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Photo courtesy Of th Nebraska Statfl Historical Society
The black smoke is just one aspect of
this 1910-model thresher eliminated by
advances of technology.
Advances in research, technology keep formers on their toes
By Kathy Chenaiilt
Just as technology has advanced society,
agriculture also has been touched by the
magic wand of modernization.
Agriculture has evolved into a scientific
industry emphasizing increased production
and greater, more prolific yields. The work
doesn't stop when the seed! are in the
ground, but continues in the form of re
search for further advancement and more
improvements.
Since 1900, roughly $8 million have
been spent in crop research at UNL, ac
cording to John Schmidt, ah agronomy
professor.
But the simpler days have not been for
gotten. The changes in agriculture during this
century have been "astounding, almost un
believable according to a retired farmer.
Lewis Stunkel, now a Lincoln resident,
began farming in 1925. He worked the
fields of a rented 160-acre farm in south'
central Nebraska with a six -horse team.
When he retired in 1955, he owned about
400 acres, used three tractors, had a hired
man and more equipment than he ever
would have dreamed of owning.
"THERE WAS no way of knowing that
farming would change like it has " Stunkel
said. "It's just been phenomenal. It's hard
to believe what modem technology has,
done.
Stunkel said he used horses on the farm
for about 10 years and Was not reluctant to.
switch to motorized power.
"I more or less had to switch. It Was
cheaper to have t tractor than the horses,
and you could do more work in the same
imount of lime. I wouldn't have been able
to keep them (the horses) even if I had
wanted to. .
Stunkel said that farmers couldn't be
slow to make changes because as In the in
traduction of tractors, "The farmers had to ,
adapt, they had to keep tjp. -
"Some changes were gradual, but If you
wanted to make money you had to use
fertilizer and you had to Irrigate like every
body else."
One way of measuring the increase in
production and yields is to look at the dif
ference fertilizers and irrigation have made
on the output per 1 tcre, Stunkel said.
1 can remember when everybody was 4
raising 35 to 40 bushels of com per acre. If
somebody raised 50 bushels, boy they were
a good farmer, he said.
"NOW FOIl that same area, 200 bushels
per acre is a reasonable goal to shoot for.
frid3ytm2rch2,197?
- Schmidt said that advances and improve
ments generated through research and tech
nology are generally welleceived. v ;:
j. At first glance research may loolctike.
an expensive, perhaps even foolish endea
vor, but in the loiil-ftm. iseajr? h-.
said. . , V 'j
chrnfit, who specializes in wheat re
search, said the total worldwide produc
tion of that crop has nearly tripled in the
past thirty years. He attributed that growth
largely to the research done during that
time.
"In the 1950s it became apparent that
we could improve our production and
that's when research was greatly increased,
Schmidt said. "I think this example proves
that a little money now for research will
really pay off in the future in yields.
Schmidt added that another reason re
search is important is because there are so
many variables in farming.
rWe have'to deal with resistance to dis
easeSj, and;ways to eliminate weather or
climate problems.
f -WrK-'arit'bf the countryis diererit.
Some ' plices have insect problemssome
"have to he able to withstand wind and of
course in Nebraska, we have to have winter
hardiness.
SCHMIDT SAID that the future of
agricultural research is going to rely heavily
on science.
. "From this point on it's going to be
increasingly difficult to keep up the im
provement pace. But because on a world
wide level there is no overproduction in
wheat, we're going to have to be looking
for more and different breakthroughs to
increase yield and the farmer's income."
Even the grassroots of a nation, the
heart of it culture and the basis of its
economy is affected by-time. But those
changes are not bad, according to one who
experienced them while working in the
field and has watched more take place
since he retired.
Stunkel said he has enjoyed watching
and keeping up with the changes made in
farming.
"I can remember when we used to all
help each other out, but there isn't time
for that anymore. Everybody has too much
work of their own to do. But all the chan
ges, all the ways that farming has been
modernized, are good. They have made
farming very interesting."
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