DEKALB Ag Alumni Assn dekalbalumni

1. DEKALB Ag Alumni Assn www.dekalbalumni.org

2. EARLY CORN BREEDING DEKALBMr. CHARLIE GUNN AN ABBREVIATED OVERVIEW D.R. Smith Zea Sage

3. 1865 Gregor Mendel, an Augustinian monk, proved the existence of heritable units (genes) Garden pea cotyledon color

4. University of Illinois 1896: In March at a meeting with Mr. Cyril Hopkins, Mr. Eugene Davenport, a livestock specialist, who was Director of the University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, pointed out that corn needed more protein and oil to be an ideal food for livestock. Mr. Hopkins, Director Crops and Soils of the University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, undertook a project to investigate solutions. The first plots were planted in May of 1896. This would become the longest running corn breeding project in the world. It continues today.

5. University of Illinois 1899: Mr. Hopkins’ first report stated that in 4 years strains were developed that had a third to a half more protein or fat than ordinary corn. 1900: Mr. Hopkins, a trained chemist, selected another graduating chemist to join the program conducting the chemical analyses . Mr. Edward Murray East joined the program in June 1900. 1904: Mr. East was put in charge of the entire breeding program. He immediately noted that the higher protein lines were lower yielding than their ancestors and that as protein levels went up yields went proportionally down.

6. University of Illinois 1905: The University of Illinois hosted the American Breeders’ Association in honor of the work started by Mr.’s Davenport and Hopkins. It was at this conference that Mr. East met Mr. Edward H. Jenkins who was the director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Mr. East convinced Mr. Hopkins’ that he should retain the identity of the ears self pollinated by planting them using an ear-to-row scheme. Plots were planted and it was very evident to Mr. East there were vast differences between the ear-to-rows. Mr. Hopkins, who by this time was burdened with administrative problems, viewed the plots over the summer, was not impressed and ordered the work discontinued (breeding material was shelved, not discarded). Mr. East departed the University of Illinois September 1, 1905

7. Connecticut Experiment Station 1905: Mr. Edward M. East started working at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station for Mr. Jenkins shortly after he left the U of I. Mr. East saw that the easiest way to continue his breeding research was to procure seed from the University of Illinois. He was able to obtain seed from the research associate with whom he had worked over the past few years. This was not made public until 41 years later. Mr. Jenkins suggested to Mr. East that he summarize the work he had conducted while at the University of Illinois

8. Connecticut Experiment Station 1906: Mr. Edward M. East wrote a bulletin entitled,” The Improvement of Corn in Connecticut”. This summarized his research at the University of Illinois where he was able to offer his own views, made future projections of hybrid utilization and tied it to the productivity of corn in Connecticut. This bulletin offers the suggestion that hybrids made from distinctly different varieties could increase yields by 10 Bu/A. At this time the burden of producing the seed was targeted for the farmers. The farmers were reluctant to change their long-standing tradition of selecting the best ears harvested from their fields for planting the next year.

9. Selecting the Best from the Best Prior to hybrid corn, farmers would select the best ears, shell them and plant the seed the following year

10. Connecticut Experiment Station 1907: Mr. East made crosses between: • the inbreds he had developed which had now been self pollinated 7 years • the inbreds and popular Connecticut varieties • and the popular Connecticut varieties themselves 1908 In yield trials the best cross between the inbreds yielded 202 bu/acre, an astonishing yield The best single cross yielded 100 bu/acre more than the best Connecticut open-pollinated variety

11. 1900 – 1908 INBREEDING HETEROSIS Right

12. 1908 Dr. George H. Shull Dr. Shull, a scientist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and Mr. East met in 1908 at an American Breeders’ Association Meeting. Dr. Shull was a speaker and talked about his research on corn. He was convinced that selection from varieties could yield inbreds of innumerable subtypes. He called the procedure the “pure-line method of corn breeding” and felt that the farmers could develop the inbreds and make the hybrids on their own farms. Mr. East’s background and previous experience with farmers led him to believe a farmer would not take the time and space from his farming operation to develop his own inbreds and hybrid seed.

13. 1909 New Opportunity: Mr. East is offered a teaching position at Harvard Mr. Jenkins did not want to lose the corn breeding effort at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station The Solution: Mr. East will continue to supervise the corn breeding project at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station while teaching at Harvard Mr. Jenkins will hire a technician that can follow Mr. East’s direction Mr. Herbert Kendall Hayes was hired to assist Mr. East in the corn breeding project

14. 1911 A Publication Mr. East and Mr. Hayes published a bulletin of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station entitled, “Inheritance in Maize” The bulletin had numerous pictures and much data pointing out the importance of controlled heredity in improving the corn crop. They established that segregation from offspring of the selected crosses was the important and essential feature of Mendelism (remember the Augustinian monk who first identified heritable units).

15. DeKalb County Illinois - 1912 In the late 1800’s farmers in DeKalb County recognized the need for improved soil fertility, balanced rotation of crops, a pure seed law, more farmer control over the pricing and marketing of farm produce, and the improvement of crop varieties. This led to forming the Farmers Institute which invited knowledgeable people in agriculture to speak and inform the farmers of new technologies and ideas. As the Farmer’s Institute success grew, in January, 1912, local farmers, bankers, and the DeKalb county board of supervisors met and pledged $10,000 to sustain an annual budget for a new organization that would attack the problems of soil fertility and legume seed.

16. DeKalb County Illinois - 1912 The DeKalb Organization hired Mr. William G. Eckhardt to act as the organization's first farm advisor. This was one of the first farm groups in the United States supported by farmer contributions, the new organization was called the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association. Mr. Eckhardt traveled widely to secure high quality legume seed for the organization’s members and local farmers. The educational services of the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association were rapidly being replaced by the need for business services to accommodate the expansion into seed supply and other business functions.

17. Another Publication - 1912-1915 Mr. East and Mr. Hayes coauthored an article entitled, “Heterozygous in Evolution and in Plant Breeding” published by the Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture in 1912. With the hard work and schooling Mr. Hayes had put into the corn breeding project at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, he was offered the position of plant breeder at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in 1914. Mr. Hayes accepted the position and started in January 1915. During his career he distinguished himself through all his contribution in developing the theory in practical corn breeding

18. 1915 With Mr. Hayes departing to go to Minnesota, his position at Connecticut needed to be refilled. Mr. East turned to a student of his from Kansas, Mr. Donald F. Jones replaced Mr. Hayes at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in February 1915. In reviewing the project Mr. East maintained the way to utilize hybrid vigor was through the use of varietal hybrids. Not enough seed could be made from inbreds to use them for making seed for farmers to plant. Following the 1915 season, Mr. Jones was so impressed with the ears from the single crosses made from the inbreds he convinced Mr. East to investigate further.

19. 1916 Mr. Jones and Mr. East planned a very special crossing block for the 1916 season. All of the better inbreds which had been developed at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station were to be crossed in all possible combinations and tested during the 1917 growing season. At harvest time Mr. Jones noted how small the ears were on the inbreds and felt Mr. East might be right that they could never be of practical use to produce seed for farmers. BUT, WHAT IF MR. JONES CROSSED TWO SINGLE CROSSES?

20. 1917 The United States enters into World War I. Mr. Jones identifies the two most outstanding single cross hybrids from all that were made during 1916 and crosses them. • One hybrid was made from inbreds developed at the University of Illinois from the variety Leaming • The other hybrid was made from inbreds developed by Mr. Hayes from the variety Burr White The DeKalb County Agricultural Association was incorporated.

21. 1917 DeKalb County Illinois June 2, 1917, the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association was separated into two organizations. One was to become DeKalb County Farm Bureau and the other was incorporated as the DeKalb County Agricultural Association to become engaged in the commercial seed business. The DeKalb County Agricultural Association’s first business transaction was to purchase legume seed, limestone, and to handle seed corn. In those days, seed corn was open pollinated and varied in quality from one year to the next. One of Mr. Eckhardt's priorities was to develop a seed corn that was of extremely high quality and increased yield and could be sold to farmers in the area.

22. 1917 DeKalb County Illinois Mr. Charlie Gunn was hired as corn breeder by the DeKalb County Agricultural Association. His main objective was to improve a variety, Western Plowman to be more adapted to Northern Illinois. Mr. Thomas H. Roberts Sr. was elected secretary/treasurer of the DeKalb County Agricultural Association.

24. 1918 – 1924: Results from the First Double Cross Mr. Jones’ crosses, which was the first double cross, from the 1917 crosses of the Leaming hybrid crossed to the Burr White hybrid were planted, came up strong and looked nearly as uniform as the parental crosses. The real test was the yield at harvest. The double cross yielded 116 Bu/Acre which beat all single crosses in test. It yielded 20% more than the highest yielding variety. Mr. Jones repeated the study for 5 more consecutive years. At the end of the study the double cross had averaged 83 Bu/Acre, 20% more than the highest yielding variety. New possibilities for modern corn production were born.

25. Early 1920’s - Henry C. Wallace meets with Tom Roberts and Charlie Gunn

26. 1924 DEKALB Observation Entries

27. 1925 Discretion in Research DEKALB ALUMNI NEWS – JULY 2007

28. First DEKALB Nursery 1925

29. 1925 Pollinating Supplies for DEKALB

30. 1925 Notes on Plot Husbandry

31. 1928 DEKALB Crossing Inventory

32. 1929 DEKALB Corn Field Map

33. Successful Breeding Relies on Good Notes

34. Detailed Notes Pay Off

35. 1927 – 1930 Mr. Gunn’s Initial Charge

36. First Parental Increase 1931

37. Hybrid Yield Trial Results Before Computers

38. 1933 DEKALB Hybrid Corn Demonstration

39. Mr. Gunn’s Career During Mr. Gunn’s 35 year career with DEKALB, he or his research staff developed and released over 300 hybrids. The first hybrid, marketed in 1934 as 3A, later became DeKalb 203 after a hybrid nomenclature system was adopted. The most notable hybrid he developed was DeKalb 404A. Upon retirement he actively continued special projects. Developing prolificacy (multiple ears) was of extreme interest to him and thought to be a way to directly increase yields. His work and successes were acknowledged by his colleagues in Academia, Government and competitive companies.

40. From Project Leader To Team Leader

41. DeKalb 404A In 1939, DeKalb 404A, a 102 RM double-cross hybrid developed by Charlie Gunn at DeKalb, Illinois, is first grown commercially. It yields well with long ears and harvest early. DeKalb 404A is the most outstanding hybrid of the first great decade of hybrid corn. It is grown from northern Nebraska across Iowa and southern Minnesota, and east through north-central Ohio and southern Michigan. It introduces higher yields for shorter growing seasons, moving the U.S. Corn Belt 200 miles north. It is the first popular and most popular proprietary double-cross hybrid. In its fourth year, it sells more than 300,000 bags, which it does seven times in its 25-year period. DeKalb 404A annual sales exceed 500,000 bags in 1946 and 1948. Total sales were 5.5 million bags.

42. 1943 DEKALB/Mr. Gunn WWII Effort

43. Mr. Charlie Gunn Photographs

44. CONGRATULATIONS AND THANKS

45. Mr. Gunn’s Legacy for DEKALB A Humble Beginning to a Global Industry

46. AND THE PROGRESS CONTINUES Transgenic Single cross b=2.66 Single cross b=1.72 Double cross Open pollinated b=1.04 b=0.01

47. Resource Material • Crabb, Richard A., 1947. The Hybrid-Corn Makers. Rutgers University Press. 331pps. • http://www.anbhf.org/laureates/troberts.html • http://www.dekalbalumni.org/history/Invironments_DAA_Article.pdf • http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/DeKalb-Genetics-Corporation-Company-History.html • http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe30s/crops_02.html • Troyer, A. Forrest. 2004. Background of U.S. Hybrid Corn II: Breeding, Climate, and Food. Crop Sci. 44:370-380.