630 BXPEEIMENT STATION KECOBD. [Vol.38 



FIELD CROPS. 



[Report of field crops work in Kansas, 1915-16] (Kansas Sta. Rpt. 1916, 

 pp. 12-14. S2-SJf, S6-SS, 39-42). — This reports the progress of variety, cultural, 

 and fertilizer tests with grain and forage crops conducted at Manhattan and 

 on the various substations, in continuation of similar work previously noted 

 (E. S. R., 36, p. 131). 



An application of 2.^^ tons of manure increased the yield of wheat grown con- 

 tinuously 35.2 per cent for a 5-year average, and of alfalfa grown continuously, 

 80.2 per cent. An annual application of 5 tons increased the average yield of 

 alfalfa 118.1 per cent, and 2.5 tons of manure supplemented by 380 lbs. of rock 

 phosphate, 97.4 per cent. Manure produced higher yields with alfalfa than com- 

 mercial fertilizers, although the difference was not so great where alfalfa was 

 grown in rotation as where it was grown continuously. Complete commercial 

 fertilizers and potassium sulphate have not proved profitable for any crop. 



Com after corn preceded by alfalfa yielded 70.3 bu. per acre; after wheat 

 preceded by corn, 63.9 bu. ; after wheat preceded by cowijeas, 60.2 bu. ; and 

 grown continuously, 52.7 bu. Wheat after corn yielded 19.5 bu. per acre ; after 

 cowpeas, 15.27 bu. ; and grown continuously, 12.75 bu. The highest wheat yields 

 were again obtained from the earliest methods of seed bed preparation. The 

 variations in nitrate nitrogen accumulation in soil following various methods 

 of seed bed preparation appeared to be physical, in the activity of those organ- 

 isms bringing about cleavage, hydrolysis, or oxidation of native proteins. 



P-762, a hard winter wheat, outyielded Turkey and Kharkof by 2.G9 and 3.86 

 bu. per acre, respectively, for a 5-year average. A strain of Red Texas oats pro- 

 duced on the average 3.5 bu. more per acre than the best variety previously 

 grown. 



Medium early seeding for oats at the rate of 2.5 bu. per acre, and the seeding 

 of wheat about October 1 with a rate of 6 pk. per acre, were deemed best. 

 Corn grown on plats left uncultivated, but with the weeds removed by hand, 

 gave practically as high yields as that on plats cultivated three times in the 

 ordinary way. 



In silage tests, sweet sorghum was first with a yield per acre of 23.6 tons of 

 silage and 21.4 bu. of grain, kaJQr corn second with 16.6 tons of silage and 54.4 

 bu. of grain, and commercial white corn third with 15.4 tons of silage and 74.28 

 bu. of grain. Sudan grass sown on May 15 and June 16 gave average yields of 

 3.64 and 2.8 tons of cured hay per acre, respectively. 



Seeding experiments with wheat at the Fort Hays substation indicated that 

 early seedings should be made at low rates and late seedings at high rates. Of 

 the grain sorghums tested, Dwarf milo was first with a yield of 59.8 bu. per 

 acre. Date-of-planting tests with sorghums for grain and forage showed that 

 kafir corn and feterita did best when planted June 1, while saccharin varieties, 

 such as Freed, Minnesota Amber, and Red Amber grown for forage alone, pro- 

 duced best when planted June 15. The thickest planting rate, 4 in. apart in the 

 row, proved best for both feterita and Red Amber in 1915. The 1914 and 1915 

 yields showed a decided advantage in favor of close-drilled Red Amber as com- 

 pared with cultivated rows for hay, while feterita planted in alternate rows 

 yielded only two-thirds as much fodder and grain per acre as was obtained 

 from 4-in. spacings in regular rows. Of 52 varieties of sorghums tested, Red 

 Amber was considered best for forage and Dwarf Yellow milo best as a general- 

 purpose variety. The quality of Sudan grass hay was deemed best when the 

 crop was cut in the full-head stage, and the optimum time for planting was 

 found to be from May 10 to 15. Legumes in Sudan grass mixtures failed entirely 

 in 1914 and 1915. Tunis grass is said to be unsatisfactory. German millet 



