83 



HISTORICAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS 



• Developed genetic concepts that laid the foundation for modern plant and ani- 

 mal breeding and proved the value of statistical methods in evaluating inherited 

 characteristics in populations. 



• Pioneered research on plant responses to variations in light quality and 

 daylength which culminated in the chemical isolation of phytochrome, the pho- 

 toreceptor that regulates many plant growth and development responses to 

 light. 



• Developed and introduced many pest-resistant potato varieties, from the famous 



'Katahdin' potato of the 1930's to the new superior baking potato bred to grow 

 in the Northeast-'BelRus'. 



• Invented and developed the "bug bomb" (precursor of the aerosol can), saving 

 thousands ot lives from malaria and other tropical diseases during World War II 

 and its aftermath. 



• Developed the Beltsville SmaO White turkey and improved the efficiency of arti- 

 ficial insemination of commercial turkeys. 



• Contributed to the "Green Revolution" (a turning point in agriculture that dras- 

 tically reduced world hunger) by identifying and supplying disease-resistant 

 wheat to plant-breeding centers around the world. 



• Originated high-quality, large-fruited blueberry varieties from the wild that 

 started the new and valuable cultivated blueberry industry. 



• Developed detergent chemical methods for determining the nutritional value of 

 feedstuff -- now widely used throughout the world in both human and animal 

 nutrition. 5 



• Conducted fundamental research that defined the energy requirements of the 

 lactating dairy cow. These concepts led to a practical feeding system adopted by 

 the National Academy of Science. 



• Discovered and synthesized the chemicals that a variety of -major insect pests 

 emit to attract their mates-now being used for mass trapping and to survey in- 

 sect populations for integrating pest management programs. 



• Discovered plant viroids-a new class of disease-causing particles 80 times 

 smaller than viruses. Developed a practical test for the presence of viroids in 

 potatoes. 



• Developed the near-infrared reflectance spectroscopic technique for rapid 

 evaluation of major quality constituents in food, feed, and agricultural products. 



• Discovered that a group of protozoan parasites (Sarcocystis species), long 

 thought to be harmless cysts in the muscles of cattle, sheep, and swine, actually 

 can cause weight loss, produce abortion in pregnant animals, decrease milk 

 yields, and even cause death. 



• Developed a standardized reference diet for use as a research tool in human 

 metabolic studies. 



• Developed and continue to increase the World's largest germplasm collection of 

 bacteria (Rhizobium), which enhance grain yields or soybeans by forming 

 nitrogen-fixing symbioses with the roots of the plant, thus reducing the need for 

 nitrogenous fertilizers. 



• Pioneered research on lowering body fat in swine through genetic selection. 



• Discovered that rice plants, grown only from pollen, can be chemically selected 

 in the laboratory for increased protein and other desirable characteristics. One 

 rice variety produced this way has 42 percent more lysine (an essential amino 

 acid) than normal rice. 



• Discovered the selectivity of the herbicide 2,4-D to kill broad leaf plants (dicots) 

 while doing Utde damage to grasses (monocots). This discovery revolutionized 



