Studies on smut-resistant oats for Kansas

Kanota, C.I. 839, a strain of Fulghum, was distributed in 1919 as a smut-resistant variety by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. However, smut existed in the southern oat-growing area the United States to which most Fulghum type oats were susceptible. As Kanota increased in acreage, this Fulghum smut gradual increased until it was fairly common and Kanota could no longer be classified as a resistant variety in Kansas. Fulton, C.I. 3327, a selection from a cross Fulghum X Markton, made in 1926, was developed to obtain a smut-resistant red oat. It as distributed by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station in 1939. In 1935 and 1936 it was proved that Fulton was intermediate in susceptibility to a new physiologic race of loose smut. This race existed as a slight mixture in a few of the Kansas collections of oat smut and was purified by increasing it on Fulton. Kanota and Fulghum were susceptible, while Columbia and Marion were intermediate in susceptibility to the Fulton smut. Richland, Markton, Trojan, Brunker, Otoe, New Nortex, Tama, Boone, Fultex, and Victoria were highly resistant to this race of smut. In 1935, two crosses were made between Fulton and Victoria X Richland and several additional crosses between Fulghum X Markton selections and Victoria X Richland selections. Most of the Fulton X (Victoria X Richland) selections, including the promising varieties Osage and Ventura, eventually proved intermediate in susceptibility to the Fulton smut. Most of the (Fulghum X Markton) X (Victoria X Richland) selections, including the variety Neosho and the promising selection C.I. 4140, were highly resistant to the Fulton smut. All of the varieties and hybrid selections included in these experiments were resistant to the Fulghum smut, except Fulghum, Kanota, Frazier, and Fowld's Hulless. Burt and Red Rustproof had a low percentage of infection with Fulghum smut but are classed as resistant varieties. All strains were considered resistant to the Richland smut, except Richland and Fowld's Hulless, although Red Rustproof and Burt had 4 and 11% infection, respectively. Osage and Neosho have been distributed to Kansas farmers for increase in 1945.