Auburn University
Variety Testing Program
Variety evaluation is also critical to plant breeders, both from universities and industry. Prior to releasing a new variety, these breeders typically evaluate their lines in independent variety trials. This ensures that they have unbiased data from multiple years and locations to support the release of their new variety.
The mission of the Auburn University Variety Testing Program is to provide research-based, unbiased results on the performance of various crop hybrids, cultivars, and varieties to the agricultural community in Alabama. We are intent on conducting these trials in a manner that will result in maximum biological yield through methods common to the top-producing farms in Alabama.
We are committed to providing this information in a timely manner for its use during the decision-making process. The success of the program rests on our ability to help Alabama producers provide a safe, dependable source of food and fiber for all families as well as an economic sustainability for theirs.
Henry Jordan
Variety Testing Manager, Research Associate IV
AU VARIETY SELECTION PLATFORM
Auburn University has partnered with Medius Ag to create a variety selection tool. This tool will allow users to look at small plot variety trial data and large plot on-farm data in one location.
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Annually, the Auburn University Variety Testing Program conducts trials on corn, cotton, soybeans, peanuts, grain sorghum, wheat, barley, oats, triticale, small grain forages, and ryegrass.
Trials are conducted on Auburn University owned and operated agricultural research stations across the major geographical regions of the state. The research conducted at each of these locations can provide stakeholders with data that can be more representative of their growing conditions.
Performance of Ryegrass Varieties in Alabama, 2022-2023
September 14 - Quality results are now available on the variety selection platform for the ryegrass trials at the Clanton Research and Extension Center (CREC) and the EV Smith Research Center (EVSRC). Forage quality at the CREC was reduced for the first harvest of...
2023 Soybean Iron Chlorosis Ratings – Black Belt REC
August 28 - Iron chlorosis ratings are available for the soybean trials conducted on Sumter soils at the Black Belt Research and Extension Center in Marion Junction. Symptoms were evaluated on a 1-9 scale. A plot with a value of 1 has no visual symptoms. A plot with...
Cow Talks Podcast – 2023 Cool Season Forage Recommendations
Recently, Dr. Marcelo Wallau, University of Florida Forage Extension Specialist, spent some time at Auburn reviewing our cool-season variety trial data and discussing the results. Much of his discussion with Dr. Leanne Dillard, Auburn Forage Extension Specialist, and...
2023 Brewton Row Crops Field Day
There one more opportunity to visit an Auburn University Research and Extension Centers, learn from and interact with specialists, and see current research in person. Tuesday, September 19th Brewton Agricultural Research Unit (BARU) Registration 8:00-8:30 AM Tour -...
Hessian Fly Ratings, 2022-2023
BY: Henry G. Jordan Jr., AU Variety Testing Manager Dr. David Buntin, UGA Professor of Entomology Dr. Katelyn Kesheimer, AU Extension Entomologist Spring 2023 saw a serious infestation of Hessian fly in wheat across the southern United States, and variety selection is...
Performance of Peanut Varieties in Alabama, 2023
August 4 - Tomato spotted wilt virus ratings are now available for the last peanut OVT. TWSW pressure was low for this trial, and no statistical differences were noted at this location. July 26 - The first batch of 2023 tomato spotted wilt virus ratings are now...