TopCross High Oil Corn Production

Abstract

High oil corn (Zea mays L.) enhances the feed rations of livestock and poultry and reduces the need for expensive dietary supplements. The TopCross1 grain production system, which involves use of a blend (TC Blend) of two types of corn, is rapidly gaining popularity as the preferred method of producing high oil corn (HOC). Field experiments and on‐farm studies were performed in 1995 to 1999 across a range of production environments in Ohio to compare select grain quality attributes of HOC TC Blends with their conventional counterparts (check hybrids). Oil levels in grain were 31 g kg−1 higher in TC Blends compared with check hybrids averaged across experiments and on‐farm tests. Drought conditions and late plantings had little or no effect on the differences in oil levels between TC Blends and check hybrids. Protein levels were generally similar for TC Blends and check hybrids, but lysine content was 20% greater in grain of TC Blends. Metabolizable energy levels in grain averaged 130 kcal kg−1 more in TC Blends compared with check hybrids. Starch content was five percent less in TC Blends compared with checks. The fatty acid composition of grain from TC Blends was higher for stearic acid (2.5 vs. 2.0%) and oleic acid (34.6 vs. 25.9%), but lower for linoleic acid (49.5 vs. 58.8%) and linolenic (1.0 vs. 1.3%), compared with check hybrids. Results of this study demonstrate that TC Blends can produce grain with consistently higher nutritional levels than conventional corn hybrids under variable growing conditions.