Different Types of Trials Give Different Information

David Morris, Secretary, Ontario Corn Committee

Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) Performance Trials Report or local strip trial results: Which one should you turn to in deciding what to grow next year? According to Henry Olechowski, Director of Research for Hyland Seeds, the correct answer is "Both. Both systems certainly have a place in helping you get to know hybrids and to assess their place," he says. "You need both to be sure that you have a good stable product suited to a range of environments." In other words, the acc trials give a good picture of the relative performance of a wide range of genetic material over a relatively few common locations, while strip trials give a picture of a smaller set of hybrids in more environments.

Gary Bauman, Manager of Technology and Agronomic Services, Syngenta Seeds Canada, concurs. "You need to look at both the acc trials and strip tests, because they give you different types of information," he says. "If you want an unbiased comparison of the genetic potential of a range of hybrids grown in the same environment, turn to the acc trials. They provide the only true test of most of the genetics in the marketplace across a set of common locations and environments. You can't get this from strip trials. "

However, because the number of acc locations is limited, the data they provide need to be supplemented with information from other sources to get a complete picture of where a hybrid fits in. "If you're looking for information about hybrid adaptation across a wide range of environments or to a specific area, then you need to look at something other than the acc report," says Bauman. That's where strips trials have their place. As alechowski notes, "Strip trials give you an assessment of how stable a hybrid is across more environments. Doing your own strip tests also helps you become more familiar with the characteristics of a hybrid and how it performs on your farm."

Even though the number of locations in the acc system is limited, Bauman believes they also can provide an indication of yield stability. "If you follow a group of hybrids over 2 or 3 years at the same locations, you can identify the superior material," he says. "aver that period of time, the hybrids with stable performance will usually come to the top."

Because they are third-party system in which most seed companies are represented, the acc trials also help to keep
the marketplace competitive. This is especially important for the smaller companies which cannot afford an extensive testing program of their own. The acc trials give them a chance to compete on an equal footing with the larger companies.