Wolf Prize in Agriculture (1157 Pages)

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Wolf Prize in Agriculture

gene pool of maize germ plasm. Professor Sprague’s genetic research laid the

ground work, for improvement in nutritional quality in maize. A fact, which holds

great promise to maize-eating nations. He conducted investigations, which

demonstrated that protein quality of maize was genetically modifiable.

In summary, few people in the history of  agriculture have had such

a profound impact on the improvement of  a major crop as has Professor

Sprague.

CURRICULUM VITAE

P

ERSONAL

 

DATA

:

Born: September 3, 1902; Crete, Nebraska

D

EGREES

B.S.

University of Nebraska

1924

M.S. University of Nebraska

1926

Ph.D. Cornell University (Genetics)

1930

M

EMBERSHIP

 

IN

  H

ONORARY

  A

CADEMIC

  S

OCIETIES

Alpha Zeta

Gamma Sigma Delta

Sigma Xi

H

ONORS

 

AND

  A

WARDS

a. Fellow, American Society of Agronomy (1947)

b. Crop Science Award, American Society of Agronomy (1957)

c. Faculty Citation, Iowa State Alumni Association (1958)

d. Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Nebraska (1958)

e. Gamma Sigma Delta Superior Teaching Award, Iowa State College (1958)

f. Distinguished and Superior Service Awards, USDA (1959 and 1965)

g. Corresponding Academician, Academia di Agricoltura de Bologna (1960)

h. Vice President and President, American Society of Agronomy (1960)

1. President, Crop Science Society of America (1961)

j. Elected, National Academy of Sciences (1968)

k. National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders Award (1972)

P

ROFESSIONAL

  P

OSITIONS

 

HELD

1924-29

Jr. Agronomist, I

1929-34

Asst. Agronomist,

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George F. Sprague

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1934-39

Assoc. Agronomist, USDA, Columbia MO

1939-58

Agronomist, USDA, Ames IA

1958-72

Leader, Corn and Sorghum Investigations, USDA, Washington, DC

1972

Present Professor, Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Illinois,

Urbana IL

SIGNIFICANCE OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Dr. Sprague’s accomplishments have been primarily in three categories: development

of  new breeding methodology and the consequent production of exceedingly

important inbreds widely used in commercial hybrid production, the training of

graduate students, and the elaboration of genetic models dealing with such diverse

traits in maize as endosperm color, leaf and scutellum conformation and chemical

characteristics as oil content and protein quality.

We particularly cite Dr. Sprague’s untiring effort to join theoretical quantitative

genetic theory and practical plant breeding. Throughout his career he has had, by

his own wish, responsibility both for basic research and applied plant breeding

Unquestionably he is preeminent in his success in simultaneously conducting basic

studies on the nature of heterosis and in developing hybrids for the farmer. Basic

studies on the mathematics of selection led to the development of a gene pooi,

“Super Stiff Stalk Synthetic”, from which he isolated two lines, perhaps more

widely grown than any others, B14 and B37. The nominators believe that 70% of

the corn acres in the central Corn Belt in 1973 were planted to hybrids carrying

either B14 or B37, or both.

Sprague’s interest in nutritional quality led him to pioneer in the development

of waxy (straight chain starch) hybrids which were used during World War II to

produce a substitute for tapioca. In the 1940’s, he and his students began a series

of investigations which demonstrated that protein quality in corn was genetically

modifiable. Unfortunately, the group failed to analyze the opaque-2 mutant and it

remained for Purdue scientists to discover high lysine corn 20 years later. Oil

content of the kernel also came under his study and he developed breeding schemes

which rapidly increased it. Most of the research conducted by Sprague has been of

long-range interest and fundamental to the successes of corn agriculture.

Most important and consequential to the development of modern plant breeding

have been the following principles for which he was primarily responsible:

1. Early testing can be effective in the identification and isolation of superior

germ plasm.

2. Specific and general combining ability are meaningful characteristics of  the

genetic variability of populations, can be described mathematically, and can

provide a meaningful basis for the selection of appropriate testers.

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Wolf Prize in Agriculture

3. Components of  genetic variances and their interaction with different

environments can be related to breeding methodology as well as provide

information on the nature of gene action in populations.

4. The relative superiority of recurrent selection as an effective breeding procedure

is dependent on the nature of gene action affecting the trait under investigation.

5. It is possible, and feasible, to alter composition of corn grain to make it of

superior nutritional value.

6. Basic genetic information can he derived from properly designed breeding

programs and breeding methods can become more effective by application of

basic genetical and statistical principles.

Even though Sprague was deeply involved with research, he devoted a great deal

of time and interest to graduate teaching. He taught a widely acclaimed course in

corn breeding during his 18-year stay at Iowa State. He attracted students from

around the world and served as major advisor for more than 50 M.S. and Ph.D.

candidates. His excellence as a teacher was recognized by the Gamma Sigma Delta

Superior Teaching Award, an unusual award for teachers of  graduate courses.

Sprague’s influence has not been confined to the U. S. He has long been a

consultant with the Rockefeller Foundation and has traveled widely in that

role. He also was involved with the Marshall Plan (ECA) after the war and

was instrumental in the rapid spread of hybrid corn in Europe. Since 1963

he has played a central role in the U. S. Department of Agriculture activity in

improvement of cereal production in Africa. He has represented agriculture ably

in the National Academy of Science as chairman of the Section of Applied Biology.

Sprague’s monumental contributions to theoretical plant breeding and to the

improvement of maize are now made most evident by the wide use of his lines and

of the basic breeding pools that arose under his direction. Breeding methodologies

that he pioneered are widely used by commercial corn breeders in the U. S. and

around the world. The success of corn improvement programs in East Africa, Latin

America and Europe trace largely to the procedures he worked out and the carefully

planned selection experiments which generated data to support his basic theories.

Few people in the history of agriculture have had such a profound impact on the

improvement of a major crop.

We particularly wish to emphasize the impact Sprague’s research has had on

practical agriculture, particularly that of the US Corn Belt. For example, inbred

B37 was developed by Sprague from Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic, a variety developed

by recurrent selection particulary to serve as a source of superior inbred. Because

of the superiority of B37, hybrids carrying it in their pedigree have dominated the

commercial market because of their superiority in yield, standability and early

maturity. In 1970, it was the most extremely important, but other lines developed

by Sprague himself  and by others using his synthetics have been almost as

consequential and continue to dominate corn agriculture.

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