Corn hybrids submitted by contributing companies in 2002 were tested by the Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts. Hybrids were evaluated for yield of silage and earcorn, percentage ears, and moisture content. The trials were planted in the Connecticut River Valley at the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station Farm in South Deerfield, Massachusetts. The results are presented and have been incorporated into the long term results (3 or more years including one of the previous 3 years) of the testing program. Results of these trials are made available to farmers, extension agents, seed distributors, seed salesmen and others upon request. Tables should not be reproduced if any portion is omitted or if order of data is changed.
The trials were planted May 3, 2002. A cone type distributor mounted on a double disc opening corn planter was used in a conventionally prepared seed bed at each site. Each plot was planted at the rate of 32,000 seeds per acre in 30 inch rows. Plots were 25 feet long and 3 rows wide. Each hybrid was replicated four times. Weeds were controlled with a pre-emergence application of 1 quart atrazine (AAtrex 4L) plus 1 quart metolachlor (Dual 8E) per acre. Pre-plant fertilization was at the rate of 100 lbs N/acre. Plants were side dressed on June 30 with ammonium nitrate at the rate of 85 lb/acre of nitrogen.
The month of May was cooler and wetter than normal conditions (Table 1). May had 43 growing degree days below normal and 1.25 inches of rain above the norm. June was also cooler and wetter then the norm. July and August had warmer than normal temperatures, and had less than normal rainfall. The month of September had 121 growing degree days above the norm. For the entire growing season of 2002, there were 214 growing degree days above the norm. However, the overall rainfall in 2002 was 0.83 inches below the norm, including a deficit of 2.65 inches during the critical months of July, August, and September.
The abnormally cool and wet start of the growing season combined with abnormally hot and dry end of the season had an adverse effect on the ear yield of the corn hybrids in this study. Dry conditions in the month of August may have had an adverse effect on the yield potential since this period coincided with silking and pollination.
Corn plots were harvested when all entries were beyond the full dent stage. Harvested dates are shown on each table of results. Ten feet of central row from each plot was taken for yield estimation. Silage yields were adjusted to 70% moisture and earcorn yields to 25% moisture. Moisture content is reported as a percentage of corn harvested as silage.
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Table
1. Climate data for 2002 in South Deerfield, MA
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Growing
Degree Days
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Rainfall
(inches)
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| Month May June July Aug. Sept. Total |
2002
239 503 759 744 502 2745 |
Norm
282 533 697 638 381 2531 |
2002
5.14 4.32 2.63 3.47 3.05 18.61 |
Norm
3.89 3.75 3.91 4.10 3.79 19.44 |
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Table
2. Average Corn Yield from University of Massachusetts South Deerfield
Trials*
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| Brand | Hybrid |
No
of Years
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Silage
(t/ac)
|
Earcorn
(t/ac)
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|
AGWAY SEEDWAY SYNGENTA DOEBLER |
AG6191
AG773 DK567 DKC61-24 E390L E624 E774 E409L N58-D1 N3030BT S707Q |
4
3 3 3 6 4 4 3 3 4 3 |
30.2
29.9 28.4 28.1 28.8 32.4 33.6 27.7 29.1 26.6 29.9 |
6.1
6.5 6.7 5.5 6.2 7.5 6.7 5.1 6.1 6.1 5.6 |
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| Silage
@ 70% moisture; Earcorn @ 25% moisture *Averages based on the number of years |
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| Table 3: Early Hybrids - Harvested October 10, 2002 | |||||||
| Brand | Hybrid |
Silage
(t/ac) |
Silage
(%Moist.) |
Earcorn
(t/ac) |
Earcorn
(%Moist.) |
%Ears
|
|
| MONSANTO
SEEDWAY SYNGENTA SEEDWAY MONSANTO SEEDWAY SYNGENTA SEEDWAY SEEDWAY Mean |
DKC51-43
E538 N3030Bt E390L DKC53-34(RR/YG) E398 N35-R7 E409L E475 |
29.8
29.1 28.9 28.4 26.0 24.5 24.3 24.0 22.0 26.3 |
59
56 50 60 61 62 59 51 56 57.2 |
4.5
4.5 5.3 5.2 4.8 4.6 4.3 4.0 3.8 4.6 |
34
34 32 36 33 32 30 34 36 34.0 |
39
39 46 46 46 48 45 42 43 3.5 |
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| Table 4: Late Hybrids - Harvested October 10, 2002 | |||||||
| Brand | Hybrid |
Silage
(t/ac) |
Silage
(%Moist.) |
Earcorn
(t/ac) |
Earcorn
(%Moist.) |
%Ears
|
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| SEEDWAY
SYNGENTA MONSANTO SYNGENTA SEEDWAY MONSANTO AGWAY DOEBLER SEEDWAY MONSANTO DOEBLER AGWAY SYNGENTA MONSANTO DOEBLER AGWAY SEEDWAY DOEBLER MONSANTO SEEDWAY Mean |
E705
N58-D1 RX730RR/YG N51-Z7 E620RR DKC58-78(YG) AG 6191 649XRR E695 DKC61-24 S707Q AG 6001 N45-T5 DKC59-08 HC350 AG 6515 E709RR 509X RX708YG E731 |
33.0
29.8 29.7 29.3 29.2 28.3 27.4 26.7 26.5 26.5 26.3 25.9 25.6 25.3 25.2 24.2 23.6 23.0 22.6 22.5 26.5 |
67
66 63 67 68 63 67 63 63 63 64 66 63 63 66 63 59 63 65 66 64.0 |
5.5
5.5 5.1 5.5 5.3 5.4 4.7 4.9 4.5 4.6 4.6 5.1 5.3 4.9 4.3 4.2 3.7 4.3 4.0 4.1 4.8 |
41
40 44 36 37 38 42 42 42 40 40 41 30 38 38 41 42 33 41 43 39.0 |
42
46 43 47 45 47 43 46 42 43 46 49 53 48 43 43 40 49 44 45 45.0 |
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Stephen J. Herbert &
Timothy R. Andenmatten
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
University of Massachusetts