Features Agronomy Identity Preserved
What’s new in corn hybrids?

New grain, silage and grazing corn hybrids, specifically developed for western
Canada, are opening up new frontiers in corn production. Top Crop Manager
has assembled a list of new corn hybrids that are being introduced or released
in commercial quantities in 2006.

The information is provided by the respective corn seed companies. For further
corn performance information, the Manitoba Corn Committee (listed under Manitoba
Agriculture's web site) and the Alberta Corn Committee (www.albertacorn.com)
publish performance test results in the early winter. The Alberta information
also contains information on trials conducted under irrigation at Outlook, Saskatchewan.

Pride Seeds
Pride Seeds, through their parent company AgReliant Genetics, is a leader in
breeding and testing of new hybrids. Research programs utilizing molecular markers,
unique dihaploid breeding and gene engineering, along with traditional breeding
programs, provide their breeders with the tools they need to reduce the time
for hybrid development. The result is faster access to hybrids, with diverse
new traits and genetic backgrounds for producers in all maturity ranges. Web
site: www.prideseed.com

K080RR is a 2275CHU hybrid and is one of
the company's earliest, top yielding Roundup Ready hybrids available. It has
excellent spring vigour and emergence, and is an ideal choice for producers
in early maturity zones with excellent test weight.

A4641Bt has YieldGard corn borer protection
and is rated at 2425CHU. It is a high yielding hybrid with excellent standability
and high test weight. It has rapid spring emergence and is a very good later
companion for Pride A4175Bt in this maturity.

A4741HM has unique genetics designed for
silage and high moisture producers. Rated at 2475CHU it provides a wide harvest
window for silage and high moisture corn, and has excellent agronomics, plant
health and fall intactness.

A5109Bt is a 2550CHU hybrid that produces
high-end, top quality yield with excellent stalk and roots. It has the YieldGard
corn borer trait, and excellent test weight and drydown.

Quarry Grain Commodities
Quarry Grain Commodities sources out corn genetics from leading North American
plant breeders. Web site: www.quarrygrain.com

LS5177 from Legend Seeds is a new hybrid
that will be put forward for registration approval this winter. It is a conventional
corn hybrid with good stalk and ear strength, and is suitable for grain or silage.

PickSeed Canada
PickSeed has two new hybrids for release in 2006.

2230RR is 2000-2100CHU for grain, very
good yield and standability, shorter stature, very early flowering and very
good test weight, and with the Roundup Ready gene.

2365RR is 2300-2400CHU and excellent for
silage, very good yield and standability, early flowering and with the Roundup
Ready gene.

Canamaize
CanaMaize is a western Canadian company with an entire breeding program based
in the prairies. It provides the earliest maturities available for grazing and
silage corn in the world accomplished by using a reduced stature gene. Early
maturity provides high feed energy and shorter plants allow for higher populations
when solid seeding. This creates a dense canopy and very palatable feed, excellent
for standing or swath grazing for all ruminant livestock including cattle, sheep
and bison.

Check its web site for new variety announcements this winter: www.canamaize.com

Elite (Co-Op Quebec)
The Elite brand select hybrids are adapted to short growing season areas. The
lineup contains Roundup Ready corn hybrids in all maturities. Seed production
under irrigation produces high quality seed. Web site: www.co-op.ca

30A27 RR is one of the earliest Roundup
Ready grain corns on the market at 2200CHU. It is a short plant providing excellent
standability.

46T07 RR is a high energy corn for silage
or grazing rated at 2300CHU. It is a Roundup Ready corn adapted to shorter growing
seasons.

48T20 RR is a 2450CHU Roundup Ready corn
with tall plants that stand well throughout the winter. It has long cobs with
dent kernels. 25T37 RR is an extremely high yielding corn with 2650CHU rating.
It has tall plants that offer high energy silage.

Dekalb/Monsanto Seeds
The Dekalb research program in western Canada is focussed on developing new
silage and winter grazing hybrids for western Canadian beef producers. This
involves the development of early maturing and high yielding germplasm that
contains the Roundup Ready trait. Dekalb is continuously testing new experimental
hybrids across the various growing regions of western Canada. The company currently
has a number of early maturing hybrids that perform very well in western Canada.
Dekalb has added one new product to its 2006 lineup. Web site: www.monsanto.ca

DKC30-03 is a new 2375CHU Roundup Ready
corn 2/YieldGard corn borer product. It is similar to DKC30-02, which does not
have the YieldGard corn borer trait. This is a full season hybrid best suited
for 2350CHU to 2450CHU zones. It is an excellent silage product for areas of
the southern prairies that consistently receive a minimum of 2150CHU. DKC30-03
has very good test weight and excellent yields. DKC30-03 has very good stalk
strength and late season health.

Hyland Seeds
Hyland Seeds specifically develops genetics for the northern growing region.
The company concentrates on developing corn, soybeans and edible beans that
will mature early, plus tolerate northern-specific stresses and cold soils.
The goal is to provide the most production from every acre despite the unique
northern conditions. Web site: www.hylandseeds.com

HL B209 – 2225CHU – MON 810 BT
corn hybrid with exceptional early vigour and a broad area of adaptability.

HL R206 – 2200CHU – NK603 Roundup
Ready hybrid with excellent standability, excellent plant health and good early
vigour.

HL R208 – 2250CHU – NK603 Roundup
Ready hybrid with very high test weight, great plant structure and great yield
potential.

BAXXOS RR – 2250CHU – NK603 Roundup
Ready hybrid with a robust plant structure, great plant health and excellent
yield potential.

HL B25R – 2400CHU – NK603/MON
810 Roundup Ready/Bt stacked hybrid with excellent yield potential and great
grain quality.

HL SB10 – 2150CHU to 2400CHU –
BT Herculex/Liberty Link is a leafy silage hybrid with exceptional yield potential
that makes great silage.

HL SB23 – 2400CHU to 2650CHU –
BT Herculex/Liberty Link is a leafy silage hybrid with high energy, high tonnage
and exceptional yield potential.

Maizex Seeds
The breeding focus for western Canada continues to emphasis hybrids with early
flowering and early grain fill. Maizex develops hybrids to address the need
for early genetics in both the grain and silage markets. Many of the new hybrids
for the western market contain the Roundup Ready or YieldGard gene. Web site:
www.maizex.com

MZ133 (2250CHU) has very good spring vigour
and stalk strength. MZ133 has excellent yield potential for its maturity and
shows very fast grain dry down for above average test weight.

MZ1266Bt (2300CHU) is a very early Bt hybrid
with excellent spring vigour. MZ1266Bt flowers early for its maturity and possesses
very good stalk quality for late season plant health.

MZ1754Bt (2400CHU) is an early Bt hybrid.
MZ1754Bt has very good root and stalk strength for late season plant health.
This early flowering hybrid has excellent test weight and yield potential.

MZ16-05RR (2450CHU) is an early Roundup
Ready option. MZ16-05RR shows rapid grain fill in the fall and has very good
late season plant quality.

LF 725 (2250CHU) is a very early leafy
silage hybrid. LF 725 is very aggressive in the spring and flowers early. This
hybrid produces exceptional yields of high quality feed.

LF 755RR (2350CHU) is an early Roundup
Ready leafy silage hybrid. LF 755RR has excellent spring vigour and rapid early
season growth. This high yielding silage hybrid has a soft white cob and excellent
grain quality.

LF 835RR (2650CHU) is a Roundup Ready leafy
silage hybrid. Very tall leafy plant type with a white cob and soft textured
kernels for better digestibility. Very good season-long plant health.

LF 824 (2600CHU) is a conventional leafy
silage hybrid with very high yield for its maturity. Soft textured kernels,
and excellent protein and energy potential. -30-