A84-421-1OM-L TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS W. B. BIZZELL, President BULLETIN NO. 279 APRIL, 1921 DIVISION OF AGRONOMY TYPE AND VARIABILITY IN KAFIR B. YOUNGBLOOD, DIRECTOR, COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS STATION STAFRT ADMINISTRATION B. YOUNGBLOOD, M. S., Director A. B. CosmER, B. S., Vice Director CHARLES A. FELKER, Chief Clerk A. S. WARE, Secretary I _ A. D. JACKSON, ExecutiveAssistant CHARLES SOSOLIK, Technical Assistant M. P. HOLLEMAN, JR., Assistant Chief Clerk VETERINARY SCIENCE *M. FRANCIS, D. V. M., Chief H. SCHMIDT, D. V. S., Veterinarian _ D. H. BENNETr, V. M. D., Veterinarian CHEMISTRY _ _ G. S. FRAPS, Ph. D., Chief; State Chemist S. E. AsBURY, M. S., Assistant Chemist S. LOMANITZ, B. S., Assistant Chemist J. B. SMITH, B. S., Assistant Chemist WALDO WALKER, Assistant Chemist HORTICULTURE H. NEss, M. S., hi _ _ W. S. HOTCHKISS, Horticulturist ANIMAL INDUSTRY J. M. JoNEs, A. M., Chief; Sheep and Goat Investigations R. M. SHERWOOD, B. S., Poultry Husband- man G. R. WARREN. B. S., Animal Husbandman in Charge of Swine Investigations -—€——-—-—, Dairy H usbandman R. A. BREWER, B. S., Assistant "Animal Hus- bandman, Sheep. and Goat Investigations ENTOMOLOGY M. C. TANQUARY, Ph. D., Chief; State Entomologist H. J. REINHARD, B. S., Entomologist L. R. WATSON, A. M., Apiarist C. S. RUDE, B. S., Assistant Entomologist AGRONOMY A. B. CONNER, B. S., Chief; Crops A. H. LEXDIGH, B. S., Agronomist, Soils E. B. REYNQLDS, M. S., Agronomist, Small Grains E. W. GEYER, B. S., Agronomist, Farm Super- intendent **SALOME COMSTOCK, B. S., Seed Analyst PLANT PATHOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY J. J. TAUBENHAUS, Ph. D., Chief FEED CONTROL SERVICE F. D. FULLER, M. S., Chief S. D. PEARCE, Exceutive Secretary FORESTRY . E. O. SIECKE, B. S., Chief, State Forester PLANT BREEDING E. P. HUMBERT, Ph. D., Chief FARM AND RANCH ECONOMICS A. B. Cox, Ph. D., Chief J. W. ELLIOTT, B. S., Graduate Assistant SOIL SURVEY **W. T. CARTER, JR, B. S., Chief T. M. BUSHNELL, B_. S., Soil Surveyor H. W. HAWKER, Soil Surveyor SUBSTATIONS No. 1. Beeville, Bee County._ I. E. COWART, M. S., Superintendent No. 2. Troup, Smith County W. S. HOTCHKISS Superintendent No. 3. Angleton, Brazoria County V. E. HAFNER, B. S., Superintendent No. 4. Beaumont, Jefierson _County A. H. PRiNcE, B. S., Superintendent No. 5. Temple, Bell County _ D. T. KILLOUGH, B. S., Superintendent No. 6. Denton, Denton County _ C. H. McDowELL, B. S., Superintendent No. 7. Spur, Dickens County _ R. E. DICKSON, B. S., Superintendent TAs of April 15, 1921. No. 9. Lubbock, Lubbock County R. E. KARPER, B. S., Superintendent No. 9._ Pecos, Reeves County V. L. CoRY, B. S., Superintendent No. 10. College Station, Brazos County (Feeding and Breeding Substation) L. J. McCALL, Superintendent N0. ll. Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County G. T. McNEss, Superintendent **No. 12. Chillicothe, Hardeman County A. B. CRoN, B. S., Superintendent No. 14. Sonora, Sutton-Edwards Counties E. M. PETERS, B. S., Superintendent *In cooperation with School of Veterinary Medicine, A_. and M. College of Texas. **In cooperation with United States Department of Agriculture. . ..-;..i’.:».4'3.' BULLETIN NO. 279 ' . APRIL, 1921 TYPE AND VARIABILITY 1N KAFIR. A. B. OoNNER AND B. E. KARPER. The purpose of this bulletin is to present data as to type and variabil- ity of certain characters in the kafir plant as obtained by statistical study. It is noteworthy that the progress heretofore made in grain sorghum improvement has been accomplished more or less at random and without definite knowledge as to procedure. A knowledge of type and variability in kafir populations and in lines successively inbred for certain characters will measure the progress to be made by intelligent breeding operations and will be of immense practical value to growers in the improvement of grain sorghums. ' LIATERIAL USED The data presented are taken from material accumulated in a kafir breeding project begun in 1915, involving the measurement of material from crib-run heads and selected population material and from lines succe-ssively inbred for singlecharacters? In 1916 six hundred and sixty-nine crib-run standard blackhul kafir heads were measured and recorded as to: Number of seed-bearing branches. Length of seed-bearing branches. Number of nodes to the head. Length of rachis or center stem. Length of head. Weight of head. Weight of threshed grain. In succeeding work with progeny the following measurements were recorded: Number of seed-bearing branches. Length of seed-bearing branches. Number of nodes to the head. Length of rachis orcenter stem. Length of head. Weight of head. Weight of threshed grain. Height of plant. Diameter of plant. -10. Number of nodes to plant. 11. Weight of green forage. P9°7Q$5°P‘"‘9°?°!" 2Q.°-‘°‘.*P“.°°P°l-‘ This bulletin, however, deals only with the first four pairs of charac- ters enumerated. Eighty individual heads were selected for planting in 1917, comprising eight groups, a group representing one of the ex- *This work Was conducted at Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Sub- station No. 8, located near Lubbock, Texas, this point being situated in the region adapted to grain sorghum. éosmznafimv as: .550 cusp ago?» 9.3km 3am“: =2nw Zfihofis: wcofiwgonom 32$ .5“ ma; on: wifi... dc: 95m w Mo hgmihofiq: wcfiwonw fimfi “ma! fissxofimllé opsmfm TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. TYPE AND VARIABILITY IN KAFIR. 5 tremes of the four pairs of characters involved. For example, a ten- head group within the eighty heads selected out of the original six hundred and sixty-nine measured comprised the ten heads having the greatest number of seed branches of all those measured; likewise, a. group of ten heads comprising the ones having the fewest number of seed branches were chosen. Similarly, groups Were chosen for each of the four pairs of characters first mentioned. These eight groups, typifying the extremes in each of the four pairs, were grown in 1917 in head-row plats and measurements were recorded for the progeny. The selection for the 1918 planting, within a single group, comprised ten heads taken from the single row in that group whose progeny con- formed to the highest standard for the particular character for which selection was made. Accordingly, the selections were made ‘in each generation for the four-year period. The method of selection followed is clearly shown in the accompanying diagram (Figure 2). A com-r plete set of measurements was recorded for every head without regard to the particular purpose for which the line involved was being carried. METHODS Progeny plantings consisted of two-rod rows with plants spaced twelve inches in the row. All n1ai11 heads of the plants of half of each row were bagged, thus allowing for the bagging of a maximum of sixteen plants to the row. Occasionally, however, on account of losses due to puncture of bags, or other causes, the number of heads used and known to- be self-fertilized ranged as low as ten or even eight. All bagging was done before even a pin-hole opening showed in the upper leaf sheath and thereafter any puncture of the bag or exposure of any kind resulted in the discarding of the plant in question. It may be said, however, that even during unfavorable weather (thunderstorms accompanied by wind and rain) comparatively" few losses occurred. The wetting of the paper bags, however, followed by wind, did cause some losses on account (if the serrated edges of the upper leaves rubbing at points of contact. Bags were removed as soon as the blooming period had passed, which could be determined with certainty by observance of the half of the rows not bagged. All bagged heads were harvested and measured except in cases where parts were broken or otherwise (lamaged. In measuring, the actual count was made of the number of seed-bearing branches and the num- ber of nodes in each head. The length of the seed-bearing branches was obtained by metric measurement of the length of one branch, taken at random from each node in the head, and averaging. The length of the rachis or center stem was obtained by actual measurement with a metric ruler in each case. In making the selections for length of rachis or center stem, the heads were selected on a basis of the proportionate length of the rachis to the length of the head. THE DATA The tabulation of the data for populations and for lines inbred for four generations is presented in the folloxving tables and graphs, which show the type and variability existing in each population and line from year to year. TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. .2533 fionm .52 2532mm wvmo: o2 Ho cofifismofi “of. ¢Evmv m5; .5.“ v3u2ow wvwoz o2 .20 cofiwgnoh 3v “woven 32 .5.“ vofiv2ow wvmos o2 2o cofifisaom Awv dQUOS 55E .52 vovbovvw wvuon o2 vo cofimiflncm §v $220225 voom 202w vow vwfv2ow 2232 o2 v.0 sofimifiom 3v .munocw._n voom v62 he.“ vofiv2ow wvwon o2 we no$2sacn~ 3v dosoawhn voow Bu.“ .5.“ votv2om mvwon o2 we coimiiékvm 2v aosucwvn vowm >52: .5.“ vufiv2vm wvmos o2 we notmfiznom Amv dvovoabwsu we £13 v vow mvvnis: vmsdo 2 v3u2ww wvuoz ow 2o 20522522 Amv 203m uomvwvasoh Cv. . - - - - - - . . - . Q n - o Q . - . - - - - - - - u . - Q - I - 22 . wfivfivaefi zlfioflfimfim v18 22 ofizfifivm 22 o2 wmdflmmfifi “b2 dumcamau mtmm Nat cflhvfiam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3v QcaEQQm v32 2 22 M52 mfiosflvwafi Eécgvummwwmg... m .2 2x5 oflwgcsm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3v nfifivicm 2.8m ow .22 mmw @~¢¢.¢H@w.m_ N$Q.oH@@£.~ n52 mm? ZHQBQE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . :8 wwwwm cEAEU 22 . .50 2223M vo £264 o2 mmwwdflwvmcm Rmcdflnmmm; w SVBAQQQNQQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . w . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . év Qasfiflaom v.32 2 22 m3 “Qfisfxwt mmfivdfimhfi; N. fiwcsfiwmwmvw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . év qfivs=mam 98m 2 22 g2 fimmzcflfiwfim cflvcgvmnizw; w mgaaflmwzvw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 zosfisnom 25m ow 22 mmw Emulinmmam oomodnmmmfivé .\. mfivodfivmwms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.2.35 .::-£..u 22 .m@vo2 .6 vonfis2 m2 wwdflfivfi whmosnmzam .2 w SwQAvfivQNPw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . .. .5 qfivssnam v.25 2 22 o2 Qw.¢H@.._:w_ cwfiivfionfiv; a mwivdfiwmm§w ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . av coiwifiol v32 2 22 £2 . Qfixvafifiui wmmoroumvmwm; w mmmodnmvmvamiw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 =2§E€m 23E ow 22 mmw £2523 mm mmoodumonvv; m wmoodumcmmfiw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AS mfiom afibcu 22 .26 mvnocwvm vowm Ho 2225A 3 wfiimmmgm mmmmdflwmmmvafi M3 acfigvfiaiam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12$ fiswcaom v.8: 2 :2 w2 wmmjvfimwumv mtwmdflfiwmau. wm wqvmdflofivmivm . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... . 8v 203x392 2.8m 2 22 $2: $2 M33322 omaodnnmmvwv wm 22 omnwvwwhm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... . . av qefizzam .55 ow 22 mmw mbmm oflmm 2 $2 ¢H$mms wm 2&2 ofiafiwm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AC wvmom 52-2w 22 dvsoawhm voow Mo 2on8: 2 vovswwoz >2mn2$> coflwv/QQ wvwofl 2o QGQMOEQOU vvmvsmvw ovoz smog QED uQQzEZ . dqomvmmiflmoa 2G2 vuvu2ow vqw 25212.8 v2 Bswwwnoo vwomvwflmvm A 03am. VARIABILITY IN KAFIR. TYPE AND w» wwwnuwhéfi $2 dumvhww A w .3 $4; dfimfilmwmfi mm fiefimm .3 wSl dnmowwwfl m .3 moomdnmvw: .2 Nwgoswflasw .5. 38 2W 5.35:: Qwfieflmmmwa m m: wwemdumfifiwwe 3 wading»; w~2.¢f.@@@.~ m4.“ whwfieumwmamgwm . aofihvaee P5 22 m5 mwdnmwcwfi Smogfifiziw m .2 $2 dnmommowfi mfi mwdnmuw .2 xmfi dulmwwa f: wmg .¢H_£@m_ .2 . . ..=¢:~._2$e 2K £2 w? - - ¢ - ¢ n u Q Q one»: vuoicnnn¢lcolo u-noa. unana a n Q u a u - | Q - o n o o Q n u Q o ¢ u n. 0.0100 . . . . cw“ ~ wflm ......©ww$¢so.~nn~w~m~ , wmsemfilehcnm wmnemm. mseA mm eaaefimwi mwwodnmowwad w mwwowum Imww Q: omw EH53 mwzvdfliflaq b wwwoaumhwm: S .._.=¢§.a=...w .3 82 o2 . whafgfi Qomegeumtao; w wowowumoowww ww mwwwmomnwmwfi wvwodnmwwhoé N. wnwodnmwmwmw ....neSw.~ocoU Em 22 $4 Edfli .2 wfiodfiifie; w mwwownmwowmw 2: $2. Qumwmi wmwodnmm-mo; w fiowodnmmmmmw . . ..=¢sS2_ao @5122 $2? j....- - . . . . . . - . . . . . - - . . .-. . - . - . . - . .. . . . . . . . . - .. ..j . - . . . . . . . ...-. ....-. . - - - . - ' . - - - - ¢-.-.¢ ¢-...¢-..¢-.- o-“q .? ..u-.»».-.»-.¢-¢-¢---».¢-...-- move? Bet weweZ. r52 n2 wmdfimewfifi Qwedflcmiwo w wwwodnmnwwwmw mm i...3£w.¢_ Eaesumhwpm... a hméaflmezfia ....ee$w.~ocoU 5v ommw a Qdummmfi Swoafiwwwmge w wmwomoumhfimo w 2w wmgefeqfi @$.¢.¢HHm@@.o w whwoénmnmhmw ....aeSw.~eqoU v.5 22 wfi $1.3M»... I eoédummmrwwe . w $85 affim w w: ;:..¢H$.: fimmodnmmwmmfio w ~§o.onmmwow.w Iéeflfiosemv cam M32 : ........ :1;.......HHHHHHH.HHHHH C. : Lfimumm“Hmiwiwxunnflu :2 ....................:z:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ¢ . - . x m % . . . - § - . . .- . wuwecaem meow icnm . wesesmfim voem use; ma n51“ Zimw wwwwwumwoflwfl mm Nmmmenmwfifimm 2: Qmmdflmfl S 22 dafiww w mm Ebmdflfiemem ...E.M§2so fi... 32 5 mzfiawwm ¢~¢m.o%:..@@.@ mm fibm-icuflohwoxwm wm Nmwwwnmwvfl Howfioflmmmm...” mm xamdfieoomaum .. . .§s_:2se Em Q22 wfi wwéuufiwwm mmwmwnmamwdiw mm Ewmdfimfiw 5. m: 825i?» oehfionmwwmgm mm wowmdnmvwwmaww . .=2§_...=...u E5 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. x . . . . .......... .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ....QO@QQHQQQUHWM§.Q@@ ¢ - - o v | - 0002100nnlccloonocliolooclt w IQIIIIIIIOOIQIntoltnotcniitociloil v3: v0.5 13oz hfimnmifi/ nefimtrofl 352 532 éwog hfimnwflflfw sefimtwofi 252 smog A mwmom we acomeEoeU weuwcfiw . mwmom we u-comemwooU miawamwm w. , .eZ .eZ .85 1 menecfim woem 3am wosenmum weuw hang dcmx cm wfimnwifiw was Q93 we sefleomem we meeoto uEBenm mflfifiwaeo fimeflwfimwm d. oEuH DIAGRAM Suowms Men-eon Snueu IQIG CRIB-RUN HEADS. .569H£A0s M5 ASURE D 8O HEADS SELECTED 1.561114 s KAFIR F012 R5. A '9“ *9"? 1020 10 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. The foregoing tables of statistical constants seem to be quite reliable, judging fromthe low probable error in each case. The eight lines involved, in every case, showed uniformity and purity in the second generation. This is in accordance with the low percentage of cross-pollination found by the authors in open-pollinated heads} The practical significance of this fact is twofold: (1) It lends greater reliability to preliminary uncontrolled breeding work done heretofore with the grain sorghums, as, for example, work done by the authors in which hybrid heads taken at random from the field produced progeny segregating almost exactly in a one-two-one ratio, and (2) it emphasizes the value of the head-row method of breeding grain sorghums, by means of which the breeder may with certainty obtain pure lines.’ The fact that marked progress was made in only one of the eight lines involved, namely, the line selected for few seed-bearing branches, emphasizes the importance and value of selecting a large number of heads for the initial planting to increase the chances of including superior individuals. The purification of such individuals seems as- sured in the second generation, a fact which offers greater opportunity to the breeder of grain sorghum than is found in cotton or corn and many other crops. The variability in the several lines, as shown in the tabular material, is less than in the populations, and is consistently uniform in the second and succeeding generations, further emphasizing the purity of the lines in the second generation. ‘Paper on “Natural Gross-Pollination in Milo,” Journal of the American Society of Agronomy, Volume II, No. 6. ‘Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 236, “Grain Sorghum Improvement,” by Conner and Karper, describes the use of the head-row method. 11 ‘PYPE AND VARIABILITY IN KAFIR. .m 033m QN a uzwzdfiwm 5% >6.- SW QM. ab 1/ . S. wewruzawn Sun >242 g. Q0 zsEmmzuw ZOCKMEZQW zorr5 ¢ uni!‘ wwgoz >Z<3 .2 IHW Qdm azm +2 zoF/‘Ezuw zoEqfizuw zoEquwzwD zoFfiizww vzfiim @852 oz .®dOOZ n-O GMQ-ZDZ m0... OMPUUJmW W543 win?! a0 dO_>