294 H. D. GERHOLD 



concept useful to breeders beyond just disease resistance. About 11 or 

 12 years ago we began to work with FAO, initially in a training program 

 preliminary to collaborative work toward coordinating work of inter- 

 national yield nurseries. This program failed because FAO had no one 

 and no funds set aside to coordinate the work. Then we assumed the 

 responsibility at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. 

 Initially this was a joint undertaking of the Rockefeller Foundation and 

 the Mexican Department of Agriculture; it has since been reconstructed 

 into the Center. The yield tests proved to be a wonderful vehicle. 

 Materials were handier and we got useful information on a world-wide 

 basis. First came an international yield nursery for spring wheats-- 

 because they fit a temperature range of the area in which we worked, a 

 range not suitable for the winter wheat types. A modest start was made 

 with 25 varieties representative of the main spring wheat varieties of 

 the main world wheat regions. We always included some of our own best 

 experimental lines and we solicited experimental lines from other 

 countries but at first didn't get any. Now, because of growing use by 

 breeders everywhere, we always have these new, experimental lines; in 

 fact, we've doubled the size of our nursery. All seed stocks are grown 

 in Mexico from imported seed. At present a yield nursery planting involves 

 80 uniform sets of seed, sent to 80 collaborators all over the world. 

 There's a demand for 150 sets, but we can't supply them. Instead we supply 

 strictly experimental materials for about 20 "screening" nurseries known 

 to be fairly uniform for yield. From the main yield nurseries we get 

 disease information, dates of flowering and maturity, heights, degree of 

 lodging and a lot of other miscellaneous data that are compiled in a 

 computerized annual report. The screening nursery is a much simpler 

 thing, but it's the one that really gives you the new, basic information. 

 Very early in the program you're able to identify unusual, and potentially 

 useful lines. Good yields in one locality identify ecotypes or provenances 

 adapted to that local site. You find some provenances broadly adapted to 

 a wide range of conditions holding on irrigated lands, dry lands, fertilized 

 or unfertilized lands and to a wide range of disease conditions. At 

 present we find most of these unusual lines in our basic gene pool in 

 Mexico--but the system hasn't been functioning too long. I have long 

 since learned that if there is a full-time coordinator to handle, compile 

 and distribute these data to collaborators that international participa- 

 tion will increase 2 to 5 times the amount you can handle. Thus I say to 

 both of you (Gerhold and Bingham) , God bless you for your attempts to 

 set up a similar facility for international testing of white pines and 

 white pine blister rust resistance. Don't let the organization become 

 too bureaucratic so that it dominats and stifles the ultimate effort. 

 Make it simple. 



BINGHAM: Dr. Borlaug, these wheat yield and screening nurseries 

 programs that are carried on by the International Maize and Wheat 

 Improvement Center, what was the initial source of financing? 



BORLAUG: At the present time we are working with wheat, but in 

 Latin America we are now following up with maize (corn) and developing a 

 smaller but similar potato program. Our financing came from the 

 Rockefeller Foundation. Here, I think you may be bypassing some good 

 opportunities in working with certain foundations. Possibly you have 

 explored these possibilities but I'd like to talk with you about this 

 sometime. 



BINGHAM: Thank you. The Committee on (resistance to) White Pine 

 Blister Rust would certainly welcome your attendance at their meetings 

 of the next few days. 



