THIRTEEN YEAES OF WHEAT SELECTION 



T. B. HUTCHESON 

 Associate Agronomist, University of Minnesota 



In 1901 the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion planted a number of varieties of wheat from the 

 poloiiicum, spcl/a, turgidum, durum and vulgan- type- in 

 foundation beds in order to have specimens of these differ- 

 ent types always on hand for class work, hybridiza- 

 tion or demonstration purposes. Six of these varieties — 

 hedgrow (turgidunt) , Russian (rulgare), common speltz 

 (spelta), kamouka {durum), and Polish (1) and Polish 

 (2) (varieties of polonicum) — have been grown continu- 

 ously since that time and an effort has been made to 

 improve them by selection. The method followed was 

 that introduced at this station by Professor W. M. Hays 

 and called the "centgener " method. 



The centgener method consists, briefly, in starting with 

 individual plants, planting one hundred selected kernels 

 from each plant at equal depths and at equal distances 

 apart in separate plots. A plot of one hundred plants is 

 called a centgener. Careful notes are taken on the plants 

 in each centgener and at harvest time five or more of the 

 highest yielding plants are selected from which the seeds 

 for planting the next year are taken. From these five 

 best plants from five to ten of the best heads are selected 

 and thrashed together. One hundred of the largest and 

 plumpest kernels are then selected out of the seed ob- 

 tained by thrashing these selected heads, and these are 

 planted in the centgener test the next year. This work is 

 continued from year to year, each season the hundred 

 best kernels from the five or more best plants being 

 planted in succeeding centgeners. 



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