PEP-NBT: Product Evaluation Protocol and the Next Big Thing in Corn Production

Goals: The primary goal is to provide new product information to producers. New products occur every year and are often accompanied by weak performance information, testimonials based on poor comparisons. Some will sponsor a limited research trial and, regardless of outcome, make claims that the product is "university evaluated". In other trials, the investigator is bound by non-disclosure agreements, where product performance remains unspoken (by the university investigator). The results of this corn grower sponsored trial would be widely disseminated. Chemical soil compaction treatments, liquid carbon and foliar nutrition products are already in the marketplace, and a new group of 'biological/microbiological' products is now emerging. Are any of these new materials going to be the "next big thing" in corn production? A second goal of the work would be to provide training for undergraduate agronomy students. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has recently approved a new curriculum titled Modern Agronomic Crop Production, which has an internship component. Students are coming into the program as freshmen and junior-transfers. This project would be a good platform for undergraduate agronomy training in corn production, from planting to harvest.