SCC-33 National Variety Testing Meeting New Orleans – February 8-10, 2012 Rick Mascagni LSU AgCenter St. Joseph, LA

 Corn and grain sorghum OVT are conducted each year across the state.  On average, about five locations are evaluated for each crop.  The OVT team consists of the statewide coordinator and cooperators at each station.  Coordinator solicits entries from seed companies, packages seed, and summarizes data at the end of the season.  Cooperators manage the crop at their location, which includes planting, taking notes, collecting data, and harvesting.  Coordinators and cooperators work close together to best ensure the production of the most useful information for the grower.

 Yield  2-yr yield averages  Grain moisture  Test weight  Plant population  Mid-silk date  Plant height  Ear height  Husk cover  Lodging  Earworm damage  Barren tip

 Earworm damage ratings:  0-no damage  1-channels < 1 inch  2-channels < 3 inches  3-channels > 3 inches  Barren tip ratings:  0-no BT  1-BT < 1 inch  2-BT < 3 inches  3-BT > 3 inches

 This LAES report details all the data collected and presents a summary, cultural practices, and weather information for each location.  This report was published as a hard copy through  Beginning in 2001, the grain sorghum research summary was posted on the AgCenter’s grain sorghum webpage.  Beginning in 2009, the corn research summary was posted on the AgCenter’s corn webpage.

 Enumerates cultural practices: hybrid selection, planting rate and depth, fertilization, and planting date.  Recommended feed grain hybrids were published through  Any hybrid tested for two years and whose yield average fell within 90% of the average yield of the top three hybrids by location was recommended provided it was acceptable in other agronomic traits.

 Beginning in 2007, hybrids that were placed in the “highest-yielding” group for one or two years. For current year, yields for hybrids in the highest-yielding group fall within one LSD value (P=0.10). For two years, hybrids fall within one LSD value for the two years evaluated.

Location Summary Although rainfall was relatively low over the growing season, rainfall events were well distributed (see below). Temperatures averaged well above 90 ◦ F in June and July. Yields were excellent, ranging from to bu/a with a trial average of bu/a (Table 4). There was only one hybrid, REV ® 28R10 ™, that fell within the highest- yielding group in 2011 and no hybrid fell in this group both years, 2010 and Yields were higher than expected considering the above normal temperatures. Earworm damage (ED) was very low, with only one hybrid having a rating as high as 2.  Soil Type…………….………….…Commerce silt loam  Tillage……..Conventional till with no spring cultivation  Row Spacing…………………………….…….40 inches  Seeding Rate………….…..………………32,000 seed/a  Previous Crop……………………………………Cotton  Planting Date……………………………….…March 19  Fertilization…………...Sidedress: 200 lb N/a ( )  Pesticides………………….….  Burndown: 1.5 pt/a pt/a;  Pre-emerge: 1.5 qt/a + 1 pt/a +  2 oz/a;  Post-emerge: 1.5 qt/a + Steadfast 1.5 oz/a % NIS;  Harvest Date…….………………………..…August 2-3

Although rainfall was relatively low over the growing season, rainfall events were well distributed (see below). Temperatures averaged well above 90 ◦ F in June and July. Yields were excellent, ranging from to bu/a with a trial average of bu/a (Table 4). There was only one hybrid, REV ® 28R10 ™, that fell within the highest-yielding group in 2011 and no hybrid fell in this group both years, 2010 and Yields were higher than expected considering the above normal temperatures. Earworm damage (ED) was very low, with only one hybrid having a rating as high as 2.

 Soil Type…………….………….…Commerce silt loam  Tillage……..Conventional till with no spring cultivation  Row Spacing…………………………….…….40 inches  Seeding Rate………….…..………………32,000 seed/a  Previous Crop……………………………………Cotton  Planting Date……………………………….…March 19  Fertilization…………...Sidedress: 200 lb N/a ( )  Pesticides………………….…. Burndown: 1.5 pt/a pt/a; Pre-emerge: 1.5 qt/a + 1 pt/a + 2 oz/a; Post-emerge: 1.5 qt/a oz/a % NIS  Harvest Date…….………………………..…August 2-3

1 Yields in bold denote hybrids that are in the highest-yielding group in Hybrid in bold with an asterisk(*) was in the highest-yielding group in both 2010 and 2011.