The 2024 Ontario corn hybrid DON screening trial results are in and the full report is available on GoCrops.ca.
DON screening trials for corn hybrids were initiated by the Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) in 2019 in response to elevated DON levels observed in the 2018 corn crop. The OCC said in a release hybrid selection is the most influential factor that can be managed through agronomic practices, and Ontario growers have sought DON hybrid testing to mitigate DON risks through informed hybrid selection and management strategies. “This screening initiative addresses this long-standing need, providing growers with valuable data to make more informed decisions in their corn production practices,” the committee said.
Starting in 2019, the OCC started to refine protocols for testing hybrid sensitivity to DON accumulation with confidence-based assessed risk. The report provides a risk assessment of hybrids entered in the 2024 trials, along with a multi‐year assessment on the same hybrids if data were available.
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Hybrids were entered voluntarily by seed companies and all hybrids are compared against a “check” hybrid known to be highly sensitive to Gibberella Ear Rot and DON accumulation. Hybrid results are displayed as an index value relative to this high-check hybrid, the OCC said. These data serves as a relative risk assessment of hybrids that can be used with other information sources (e.g., seed company information, field trial results, etc.) to improve hybrid decisions.
Dr. Dave Hooker from the University of Guelph and OMAFA’s Albert Tenuta led the project with support from corn hybrid seed companies who voluntarily participated in the trial.
The Ontario Corn Committee is made up of representatives from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada; Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; University of Guelph; Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association; Grain Farmers of Ontario; Ontario Agri Business Association; Ontario Certified Crop Advisors and Seeds Canada. Hybrid tests are conducted each year by the following cooperating agencies: University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus; University of Guelph Plant Agriculture Department; University of Guelph, Winchester Research Station; Kent Ag Research Inc.; and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Ottawa).
