Greg W. Roth
Penn State Agronomy
Assistant Professor
A common but suiprising
question I get is how well do
open-pollinated varieties of
com perform compared to
modem hybrids.
Interest in open-pollinated
varieties stems from a number
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of reasons:
• Low seed prices compared
to hybrids
• The ability to replant the
seed produced
• An independence from an
off-farm supplier
• Perceived higher quality
traits
• A nostalgic attraction to
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historic geimplasm.
Open-pollinated varieties of
com are the result of natural
intercrossing of a population of
genetically different plants.
Varieties have been produced
by selecting similar ears over
the years and replanting the
seed from these ears for the
next generation.
Previous studies with open
pollinated com at Penn State
conducted by Dr. Joe McGahen
in the 1980 s indicated that
yields of open-pollinated var
ieties were consistently about
50 bushels less than modem
hybrids and had about 50 per
cent more lodging.
During 1992, we conducted
two trials to evaluate the yield
and forage quality of an open
pollinated variety compared to
a modem hybrid. The open
pollinated variety, Superior Sil-
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age Com. was obtained from a
Lancaster County com grower
who had purchased the seed
com from a mail-order adver
tisement. The hybrid was Pion
eer brand 3241. At both loca
tions, the hybrid was superior in
nearly every measurement of
performance. Averaged over
both locations, the hybrid had
4.8 tons/acre higher silage
yields and 60 percent lower
lodging. Forage quality was
also higher for the hybrid as
evidenced by 0.5 percentage
units higher protein levels, 8.7
percentage units lower ADF,
and 5.1 percentage units higher
in-vitro digestibility.
The open-pollinated variety
also exhibited much more var
iability for standability, height,
ear height, and maturity than
we see in modem hybrids. As a
result, there appeared to be little
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reason to grow the open
pollinated variety for silage.
In 1993. we conducted a sec
ond study at one location to
compare yield performance of
three open-pollinated varieties
to two standard hybrids. This
study basically confirmed Dr.
McGahen’s earlier studies. The
hybrids averaged 120 bushels
per acre and had 9 percent lodg
ing. The open-pollinated variet
ies averaged 63 bushels per
acre with 35 percent lodging.
Although grain quality was
not measured in this study,
yield differences were so great
that the net return would be gre
ater with the hybrid, regardless
of quality or seed cost.
Consequently, we see little
evidence that would suggest
growers consider growing
open-pollinated varieties for
commercial purposes. Silage
yield, silage quality, and grain
yield performance of open
pollinated lines appears to be
inferior to modem hybrids.
We should note, however,
that these open-pollinated lines
continue to be sources of gene
tic variability for com breeding
programs.
Council Convinces
Brazil To Buy
U.S. Corn
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Through the
trade servicing efforts of the U.S. Feed
Grains Council (USFGC), Brazil will
likely purchase at least 300,000 metric
tons (11.8 million bushels (mbu)) of U.S.
com.
The Council saw an opportunity for
com sales to northern Brazil, where
expanding poultry production and high
transportation costs for Argentine com
have created a com need. However, poul
try industry representatives in Brazil
expressed quality concerns about U.S.
com, so the-Council arranged for a team
of Brazilian poultry producers to visit
U.S. com export facilities.
After visiting with the Federal Grain
Inspection Service, a loading facility,
poultry production facility and feedmill,
the Brazilian team was convinced of U.S.
com quality. The team members
announced their intention to buy U.S.
com while in the United States. The com
will be imported through March 1994
when their own harvest comes in.
Brazil’s U.S. com purchase is particu
larly significant because it is the first
major sale to Brazil since 1986. Although
Argentine com quality declines during
the year, its premium price remains high.
In contrast, U.S. com prices are lower,
and because the Brazilian government
has reduced the tariff on U.S. com to Bra
zil, the price per metric ton is highly com
petitive now. This sale is good news for
U.S. com suppliers, who once again have
the chance to supply the 1.5 million metr
ic ton (59.1 mbu) Brazilian market.