With seed technologies and traits constantly changing and improving, where do you turn to for choosing the best variety for your fields? Enter, variety trials.

Land-grant universities conduct and publish trial data annually, where different varieties of a crop are grown alongside each other to compare their performance. These trials happen in test plots across the country. Universities offer historical data on these trials, so an accurate picture of variety performance can be seen over time and under a variety of environmental conditions.

They deliver growers key results that can be used as a tool to evaluate how each hybrid or variety can fit into their operation.

Understand data

The data available in reports contain maturity rating, yield, moisture percentage, test weight, final stands, lodging percentages, and more.

There may be some variance in published data from different institutions, so take them into consideration when reviewing results. These may include:

Get first-hand explanation

If hesitant to wade through a publication for results, consider attending local field days or contacting your research Extension center instead. Tours of trial fields let attendees see variety plots and ask questions of research experts.

When planning for the next growing season, you might find your farm’s next top variety from your land-grant university.

University of Nebraska Lincoln and University of Minnesota contributed to this article.