Checkoff Funds Corn Hybrid Trials

by Don Molino

LSU Extension Service corn specialist Dr. Dan Fromme at the Dean Lee Research Station just south of Alexandria has several corn hybrid trials planted around Louisiana, funded by the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board.

"This year we've got 15 on farm corn hybrid trials," says Fromme. "One of them had 20 experimental plots but 5 of the 20 were lost to either flooding conditions or just getting to late to plant for various reasons."

But Fromme points out they did get 15 very good corn hybrid trials in this year and "we should have some really good information at the end on the year on what hybrids perform the best."

In addition, Fromme is also working on corn nitrogen trials, "six of them located across the state, looking at how corn performs following soybeans from the previous year. We're comparing four different nitrogen rates: 150, 175, 200 and 225 (pounds per acre) just to see if there is any yield difference. Then we'll compare the yields and also the economics from that stand point."

(This report a service of the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board)