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Show Section, April 13, 1978 New Corn Variety Adaptable under normal to excellent During the past few years, the multiplicity of new corn varieties being introduced has made selecting the right one an especially difficult growing conditions it is one of the highest yielding varieties available. Another interesting trait of this variety is that its excellent seedling vigor very emphatically crowds out the weeds. This tall growing silage under- taking. This year, however, one variety might ease the decision-makin- g procedure. Thats lecause it has already been d in replicated .valuation plots and in limited commercial plantings not in just one or two isolated areas, but in every major corn growing section of the United States. Although this new variety, was developed Funks for mainly high grain producing potential, it is proving very successful for silage not only in Utah but throughout the Northwest and states. "The maturity of aid Bert Hornbrook, plant oreeder for Funk Seeds International, who developed this variety, is too long for grain in Utah but it is such a big plant that it works ideally for silage here. Because grain contributes so significantly to the nutritional value of silage, it should prove interesting to review performance thus far as a grain variety. This new introduction has produced yields consistently above 200 bushels per acre all the way from the deep south into Tennessee and Kentucky, through Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, then south and west into New Mexico, Arizona and California. Two growers in first year trial plantings last season reported yields of 304.6 and 337.7 bushels per acre - thats in excess of 17,000 pounds of grain per acre. Seldom, if ever, has a new variety in its first commercial test year established such a consistently high yield average over such a far reaching and diverse growing area. How do you explain it? It is a rare exception to find a variety with such an ex- hybrid pre-teste- is characterized by broad, upright growing leaves. The plants thus produce not only a high grain content but also more green matter. Total leaf production is far greater than on comparable but shorter growing varieties. HorThe leaf profile, nbrook explained, captures more sunlight and this tends to increase the efficiency of the photosynthetic process. The additional energy generated within the plant adds to the grain producing potential. This variety, Hornbrook explained, differs from other hybrids in that it dries down quite rapidly. Although it may flower later than other hybrids Inter-Mounta- in its maturity range, once its maturation process starts, the grain dries very quickly. This allows for earlier harvesting which pays off in a big way in the event of early rains. responds dramatically to good farming practices. Inadequate cultural procedures inhibit its ability to attain peak yields. Proper watering, fertilizing and correct plant populations, Hornbrook emphasized, are essential for maximum production. The recommended plant population at harvest time for this variety should not exceed 26,000 plants. Yields drop perceptibly if the population is substantially above or below this figure. Crowding this variety," Hornbrook warned, tends to reduce ear size significantly. The ability of this new variety to produce top yields is indicated by test plantings completed last season over an extremely wide range of growing conditions, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. In Utah, where corn silage yields average 18 tons per acre, La Mar Skeen, who farms in the Warren area, produced 30 tons of silage per acre with this new introduction. We get' more said grain out of than other varieties Skeen, with the same maturity. The leaves have an upright growth, the kernels are big and the ears are large. Just a few minutes of improper harvesting, in fact, can threaten the results of years of breeding and research. To maximize the improvements bred into a new variety, the grower must contribute expertise in crop management. As a wise sage once predicted . . . you cant have the one without the other. , Archie Hunt, of Plain City, Utah, produced 31 1 tons of corn silage per acre with this new variety. The leaves are placed higher, the grain looks better, and it has a long enough maturity for this area, Hunt claimed. This brief report on breeding and introducing a new corn variety is hardly a story in itself. Unless the grower provides the necessary cultural practices, the traits built into the variety may never bear fruition. It is believed that there is enough stone in the Great Wall of China to build an eight-foo- t wall around the earth at the equator! Mold which may develop on natural cheeses is not harmful, and is easily scraped or cut from the surface. WBamammim ODGUDDDSeCD iDDCl country an a Watch it Grow! &l Green grows great in our backyard a little can go a long, long way if you plant it where the rates are the highest permitted by the law! Thats our policy... to give you the most for the use of your money. broad adaptation tremely area, said Hornbrook. One explanation is that the parents were from separate of growing areas, were subjected to different growing conditions and stresses and possessed diverse germ plasm. Just how the genes from the parents match up in the progeny," Hornbrook con-- ; 'inued, "is a matter of chance ir random arrangement. Come in and talk it over with one of our savings experts. We have plans to suit each depositors need and situation. Youll find a way to save regularly, productively. Hornbrooks breeding program was hardly a random is a single undertaking. cross variety developed from two separate parent lines. It took from eight to ten years to develop each line." The new hybrid was then tested for four years before being released. In 14 to 15 years were otal to breed this variety. Hornbrook Each line, dated, was chosen from hundreds of other lines which means about 99 percent of the lines tested were discarded. The top grain yield built into was accomplished through one line contributing long ears and the other contributing girthy ears. Perhaps the most this variety, ws y that;; Vv xjXfotareokiwatnd,' , Additional Services Available REGULAR AND SPECIAL CHICKING COMPLETE FULL SERVICE BANKING ... Y., V.Vf rrv,!1 y Gunnison 7a0loy Danti concise:, otao yy U . 4.W A'A'i |