Table 1.
Grain yield, yield components, plant and ear height, and tassel traits of 50% non-pollen producing (FNP) and pollen producing (PP) control hybrids.
| Trait | Pollen producing (PP) | Fifty-percent non-pollen producing (FNP) | Difference | Change (%) | P-value | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yield (kg ha−1) | 3916.5 ± 73.2 | 4118.6 ± 73.3 | 202.1 | 5.2 | <0.0001 | 4585 |
| Moisture (%) | 18.18 ± 0.25 | 18.22 ± 0.25 | 0.03 | 0.20 | 0.62 | 3923 |
| Ear height (m) | 1.01 ± 0.01 | 1.00 ± 0.01 | −0.01 | −1.1 | <0.01 | 471 |
| Plant height (m) | 1.93 ± 0.01 | 1.86 ± 0.01 | −0.07 | −3.8 | <0.0001 | 469 |
| Grain weight (g) | 87.6 ± 3.7 | 95.2 ± 3.7 | 7.6 | 8.7 | <0.0001 | 459 |
| Number of tassel branches | 16.7 ± 0.18 | 15.3 ± 0.18 | −1.4 | −8.5 | <0.0001 | 475 |
| Tassel weight (g) | 4.0 ± 0.09 | 3.73 ± 0.09 | −0.27 | −6.7 | <0.001 | 475 |
| Kernel number | 281.3 ± 3.7 | 297.9 ± 3.7 | 16.6 | 5.9 | <0.001 | 464 |
| Grain weight (g) | 89.6 ± 1.4 | 95.1 ± 1.4 | 5.6 | 6.2 | <0.001 | 464 |
| 100 kernel weight (g) | 31.7 ± 0.34 | 32.0 ± 0.34 | 0.3 | 0.9 | <0.01 | 469 |
| Ear length (cm) | 13.2 ± 0.18 | 13.9 ± 0.18 | 0.64 | 4.9 | <0.0001 | 469 |
Grain yield and grain moisture were measured in on-farm and on-station trials. Ear and plant height, grain weight, number of tassel branches, and tassel weight were measured on individual non-pollen producing (NPP) or PP plants tagged within an FNP hybrid plot on a subset of on-station locations. Kernel number, grain weight, 100 kernel weight, and ear length were estimated from image analysis of NPP and PP ears taken from tagged plants within an FNP hybrid plot on a subset of on-station locations.