New Corn and Soybean Evaluation Rules

The AOSA/SCST annual meeting was held in Boise, ID, on May 19-24, 2013. At the AOSA Rules voting meeting, 3 out of the 18 proposals were for corn or soybeans. For corn, a rule proposal was to change the rule “leaf extending less than halfway up the coleoptile” from being abnormal to normal. This proposal does not include sweetcorn  or  popcorn. A second proposal for corn was to provide additional criteria to the evaluation handbook to use in determining whether a corn seedling should be classified as normal or abnormal based on sufficient root and shoot development. The soybean proposal was to provide additional criteria to the evaluation handbook to use in determining whether a soybean seedling should be classified as normal or abnormal based on sufficient hypocotyl and root development. The three proposals did pass and will go into effect on October 1, 2013.