic cellular functions serve as the foundation for almost every action and reaction in the body— thus emphasizing the importance of giving your body the best water you can find.

In designing fertilizers the exact principle is in order. Starting with fresh, pure, frequency enhanced, structured water, we insert a balance of essential nutrients. Certain minerals, amino acids, and plant hormones can be bound within the "bio-active" structured water (see diagram above), not enlarging the structure but allowing these nutrients to pass into and within the cells of a plant, carried within the water matrix. As water is structured the electrical and magnetic "natural" properties are re-established. This not only gives the water structure, but it also imparts certain frequency that further enhances its ability to hold and release nutrients. This is new technology in the manufacturing sector. FHR is unique in this technology.

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200+
by John Mayernack

Early yield numbers are coming in and it seems that 200 plus bushels per acre on corn is the rule, not the except ion. Southern Minnesota at Chuck Kohlmeyer's farm the average on one field was 202 bu/a. Next door on the Littrell Farm, yield was 200 + with a non-GMO Prairie Hybrid 2730 variety. Crossing the border into Iowa, Mike Vosika of Pocahontas stated his Pioneer 230 a non-GMO variety went 230 bu/a, easily 20 + bu/a more than his GMO corn. In my neck of the woods, northeastern Iowa, my neighbor Carl Kriener of Waucoma said easily over 200 bu/a with a GMO Pioneer variety. Just up the road in Fort Atkinson, Paul Andera reports more over 200 + than under.

Southeastern Iowa numbers coming in look just as good. Chris Adams of Belle Plaine, IA had a variety trial where 7 of 13 varieties tested, yielded over 200 bu/a. The number one in this trial was Nutech 5H005. Another cooperator in Belle Plaine, IA, Buck Carl's variety trial had 9 of 13 varieties over 190 bu/a, with the top yielding a non-GMO Prairie Hybrid EX9632. A little to the east in Victor, IA cooperator Tom McGary is the prizewinner. His five entry Prairie Hybrid variety trial averaged 235 bu/a at 58-lb/bu-test weight. The top of the five was Prairie Hybrid 8229 at 247 bu/a and 60.5-lbs/bu-test weight.

It appears that what we have been saying is coming to roost with hard numbers; non-GMO varieties are just as high or higher yielding as their GMO counter parts and the seed costs are lower. A complete research plot harvest report will be released as soon as possible, definitely available at our winter Farm to Plate Seminars.

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Texas "T" Germplasm and the Disaster of the Early 1970's
by John Mayernak

In the summer of 1968, when the nation was preoccupied with the Vietnam War, the assassinations of Martin Luther King , Jr. , and Robert F. Kennedy, and a divisive presidential election campaign, the first signs of trouble went almost unnoticed. Out in the heartland, on a few isolated seed farms in Illinois and Iowa, a mysterious disease was producing "ear rot" on corn plants. At the time, scientists thought the strange disease might be a combination of two familiar diseases called "yellow leaf blight" and "charcoal rot," but they were wrong. Only a tiny amount of hybrid corn seed was lost to the new disease that summer, so no alarms were sounded. Whatever it was, the new malady was probably a freak occurrence that would most likely die off over the winter. Diseases like that was one of the "normal" consequences of doing business with nature.

Although the most immediate effects of the 1970 blight fell on the shoulders of farmers, its ripple effect soon began to reach other parts of the American economy. Smalltown bankers and businessmen who had loaned farmers money began to worry about repayment . Washington worried about exports. At that time, the United States was exporting about 600 million bushels of corn annually, and large quantities of corn were also fed to cattle, poultry, and swine. Domestic food processors and distillers also depended upon corn. If losses in the cornfields became severe, a three-way tug-of war over existing supplies could ensue between food processors, livestock feeders, and grain exporters.

Adding to the reality of the disease itself were rumors that any blighted grain would be toxic to humans and animals. Further questions emerged about "secondary organisms" that might invade the grain, causing still other kinds of toxic problems. In fact, pathologists at the University of Illinois did discover "secondary fungi"-capable of producing the potent poisons known as aflatoxins growing on blighted corn stalks, husks, and ears. But no toxic effects were reported in livestock or humans.

However, it was learned that the blight itself could be transmitted in corn seed. And that fed speculation that the blight was being exported to foreign countries through American corn seed. By early 1971, the corn blight was reported in Japan, the Philippines, Africa, and Latin America, and some importers of corn seed, such as Australia and New Zealand, were wondering if the problem didn't originate with American seed. Addressing the question, Ramparts magazine, in a March 1971 editorial, wrote, "There is considerable speculation as to whether through our exports of diseased corn. We are spreading the blight around the world." At that time the United States was exporting some 46.8 million pounds of corn seed to all parts of the world, worth about $5 million annually. Yet proving that blight in other countries originated in U.S. seed was difficult when the importing countries weren't looking for it in the imported seed.

At the beginning of the epidemic, there was no defense against this blight because the new strain of fungus had found a "genetic window" that made its infestation rapid and wide spread. The genetic window in this case was a gene found in the cytoplasm, the watery material that surrounds the cell nucleus and makes up the bulk of most living cells. In terms of crop disease, that was a new twist.

Commenting on that discovery in 1971, pathologist A. L. Hooker noted that it was "most unusual" that the cytoplasm of corn plant cells played a major role in determining the disease reaction, since in almost all other diseases, genetic factors in the nucleus of the cell determined disease resistance or susceptibility. Because of this, explained Hooker, corn breeders and seedsmen had no reason to suspect that uniformity in the corn crop would pose any problem. But it did.

The cytoplasm found common in most hybrid corn at that time was called "Texas male-sterile cytoplasm," or "T-cytoplasm," after a Texas variety of corn in which it was discovered. For twenty years preceding the blight, plant breeders and seed companies to simplify the process of hybrid corn seed production used Tcytoplasm. Males ter i le cytoplasm produced tassels on corn plants that bore impotent pol len, w h i c h - i n combination with a fer t i l i ty- res tor ing gene in the hybrid cross-enabled scientists to crossbreed and pollinate large numbers of plants more easily. T-cytoplasm thus eliminated the time-consuming, labor-intensive, and economically expensive step of hand detasseling corn plants. It was a revolutionary invention in plant breeding. But what scientists didn't know then about T-cytoplasm was that it also carried a gene in the mitochondria (an organelle of the cell that produces chemical energy for the cell), which enabled the new strain of the corn blight fungus to do its damage.

T-cytoplasm was a man-made change in corn plants used to foster the quick and profitable production of high yielding, hybrid corn seed. It was a change accomplished and advanced by science and commerce without full knowledge of the potential consequences. The new strain of corn blight fungus, Helminthosporium maydis, was a mutation perfectly keyed to a gene in that cytoplasm.

At least 80 percent of the hybrid corn in America in 1970 contained T-cytoplasm, which is why "race T" of Helminthosporium maydis laid waste the nation's corn crop. The corn leaf blight brought h ome t o c r o p breeders in North America the extent to which genetic diversity in crop plants was being eroded. By 1970 roughly three-quarters of the corn acreage was planted in "Texas T cytoplasm" corn. Yield was reduced by approximately 710 billion bushels. The cost to farmers was about $1 billion. Such an extensive, homogenous acreage of plants…is like a tinder-dry prairie waiting for a spark to ignite it. Race T was the spark.

The official scientific response to the corn blight came in August 1972, with the release of the National Academy of Sciences study Genetic Vulnerability of Major Crops. The corn crop fell victim to the epidemic," said the Academy's report, "because of a quirk in the technology that had redesigned the corn plants of America until, in one sense, they had become as alike as identical twins. Whatever made one plant susceptible made them all susceptible." The Southern Corn Leaf Blight, said the NAS study, was genetically based - key finding.*

*In a 1976 paper entitled "An Evaluation of Special Grant Research on Southern Corn Leaf Blight," the USDA also acknowledged the genetic uniformity in the nation's corn crop as one of the primary causes of the 1970 Corn Leaf Blight. "In the [1960s], it became clear that relatively few corn breeding parents were being used to produce the bulk of American hybrid corn varieties," said the report. "This narrowness of germplasm set the stage for potential vulnerability to diseases, insects and other stresses. In early 1970, environmental conditions in Southern and North central corn producing regions were favorable for easy disease establishment and spread among vast plantings of highly uniform varieties. The [Southern Corn Leaf Blight] epidemic became of national and international significance."

Looking beyond corn, the Academy also warned that most other crops were "impressively uniform genetically and impressively vulnerable." Moreover, the study added, "this uniformity derives from powerful economic and legislative forces," such as food company preferences for one kind of crop and government marketing orders requiring specific kinds of fruits and vegetables.

But despite these warnings, not much has changed since 1972. Corn is less vulnerable, but 43 percent of the nation's corn acreage is planted to varieties derived from 6 inbred lines. Other crops are even more vulnerable. And cytoplasmic breeding systems are still being used in a number of crops, including corn.

Moving forward to the mid 1980's , we approach the era of genetic engineering. This new breeding technology focuses on inserting specific traits into the DNA of selected host plants. The benefit of this technique is acclaimed to reduce the time and labor that conventional plant breeding requires to cross and field screen, looking for the desired trait among a population of potential candidates. In the late 1990's, the first genetically engineered organism (GMO) was released. It was a tomato, called the Flavor Saver but was shorted lived due to market unacceptance. Following were field crops, corn and soybeans either with the Bt gene (plant producing its own pesticide) or roundup resistance, or both. To date, Monsanto owns the rights to more than 80% of GMO crops.

An interesting note in the development of GMO crops, particularly corn, has similar tones to the Texas "T" germplasm debacle. The parentage of the corn you are seeding in the field today has a limited variation in its germplasm. A conversation with one of the senior breeders of a top seed company indicated that the corn line(s) used to insert the GMO multiple traits were completely free of any natural resistance to diseases. Many lines were used in the beginning to insert traits such as resistance to phytophthora, anthracnose, and roundup. It was soon discovered that the top yielding and beneficial agronomic lines were not capable of expressing the inserted traits. The plants that the inserted traits were being expressed were lines devoid of any natural disease resistance. Either the traits were moved into open or blank spaces of the DNA or it was just lucky that the genetic engineers were fortunate to succeed with these "susceptible" lines, it is unknown. It will probably never be admitted publicly, but the conversation is enlightening due to the tremendous amount of disease pressure we are seeing on the current crop of GMO corn hybrids. It is apparent that the breeders that produce our seed crops are either illiterate or have little compassion for those who have to grow and eat this food. As the genetic diversity decreases, the potential for an epidemic to arise expands tremendously. Obviously, nobody read the National Academy of Sciences report, Genetic Vulnerability of Major Crops, 1972, or if they did they don't believe it could happen again. Nature always wins at taking out the trash.

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Zinc

Zinc is an essential nutrient for crop production. It is considered a micronutrient, due to the small quantities required for adequate zinc requi rement s . As wi th mos t micronutrients, some soils are capable of suppling adequate amounts, where others need to be monitored and additional supplemental amounts, need to be added.

Zinc (Zn) is an important component of various enzymes that are responsible for driving many metabolic pathways in all crops. Many of these pathways would shut down the growth and development of the crop if they were not functioning. Deficiencies in corn usually appear in the first two to three weeks. These are broad bands of striped tissue on each side of the midrib of the leaf . These stripes begin on the leaf closest to the stalk and appear first on the upper part of the plant. A Zn deficient plant will appear to be stunted with a lack of normal elongation. A zinc deficiency in beans first appears as a yellowing of the lower leaves. As the season progresses, this yellowing will turn to a bronze or brown color. They are said to have a rusty appearance. This can be confused with sunburn of the lower leaves.

If you suspect zinc deficiencies in either your corn or beans, it is best to confirm it with a tissue analysis. A ready quick fix would be to foliar with a broad-spectrum micronutrient package such as Defender G4. Foliar application of zinc is very useful because early season cool soil temperatures intensify the demand for zinc. It has also been noticed that an excessive amounts of phosphorous fertilizer (100 lb/a P₂O₅) can cause a zinc deficiency in corn. Correct ion of this micronutrient deficiency is very important to address early and quickly, because it is affecting the rate of growth of either crop. Next year a preplant fertilizer with a zinc and sulfur package might be another method to avoid this early nutrient deficiency. The bottom line is balance of the soil chemistry and biology. Contact your FHR representative to begin a balanced program of nutrient dense harvests.

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The following is the second in a multi-part series from notes by Dr. Dan Skow while attending one of many lectures from Dr. Carey Reams. This is one of the few examples of writings based on the ideas and thoughts of Dr. Reams. It is well worth reading and keeping, since Dr. Reams never published his work.

Introduction To Plant Feeding Using the Biological Theory of Ionization By Dr. Carey Reams & Dr. Dan Skow, Part 2
Edited and Summarized by John Oolman and John Mayernak

We could go into more depth into the foundations of "Biological Theory of Ionization" which includes; matter is energy-congealed light energy, expressions of frequency, and energy principles.

But instead we'll start into "Understanding the Rules" according to Dr. Carey Reams

Rule 1 Carbon is the moisture regulator and governor of the soil. Carbon can hold up to 4 times its weight in water; this is organically complexed carbon not the free type. When irrigating, do not apply more water to your soil than what it will hold because water will leach out minerals, and surface waters become contaminated with fertilizer salts.

Organically complexed carbon is commonly found in composted plant and animal waste. Wetter manures will have higher carbon values than dryer ones.

Understanding carbon chemistry is important for plant production; when bacteria digest organic carbon they produce carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide produces carbonic acid that will solubilize and mineralize mineral energy for the plant. A high level of mineral salts with carbon in the top layer of soil means the earth's electric flow will be directed with the least resistance which means a greater electric flow and greater magnetism for the plant roots. Soil depth is greater with carbon holding the bacteria and minerals.

Carbon content in the seed determines the quality of the seed, which is related to sugar content, the higher the sugar content the greater the sugar content. This directly affects the speed of germination because the higher amounts of sugar carbons, attracts water thus stimulating faster germination.

Rule 2 Manganese is the element of life. Manganese allows reproduction of all life on earth. The germination function is dependent on the phosphate form of manganese during seed development. Any seed less fruit is due to the lack of manganese phosphate probably because the bud union prevents the passing of phosphate manganese into the plant. Has a large influence on test weight and fill.

Primarily, Manganese is the start for the magnetic attraction of the plant food energy into the plant; manganese focuses the incoming energy to the seed for its proper growth and development.

Rule 3 All the elements in a molecular structure are the same size and shape under the same temperature and pressure. This is how a crop increases its sugar content while it increases its size, and is how the carbohydrate content of the plant is determined.

Rule 4 The charge carried on the core of the element tells whether it is anionic and cationic. The charge refers to the dynamic electro-magnetic spin of the ion; the core and the shell always spin in the opposite direction. The shell spin in an Anion is in the clockwise direction when the orientation is on an axis moving away from the earth looking up underneath it. While the shell spin of a Cation is in counter clockwise direction as it moves toward the earth looking down from the top.

Rule 5 Like attracts like. This means anions attract anions and cations attract cations. This is contrary to what is currently taught. That is because positive and negative charges are not looked at in the light of their magnetic interaction.

Rule 6 The phosphate to potassium ratio should be 2:1, for all types of crops except those grown for grass or hay. For grass and hay crops the phosphorous to potassium ratio should be 4:1.

Rule 7 Nature senses anion-cation ratio reactions, not the pH. pH is the measure of the speed of the current flow in the soil. The scale goes from 00 to 14.Sulfuric acid has a pH of (00). This is because an electrical current can be conducted through sulfuric acid's least line of resistance, resulting from the dominant cation ratio, at the speed of light. In other words, the faster the electrons rotate in an atom, the faster light or electrical energy is able to pass through it, thus the lower pH. Therefore plants do not detect pH. Instead they detect the anion-cation ratios in resistance to each other as the electrical current flow is affected.

Rule 8 Nature follows the line of least resistance. The more resistance (difficulty) a given electric current encounters in a substance, the less likely it will flow in that substance. The greater the mineral content in the top soil, the less resistance in that soil and the better the current will stay flowing in that soil. The greater the mineral content within a plant the less the line of resistance will be towards that plant. Therefore the plant will draw in more electro-magnetic energy and be a top quality plant.

To be continued...

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GMO Mosquitoes

You've heard of GMO corn and GMO soybeans, now here comes a GMO mosquito! It's a good thing I believe. Oxitec, a genetic company spun off of Oxford University, in Great Britain, uses a genetic engineering technique to reduce the total population. The offspring of the GMO males live through the larval stage, but die as pupae, never reaching maturity. This is a new approach to "sterilizing" the male mosquito; previous conventional techniques have weakened the male, inhibiting their ability to mate. Released into the wild the GMO male was as successful as its wild counter part in reproducing. This could become a viable resource to reduce the disease transmission of various diseases such as malaria, dengue fever (break bone fever), and I would think West Nile virus. A though only the females bite and transmit diseases , statistically 50% of offspring are female, dying before maturity. The next step is to demonstrate that deploying GMO males does suppress the insect population enough that it will have an impact on disease transmission.

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Strip-Till: A Natural Evolution of The U-Trough Concept

Strip-Till is a conservation tillage system where the farmer creates strips of exposed soil broken up with a coulter and shank, thereby moving the residue away from the exposed strips of soil. The fertilizer is added only in the exposed rows, reducing weed pres sure and cost from broadcasting fertilizer. The field remains covered in residue reducing erosion and remaining in compliance with most soil conservation districts requirements. The strips warm up and dry faster in the spring, allowing earlier planting. The remaining residue between the rows keeps the soil moisture from evaporating; creating a sponge like reserve that allows adequate moisture for the crop , when the roots grow into it. Strip- Till is an excellent tool for keeping soil in place and reducing drought stress.

The U-Trough concept of precision placed, highenergy fertilizer fits perfectly into the strip-tillers agenda. In the fall, the strips can be made placing the majority of the nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium along side of the projected seed furrow. In the spring, starter fertilizer and a biological inoculant can be added during planting along with any other nutrients the farmer might need. Strip-till is not just a tillage method but should also be combined with precision placement of nutrients for the maximum benefit in savings. The combined dual use of tillage and fertilizer placement can reduce tillage expenses at least $50 an acre, in a corn-on-corn rotation. Strip-Till works best in medium to light textured soils that are well drained. It is not recommended in tight soils with high water holding capacities.

Advantages of Strip Till

• Conserves energy because only part of the soil is tilled.
• Reduces soil erosion because most of the soil remains covered with crop residue throughout the year.
• Releases less carbon into the atmosphere and maintains higher levels of soil organic matter.
• The tilled strips warm sooner in the spring to promote seed germination and plant emergence.
• Conserves soil moisture because most of the soil surface area is covered with crop residue.
• Crop yields are similar or higher compared with other tillage systems.
• Reduces expenses by eliminating some primary and secondary tillage.

Call our Rochester office for scheduling information: 877-907-1444

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While Young Henry Wallace did this corn yield test (see Part 1), a revolutionary period of genetic discovery was taking place- Gregor Mendel, a monk (in what is now The Republic of Slovakia) had started genetic experiments on peas that starting in the 1850s-and his genetic work had laid obscure and dormant for 40 years, was rediscovered in 1900s.

Mendel observed the inheritance of biological characteristics in peas such as: tallness, red or white blossoms with each generation of breeding. Mendel made carefully observations and tallied the results. What he noticed was that colors did not blend into different intermediate shades of color but were inherited as whole units with certain characteristics being dominant and others being recessive.

Mendel said these patterns of recombination could be predicted as certain frequencies. This mathematical approach to the botanical science community was like a foreign language to the traditional botanists who were very much into description and classification of species and not into frequencies. So Mendel's work lay in obscurity until 16 years after his death when 3 independent botanists did the same experiments. They were astonished that a monk had preceded their work by 30 years. Mendel also brewed beer.

Biologists now were appreciating mathematics, and one modern Biologist in particular, young Henry Wallace, had learned identifying plants at age 7 years old from George Washington Carver, and had a very high interest in mathematics. After the way young Henry had done his genetic corn plot, using statistical methods at age 16, it was a quantum leap forward (see Part 1). So when young Henry entered Iowa State, his thinking was extremely modern in 1906 compared to the way traditional professors in the department thought.

Young Henry thought a lot about the Mendellian structure of inherited characteristics, which was very "straight forward" when dealing with a single gene controlling one characteristic, but when working with multiple genes working in synchronously controlling one characteristic, it got extremely complicated quickly, which is what Henry knew, tackling the "corn yield" characteristic would be like.

Highly complicated organisms such as corn had a huge number of genetic possibilities to choose from, if your goal is high yield corn breeding, you could end up with endless possibilities and outcomes, a Pandora's Box to wade through, for such a practical goal of the highest yielding corn. A thousand miles East two scientists would help young Henry, a college freshman, achieve his goal. Two groups; Professor East at Connecticut Expert Station & Davenport and Shull, two scientists on Long Island New York sought to demonstrate to the public, Mendel's theory - The Law of Segregation - which means inheriting discrete units, using a corn plot. The characteristic of starchy and sugary kernels of corn, to tell the two types of kernels is easy because one can look at the kernels and distinguish them.

The reason corn was chosen was it had male and female parts that were easy to manipulate and control fertilization-the male part is the tassel that sheds pollen and the female part is the ear, which receives the pollen forming kernels on the ear. In a cornfield the wind blows and the pollen lands to whatever receptive ear silks are available, this reproductive festival produces seed called "open pollinated" corn. But if you want to cross one specific group of corn plants with another it is fairly simple to use paper bags to cover the sexual organs and then cross the plants you want with bags of pollen from one going to the ear silks of another. Crossing plant A with plant B is a "cross- bred" and crossing plant A with itself (selfing) produces an "Inbred".

The breeding experiments went well for Shull the first year, so next he wanted to look at "quantitative characteristics" or multi-genetic traits; number of rows of kernels on each ear of corn. The number of rows varies from 10 to 20 and Shull wanted to cross-different varieties of corn to see how that trait changed. Using different breeding patterns, Shull wanted to try in breeding, to accomplish his goal.

Looking at the history of in-breeding in animals or humans one associates weak, physically or mentally weak off-spring. This being the results one would expect. When corn, a self-pollinated plant was naturally cross-pollinated the offspring were sickly and weak. But with corn, crossing widely diverse offspring, one could expect offspring that were very large and healthy; this was known as hybrid vigor. Shull wanted to try in-breeding to shed some light on the Mendellian laws, by isolating certain genetic traits in a "pure form", and these complex traits could be passed on in a true form following the predictability of the Mendellian structure as a single trait would.

Over the years Shull's in-bred lines of corn became weaker and weaker to the point where they were very difficult to germinate into plants. He gathered information that seemed to support his pure line theory but at the same time when he crossed these widely unrelated feeble inbreeds he produced hybrids of amazing size and yield. These hybrids produced over 20% more grain than other open pollinated plants. This unintended outcome of his experiment held great promise for agriculture.

Most corn breeding at this time was breeding open-pollinated corn, which was an extremely imprecise way to accomplish a desired result, because you were using one very complex genetic parent with another with extremely unpredictable results. When Shull was presenting these results in 1908, which was a cornerstone of modern agriculture, a huge gap existed in his in-bred theories and hybrid seed corn use in agriculture. The fact it took 3 generations of self-pollinated, pathetic looking in-bred corn that would breed true, which bore tiny misshapen ears with small numbers of sparse kernels. Using these small amounts of inbred seeds, to make commercial quantities of available seed, seemed an impossible task at this time in history.

Shull had many critics, but he and his wife traveled to Omaha, with the runty, pathetic parent ears and the fantastically, large, beautiful off-spring hybrid ear and laid them out in public at the National Corn Exposition. This tiny display yielded huge crowds, astonished by the hybrid vigor displayed, Shull gave a speech about his in-bred "pure-line" method, and one of the professors from South Dakota State University walked up to Shull and said, "You have all the other corn breeders skinned alive".

Other professors from other Universities said they were amazed, impressed challenged, enthused at how the poorest hybrids could outyield the best open-pollinated varieties of corn. Corn breeders were now forced to admit that cross-breeding in-breeds was not such a far-out notion.

After graduating from Iowa State, young Henry Wallace, for the first time, tried this self-pollinating or selfing corn plants, a couple years after he had read about Shull's work. Young Henry's goal was to supplement his modest income at the "Wallace Farmer" with a seed corn business that this part-time corn breeding experience would provide. He wanted to produce a high yielding seed corn line that would beat Reid's Yellow Dent on a consistent basis. Henry knew using this in-bred pure line approach was difficult and decided to go back to crossing open-pollinated varieties.

Young Henry, in 1918, would spend morning's bare-foot out in his corn field happily reading the morning paper looking up occasionally, feeling more at home with the field of corn than anywhere else. Henry married, moved to Johnston Iowa and crossed hundreds of varieties of corn from America, Russia, Australia, Hungary, China, and South America. Varietal crossing outcomes were disappointing in the same ways Shull described. But in 1918, Donald Jones discovered a new method called the "double cross" to create commercial hybrids.

The double cross required four in-bred lines A,B,C, and D-with the four mated in pairs, A x B and C x D –which resulted in two lines of hybrid seed, The seed was planted in alternating rows, one hybrid, A x B in a row and the other hybrid from C x D in the other row. The A x B row got detasseled so it was the female, and the C x D were left as the only pollinators. The ears that developed on the female plants became the hybrid seed after harvesting, shelling and cleaning. Even though this process was more laborious it produced large quantities of hybrid seed that had the hybrid vigor.

With Jones' discovery in-breds began renewed interest, including young Henry Wallace who was watching inbreeding programs and obtaining seed, in one cross he mated an in-bred out of Leming (a popular open-pollinated variety with yellow kernels) with Bloody Butcher (an oriental coppery red) which Henry called Copper Cross. When he entered Copper Cross it ultimately won the gold medal in 1924 the first hybrid to ever win!

When Henry Wallace met George Kurtzwell, they decided to sell the Copper Cross and it was sold as a single cross hybrid, for 1 dollar a pound, in limited quantities for one year and some farmers said it was the best corn they ever grew. Since it was a single cross Copper Cross was a poor candidate for commercial production.

This first adventure in selling seed corn convinced Henry to start a seed business which he convinced his relatives to join him in starting the Pioneer seed company. The Pioneer name was appropriate for a company to start selling the first hybrid seed corn to farmers.

For years Pioneer struggled to sell hybrid seed corn while the rest of the world was struggling to catch up to this new technology.

Early American farmers developed and grew open-pollinated varieties; from 1870 until 1930 the annual average corn yield in the U.S. did not increase. The 1930's the open-pollinated varieties were replaced by hybrids, produced by crossing, in-breds the corn yields increased to approximately five times greater than it was 80 years ago. The exact reasons are debatable, but are mostly attributed to breeding and testing techniques, resulting in genetically superior hybrids.

To be continued...

Team Spotlight

Its assets, equipment, cash flow, sales contracts, etc. often are the measure of a company; the real worth of a company's yardstick should be the quality of the Employees.

In this case, meet the hardest working guys at FHR. Matt Horsman and Tim Maasch. Both Matt and Tim are native Minnesotans. Both are avid outdoorsmen and enjoy camping, hunting, snowmobiling, and Harley riding.

Matt Horsman and Tim Maasch

Matt grew up on a farm in Chatfield, MN where he learned how to farm and maintain equipment. His father Gene Horsman still farms and Matt occasionally finds time to grow some of the finest sweet corn around. This could have been where Matt acquired his talent for welding and metalworking. He can run a bead that could be the A+ example in welding school. Tim grew up in Rochester, MN where he discovered his talent and love with cars. He became a certified automotive technician and worked for a few years as a "wrench". During this time and beyond he built a '72 Chevy Nova drag racer and has the trophies to show his proficiency; very sweet race car. Tim is also an electrician, and has worked at various levels of new construction and retrofitting, problem solving and installation.

Between the two diversely talented hands; if they can't fix it, rebuild it, manufacture it, or keep it running, YOU DON'T NEED IT!

Tim and Matt not only work and build and repair all of FHR's farm equipment, they are also the planting and harvesting crew. Without the mechanical skills, the hard working ethics, and some of the finest human beings you could ever meet; FHR would be lacking the lighthouse to focus our dream. We appreciate everything that they do and the extreme hours that it takes to complete the above and beyond duties asked of them. Our Heroes!

From the Staff and Employees of BRT/FHR,
we would like to thank you for your support and business.

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Mission Statement
To bring a synergistic relationship between the man and land, while building products that will pursue the highest standards in the industry. Through this relationship we will educate, while building long-term partnerships of success, by using soil science, microbiology and plant physiology.

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