Farm News, IA
10-19-07
Crop Performance Test results available
By KRISS NELSON, Farm News staff writer
Although harvest is far from over for some, early results from the Iowa Crop Improvement Association (ICIA) 2007 corn and soybean crop performance tests are available and being updated as results come in.
Jim Rouse, program manager for the Iowa Crop Performance Tests said as of last week they were about two-thirds done with both corn and beans and he strives to get the results posted as fast as he can.
“My goal is to get the results from each test location on the Web within 48 hours of harvesting,” said Rouse.
Maps showing testing locations for corn and soybeans are available now and as each site is harvested, links to the data from that site will be added.
Rouse said 42 companies entered 350 hybrids in the corn trials this year. More than 13,000 variety test were planted on 87 acres in 18 locations. Soybean trials included 22 companies and Iowa State University entering 375 varieties. The 12,000 soybean yield plots are planted on 72 acres also spread over 18 locations.
Rouse said the Iowa Crop Performance Tests have been being conducted in corn for 80-plus years and 40-plus years for soybeans. Anybody who sells seed in Iowa is eligible to enter and pay a small fee which helps offset expenses. The ICIA then plants, and monitors then harvests the plots.
“We keep control of everything which keeps it all uniform,” said Rouse. “We know exactly how everything was conducted.”
Plots are planted on farmers’ farms and Rouse said they look for a field that is relatively uniform to that area and basic farming practices are conducted.
“We want everything about these plots to be just like regular farmers are doing,” said Rouse. “There’s no excessive or high management treatment and that’s what makes our results more applicable.”
Environment, Rouse added, is a huge impact on how a hybrid will yield, which is a main benefit to having so many locations. With that in mind, Rouse strongly recommends not only looking at the yield results of a particular variety in your area, but to look to see how that variety did in all of the areas.
“You shouldn’t just look at a variety close to you. Look at the district average then at all of the districts. More information is better information – always. That’s the key, don’t settle with the results at the location by your house,” he said.
The Iowa Crop Performance Test results can be viewed at www.croptesting.iastate.edu and while there viewers can sign up on the e-mail subscription list. This will send you an update to your e-mail whenever there is something new that has been posted.
“It’s amazing the number of plots and locations we have and how quickly the data becomes available,” said Rouse. “It’s an amazing source of information when trying to decide what to grow next year.”
ICIA conducts the Iowa Crop Performance Tests in cooperation with the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment State at ISU and ISU Extension.