Virginia Corn Silage Testing Program 2004

Coordinated by H. Behl, W. Thomason and E.G. Rucker, Department of Crop and Soil-Environmental Sciences; Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Other contributors include: the Glenn Heatwole family; O.B. Messick & Sons, Inc.;

The David Johnson family; the staff at the Southern Piedmont AREC; T. Stanley; P. Blevins; K. Dickinson

Publication No. 424-037, Posted November 2004

Index

THE 2004 VIRGINIA CORN SILAGE HYBRID TRIALS

Companies participating in the 2004 Corn Silage Hybrid Trials
2004 Corn Silage Hybrid Trials Narrative
2004 Corn Silage Hybrid Plot Information
Table 1. List of Hybrids in 2004 VA Tech Corn Silage Hybrid Test
Table 2. Multi-year, Multi-site Relative Ton per Acre (Yield)
Table 3. Multi-year, Multi-site Relative Milk per Ton (Quality)
Table 4. Multi-year, Multi-site Relative Milk per Acre (Yield x Quality)
Table 5. 2004 Corn Silage Test Results at the Shenandoah Valley Site
Table 6. Two Year Average Corn Silage Test Results (2003 & 2004) at the Shenandoah Valley Site
Table 7. 2004 Corn Silage Test Results at the Southwest/Mountain Site
Table 8. Two Year Average Corn Silage Test Results (2003 & 2004) at the Southwest/Mountain Site
Table 9. 2004 Corn Silage Test Results at the Southern Piedmont Site
Table 10. Two Year Average Corn Silage Test Results (2003 & 2004) at the Southern Piedmont Site
Table 11. 2004 Corn Silage Test Results at the Northern Piedmont Site
Figure 1. Average Relative Yield versus Quality for All Test Sites in 2004
Figure 2. Average Relative Yield versus Quality for Hybrids Appearing In At Least 3 Site/Year Combinations in 2004
Figure 3. High Yielding/High Quality Hybrids In At Least 3 Site/Year Combinations in 2004

*Please refer to the PDF format for larger tables.

Companies Participating In The 2004 Corn Silage Trials

Company	Brand	Address
Augusta Seed Corp.	Augusta	106 Fairburn Rd Mt Solon, Va 22843
Baldridge Hybrids	Baldridge Hybrids	Po Box 99 Cherry Fork, Oh 45618
Chemgro Seeds	Chemgro	Po Box 218 East Petersburg, Pa 17520
Doeblers Inc.	Doeblers	202 Tiadaghton Ave Jersey Shore, Pa 17740
Garst Seed Co.	Garst	4850 W 350 N Danville, In 46122-8881
Hubner Seed Co.	Hubner	10280 W State Rd 28 West Lebanon, In 47991
Hytest Seeds	Hytest	1404 Colorado St Suite 124 Boulder City, Nv 89005
Mid-Atlantic Seeds	Mid-Atlantic	204 St Charles Way York, Pa 17403
Monsanto	Dekalb & Asgrow	800 N Lindbergh Blvd St Louis, Mo 63167
Mycogen Seeds	Mycogen Seeds	6429 Old William Penn Hwy Export, Pa 15632
Pioneer, A Dupont Co.	Pioneer	6767 Old Madison Pike Suite 110 Huntsville, Al 35806
Royster-Clark, Inc	Vigoro Seeds	717 Robinson Road Se Washington C.H., Oh 43160
Seed Consultants, Inc.	Seed Consultants	Po Box 370 Washington Courthouse, Oh 43160
Southern States Coop., Inc.	Southern States	6606 West Broad St Richmond, Va 23260
Syngenta Seeds, Inc.	Nk Brand	1993 Wesley Lane Greenville, Nc 27858
T.A. Seeds	T.A. Seeds	Po Box 300 Avis, Pa 17721

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NARRATIVE

This report contains the results for performance trials from commercial corn hybrids produced for silage at four locations in Virginia in 2004 as well as two year average performance, when available. In order to avoid problems with comparisons over sites and years, multi-year yields are presented as a percentage of the total at that particular site-year combination called relative yield. All locations were planted with a Wintersteiger PlotKing 2600 planter and harvested with small-scale commercial silage equipment. Yields are presented on a dry matter and 35% dry matter basis for comparison. All hybrids entered in the Virginia trials were submitted for testing by commercial companies or by Virginia Tech. The locations at which particular hybrids were entered were specified by the company. Companies entering hybrids were charged a fee for each hybrid per location to support the Corn Silage Performance Trials.

Yield Differences

Experimental plots vary in yield and other measurements due to location in the field and other factors which cannot be controlled. Statistics given in the tables are intended to help the reader make valid comparisons between hybrids. The magnitude of differences which may have been due to uncontrollable variation has been computed for the data and listed at the bottom of columns as the LSD (.10) (least significant difference with 90% confidence). Differences less than the LSD are assumed not to be real differences with 90% confidence.

Hybrid Choices

Multi-year results are more reliable than single-year results.

When making hybrid selections it is important to realize that hybrids differ in their performance under different environments. Some hybrids are more adapted to a wide range of environments. Hybrid performance may differ with year and location variations of rainfall, temperature, pests and other environmental variables. In these experiments, many hybrids have essentially the same yield, and great care should be taken in interpreting the results of a single year's tests, especially at only one location.

For these reasons it is important, whenever possible, to also look at a hybrid's average yield across locations when making selections. Multi-year averages give greater confidence to hybrid performance decisions. Relative yield tables compare the yield of a hybrid to the average yield of all hybrids in the test. These tables are an excellent summary of yield potential compared to other hybrids.

Understanding Relative Yield

Companies entering silage hybrids decide which hybrids are planted at which locations. In 2004, some hybrids were planted at all four locations and others at only one or two sites.

Combining and comparing absolute yield and other results from multiple sites is inappropriate when not all hybrids are planted at all locations. For example, one hybrid might have an unfair advantage in such a comparison because it was tested only at sites with ideal growing conditions. Another hybrid tested at sites with less-than-ideal growing conditions would have yields that tended to be lower. In this example, it would be difficult to determine whether yield differences were because of differences in genetic yield potential or simply because of differences in the environmental conditions under which they were tested. The solution is to compare hybrids based on relative yields rather than absolute yields.

To calculate relative yield, the yield for each hybrid at each site is divided by the average yield for all hybrids tested at that same site and multiplied by 100. Once each hybrid at each site has been assigned a relative yield, comparisons can be made between hybrids tested at the same site or different sites. For hybrids tested at multiple sites, we can also calculate a multi-site relative yield average.

Relative yields of 100 indicate hybrids that were average performers. Relative yields greater than 100 indicate yields above-average. Relative yields less than 100 indicate yields below-average. The magnitude of the relative yield numbers indicate how far above or below average a hybrid performed. For example, a hybrid with a relative yield of 110 yielded 10% above the average yield for all hybrids at that site.

Selecting hybrids for both yield and quality.

Milk2000 is used to condense multiple corn silage quality and digestibility factors into one easy-to-compare "milk per ton" number. This system also generates a "milk per acre" rating for each hybrid, calculated by multiplying yield (tons per acre) by quality (lbs of milk per ton). The same problem described above for multi-site yield comparisons exists for yield by quality comparisons: not all hybrids were tested at all sites. Therefore, relative quality and relative yield x quality ratings were calculated.

Milk2000 is a system developed by University of Wisconsin researchers to simplify quality comparisons between corn silage samples. Included in the analysis are variety identification, kernel processing, dry matter, crude protein, NDF, in-vitro NDF digestibility, starch percent and yield per acre.

Milk2000 was designed solely as an index to be used when making quality comparisons between silage samples or hybrids. Milk2000's milk per ton or milk per acre numbers should not be used to predict actual milk production on your farm. Milk per ton is more accurate at predicting cow performance since it includes quality factors that affect milk production. Milk per acre allows consideration of yield as well as quality factors.

Use other information.

Consider as much other information as possible from other independent sources before selecting hybrids. Look for agronomic as well as silage quality data. For example, consider the results of VA Tech's annual test of corn hybrid tolerance to gray leaf spot disease.

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2004 VIRGINIA CORN SILAGE PLOT INFORMATION

(Rates are on a per acre basis.)

Southern Piedmont at Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research & Extension Center at Blackstone
Planted: April 22, 2004
Harvested: September 17, 2004
Pesticide: 4.5 lb Force 3G® at planting; 1.5 pt Dual II Magnum® April 23, 2004; 7 oz Callisto® April 26, 2004.
Fertilizer: 100-100-100 preplant incorporated; 17 gal 20-10-0-2S-.83B-.33Zn at planting; 80 lb N May 25, 2004.
Plot Size: 2 rows 25' x 30" 4 replications
Soil Type: Wedowee
Cooperators: Ned Jones

Southwest/Mountain at Washington County (Thanks to David Johnson and Highland Dairy)
Planted: May 7, 2004
Harvested: September 4, 2004
Pesticide: 3 pt Gramoxone® + 3 qt Lumax® + 1 qt atrazine April 26, 2004; 4.5 lb Force 3G® at planting.
Fertilizer: 160-50-150 preplant; 17 gal 20-10-0-2S-.83B-.33Zn at planting; 40 units N sidedressed.
Plot Size: 2 rows 35' x 30" 4 replications
Soil Type: Monongahela
Cooperators: Phil Blevins and David Johnson

Shenandoah Valley at Rockingham County (Thanks to Glenn Heatwole & Family and Golden Valley Farm)
Planted: April 29, 2004
Harvested: August 16, 2004
Pesticide: 5 pt Lumax® preplant incorporated + 4.5 lb Force 3G® at planting
Fertilizer: 3 tons lime + 65-0-0-10 preplant incorporated; 17 gal 20-10-0-2S-.83B-.33Zn at planting; 75 units N sidedressed.
Plot Size: 2 rows 35' x 30" 4 replications
Soil Type: Monongahela fine sandy loam
Cooperators: Tom Stanley and Glenn Heatwole

Northern Piedmont at Fauquier County (Thanks to O. B. Messick and Sons, Inc.)
Planted: April 29, 2004
Harvested: October 5, 2004
Pesticide: 5 pt Lumax® preplant incorporated + 4.5 lb Force 3G® at planting
Fertilizer: 3 tons lime + 65-0-0-10 preplant incorporated; 17 gal 20-10-0-2S-.83B-.33Zn at planting; 75 units N sidedressed.
Plot Size: 2 rows 35' x 30" 4 replications
Soil Type: Monongahela fine sandy loam
Cooperators: Keith Dickinson and the Messick Family

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