More on Transgenic Traits and Hybrid Performance

There were 17 different sets of transgenic traits evaluated in 2015 Ohio Corn Performance Test (OCPT) representing 22 technology products that are currently being marketed by seed companies. As the type and number of transgenic traits increases each year, the question arises as to whether these different traits affect hybrid performance. Using data from the 2015 OCPT, we’ve grouped hybrids based on the type and number of insect (Bt) and herbicide resistance they contain. Corn borer, corn rootworm, or lepidopteran insect injury were negligible in the 2015 OCPT trials. In Table 1, traits are listed by the insect they help control - corn borer, corn rootworm, or lepidopteran insects and whether they contain glyphosate or glufosinate herbicide tolerance. We’ve omitted trait sets that had two or less entries because so few entries mean that the data reflect individual hybrids more that traits (Nafziger, 2010). Even those groups that are shown can have their average performance skewed by one or more entries, so keep this in mind when interpreting the results. These results suggest that no set of traits performed consistently “much better” or “much worse” than other sets and the numbers of traits was not highly correlated with yield performance among these groups.

Table 1.  Grain yield of hybrids grouped by insect resistance and herbicide tolerance traits, 2015 OCPT.

Reference

Nafziger, E. 2010. Traits and Hybrid Performance, 2010 - The Bulletin University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign http://bulletin.ipm.illinois.edu/print.php?id=1443