Performance of SE type Sweet Corn Cultivars

Performance of SE type Sweet Corn Cultivars, Ames Plantation, 2002

A. Brent Smith, Marshall Smith, and Charles A. Mullins

Interpretative Summary

‘Silver Queen’ and ‘Sunset’ were among the best performing varieties. Stand numbers were high for all varieties. ‘Sweet Cheeks’ and ‘Sugar Buns’ produced relatively small ears compared to the other cultivars.

Introduction

Sweet corn is widely grown in home gardens and in small commercial plots for local fresh market sales in Tennessee. Acreage produced for local markets has expanded in recent years. Sweet corn is grown commercially in every county in Tennessee, and total acreage is over 3000. Most of the cultivars grown for local markets are SE type, and white sweet corn is preferred by many Tennessee consumers. A shipping market exists, but optimum cultural and post harvest practices are very rigid to insure insect free and high quality sweet corn. Economic and marketing conditions do not appear highly favorable for sweet corn production during the season when corn can be produced in Tennessee. Several excellent sweet corn cultivars are available to commercial growers, and seedsmen are continually introducing new cultivars. Several sweet corn cultivar trials have been conducted by University of Tennessee researchers in recent years. An experiment was conducted at the Ames Plantation at Grand Junction, TN in 2002 to evaluate performance of 12 SE type sweet corn cultivars.

Materials and Methods

The plots were prepared using no-till methods. Fertilizer was broadcast at 350 lb/A of 120-60-60 on April 11. Side dressing at 300 lb/A of 34-0-0 was applied on June 26. Plot size was one row, 20 ft long, and rows were spaced 30 inches apart. Seed of the cultivars was obtained from commercial seedsmen, and was planted on May 16 at the rate of 70 seed per row using a cone-type mechanical planter. Experimental plot design was a randomized complete block with four replications. Herbicide applied on May 16 was atrazine (Bicep II) at 1.25 lb ai/A. Insecticides

were applied on a 3 to 5 day frequency and included esfenvalerate (Asana) at 0.05 lbai/A and carbaryl(Sevin 4XLR) at 1 lb ai/A. The plots were irrigated on June 4, June 19, June 21, June 24, July 1, and July 5 with a total of 10 inches of water being applied. Harvesting occurred between July 17 and July 29.

Records taken included plant stand, plant height, ear height, ear diameter, number and weight of ears, ear length, ear diameter, external ear appearance, internal ear appearance, and % fill. All data were analyzed by analysis of variance procedures, and cultivar means were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests at the 0.05 level of probability.

Results and Discussion

Plant stands of all cultivar were above the target level of 23,500 plants per acre, with ‘Sunset’ and ‘Providence’ being among those cultivars having the largest stand (Table 1). Plants of ‘Silver Queen’ and ‘Sunset’ were taller than the other cultivars. ‘Silver Queen’ had ears set higher above ground than plants of all cultivars tested. ‘Sugar Buns’ had the shortest plants of the varieties tested except ‘Sweet Cheeks’, and ‘Legend’. ‘Honey Select’ was among those cultivars with greater plant diameter. Ears of ‘Providence’ and ‘Honey Select’ had the greatest length of all cultivars tested(Table 2). ‘Welcome’, ‘Honey Select’, and ‘Silver Queen’ were among those cultivars with the largest ear diameter, while ‘Bojangles’, ‘Sugar Buns’, and ‘Sweet Cheeks’ had smaller diameters.

‘Providence’ and ‘Sugar Buns’ were among those varieties with the least insect damage.

‘Silver Queen’ and ‘Sunset’ were among cultivars with the highest percentage of fill. Both internal and external appearance was good for all the varieties tested. ‘Honey Select’ and ‘Sunset’ were among cultivar with the highest number of ears produced, while ‘Sugar Buns’ and ‘Welcome’ were among those with smaller yields. ‘Seneca Spring’ received damage due to racoons, and these results would not accurately reflect on its performance. Earliness is a desired characteristic of SE sweet corn cultivars. However, early maturing cultivars generally lack plant and ear size. ‘Sugar Buns’ and ‘Sweet Cheeks’ were almost a week earlier than the other cultivars, but lacked desirable plant and ear characteristics.

Table 1. Plant characteristics and yield of SE sweet corn cultivars evaluated at The University of Tennessee Ames Plantation at Grand Junction, 2002.

Cultivar	Plants/ acre^z	Plant height (in.)	Plant diameter(in.)	Ear height (in.)	Yield - doz/A.	Ear wt. - oz./ear
Bicolor
Bojangles	27878 bc	76.0 de	0.85 ab	20.3 cd	2278 abc	7.10 cde
Brocade	30492 abc	87.3 b	0.81 abc	29.7 b	2258 abc	8.43 ab
Providence	31944 ab	81.3 bcd	0.81 abc	22.3 c	1915 bc	8.73 a
Seneca Spring	27878 bc	79.3 cd	0.68 c	20.7 cd	2178 abc	6.60 e
Sunset	32525 a	99.0 a	0.77 abc	27.3 b	2641 a	7.56 bcd
Wizard	31654 abc	87.3 b	0.81 abc	23.7 b	2178 abc	7.90 abc
White
Silver Queen	29621 abc	101.0 a	0.83 abc	42.0 a	2420 ab	8.13 ab
Yellow
Honey Select	29330 abc	83.7 bc	0.86 a	22.0 c	2500 a	7.76 bcd
Legend	28750 abc	72.0 ef	0.82 abc	18.3 de	2440 ab	7.80 bcd
Sugar Buns	29040 abc	66.3 f	0.69 bc	13.3 f	1794 c	5.66 f
Sweet Cheeks	27588 c	68.7 f	0.78 abc	15.7 ef	1815 c	6.26 ef
Welcome	27878 bc	87.3 b	0.75 abc	16.0 ef	1734 c	6.87 de

^{z Means within columns followed by the same letter are not
significantly different by Duncan’s multiple range tests at the 0.05 level of
probability.
Table 2. Ear characteristics of SE sweet corn cultivars evaluated at The
University of Tennessee Ames Plantation at Grand Junction, 2002.}

Cultivar	Ear length (in.)	Ear diam. (in.)	External appearance^x	Internal appearance^x	Fill (%)	Insect Damage^y
Bicolor
Bojangles	7.76 cd^z	1.61 bcde	7.33 b	8.00 a	80.3 bc	1.67 ab
Brocade	7.64 cd	1.70 abc	9.00 a	7.33 a	81.7 bc	2.33 ab
Providence	8.85 a	1.57 cde	8.67 a	8.00 a	84.0 abc	0.33 b
Seneca Spring	7.22 d	1.76 ab	8.00 ab	8.33 a	84.3 abc	1.33 ab
Sunset	8.03 bc	1.64 abcd	8.33 ab	8.00 a	85.7 abc	1.33 ab
Wizard	7.39 cd	1.78 a	8.33 ab	8.33 a	83.3 bc	1.33 ab
White
Silver Queen	8.08 bc	1.67 abcd	8.00 ab	8.33 a	93.0 a	3.00 a
Yellow
Honey Select	8.51 ab	1.63 abcd	8.33 ab	8.00 a	83.0 bc	1.00 ab
Legend	7.44 cd	1.72 abc	8.67 a	7.67 a	81.3 bc	0.67 ab
Sugar Buns	7.13 d	1.47 e	8.00 ab	8.00 a	88.3 ab	0.33 b
Sweet Cheeks	7.15 d	1.52 de	7.33 b	7.33 a	87.3 ab	1.00 ab
Welcome	7.09 d	1.78 a	7.33 b	8.00 a	77.3 c	1.00 ab

^{x Ratings on a scale of 1 to 10, 10=most desirable.
^{Y Ratings on scale of 1 to 10, 10=most damage.
z Means within columns followed by the same letter are not
significantly different by Duncan’s multiple range tests at the 0.05 level of
probability.}}

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This research represents one season's data and does not constitute recommendations. After sufficient data is collected over the appropriate number of seasons, final recommendations will be made through research and extension publications.