Ohio State University Extension Factsheet

Horticulture and Crop Science

2001 Fyffe Court, Columbus, OH 43210-1096

1997 High Oil Corn TC Blend® Performance Tests

AGF-136-98

Peter R. Thomison
Allen B. Geyer

High oil corn acreage in the U.S. has increased from less than 50,000 acres in 1992 to nearly one million acres in 1997. High oil corn contains 1 1/2 to 2 times more oil as well as higher quality proteins than normal yellow dent corn. High oil corn is attractive as a livestock feed because it has greater energy value than normal yellow dent corn and can replace more expensive dietary sources of fats and proteins. Contract production of high oil grain may offer corn growers higher profits through premiums. The TopCross® grain production system licensed by DuPont Quality Grains is rapidly gaining popularity as the preferred method of producing high oil corn. The TopCross system minimizes the yield disadvantage associated with conventional high oil corn hybrids while enhancing grain nutrient composition.

The TopCross high oil grain production system involves planting a blend (TC Blend® seed corn) of two types of corn. One type, representing 90 to 92 percent of the seed in the blend, is a hybrid that is designated as the "grain parent." The second type, representing 8 to 10% of the seed, is a special "pollinator." The grain parent is a male sterile (produces no pollen) version of an elite hybrid that may be in commercial production. The pollinator is a special line, available from DuPont and licensed to seed companies, that sheds pollen within a TopCross grain production field. The pollen shed from these pollinator plants contain special genes that cause a kernel to produce a much larger than average germ or embryo (commonly called xenia effect). Since most of the oil and essential amino acids are in the germ, the oil, and thus the energy level, and protein quality of the grain produced by fertilization with these pollinators is enhanced. Pollinator plants contribute little to overall grain yield, but use resources such as soil nutrients, water and sunlight. Their function is to provide pollen to the male sterile grain parent.

Since interest in high oil corn production is increasing among growers as well as seed companies, we conducted performance tests in 1997 at two Ohio locations comparing high oil corns, primarily TC Blend seed products used in TopCross grain production. The major objective of these tests was to evaluate the agronomic performance and grain quality characteristics (i.e. oil content) of TC Blends that are adapted to Ohio growing conditions and commercially available to corn growers.

The high oil corn tests were established at the Ohio State University (OSU) - Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Research (OARDC) Western Branch Research Farm near South Charleston (S.Charleston) in southwest Ohio and the OSU-OARDC Northwest Branch Research Farm near Hoytville in northwest Ohio. Twelve high oil TC Blends representing seven different seed companies were planted at each site. Three normal corn hybrids were included in the trials as checks (Beck 5405, Pfister 3049, and Pioneer brand 3394) along with a new conventional high oil corn hybrid (Pioneer brand 34M55). Contributors of seed for the 1997 tests are listed in Table 1.

Data from the High Oil TC Blend Performance Tests were analyzed as a three replication, randomized complete block design experiment at each location. The least significant differences at probability level 0.05 (LSD 0.05) and coefficients of variation (CV%) were calculated from the location analysis of variance.

Testing high oil TC Blends is difficult due to isolation requirements. If pollen from normal, low oil corn hybrids pollinates male sterile hybrids in the blend, then the high oil trait is not expressed. We followed a testing protocol for comparing multiple pollinators and TC Blends that was recommended by DuPont Quality Grains. A similar procedure was used in 1995 and 1996 to compare high oil TC Blends and their normal counterparts. Since there were two different pollinators used in the TC Blends submitted for evaluations, it was necessary to group or block entries by pollinator to minimize cross pollination. Normal corn hybrids were isolated from TC Blends by at least 40 rows planted to TC Blends to ensure minimum pollen contamination by normal corns. TC Blend blocks with different pollinators were separated by 24 border rows (12 adjacent rows of each pollinator type) to minimize cross pollination.

Table 2. indicates cultural practices and soil types associated with each test. Growing season rainfall and temperatures along with long term averages are shown in Tables 3 and 4.

The number of plants shedding pollen was recorded to determine the percentage of pollinator plants in each TC Blend. Shortly before harvest ten ears were randomly selected from plants in a 50-foot length of row in the center of each plot. These ears were shelled and a subsample of grain from each plot was submitted to the DuPont Optimum® Grains Laboratory (Urbandale, IA) for grain nutrient composition. Oil, protein, and starch content were determined by near infrared spectroscopy (NIR). Metabolizable energy (M.E.) and lysine were estimated by calculation. Final plant stand, numbers of plants stalk lodged (stalk breakage below the ear), and barren or with nubbin ears were recorded at harvest. Plots were harvested by combine and grain yields were adjusted to 15.5% moisture.

RESULTS

Growing Season

Dry weather in April allowed timely planting at both test sites (Table 3.). However wet, cool conditions in May through early June delayed crop emergence and development. Although rainfall was below average in August and September, moderate, below average temperatures during grain fill limited moisture stress (Table 4.). Warmer temperatures and drier weather in September facilitated more rapid grain drydown at S. Charleston than at Hoytville, where cooler conditions slowed plant growth and grain drying.

Agronomic Data

Grain yields of TC Blends ranged from 155 to 194 Bu/A at Hoytville (Table 5.) and 133 to 159 Bu/A at S. Charleston (Table 6.). TC Blend yields averaged 18 Bu/A and 20 Bu/A less than yields of the normal checks at S. Charleston and Hoytville, respectively.

At Hoytville, yields of two TC Blends, Callahan TC7658D and Select HO4321-P1, were not significantly different from the top yielding normal hybrid Pfister 3049. At S. Charleston, the normal hybrid Beck 5405 yielded significantly more than the TC Blends; yields of five TC Blends did not differ significantly from Pioneer 3394: DeKalb DK595TC, Beck 5405TC, Pfister SK3049-19, AgriGold A6460TC8 and AgriGold A6595TC8. The conventional high oil corn hybrid, Pioneer 34M55 produced yields similar to most TC Blends at Hoytville. At S. Charleston, 11 of the 12 TC Blends yielded significantly more than Pioneer 34M55.

Grain moisture levels at Hoytville, where grain drydown was slow, were higher for TopCross grain produced by TC Blends than for normal corn grain. These differences were not evident at S. Charleston where grain drydown was more rapid and most grain moisture levels averaged less than 20%.

At S. Charleston, differences in harvest population between TC Blends and normal hybrids were negligible but at Hoytville final stands averaged about 9% lower for TC Blends than for the normal hybrids and this difference may have contributed to lower yields for certain TC Blends. The percentage of plants shedding pollen during anthesis averaged 6 to 7% in the TC Blends.

Stalk lodging was generally similar for TC Blends and normal corns. Lodging averaged 4% for TC Blends and 3% for normal hybrids at both sites. The high oil hybrid Pioneer 34M55 exhibited greater stalk lodging ( 19%-27%) than the TC Blends and normal hybrids.

Grain Quality Data

TopCross grain produced by the TC Blends was characterized by higher oil content than grain of Pioneer 34M55 (7.7% vs. 6.4% at Hoytville; 7.0% vs. 5.4% at S.Charleston) and normal corn hybrids ( 7.7% vs. 4.5% at Hotyville; 7.0% vs. 4.2% at S. Charleston). There were also significant differences in grain oil content among the 12 TC Blends at each location with oil levels ranging from 7.4% to 8.1% at Hoytville and 6.2% to 7.7% at S. Charleston. Estimates of metabolizable energy (for non-ruminants) were consistently greater in TopCross grain than in grain of normal hybrids and Pioneer 34M55. Grain protein levels and estimates of lysine content in TopCross grain were generally similar to those of PB34M55 and the normal corn hybrids at both locations. Starch levels were lower in TopCross grain than in grain of normal corn. Grain from Pioneer 34M55 also averaged higher starch levels than TopCross grain from most of the TC Blends.

1997 test results suggest that TC Blends are available with grain yield potential similar to normal corn hybrids. There was considerable variation in yield among the TC Blends evaluated - up to a 39 Bu/A difference between the highest and lowest yielding TC Blends at Hoytville. There were also significant differences in grain oil content among the various TC Blends. Stalk quality (as measured by stalk lodging) of the TC Blends was comparable to the normal corn hybrids and superior to the conventional high oil corn hybrid.

TopCross®, TC-Blend® and Optimum® are registered trademarks of DuPont.

TABLES 1 - 6

Table 1. Sources of high oil TC Blend® seed products and hybrids entered in the 1997 High Oil Corn TC Blend Performance Tests.

Company/Address	Brand
Akin Seed Company Route 1, Box 203 St. Francisville, IL 62460 (800) 262-7333	AgriGold
Asgrow Seed Company 2650 East Kilgore Kalamazoo, MI 49001 (616) 384-5562	Asgrow
Beck's Superior Hybrids Inc. 6767 E 276th St Atlanta, IN 46031 (317) 984-3508	Beck
Callahan Seeds 1122 E 169th St Westfield, IN 46074 (317) 896-5551	Callahan
DeKalb Genetics 3100 Sycamore Rd Dekalb, IL 60115 (815) 758-3711	DeKalb
Pfister Hybrid Corn Company PO Box 187,187 N Fayette St El Paso, IL 61738 (309) 527-6000	Pfister SuperKernoil
Pioneer Hi-Bred Int'l, Inc. PO Box 756 Bryan, OH 43506 (800) 874-8718	Pioneer
Select Seed Hybrids 227 W St Rt Rd 218 Camden, IN 46917 (219) 686-2743	Select

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Table 6. Agronomic performance and grain quality data from the High Oil Corn TC Blend® Performance Test at South Charleston, Ohio. 1997.

						Grain Composition on a Dry Matter Basis*
Type	Brand/Hybrid	Yield Bu/A	% Grain Moist	Final Stand Plants/A	% Stalk Lodg	% Oil	% Protein	% Starch	M.E. (Kcal/lb)	% Lysine
High Oil TC Blends	AgriGold A6460TC8	153	16.2	28400	5	6.9	9.5	67.9	1845	0.34
	AgriGold A6595TC8	153	23.1	28580	6	7.7	8.7	67.2	1860	0.34
	Asgrow RX701HO	147	16.9	28810	5	7.1	9.3	68.4	1850	0.34
	Asgrow RX770HO	148	21.2	28230	13	7.0	8.7	68.9	1845	0.33
	Beck 5405TC	158	16.5	29270	3	7.3	9.0	67.7	1853	0.34
	Callahan TC7557D	149	17.3	29040	3	7.2	8.5	68.2	1850	0.33
	Callahan TC7658D	147	16.2	28750	3	6.7	9.4	68.0	1840	0.33
	DeKalb DK595TC	159	15.4	26190	3	7.0	9.7	68.2	1847	0.34
	Pfister SK2650-19	133	18.9	27990	2	7.1	8.5	67.7	1848	0.32
	Pfister SK3049-19	156	17.2	26600	3	7.4	8.9	67.7	1855	0.34
	Select HO4321-P1	143	16.3	28050	3	6.6	9.1	68.2	1838	0.33
	Select HO4321-P2	148	17.5	28980	4	6.2	8.9	69.6	1829	0.32
	AVG	150	17.7	28241	4	7.0	9.0	68.1	1847	0.33
Conventional High Oil Hybrid	Pioneer 34M55	132	18.2	29100	27	5.4	9.7	70.4	1809	0.32
Normal Hybrids	Beck 5405	174	16.7	29390	4	4.4	9.1	71.5	1785	0.30
	Pfister 3049	169	19.5	28230	2	4.4	9.2	70.9	1782	0.30
	Pioneer 3394	160	17.1	29620	4	3.9	8.6	72.9	1766	0.28
	AVG	168	17.8	29080	3	4.2	9.0	71.8	1778	0.29
	CV%	4	7.2	4	64	6.6	5.9	0.9	0.5	2.90
	LSD (0.05)	10	2.1	1722	6	0.7	0.9	1.0	15	0.05

*Oil, Protein and Starch by NIT; M.E. and Lysine by calculation.
  M.E. is Non-Ruminant Metabolizable Energy Content.

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