By Cam Kenimer, Corn Hybrid Trial Coordinator, University of Kentucky
The 2015 University of Kentucky Corn Hybrid Performance Trials are now online. Seed companies submitted 151 hybrids to be tested. The hybrids were divided into Early, Medium, Late, and White groupings.
The range from best to worst hybrid was 35.6 bushels per acre for the Early hybrids. The range for the Medium hybrids was even greater at 45.4 bushels per acre. The range in yields was 33.3 bushels per acre for the Late hybrids. Based solely on yield performance and the current market price for corn, those ranges equate to about $125 to $175 per acre difference between the highest and lowest yielding hybrid.
The 2015 corn hybrid test was conducted at 7 locations across Kentucky. Two of those sites were irrigated and the remaining 5 were non-irrigated. Hybrid performance across multiple locations and environments is the best indicator for selecting hybrids. Once performance has been determined, then other categories, such as herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, or disease tolerance can be considered.
Selecting the right hybrids can have a major impact on the bottom line.
2015 UK Corn Hybrid Performance Trial: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/PR/PR692/PR692.pdf
UK Corn Hybrid Trial Website: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/cornvarietytest/