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Performance of
Processing Sweet Corn Cultivars, Ames Plantation, 2000 Charles
A. Mullins and Marshall Smith Interpretative
Summary Most cultivars
performed well in the trial. Good
plant stands were produced by all cultivars, and especially by ‘Bonus’.
Plants of ‘GH 2547' and ‘GH 2783' were much taller than plants of
‘Bonus’ and ‘Lumina’. Ears
of ‘GH 2547' were among the heaviest. Ears of ‘WHT 2801' were relatively short.
‘Lumina’ and ‘WHT 2801' were among cultivars with a lower
percentage of ear fill. Yields
after adjustment for moisture were higher for ‘GH 2783' than for ‘Dynamo’
and ‘Lexus’. Introduction Processing sweet
corn acreage has been increasing in west Tennessee for the past several years.
This area can produce sweet corn in the early spring before midwestern
areas start production. Also insect
problems are much less severe in the early spring than later in the season.
Processing sweet corn evaluations have been conducted for several years
in University of Tennessee trials. An
experiment was conducted at the Ames Plantation at Grand Junction, TN in 2000 to
evaluate performance of 9 processing type sweet corn cultivars. Materials
and Methods The site was
prepared for planting using conventional tillage in late April.
Fertilizer was broadcast at 104 lb N/A, 92 lb. Phosphate/A and 92 lb.
Potash/A before final disking on April 27.
Plot size was one row, 20 ft long, and rows were spaced 40 inches apart.
This relatively wide spacing was used due to available equipment.
Seed of white and yellow cultivars, obtained from commercial seedsmen,
was planted on April 27 at the rate of 70 seed per row using cone-type planters.
Experimental plot design was a randomized complete block with four
replications. Herbicides applied on
April 28 were atrazine (Aatrex) at 2.09 lb ai/A and metolachlor (Dual II) at
1.94 lb ai/A. Plants were thinned
to 32 per row on May 31. The
relatively close in-row spacing was utilized to obtain the desired plant
population at the 40 inch wide row spacing.
Nine insecticide applications were made between June 19 and July 14. Insecticides used in the planting in alternating applications
were esfenvalerate (Asana) at 0.05 lb ai/A and carbaryl (Sevin) at 1.0 lb ai/A.
Harvest was from July 10 through July 18. Records taken on
plant characteristics included plants per row, plant height, plant diameter, ear
height above ground, yield in number and weight, and average ear weight.
Records taken on harvested ears were ear length, ear diameter, yield of
cut corn, % dry weight, yield of cut corn adjusted to 73% moisture, and % ear
fill. All data were analyzed by
analysis of variance procedures, and cultivar means were separated by Duncan’s
multiple range tests at the 0.05 level of probability. Results
and Discussion ‘Bonus’ and
‘Legacy’ had a higher plant stand than ‘Lexus’ and ‘FMX 492' (Table
1). ‘Bonus’ had a higher stand
than the desired 23,500 plants per acre that was targeted for the trial.
‘Dynamo’, ‘Lexus’, and ‘Lumina’ plant stand was slightly
lower than the targeted stand. Plants
of ‘GH 2547' and ‘GH 2783' were taller than plants of the other cultivars.
‘Dynamo’ was among cultivars with a relatively short plant.
Plants of ‘GH 2547' had a larger diameter than plants of ‘Lexus’
and ‘FMX 492'. The ears were set
higher above ground on plants of ‘GH 2547' and ‘GH 2783' than on plants of
all other cultivars except ‘Lexus’. ‘GH
2783' produced significantly higher yields in number of ears per acre than all
cultivars except ‘GH 2547'. ‘GH
2547' produced a higher yield in tons per acre than all other cultivars.
Ear weight was higher for ‘GH 2547' than for ‘Bonus’, ‘WHT 2801',
‘Lumina’, and ‘FMX 492'. ‘Lexus’
produced smaller ears than most other cultivars. All cultivars
except ‘Bonus’ and ‘Legacy’ produced longer ears than ‘WHT 2801'
(Table 2). Ears of ‘GH 2547' had
a larger diameter than ears of ‘Lexus’.
Yield of grain cut from the ears was higher for ‘GH 2783' than for
‘Dynamo’ and ‘Legacy’. A
0.30 lb sample of the cut corn was oven dried at 69E
C for 48 hours. The percentage moisture was near or slightly below the
targeted level of 73%, but was not significantly different due to cultivar.
‘GH 2783' and ‘Lumina’ produced a higher yield than ‘Dynamo’
and ‘Lexus’ after adjustments were made to 73% moisture for all cultivars.
‘GH 2783' had a higher percentage of ear fill than ‘WHT 2801',
‘Lexus’, and ‘Lumina’. The cultivars
produced fair yields. Moisture was
adequate, but not excessive during the growing season.
Desirable stands were produced for all cultivars.
Earworm control was excellent and most cultivars performed reasonably
well. ‘GH 2783' produced more
yield than some of the other cultivars, but ‘GH 2547', ‘WHT 2801', and
‘Legacy’ yields were not much lower than those of ‘GH 2783'. Table 1.
Plant characteristics and yield of processing sweet corn cultivars
evaluated at The University of Tennessee Ames Plantation at Grand Junction,
2000.
zMeans
within columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different at
the 0.05 level of probability, Duncan’s multiple range tests. Table
2. Ear characteristics of processing
sweet corn cultivars evaluated at The University of Tennessee Ames Plantation at
Grand Junction, 2000.
xRating
on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 = most desirable. zmeans
within columns followed by the same letter are not significantly different at
the 0.05 level of probability, Duncan’s multiple range tests. |
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