A new Purdue University Web page shows farmers where competing corn hybrids stand -- and how they stack up on lodging, grain moisture and yields, too.

Maize Match, located at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/pcpp/MaizeMatch.asp , is a link off the Purdue Corn Performance Program Internet site. The search engine-type tool contains data collected from the past four Purdue corn performance trials, said Phil DeVillez, Purdue agronomist and corn trial coordinator.

"Maize Match allows you to compare two hybrids from any of the approximately 600 different hybrids from the Purdue Corn Performance Program database," DeVillez said.

Once a farmer has logged on, "they pick a seed company and then select from the list of hybrids from that company," DeVillez said. "Then they select a second company and a second hybrid.

"The Web page generates data that shows the year in which the hybrids tested were grown and in how many locations and replications, and what zone they were grown in -- such as northern early or northern late maturity. It provides the farmer a summarized version of those tests, with a number for yield, moisture, lodging and stand."

Maize Match also compares hybrids by "least significant difference" (LSD), which gives a truer performance picture of competing brands.

"The LSD tells you if one hybrid is actually different from the other or if it's just a matter of random error, field effect and that kind of thing," DeVillez said.

"I think farmers are going to love this. If they've got two seed companies trying to sell to them and they're a little unsure as to which one to choose, Maize Match can reinforce one company's claim that they're better. Or, it can show the farmer that they're both about equal and they're going to be in pretty good shape with either one of them."

Purdue's 2004 corn performance trials were conducted at 12 Purdue- and privately owned farms from as far north as Valparaiso, Ind., and as far south as Washington, Ind. About 30 seed companies provided seed for the field trials.

Trial plots were harvested between Sept. 20 and Oct. 11. Many plots produced average yields of 220-230 bushels per acre.

Complete 2004 field trials results are available online at http://www.agry.purdue.edu/pcpp/corn.html . For a printed field trials bulletin, contact DeVillez at (765) 494-0406 or by e-mail at pld@purdue.edu .