Gregory Roth, Pennsylvania State University, Dept. of Crop and Soil Sciences, 116 ASI Building, University Park, PA 16802-3504, Robert Kratochvil, University of Maryland, Rm 1112-B H.J. Patterson Hall, College Park, MD 20742, Richard Taylor, University of Delaware, Department of Plant & Soil Sciences, Newark, DE 19716-2170, and Wade Thomason, Virginia Tech, 422 Smyth Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061.
Western corn rootworm and European corn borer can cause severe damage to corn on dairy farms in the Mid-Atlantic region. Transgenic hybrids containing the YieldGard corn borer or the YieldGard Rootworm genes could provide cost effective control where these pests are anticipated. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of these transgenic hybrids on corn grown for silage in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware compared to other controls. Five treatments in three genetic backgrounds (hybrids) were evaluated for their effects on the yield and forage quality of corn produced for silage. These treatments included 1) Check , 2) YieldGard corn borer hybrid, 3) YieldGard corn borer hybrid treated with Poncho 1250, 4) YieldGard corn borer treated with Force 3G and 5) YieldGard Plus hybrid (corn borer plus rootworm Bt). Corn borer and rootworm damage ratings were obtained from the check treatments. Corn was harvested for silage and yield and forage quality was assessed following harvest. In 2006, the check and YieldGard Plus treatments were assessed for differences in five mycotoxins. The YieldGard corn borer resulted in a 2.7 ton/acre (35% dry matter) yield increase compared to the check in 2005 and 1.4 tons/acre in 2006. Corn borer tunnels averaged 2.7 and 0.9 per plant in 2005 and 2006 respectively, resulting in a yield response of 4.2 and 6.2%/tunnel in the check treatments. No differences in forage quality were observed between the treatments. In 2005 the YieldGard Plus resulted in a 1.4 ton/acre yield advantage compared to the Force treatment but in 2006, there was no difference between these two treatments. There were no significant advantages to the YieldGard Plus hybrids for forage quality traits in either year. Differences in mycotoxin levels between the check and YieldGard plus treatment were relatively inconsistent and hybrid specific.
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