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Dordt ag department releases 2011 test plot results

December 19, 2011

Field variety test plot results from the Dordt College agriculture department in Sioux Center are now available.

The field trials were conducted by agriculture majors in Dordt’s Field Crop Production and Management class under the supervision of Dr. Ron Vos, Dordt College professor of agriculture. Their research was in conjunction with the Northwest Iowa On-Farm Research Association with Iowa State Extension. Students who participated in the field sized-comparison study were Devin Bell, Sidney, Mont.; Mia Boonstoppel, Smithfield, New Brunswick; Hannah Clark, Pioneer, Ohio; Kurt Franje, New Sharon, Iowa; Michael Gallagher, Hornick, Iowa; Matthew Kamp, Manhattan, Mont.; Justin Knutson, Centerville, S.D.; Tyler Woodward, Hamburg, Iowa; and Caleb Wubben, Clara City, Minn.  They were assisted by Mike Schouten of the Dordt Agriculture Stewardship Center.

Vos noted that this year’s conditions were unique as the season began very wet and ended dry.

Thirteen trials were conducted on Dordt College Ag Stewardship Center fields located north of Sioux Center. The Dordt trials were planted in strips of one or two equipment-widths across the entire field. Because these narrow strips lie close to one another, field variability between treatment strips is minimized. The treatments were replicated at least three times in the field to overcome chance field differences. In addition, the order of the varieties in each block was chosen at random, avoiding a source of unconscious bias.

“We want our data to be accurate and credible, as well as meaningful to the farmers, so we use on-farm sized comparison analysis,” said Vos. Replication, randomization, and field-sized strips ensure the results will be valid and applicable to farmers’ field situations. The students used a measurement called the “least significant difference” (LSD). If the difference between two varieties is greater than the LSD, then the difference is considered significant.

Vos said that Dordt publishes results at an LSD of .05. “This means we are confident that our results are statistically valid 19 out of 20 times.” An LSD of .25, for example, would be valid only three out of four times.

Results from this year’s trials are also available from 2009.


Field Trial 1: Corn Side Dress-200 units of N+ 60 units side dressed/Non-Side Dress Plot-200 units of N
Planting Date:  5/5/2011
Harvest Date:  10/11/2011
Population Rate:  31,100 seeds/acre
Yield LSD (.05%):  21.3

Treatment                                     Yield Bu/A    
Pioneer 37K11applied  218.8
Pioneer 37K11 non-applied 207.1    
Pioneer P0453 applied  231.0
Pioneer P0453 non applied 227.3  
Pioneer P0216 applied  239.8
Pioneer P0216 non-applied 238.4    
Pioneer 36V53 applied  230.9
Pioneer 36V53 non-applied 217.5         


Field Trial 2: No Till vs. Conventional Tillage Soybean Trial
Planting Date:  5/10/2011
Harvest Date:  9/27/2011
Population Rate:  140,000 seeds/acre
LSD (.05%):  4.8

Treatment                                     Yield Bu/A
Northern King S21N6 till  78.3
Northern King S21N6 no till    77.7   


Field Trial 3: Insect Management Trial
Planting Date: 5/3/2011
Harvest Date:  10/14/2011
Population Rate:   32,267 seeds/acre
Yield LSD (.05%):  4.6

Treatment                                             Yield Bu/A
Agrisure Viptera 3111   197.1   
Agrisure 3000 GT        204.9 
Agrisure N68B-GT with insecticide      211.7      
Agrisure N68B-GT without insecticide 212.0     

   
Field Trial 4: Effects of Gypsum on Soybeans Trial
Planting Date: 5/10/2011
Harvest Date: 9/28/2011
Seeding Rate: 140,000 seeds/acre
Yield LSD (.05%):  2.5

Treatment                                     Yield Bu/A    
Pioneer 92Y31 applied  74.4
Pioneer 92Y31 non-applied    73.9


Field Trial 5: Organic Soybean Variety Trial
Planting Date:  5/18/ 2011
Harvest Date:  9/30/2011
Population Rate:  181,000  seeds/acre
Yield LSD(.05%):  2.7

Variety                           Yield Bu/A
Blue River 20C1  61.9      
Viking 2078       61.1
Viking 2265      63.0


Field Trial 6: Headline Fungicide vs. No-Fungicide Treatment on Corn
Planting Date:  5/5/2011
Harvest Date:  10/6/2011 
Population Rate:  31,100 seeds/acre
Yield LSD (.05%):   3.5

Treatment               Yield Bu/A
Pioneer P9910 non-treated  192.3
Pioneer P9910 treated  212.8
Pioneer PO115 non-treated 197.1
Pioneer PO115 treated  206.5


Field Trial 7: Soybean Aphids Trial
Planting Date:  5/10/2011
Harvest Date: 9/28/2011 and 9/29/2011
Population Rate:  140,000 seeds/acre
Yield LSD (.05%):  3.5
Variety: Northrup  King S-25

Treatment         Yield Bu/A 
Sprayed Resistant     64.2
Sprayed Non-Resistant  66.7
Non-Sprayed Resistant  64.1
Non-Sprayed Non-Resistant 62.8


Field Trial 8: Effects of Row Spacing and Population on Corn (36 inch rows)
Planting Date:  5/3/2011
Harvest Date:  10/6/2011
Population Rate:  36,000 seeds/acre and
                 40,000 seeds/acre
Yield LSD (.05%):   8.9
Variety:  Pioneer P0453HR

Treatment          Yield Bu/A
36,000 seeds/A single row  231.6
36,000 seeds/A twin row  233.0
40,000 seeds/A single row  235.0
40,000 seeds/A twin row  241.7


Field Trial 9: Corn Following No-Till Soybeans
Planting Date: 5/4/2011
Harvest Date:  10/6/2011
Planting Rate:  31,100 seeds/acre
Yield LSD (.05%):   8.1

Treatment                Yield Bu/A
Pioneer 36V51 Till    200.0   
Pioneer 36V51 No-Till         205.2


Field Trial 10: Soybean Planting Date
Planting Date: Early  5/10/2011
                         Late  5/24/2011
Harvest Date:  9/27/2011
Planting Rate:  140,000 
Yield LSD (.05%):  7.4

Treatment              Yield Bu/A
Pioneer 92Y31 early     59.6
Pioneer 92Y31 late     55.6


Field Trial 11: Warden Seed Treatment
Planting Date:  5/10/2011
Harvest Date:  9/29/2011
Planting Rate:  140,000
Yield LSD (.05%):   4.7

Treatment         Yield Bu/A
Cropland R2T2440 treated     70.0
Cropland R2T2440  non-treated    68.2


Field Trial 12: Votivo vs. Non-Votivo Corn
Planting Date: 5/3/2011
Harvest Date:  10/14/2011
Planting Rate:  32,267
Yield LSD (.05%):  6.3

Treatment  Yield Bu/A
Pioneer 37K11 with    193.2
Pioneer 37K11 without         198.4


Field Trial 13: Wide / Narrow/ Twin Row Soybean Trial (36 inch, 18 inch, twin- 36 inch)
Planting Date: 5/10/2011
Harvest Date: 9/28/2011
Planting Rate: 140,000
Yield LSD (.05%):   2.4

Treatment                 Yield Bu/A
Pioneer 92Y31    Narrow  69.2
Pioneer 92Y31 Wide  61.1
Pioneer 92Y31 Twin  66.0

 

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