GOSZ-VSZT-NAK variety trial: for the nineteenth time, objective data helps corn producers choose varieties

The corn post-registration variety trials conducted by the National Grain Growers’ Association (GOSZ), the Seed Association Interprofessional Organization and Product Council (VSZT) and the National Chamber of Agriculture (NAK) have been helping farmers with objective information and data for the nineteenth year. The aim of the system from the beginning has been to enable maize producers to choose from proven hybrids capable of achieving the required quantity and quality, based on objective results. The professional supervision of the trials was provided by the Varietal Trial Innovation Council (FIT). The council’s task is to supervise the financing background and professionalism of post-registration trials, as well as to develop the experimental methodology.

A total of 40 maize hybrids from 11 variety owners from the FAO 200, 300, 400 and 500 maturity groups participated in the 2025 variety trials at nine locations in the country. The hybrids were coded in the presence of a notary before sowing. With this step, the experiment’s implementers and evaluators were able to completely free themselves from any circumstances that could have unintentionally influenced their work.

The experimental network is being expanded year by year in order to make evaluable data available from as many growing regions of the country as possible. In 2025, the previous Szeged location was replaced by Makó. The performance of the varieties participating in the experiment was examined in Bóly, Hajdúböszörmény, Iregszemcse, Murony, Püski and Szombathely with the classical cultivation method, while in Gyulatanya, Kisbábolna and Makó under irrigated conditions. The summary and evaluation of the received data was carried out by the Seed Association after processing the results of all locations.

As the organizers announced: the national variety experiments of the GOSZ-VSZT-NAK will continue in 2026. In the autumn of last year, winter wheat and winter rapeseed variety trials were launched, the results of which are expected in the summer. This spring, the 20th national corn post-registration variety trial will begin.

The results of the corn trials are publicly available on the website of the Seed Association: https://vszt.hu/kukorica-posztregisztracios-kiserletek/