. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture. BULLETIN OF THE I No. 75. Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief. April 8, 1914. (PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) ALFALFA SEED PRODUCTION; POLLINATION STUDIES. By C. V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge, and Morgan W. Evans, Koland McKeb, and W. J. Morse, Scientific Assistants, Forage-Crop Investigations. INTRODUCTION. For a number of years past it has been a conspicuous fact that in sections where alfalfa seed is grown commercially the yield varies greatly from season to season. Particularly striking e
. Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture. Agriculture; Agriculture. BULLETIN OF THE I No. 75. Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief. April 8, 1914. (PROFESSIONAL PAPER.) ALFALFA SEED PRODUCTION; POLLINATION STUDIES. By C. V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge, and Morgan W. Evans, Koland McKeb, and W. J. Morse, Scientific Assistants, Forage-Crop Investigations. INTRODUCTION. For a number of years past it has been a conspicuous fact that in sections where alfalfa seed is grown commercially the yield varies greatly from season to season. Particularly striking examples of this variation in yield have occurred in the Milk River Valley of Montana, where in some seasons yields of 10 to 12 bushels per acre have been obtained, while in other years the crop was almost a complete failure. It has been generally supposed that the visit of certain insects to the flowers is absolutely necessary in order to effect pollination. In accordance with this belief, some have held that small crops of alfalfa seed were due to an unsatisfactory number of pollinating insects, while others have suggested that thrips or other destructive agencies might be accountable. In view of the importance of the matter to alfalfa seed growers, investigations of this subject were undertaken, beginning with the season of 1906. These investigations have been conducted during subsequent seasons at various stations and have resulted in the accumulation of a mass of data which throw new light on the sub- ject. Incidentally they have revealed the fact that the problem is much more complex than had been anticipated, and there is need of much further work, especially in the careful correlation of cH- matic data, as well as the abundance of insects, with the seed yields from season to season. The facts herein set forth substantiate the previous belief in the importance of insect visitors, but also show that, under certain climatic conditions, automatic self-pollination of the flow
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