JANUARY 1972
FREE CORN SEED Can Be EXPENSIVE
DAVID H. TEEM
1
CORN PRODUCTION in 1970 was dis-
astrous because of southern corn leaf
blight (race T) on corn hybrids contain-
ing Texas male sterile cytoplasm. With
the seed shortage of adapted normal cyto-
plasm hybrids many farmers in Alabama
and other states turned to their cribs for
seed to plant the 1971 crop. Although
faced with a probable yield reduction
from planting this second generation or
F
2 
seed many farmers felt this was a
better choice than T cytoplasm hybrids
or blends.
In most cases 1971 corn yields were
good, and many farmers who planted F
2
seed made what they considered to be
acceptable yields. However, without
planting, the comparable first generation
or F
1 
hybrid there was no way to know
what yields could have been realized in
1971.
To help answer this question, F
1 
and
F
2 
seed of Funk's G-795W-1 were en-
tered in the corn variety testing program
by the Auburn University Agricultural
1 Research Associate, Department of
Agronomy and Soils.
Experiment Station in 1971. Results of
these tests are shown in the table. The
average yield reduction from using the
F
2 
was 25 per cent and there was also a
slight increase in lodging. This reduc-
tion may vary because of such factors as
location, year and F
1 
from which the F
2
was obtained.
The figure shows the calculated yield
and value of F
1 
versus F
2 
corn based on
the average per cent reduction shown in
the table. This reduction percentage
may vary slightly depending on the yield
level; however, it is assumed to be con-
stant at all yield levels in this figure. The
value used for feed corn is $1.00 per
bushel.
The yield and value per acre will vary
depending on production level of the in-
dividual producer. At a high production
level the yield difference is greater than
at a low production level. For example,
as shown in the figure at a high produc-
tion level when the F
2 
yield is 75 bushels
per acre the F
1 
yield is 100 bushels per
acre, a 25 bushel or $25 per acre in-
crease. At a low production level when
the F
2
yield is 38 bushels per acre the
AGRICULTU RAL EX P ERIM EN T STAT ION
E. V. Smith, Diretor AUBURN UNIVERSITY Auburn, Alabama
LEAFLET 83
Yield
(bu./acre)
160 -
0'
value/acre
(at $1/bu.)
- 160
?Based on 
25%
reduction from F
ODoes not include
F seed cost
F Low High
150 -
140 -
130 -
120 -
110 -
100 -
90-
80-
70 -
60-
Production Level
Calculated yield and value of F
1
versus F
2
(based on 25% reduction from F
1
) corn.
F
1 
yield is 50 bushels per acre, a 12
bushel or $12 per acre increase.
Although the cost of F
1 
hybrid seed
may appear to be high it should be re-
membered that one bushel of corn will
plant several acres. The number of acres
planted per bushel will vary with the
number of seed per bushel and the num-
ber of seed planted per acre. One bushel
of medium fiat seed will plant about 5
acres at the recommended rate. If the
F
1 
seed price is $25 per bushel, the cost
per acre is $5. Any F
1
yield increase of
5 bushels per acre or greater will pay for
this seed cost. The figure also shows
that at any F
2 
yield greater than 19
bushels per acre a profit would be real-
ized by planting the F
1
. These figures
assume that the F
2 
seed are free. Any
value given for F
2 
seed would make
planting the F
1 
even more favorable.
F
1 
hybrid seed will be profitable at
any reasonable seed cost or yield level.
F
1 
seed of adapted normal cytoplasm
hybrids will be available in 1972. Don't
plant free seed; it will cost you money.
150
140
130
120
IO10
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
I0
50 -
40 -
30 -
20 -.
I0
YIELD AND LODGING OF FUNK'S G-795W-1 (F
1
) AND FUNK'S G-795W-1 (F
2
)
IN ALABAMA-1971
Yield per acre YieldLodging
Location 
reduction_ _odging
F
1  
F
2  
F
2  
F
1  
F
2
Bu. Bu. Pct. Pct. Pct.
Belle Mina 120 80 33 3 7
Prattville 130 97 25 5 7
Camp Hill 82 63 23 20 27
Tallassee 102 82 20 29 60
Camden (irrigated) 110 75 32 12 
22
(Not irrigated) 87 55 37 7 13
Auburn 92 86 7 21 
17
Brewton 126 92 27 44 37
Monroeville 65 48 26 46 35
Headland 128 88 31 14 28
Fairhope 136 112 18 6 16
Average - - - 107 80 25 19 24
'Yields adjusted to 15.5% moisture and 56 lb. per bushel.