Sunday, November 4, 2007 - 5:15 PM
11-10

Organic Corn Cultivar Performance in Iowa.

Leslie Freehill1, Lori Abendroth2, Kathleen Delate3, and Roger Elmore2. (1) Agronomy, Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy Hall, Agronomy Extension, Ames, IA 50011, (2) Iowa State University, 1009 Agronomy Hall, Agronomy Extension, Ames, IA 50011, (3) Horticulture, Iowa State University, 106 Horticulture, Ames, IA 50011

Conventional hybrids increasingly contain transgenic traits, raising concern that fewer non-transgenic hybrids will be available to producers in the future.  A survey of organic producers in Ohio identified that selecting hybrids with top agronomic performance was a leading concern.  We evaluated the performance of twenty organic, one untreated conventional and four open-pollinated cultivars in 2007.  Research was conducted at three locations across Iowa as part of a three-state SARE grant project.  A wide range of data was collected including seed vigor and germination, emergence rating index (ERI), insect and weed rating, and grain yield.  Early season data such as ERI and extended leaf height show considerable variation, with several cultivars consistently performing above or below average.  Cultivars showed up to 37% and 28% variation within location for ERI and extended leaf height, respectively.