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.
Subscribe to AU Variety Testing Updates
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.
2023 AU Forage Field Days
Multiple opportunities are available to visit the Auburn University Research and Extension Centers, learn from and interact with forage specialists, and see current forage/beef cattle research in person. The dates and locations are below. March 16 Wiregrass...
2023 Cotton Variety Trial Entry Form
February 8 - Entry forms for the 2023 Auburn University Cotton Variety Trials are now available. Entries can be submitted in in two planting environments, short season and full season. Each environment includes 10 trials. Each environment will be planted as follows:...
2023 Peanut Variety Trial Entry Forms
February 1 - For the 2023 season, peanuts will be tested in 4 locations for a total of 5 trials. Trials will be planted in 4-row plots and will require 15,000 kernels of seed. Due to space, the number of entries is limited. To enter the 2023 trials, please submit...
2023 Sorghum Variety Trial Entry Form
February 1 - Entry forms for the 2023 Auburn University Garin Sorghum Variety Trials are now available. Grain sorghum will be late-planted, behind small grains, at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center in Headland.
2023 Soybean Variety Trial Entry Form
February 1, 2023 - Entry forms for the 2023 Auburn University Official Soybean Variety Trials (OVTs) are now available. Entry forms are due by March 17th. Seed is due by March 24th. Entries can be submitted in one or more of the following categories: Early Planted...
2022-2023 Forage Cold Damage Update
During the 2022 Christmas break, Alabama experienced a SEVERE cold snap. What makes this event unusual is how fast temperatures dropped. It went from t-shirt weather to sub-freezing overnight, and temperatures remained below freezing for several days. As a result,...