Short Season Corn Silage Variety Trial

In 2012, the University of Vermont Extension Crops and Soils Team evaluated yield and quality of short season corn silage varieties at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT. While short season corn is an obvious choice in areas that accumulate fewer Growing Degree Days (GDDs), it also has a place in longer season areas. Past UVM Extension variety trials have shown that many shorter season corn varieties can have comparable yield and quality to longer season corn. Growing a shorter season variety can also provide other benefits such as an earlier harvest allowing for more time in the fall for planting of cover crops and manure applications. It is important to remember that the data presented in this report is from a single year. Hybrid-performance data from additional tests over several years should be compared before making varietal selections