1 I BRA FLY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS^ G30.7 UtGb cop - 2. AGRICULTURE NOTICE: Return or renew all Library Materials! The Minimum Fee for each Lost Book is $50.00. The person charging this material is responsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Thett mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for discipli- nary action and may result in dismissal from the University- To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN L161 O-1096 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS Agricultural Experiment Station BULLETIN No. 294 PRODUCTIVENESS OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS BY GEORGE H. DUNCAN AND W. L. BURLISON. URBANA, ILLINOIS, JUNE, 1927 SUMMARY Different varieties of corn have been grown in comparative trials on the experiment field at DeKalb in DeKalb county, representing northern Illinois, at Urbana in Champaign county, representing central Illinois, and at Alhambra and Fairfield in Madison and Wayne coun- ties, representing southern Illinois. Of the varieties tested at DeKalb, Golden King, Western Plow- man, Strout Red, Will County Favorite, and Hecker Red appear to be the best for the northern part of Illinois. The highest yielding varieties at Urbana, in central Illinois, were Illinois Two-Ear, Illinois High Yield, Reid Yellow Dent, Golden King, Will County Favorite, W'estern Plowman, and Boone County White. The chinch-bug injury to corn on the Alhambra field, in south- western Illinois, was very serious, especially during the years 1919 to 1922. Under the conditions prevailing on this field Mohawk, Black Hawk, Champion White Pearl, and Democrat have given the best yields. At Fairfield, in southeastern Illinois, where chinch-bug infestation Was not a serious handicap during the test period, the highest yielding varieties were Perrine White Pearl, Funk 90 Day, Sutton Favorite, Reid Yellow Dent, Democrat, and Champion White Pearl. PRODUCTIVENESS OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN IN ILLINOIS By GEORGE H. DUNCAN, Assistant Chief in Crop Production, and W. L. BURLISON, Chief in Crop Production The value of the corn produced in Illinois in any one year exceeds that of all the other field crops combined. Between 8 and 11 million acres of land in this state are occupied by corn every year. If by the growing of a superior producing variety, the yield of corn could be in- creased as much as 5 bushels an acre on this area, and the proper eco- nomic adjustment could be made so that the gain in efficiency could be realized, this increased return at 75 cents a bushel would equal the value of half the oats produced in Illinois in 1924. The difference in average yield between the poorest and the best producing varieties that have been grown for a minimum of six years on the Urbana field is 13.9 bushels an acre, or 24.7 percent based on the yield of the poorer variety. This wide variation in performance suggests the possibility of increasing the returns per acre by the growing of an adapted high- yielding variety. The varieties chosen for use in these experiments were either well known and generally grown in some section of the state, or were new varieties that possessed desirable characteristics and promise of being adapted to some part of Illinois. The seed was obtained from the same source or from the same strain thruout the course of the investigation, so far as this was practicable. The different varieties were grown side by side on soil that re- ceived enough rock phosphate, limestone, and either animal manure or crop residues to keep the land in a good state of productivity. For the most part, an area 1 rod wide and 16 rods long, accommodating five rows 39.6 inches apart running lengthwise of the plot, constituted the individual test plot, and yield data w r ere obtained from the three center rows of this group. During a part of the period represented by these tests, the rows on the Urbana field were 33 inches apart (six rows to a rod) with three rows planted to each variety. Three or more kernels were planted in each hill and after the plants were well started the plots were uniformly thinned to two stalks to a hill. Field weights of the ear corn produced on each plot were taken at the time of husking. Immediately after weighing, a representative sample of 10 pounds or more was taken from each plot. The shelling percentage and moisture content of the corn were determined on the sample and applied to the entire quantity of corn produced. The yields were calculated on the basis of 50 pounds of water-free shelled corn to a bushel. 571 572 BULLETIN Xo. 294 [June, The experiment fields from which records were secured are located in four parts of the state; namely, (1) atDeKalb inDeKalb county, rep- resenting northern Illinois, (2) Urbana in Champaign county, repre- senting central Illinois, (3) Fairfield in Wayne county, in southeastern Illinois, and (4) Alhambra in Madison county, representing south- western Illinois. The performance record of varieties grown up to and including the season of 1915 was presented in Bulletin 191 of this Station. Only those varieties that were grown in and since 1916 are included in this bulletin, tho in calculating the average yields and in determining the percentage rating of the different varieties, all the available data have been used, including results secured prior to 1916. Varieties tested for less than three years are omitted. In order to have a uniform standard for comparison, one gener- ally recognized, consistently high-producing variety has been selected and given a rating of 100 percent in productivity. The yields of the other varieties are compared to the average of the standard variety, considering only the results from the same seasons in each case. Odds have been calculated 1 for the purpose of indicating whether the difference between the several varieties and the check is due to actual superiority in yielding ability or whether it may be due to soil variation or to some other of the many possible varying factors. When the odds are only 4 to 1, considerable doubt exists; when the odds rise to 30 to 1, doubt begins to disappear; and when the odds are as high as 9,999 to 1 or higher, the point of practical certainty is reached. The difference in average yields suggests, then, to what extent a given va- riety may be superior or inferior to the check, and the odds indicate the degree of probability that this superiority or inferiority is signifi- cant. RESULTS OF TESTS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS DEKALB IN DEKALB COUNTY The standard variety chosen for the DeKalb field was Western Plowman. It was grown thruout the period of these tests and was a consistently high-yielding variety. Performance records of the 19 va- rieties that have been grown on this field since 1915 are shown in Ta- bles 1 and 2. Hunt White Dent has been grown for only three years, but it has produced more corn than Western Plowman each year, yielding an average of 1.3 bushels above Western Plowman and rating 102.8 per- cent. Golden King and Lancaster Sure Crop have a percentage rating slightly superior to that of Western Plowman, but the odds that these 'Love's modification of Student's method was used in calculating the odds. PRODUCTIVENESS OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN 573 % M I ! fc 00 S fc ^i 5 -5 M l 574 BULLETIN No. 294 [June, varieties are really better than the standard are not high enough to indicate that they are inherently higher yielding. A number of good producing varieties have an average yield slightly below that of Western Plowman. These are Strout Red, Will County Favorite, Hecker Red, Reid Yellow Dent, Learning (northern grown) , and White Cap Yellow Dent. The differences in yields, how- ever, have not been regular enough during the period over which the varieties have been grown for the odds to indicate that the slightly lower yielding power is significant. Notwithstanding the favorable rating of Reid Yellow Dent and White Cap Yellow Dent in regard to quantity of grain produced, these TABLE 2. DEKALB FIELD: AVERAGE YIELDS OF VARIETIES OF CORN COMPARED WITH YIELDS OF WESTERN PLOWMAN IN SAME YEARS (Bushels per acre) Variety Average yield of variety named Average yield of Western Plowman Difference above or below the standard Odds Number of years grown Calendar years grown DeKalb County Yellow Dent Funk 90 Day 43.3 53 5 49.2 57 1 -5.9 3 6 7:1 158:1 5 20 1917-21 1907-26 Golden Glow (cold resistant) . Golden King 48.1 51.5 54.7 50.6 -6.6 + .9 36:1 3:1 5 12 1922-26 1915-26 52 9 54 1 1 2 2:1 9 1911-19 Hunt White Dent 48 4 47.1 + 1.3 2:1 3 1924-26 63 62 9 + 1 1:1 4 1920-23 Learning (northern grown) . . . Murdock Yellow Dent 59.6 48 2 62.6 55 9 -3.0 -7.7 9:1 22:1 12 1914,16-26 1914,23-26 44 9 53 4 8 5 7:1 3 1922-24 Reid Yellow Dent 54 1 56 2 2 1 11:1 17 1908-13, Rjley Favorite 48 8 52 1 -3 3 5:1 8 15-26 1912-19 Silvermine (northern grown) . Strout Red 53.9 51 9 58.1 52 1 -4.2 2 34:1 1:1 10 11 1917-26 1914-24 Western Plowman 57 1 57 1 20 1907-26 White Cap Yellow Dent Will County Favorite 43.8 51 46.3 51 7 -2.5 7 8:1 3:1 4 8 1917-20 1914-21 Wisconsin No. 7 49 9 58.4 8 5 160:1 12 1910-14, 16-22 TABLE 3. DEKALB FIELD: PERFORMANCE OF TEN HIGHEST PRODUCING VARIE- TIES OF CORN GROWN FOR EIGHT OR MORE YEARS Variety Number of years grown Rating compared with Western Plowman Comparative yield 1 Actual average yield Golden King 12 perct. 101 8 bu. 58 1 bu. 51 5 Western Plowman 20 100 57 1 57 1 Strout Red 11 99 6 56 9 51 9 Will County Favorite. . . 8 98 6 56 3 51 Hecker Red 9 97 7 55 8 52 9 Reid Yellow Dent 17 96 3 55 54 1 Learning (northern grown) . . . 12 95 2 54 4 59 6 Funk 90 Day 20 93 7 53 5 53 5 Silvermine (northern grown) 10 92 8 53 53 9 Wisconsin No. 7 12 85.5 48.8 49.9 "The data on comparative yield have been obtained by multiplying the percentage rating of each variety by 57.1, which is the average yield of Western Plowman over a period of twenty- years. This method of calculation is based upon the assumption that if the different varieties had been grown the same twenty years they would have produced the same percentage yield, com- pared with Western Plowman, that they did over the shorter period. 1927} PRODUCTIVENESS OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN 575 varieties have failed to mature before frost during some of the years they have been grown at DeKalb. Under such conditions the poor quality of corn produced by them is a very strong consideration against their use in northern Illinois. The varieties that have been definitely inferior to Western Plow- man, as indicated by a lower production as well as by significant odds (30 to 1 or higher) , are Funk 90 Day, Golden Glow, Silvermine (north- ern grown) , and Wisconsin No. 7. In Table 3 is shown in summary form the performance of the ten highest yielding varieties that have been grown for eight years or more at DeKalb. Golden King heads the list for comparative yield, followed very closely by Western Plowman. Of the varieties tested it may be concluded that Golden King, Western Plowman, Strout Red, Will County Favorite, and Hecker Red are the best producing varieties for northern Illinois. RESULTS IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS URBANA IN CHAMPAIGN COUNTY The variety used as standard on the Urbana field is Reid Yellow Dent. Among the varieties grown over a longer period than eight years, none exceeds Reid Yellow Dent in average yield, altho Golden King comes very close to it. Within the past eight years, however, Reid Yellow Dent has been outyielded by four varieties. These are Illinois Two-Ear, Illinois High Yield, Illinois Non-pedigree, and Funk 176- A (utility). Illinois Two-Ear is a yellow corn which produces two ears on 50 to 80 percent of the stalks. It was developed by the Plant Breeding Division of this Station by ear-row breeding. It has produced an aver- age of 5.9 bushels an acre more than Reid Yellow Dent during the eight years it has been grown, with odds of 31 to 1 that this difference is significant. Because of its high yielding power, it was hoped that this corn would be useful as a silage or fodder corn, and also for grain production in cases where a machine husker could be used, or for hog- ging down. The ears are smaller, especially in diameter, than those produced by the single-ear varieties, but this characteristic may be considered in its favor when being fed to cattle in the ear. However, Illinois Two-Ear possesses the objectionable character of lodging badly before it is sufficiently mature for silage. This greatly increases the la- bor involved in harvesting, whether for silage, fodder, or grain, and markedly increases the percentage of ears damaged thru their coming in contact with the ground. Illinois High Yield has outyielded Reid Yellow Dent an average of 4.7 bushels an acre during the seven years it has been grown, with odds of 39 to 1 that this difference is significant. This strain was pro- 576 BULLETIN No. 294 [June, i. g 5? CO'OCNOOcOt-CO^iOOSCOOO'OOi-'OCO t OS t- CO 00 1C OS ^ as oo ooc^cic^cicidcvciwic". ciciCiCi o6oooooooboco6o6oooooot s ^*t > >h* i -oos "-i -mm > OS OOCNCO -OOS -CO -IOCS g -H t^t~t- -t^CO B CO i-l (N CO tN CN -IN -i-tlC -CO OOOOOcddos -CO -IN-. CO t- CC CO t* CO t- -COCO -CO t^COCOOO^h- -CD -OOO -O -O -t>- CO CO CO IO *O *C -CO*O *C -^ *^* - 10 C35 Ot- -com -O OJiO -I/5OCOOCN .Tjo m os t~ co co m ooot"-ioo -co NCOO-H^i-icOTj< O 'OOSCOCOt^cO . t* t" 00 t* t t- CO CO t*- > t- ^ CO CO *O CO 5 o 00 Ml -_ z _ O3 -*O .^iOTj.Tt< -McOOiOOOO -OXNCOO -"CNOiO CO CM 00 CO m O) -O (N CO t 00 ! CO t CO t^ CO .COt*COt 'CDt~t~CO CO CO *O 10 CO CO -CD M OS 3 II s OCOCO^HOCO 'O"5cO -00 CO O5 "5 00 Tf rt CO O CO CC CO >O 00 00 CO oo fc, o tN Oi CN Tt* t> O . CO O CO t-t -CO 1-1 OJ * CO O CO O i-H ** 1C CO CO CO O t* CN t- CO O5 I s - CO rf -< 00 -00 CN ^ 00 CO t- ^ Tj* O ^ 'CNiOCOOOO . t* 00 00 00 t 00 -OOt-Xt- -t- t- 1- 1- 00 CO t^> b* t-- t" -t^tOCOiOCO O CO iC t CN "5 -COiCOOiH -OJ -CNOCO CN CN -CO -00 ft q HH < J :| !| Jl ! I ! I ItJ i ;l : -a PRODUCTIVENESS OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN 577 duced by the Plant Breeding Division by the method of the ear-row breeding plot, as described in Bulletin 271. The ears of this corn pos- sess to a very marked degree the desirable characters described by the Utility Score Card. It is of interest to note that both varieties that surpassed the standard are the product of selection under plant breeding methods. Illinois Non-pedigree and Funk 176- A (utility) have not been grown over a sufficiently long period to justify concluding from these experiments that they are distinctly superior in yielding power to Reid Yellow Dent. There are 8 varieties which, even tho they have not yielded as high as Reid Yellow Dent, have yielded within 5 percent of this vari- ety. They are Golden King, Will County Favorite, Western Plowman, Boone County White, Sutton Favorite, U. S. Selection No. 77, Funk TABLE 5. URBANA FIELD: AVERAGE YIELDS OF VARIETIES OF CORN COMPARED WITH YIELDS OF REID YELLOW DENT IN THE SAME YEARS Variety Average yield of variety named Average yield of Reid Yel- low Dent Difference above ( +) or below (-) the standard Odds Number of years grown Calendar years grown Boone County White 63 2 65.1 - 1.9 19:1 26 1901-26 Champion White Pearl 58.8 64.9 - 6.1 4999:1 23 1901,05-26 60 9 75.6 -14.7 78:1 4 1918-21 DeKalb County Yellow Dent. Democrat 53.8 69.5 73.4 76.4 -19.6 - 6.9 66:1 28:1 3 4 1917-19 1919-22 Drouth Proof 66.4 71.0 - 4.6 10:1 6 1916, 17 Funk 176A (utility) 65.5 64.9 + .6 1:1 3 19-22 1923-25 Funk 90 Day 61.5 64.5 - 3.0 47:1 15 1902, 03, 69 69.3 - .3 2:1 11 10, 11. 16, 25,26 1916-26 Hecker Red 52.1 60.1 - 8.0 2:1 6 1911, Illinois High Ear 46.6 65.1 -18.5 > 9999:1 16 16-20 1906-21 55.0 65.1 -10.1 > 9999:1 16 1906-21 Illinois High Oil 49.3 62.2 -12.9 > 9999:1 16 1903-18 50 1 62.2 12.1 > 9999:1 16 1903-18 44.2 62.2 -18.0 > 9999:1 16 1903-18 55 8 62 2 - 6.4 > 3332:1 16 1903-18 Illinois High Yield 76.7 72.0 + 4.7 39:1 7 1919-22, Illinois Low Yield 63.3 76.4 -13.1 28:1 4 24-26 1919-22 68.2 66.1 + 2.1 3:1 4 1923-2(1 Illinois Two-Ear 77.2 71.3 + 5.9 31:1 8 1919-26 68 7 74.9 - 6.2 32:1 4 1920-23 61.7 64.9 - 3.2 199:1 23 1901-23 54 1 63.8 - 9.7 8:1 3 1916-18 Reid Yellow Dent 65 1 65 1 26 1901-26 St. Charles White 58.8 67.0 - 8.2 1249:1 7 1901, 16- Silvermine 61.8 65.1 - 3.3 113:1 26 21, 22 1901-26 Strout Red 63.6 69.1 - 5.5 212:1 9 1916-24 63.6 65.9 - 2.3 2:1 4 1916-19 U.S. Selection No. 77 63.5 66.2 - 2.7 3:1 3 1924-26 62 6 64.3 - 1.7 5:1 10 1910, 11. White Cap Yellow Dent Will County Favorite 66.5 62.4 75.6 63.2 - 9.1 - .8 29:1 2:1 6 9 16-23 1917-22 1910,11. Wisconsin No. 7 56.1 64.7 - 8.6 59:1 3 16-21,23 1907,11, Wyatt Boone County White.. 54.5 66.2 -11.7 40:1 3 17-20 1924-26 578 BULLETIN No. 294 [June, 90 Day, and Learning. The only varieties of this group for which the odds indicate a significantly lower yielding power than Reid Yellow Dent are Funk 90 Day and Learning. The varieties which were developed by selection for abnormal characters; that is, for high oil, low oil, high protein, low protein, high ears and low ears, were distinctly lower yielding than the standard Reid Yellow Dent. The performance of the ten highest yielding varieties that have been grown at Urbana for a period of seven years or longer is sum- marized in Table 6. TABLE 6. URBANA FIELD: PERFORMANCE OF TEN HIGHEST PRODUCING VARIE- TIES OF CORN GROWN FOR SEVEN OR MORE YEARS Variety Number of years grown Rating compared with Reid Yellow Dent Compara- tive yield 1 Actual average yield 8 perct. 108 3 bu. 70 5 bu. 77 2 Illinois High Yield 7 106 5 69 3 76 7 Reid Yellow Dent 26 100.0 65.1 65.1 11 99 6 64 8 69 Will County Favorite 9 98 7 64.3 62 4 10 97 3 63 4 62 6 26 97 1 63 2 63 2 Funk 90 Day 15 95 3 62 61.5 23 95 61.8 61.7 Silvermine 26 94.9 61.8 61.8 'The data on comparative yield have been obtained by multiplying the percentage rating of each variety by 65.1, which is the average yield of Reid Yellow Dent over a period of twenty-six years. c) According to these tests at Urbana any list of varieties recom- mended as high producing for the central part of Illinois should in- clude Illinois Two-Ear, Illinois High Yield, Reid Yellow Dent, Golden King, Will County Favorite, Western Plowman, and Boone County White. RESULTS IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ALHAMBRA IN MADISON COUNTY Corn variety tests have been conducted on the Alhambra field since 1919. Because of the frequent and serious infestations of chinch bugs in southern Illinois and the inability of the soil to carry a supply of moisture over the dry period of the year, only varieties that possess more than average vigor are able to make a good showing in this part of the state. A number of so-called chinch-bug resistant varieties of corn have come to the front within the last few years. These are characterized, for the most part, by a vigorous development during the vegetative stage. Their root system is extensive and strong. Cham- pion White Pearl, which is used as the standard variety in these tests, is one of the prominent varieties in this group. PRODUCTIVENESS OF CERTAIN VARIETIES OF CORN 579 w % p H O tf EI I * o 2 *S ^ A O r~j 6 b O O fc. 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