Willett Martin Hays

Boss, Andrew

doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a103112

Cited by 4 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…Professor Hays did hands‐on plant breeding at Minnesota 1888 to 1905, and then became U.S. Assistant Secretary of Agriculture (Boss, 1929; Troyer and Stoehr, 2003; Stoehr and Troyer, 2005). He was called to Washington by James Wilson where he initiated the project accounting method in the USDA that was later extended to state experiment stations.…”

Section: Professor Willet M Hays–early Minnesota Plant Breedingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Minnesota Corn Breeding History: Department of Agronomy & Plant Genetics Centennial

Troyer

Mikel

2010

Crop Science

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A century of corn (Zea mays L.) breeding at Agronomy & Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, developed Minnesota 13 cultivar (Minn13) that enlarged the U.S. Corn Belt and also developed 273 corn inbreds. Minn13 was widely grown in 15 northern and higher elevation states for 40 yr before hybrid corn. Minnesota inbreds were used in 30.6% of the seed for the 1975 U.S. corn crop: Minnesota A632 15.2%, A634 7.8%, A619 4.2%, W117 (1/2 Minn13) 1.8%, A635 0.9%, A554 0.6%, and A654 0.1%. Our main objective is to measure the contribution of Minnesota corn breeding to today's corn. We define today's corn as the 305 proprietary corn inbred lines registered by U.S. Plant Variety Protection or utility patent 2004 to 2008. Minnesota developed corn inbreds contributing most to today's corn are C49 (A9), A509, A556, B164, and A237. These corn inbreds were sources of earliness that formed the Pioneer Early Iodents (PEI) at Mankato, MN in the early 1960s. They average 1.1% of the genes and 137 (45%) of the descendents among today's corn. The Minn13 inbred line descendents contributing most to today's corn are DeKalb/Monsanto's (DKM) 3IIH6, PEI's PH207, PHG3BD2, Ohio Oh43, and Holden/Monsanto's (HFM) LH82. Minn13 descendents have maintained about 4% genetic contribution 1984 to 2008. Clustering pedigree based genetic distance of Minn13 derived progeny in today's corn showed three major pedigree groups: HFM's LH82, PEI, and DKM's Iodent. The latter two are Early Iodent germplasm.

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Section: Professor Willet M Hays–early Minnesota Plant Breedingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Minnesota Corn Breeding History: Department of Agronomy & Plant Genetics Centennial

Troyer

Mikel

2010

Crop Science

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“…Along with Primost flax, he developed Minn 169 Blue Stem wheat, Minn 13 and 23 corn, Minn 105 barley, and Minn 281 and 295 oat varieties. All became important commercially (Boss 1929).…”

Section: To North Dakota and Backmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hays often visited other state and federal experiment stations to benefit from exchanges with colleagues. He traveled extensively in the United States, went to London for the 1899 Hybridizer and Genetics Conference, and on to Europe, becoming acquainted with plant breeders and the experimental methods in use there (Boss 1929).…”

Section: To North Dakota and Backmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…He then became associate editor of Prairie Farmer magazine in Chicago. In 1888 Hays was the first faculty member selected for the University of Minnesota's new Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station at St. Paul (Boss 1929).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(Previous plant breeders bulked seed of selected plants.) He began systematically breeding and testing large numbers of plants to find the outstanding individuals and by 1900 had a crop nursery of several acres with millions of plants (Boss 1929).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Willet M. Hays, Great Benefactor to Plant Breeding and the Founder of Our Association

Troyer

Stoehr²

2003

Journal of Heredity

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Willet M. Hays was a great benefactor to plant breeding and the founder of the American Genetic Association (AGA). We commemorate the AGA's centennial. We mined university archives, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) yearbooks, plant breeding textbooks, scientific periodicals, and descendants for information. Willet Hays first recognized the individual plant as the unit of selection and started systematic pure-line selection and progeny tests in 1888. He developed useful plant breeding methods. He selected superior flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), wheat (Triticum vulgare L.), corn (Zea mays L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and oat (Avena sativa L.) varieties, and discovered Grimm alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.); all became commercially important. He initiated branch stations for better performance testing. Willet Hays befriended colleagues in other universities, in federal stations, in a London conference, and in Europe. He gathered and spread the scientific plant breeding gospel. He also improved rural roads and initiated animal breeding records and agricultural economics records. He started the AGA in 1903, serving as secretary for 10 years. He became assistant secretary of agriculture in 1904. He introduced the project system for agricultural research. He authored or coauthored the Nelson Amendment, the Smith-Lever Act, the Smith-Hughes Act, and the protocol leading to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization-all involved teaching agricultural practices that improved the world.

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Development of Hybrid Corn and the Seed Corn Industry

Troyer

Handbook of Maize

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Willett Martin Hays

Cited by 4 publications

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Minnesota Corn Breeding History: Department of Agronomy & Plant Genetics Centennial

Minnesota Corn Breeding History: Department of Agronomy & Plant Genetics Centennial

Willet M. Hays, Great Benefactor to Plant Breeding and the Founder of Our Association

Development of Hybrid Corn and the Seed Corn Industry

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