1950s
1950
North Korea invaded South Korea.
Diffusion photometer designed; first
light-scattering instrument to measure the size of molecules.
Economical methods for producing dextran
developed; first used as alternative to blood plasma in Korean War.
National Poultry Improvement Plan authorized.
Of gainfully employed persons, 11 percent were engaged in
agriculture.
Exotic Newcastle disease detected in the U.S.
Discovered that highly chlorinated
naphthalene, a wax used in certain greases and oils, caused hyperkeratosis
(X-disease) in cattle.
New form of streptomycin discovered.
Xanthan gum developed; an edible food gum
fermented from glucose by a microorganism.
Discovered the cause of salmon disease in
foxes and dogs; the first rickettsial disease agent found to be transmitted by
an internal parasite.
Separated the milk protein casein into three
components. (more)
Ryder lettuce released.
1951
Used modified live-virus vaccines to protect swine from hog cholera. (more)
Combine harvester-huller designed to harvest
castorbean crop.
Found that vitamin E prevented yellow-fat
disease in mink and pigs.
1952
Spirochetes isolated from cattle rumen.
Self-propelled center-pivot overhead sprinkler
patented.
Tristeza identified in Florida.
Parasitic wasps released as biological
control against pink bollworm. (more)
Discovered that rust in containers causes
bacterial spores to form in milk left standing at room temperature.
Male-sterile plants of Day sorghum
discovered.
Virus-free strawberries developed.
Studied effect of chilling temperatures on
tomatoes; led to use of moderate temperatures in transportation of tomatoes and
resulted in better ripening and less decay.
Discovered phytochrome.
(more)
Pocahontas strawberry released.
1953
Agricultural Research Service
created.
James Watson and Francis Crick describe double-helical
structure of DNA.
Discovered that plants use the red part of
sunlight to launch growth changes. (more)
Demonstrated use of light transmittance to
detect blood spots in eggs; technology later applied to detect hollow heart and
black spot in potatoes, water core in apples, and changes in their
ripening.
Discovered THPC, compound that imparts fire
resistance to cotton fabrics. (more)
Khapra beetle found in the U.S.
Korean War ended.
First calves born as a result of embryo transfer from donor
to recipient cows.
Developed nystatin; first useful fungal antibiotic.
Growth modifier MOPA (alpha-methoxyphenylacetic acid)
developed.
Nordan crested wheatgrass released;
exceptional drought resistance.
Discovered that adding aureomycin and
vitamin B12 to feed reduced loss of rabbits from enteritis by 75
percent.
Demonstrated that MOPA could move from one
plant to another through adjacent roots.
Reported first case of advanced natural
parthenogenesis in birds; spontaneous development of embryos without normal
fertilization.
Vernal alfalfa released; important in arid
areas.
Alaska lettuce released.
Jade lettuce released.
Coronet peach released.
Maygold peach released.
Suwanee hybrid bermudagrass released; used
for pasture.
Tiffine released; hybrid bermudagrass for
turf.
Developed differential centrifugation method to purify plant
viruses.
Red LaSoda released; most popular red-skin
potato in the South.
1954
DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) insect
repellent developed.
Gas-liquid chromatography used to study
flavors and aromas.
Process for making instant potato flakes
developed.
Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act passed.
Agricultural Trade, Development, and Assistance Act (Public
Law 480) passed.
Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy invented.
Test developed to detect visceral
lymphomatosis in live chickens.
Discovered that avian lymphomatosis virus
can be present in hens that appear normal and that it is shed in their eggs;
showed that a hen injected with virus imparts passive immunity to the
chicks.
Vaccine developed to protect chickens from
visceral lymphomatosis.
Discovered beneficial nematode that carries
bacterial septicemia to insects.
First spray vaccine developed to immunize
mink against distemper.
Landmark document for remediating saline
soils published: Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils,
Agricultural Handbook No. 60. (more)
Dixieland strawberry released.
Lee soybean released; first soybean aimed
chiefly at disease control. (more)
Redglobe peach released.
Lahontan alfalfa released; first with high
resistance to spotted alfalfa aphid.
Charleston Gray watermelon released.
Delus potato released.
1955
Roma tomato released; still main variety
used for tomato paste.
Omar soft white winter club wheat released;
multiple gene resistance to common bunt.
Tifblue rabbiteye blueberry released; most
widely planted rabbiteye cultivar.
Discovered sesamolin from sesame oil and
proved synergistic effect with pyrethrum insecticides.
(more)
Mite that carries peach-mosaic disease
identified.
Screwworm fly eradicated from Curacao using
sterile-fly mating disruption; eradicated from Florida in 1958.
(more)
Rio and Palmetto released, first
nonshattering sesame seeds for mechanical harvesting.
Grant soybean released.(more)
Dual soft red winter wheat released; one of
the first with natural resistance to Hessian fly.
Controlled citrus blackfly in Mexico using
biological control.(more)
1956
Soil Bank Act passed.
Density-gradient centrifugation
invented.
Marion trailing blackberry released; the
most important blackberry cultivar in the world.
Aureomycin-sulfamethazine treatment
developed to prevent mortality of chicks with cecal coccidiosis.
Developed new tanning agent for leather,
glutaraldehyde.
Transferred rust resistance from a wild
grass to wheat.
Strain of tobacco streak virus isolated in
peas.
Test for Aleutian disease of mink
devised.
Dixie Bright tobacco released.
Bronco oats released.
1957
Civil Rights Act passed.
Sputnik launched.
Laser invented.
Humane Slaughter Act passed.
Poultry Inspection Act authorized compulsory Federal
inspection of poultry sold in interstate commerce.
Federal Plant Pest Act passed.
Discovered interferon, an antiviral protein produced by the
body to fight viral infections.
Slow virus proposed as cause of kuru; now known as a human
spongiform encephalopathy disease.
Pima S-1 long staple cotton released;
selected from germplasm with the same name developed by University of
Arizona.
Plant estrogen coumesterol isolated from
ladino clover; structure determined.
Virus that causes foot-and-mouth disease
purified, isolated, and photographed.
Discovered that zinc is effective in
treating swine parakeratosis.
Cotton opener-cleaner patented.
(more)
Chemical treatment developed to suppress
pollen production; developed male-sterile cotton plants.
Dearing muscadine grape released.
Earliril and Bendril apricots
released.
Moapa alfalfa released.
1958
Universal Soil Loss Equation
developed. (more)
National Seed Storage Laboratory set up to
provide long-term storage of plant germplasm.(more)
Food Additives Amendment established.
(more)
Developed continuous method of making jelly
with fruit-juice concentrates, instead of single-strength juice.
Discovered that infectious particles from
southern bean mosaic virus can move from dead to living cells.
Designed flight-bar roller gin; improved
speed of separating cottonseed from lint. (more)
Designed granular cards for cotton carding
machines. (more)
Blackstone and Garrisonian watermelons
released.
Army flax released.
Pinkshipper tomato released.
Brawley sorghum released.
Golden State A, Golden State B, and Lakeland
lettuces released.
Hood soybean released.
(more)
Shelby soybean released.(more)
Gila safflower released.
Garden blue and menditoo blueberries
released.
Controlled spotted alfalfa aphid in the U.S.
using biological control. (more)
1959
Food for Peace Program inaugurated.
Phytochrome isolated; demonstrated its role
in controlling flowering and seed germination. (more)
Giant hay baler invented.
Mechanical tomato harvester developed.
Isolated first acidic, aromatic amino acid,
meta-carboxy alpha phenylglycine from natural material, iris bulbs.
Shipping fever virus isolated.
Automatic feed handling for poultry from
bulk storage bins to feeders developed.
Exotic and Magoon grapes released.
Cody alfalfa released.
Thaxter lima bean released.
Hill soybean released.
(more)
Monon wheat released.
Curt oat released.
Controlled Rhodesgrass mealybug on range
grass in Texas using biological control. (more)
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