George Frederick Sprague (September 3, 1902 to November 24, 1998) was an American geneticist whose maize breeding research shaped modern corn agriculture. Working at Iowa State University, the University of Illinois and the United States Department of Agriculture, he recognized that open-pollinated corn had weak roots and stalks and developed Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic, a genetically strong maize breeding line still used in corn breeding decades later. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and received the Wolf Prize in Agriculture.
Facts
Defining ContributionHe developed a genetically strong line of maize known as Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic. 1 In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. George F. Sprague (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationlead sentence, first paragraph
George Frederick Sprague (September 3, 1902, November 24, 1998) was an American geneticist, maize researcher, faculty member at Iowa State University and the University of Illinois and a researcher at the United States Department of Agriculture.
body text, second lead sentence
He developed a genetically strong line of maize known as Iowa Stiff Stalk Synthetic.
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