Study of Accolade biological growth enhancer use on corn
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EmailHow likely is using Accolade on your corn going to pay?
In 2010, MSU Extension educators in the Thumb and Saginaw Valley studied the use of Accolade-P on corn at five sites. Accolade-P is labeled by its manufacturer as a biological growth enhancer for corn, small grains, grain sorghum, and non-legume forage grasses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Accolade-P as a seed treatment, and determine if its use led to an increase in corn yield.
Accolade-P was applied to seed corn and was mixed thoroughly for even coating of seeds. The study consisted of two treatments – an untreated control and Accolade-P treated seed. Plots were established in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Plots were 100 feet in length and 15 feet wide (six-30 inch rows). Yield measurements were taken from the center four rows. See Table 1 for study results.
Table 1. Effect of Accolade-P Treated Seed Corn on Corn Yield at Five Sites
| Treatment | Yield by location | Average of Locations | ||||||
| Filion | Reese | Millington | Sandusky | Capac | Moisture(%) | Test Wt.(Lbs/Bu.) | Yield(Bu./A) | |
| Bushels per Acre | ||||||||
| Control | 212.5 | 158.7 | 142.3 | 204.2 | 186.1 | 18.3 | 59.7 | 180.8 |
| Accolade | 211.5 | 147.2 | 143.9 | 206.1 | 179.6 | 18.3 | 59.7 | 177.7 |
| LSD @0.05 | 22.5 | 12.3 | 18.6 | 23.6 | 13.7 | 5.6 | ||
| C.V. (%) | 4.7 | 3.6 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 3.3 | 4.6 | ||
When statistics are run against the results, there was no significant difference in yield between corn treated with Accolade-P and untreated controls. It may appear as if there was an increase in yield at the Millington and Sandusky sites, but the difference in yield is less than what is considered statistically significant. There would need to have been a difference of more than 18.6 bushels at Millington and 23.6 bushels at Sandusky for the difference to be statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Keep in mind that the strongest information is gained when the sites are averaged together – see the right-most column. Accolade-P also had no effect on moisture content or test weight.
Accolade-P will also be tested during the 2011 growing season.
