2000 George Keith and T-cytoplasm Remembered

Illinois Seed News Article – July-Aug 2000 George Keith was manager of ICIA from January 1, 1965 until his retirement on August 31, 1979. Keith was well known in the seed industry. During his tenure as ICIA manager he created the Illinois Soybean Conference and the Five-Acre Yield Contest, a statewide soybean yield contest sponsored by the Land of Lincoln Soybean Association and ICIA with support from the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service. ICIA developed a special services program to allow the early testing and identity of superior seed lots after harvest during his tenure. The program included a two-tag system. The certified tag identified the seed lot and variety with the second tag including the analysis.

In 1970, Illinois and much of the Midwest corn crop was devastated by southern corn leaf blight. Dr. Art Hooker, then a plant breeder at the University of Illinois, figured out that the problem was associated with Texas male sterile cytoplasmic corn. By switching to normal cytoplasm corn, the problem was eliminated. The predicament was that nearly all corn companies had switched to male sterile corn.

To be ready for the 1971 planting season, Illinois seedsmen had to germinate all corn in cold storage that did not have T-cytoplasm to make sure it was worthy to sell to farmers. George Keith and ICIA Lab Supervisor Martha Hatchett were at the lab seven days a week reading germinations to get data back to seedsmen as quickly as possible.

George Keith passed away on May 16, 2000 after a short illness. Keith was named an honorary member in 1979.

—Source Illinois Seed News Volume IX, Number 1 July-Aug 2000.