By MEGGIE I. FOSTER.
Assistant Editor

LEIPSIC, Ohio — AgriGold’s A6533VT3 corn hybrid topped a yield test on a site in Putnam County, Ohio during a recent trial conducted by the Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) last fall.

In fact, out of 36 seed varieties tested, the AgriGold variety yielded the highest average of 223.4 bushels per acre with a moisture of 21.3 percent and a gross income of $769.10. The trial took place on the farm of Ed Rigel with Rigel Farms in northwest Ohio. The soil was described as silty clay loam and well-drained. Conventional tillage methods were used in the fall and the field was not irrigated. Also, pest management applications included Harvest Xtra and applied N-P-K units of 215-69-90.

However, the growing season for the Putnam County corn trial was not without its issues.

According to F.I.R.S.T. Manager Rich Schleuning, “the cool wet spring reduced the harvest population. The growing season hit a dry spell from mid-June through late-July before turning wet again. Plant health was good all season and the crop really stood well through the harvest.”

Other top-producing hybrids in the full-season test were: iCORN.com 1096VT3, 221 bushels per acre; Campbell 681-76VT3, 218.7 bushels per acre; Specialty Hybrids 4970VT3, 216.7 bushels per acre; Channel 210-61VT3, 215.9 bushels per acre and Beck’s 5779VT3 with 215.9 bushels per acre.

Schleuning planted the test plot on May 8 at a rate of 32,500 seeds per acre. He harvested approximately 27,300 plants per acre on Nov. 3.

On average the corn tested provided 204.6 bushels per acre with a moisture rate of 21.6 percent moisture and a gross average income of $703.10.

A full list of corn seed varieties tested at the Leipsic site is available at www.firstseedtests.com