NDSU Efforts for Hybrid Corn Performance Trials in North Dakota

1. NDSU Efforts for Hybrid Corn Performance Trials in North DakotaMarcelo J. Carena, Professor & Corn BreederNDSU Corn Breeding and Genetics North Dakota State University Feb 9 2012 How do we Conduct State Experiments? Why Experimental Designs, Why Multiple Locations, and Why Avoiding Confusion to Farmers are Essential?

2. Welcome to “Flat” North Dakota Production Challenges/Opportunities in ‘the North’Short Period Between Killing Frosts Low Effective Heat Supply as we Move North Low Rainfall as we Move West

3. US Northern Corn Production/Breeding ConcernsBillions of Dollars are being Lost to Drying Grain, Drought and Cold Susceptible Corn, and to Processing Low Quality Grain in the Northern U.S. Market (Most Seasons). Adaptation is Everything. Still Most Northern U.S. Hybrids are not Locally Bred. Lines/Hybrids are Provided by Retailer Companies Licensing Products from Foundation Seed Companies Centered in Southern Minnesota (MN).Hybrids are Often Late Maturing Products with Below Average Grain Quality, Drought and Cold Tolerance, and Rate of Dry Down.Hybrids are neither Reliable nor Stable for the Northern USA. Too Many Production Failures since there are no Breeding Programs Locally Extensively Developing Products.

4. US Northern Corn Production/Breeding ConcernsHybrids Offered by Retailer Companies have Similar Genetics.- How Diverse are Hybrids across/within Companies/Versions? - How Many Companies Breed Locally? Southern MN.2012 – Non-GMO AlternativesOnce again in 2011:Most hybrids have Demonstrated not to be Locally Bred for Northern MN & ND Farms. Most Marketed Hybrids Ended up with Late Maturity, Slow Dry Down, and Very Poor Grain Quality.The Early Freeze was a Major Cause for These Problems even though It was an Ideal Fall Season for Dry Down.

5. NDSU Corn Breeding: State Hybrid Tests 1) Knowing How to Choose the Right Hybrid From Unbiased Test Results with Correct Experimental Designs is Very Profitable.2) While >20 Locations for Breeding, 10 Locations for State Trials Run by Breeder.3) The NDSU Corn Breeding Program is the Only ND Program Conducting Multiple Location State Hybrid Corn Performance Trials of the Same Hybrids Annually. State Trials Provide UNBIASED Information to Assist Farmers in the Selection of Adapted, High-Yielding Corn Hybrids. Technical: Which of the following will you select in northern North Dakota?Hybrid 1 22.0% (Carrington), 21% (Larimore), 19% (Thompson), 23% (Lakota), 23% (P.Riv.)Hybrid 2 18.0% (Carrington), 19% (Larimore), 20% (Thompson), 33% (Lakota), 30% (P.Riv.)1) What if you had data of only one location (Carrington only)?2) What if you had data from all five locations in the northern ND region?

6. NDSU Corn Breeding: State Hybrid Tests FRONT PAGE OF STATE CORN CIRCULARWritten by NDSU Extension Agronomist“The coefficient of variation (CV), which also is placed at the bottom of each column, is a measure of the variability for that trait within the trial. Large CVs (>16 in the case of yield for hybrid trials) means a large amount of variation was found in the experiment that cannot be explained by just the genetic variation between the hybrids.”WHEN ASKED WHY AND WHERE WAS THIS FOUND?“I will re-evaluate the use of CVs in the future… I have never been fond of them, but breeders seem to like to use them…”Written by NDSU IRECTOR OF EXTENSION“perhaps CVs aren't appropriate for this audience. I leave this decision to our Extension Agronomist as this is his audience”

7. NDSU 2011 Corn Results YIELD PERFORMANCE To REMEMBER: Data are Presented as Means Within and Across Locations CV (Coeff. of Variation) = S (Variation) x 100 / X (Experiment Mean) If S = 2,000, X1 = 200, X2 = 100 Then, CV1 = 10% CV2 = 20% (same concept as heterosis) WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF NON-GENETIC VARIATION CV2 COULD BE AN EXCELLENT EXPERIMENT UNDER STRESS

8. NDSU Corn Breeding: State Hybrid Tests Response by NDSU Corn BreederSounds good but I think you as Director of our NDSU Extension efforts have an opportunity to make good changes for the Institution. Regarding CVs, they may not be as useful as you say, but we need to justify every statement to avoid misleading. Anything that can avoid farmers to be confused. As you know, it is even more important that farmers select the best hybrids stable across good and challenging environments.

9. NDSU Corn Breeding: State Hybrid Tests Written by NDSU Corn Breeder (continued)I still believe you can push for growing the same hybrids across locations within regions, grow the same experiment across close by counties (say 3-4 locations) and then show the combined data across them as well as individual locations (not just on their own Extension station data).I also believe you can push for better experimental designs than the common randomized complete block designs. These have many limitations compared to the incomplete block designs. Every year I get over 200% efficiencies for economically important traits using the latter. We should get advantage of this.If I have been pushing for this idea for so many years I just hope you can make it happen for the benefit of our farmers.