By ANN HINCH
Assistant Editor

FLORA, Ill. — Six different seed companies jockeyed for the top three spots in each of early- and full-season corn tests on a Clay County, Ill., farm this year.

Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) conducted the tests at Kent Warren’s farm in Flora from May 25 to Oct. 8, planting to harvest. In the early-season test, F.I.R.S.T. Manager Eric Beyer planted 27,000 seeds per acre and harvested at a high rate of 26,500 plants.

In that same test (see details below), AgriGold variety A6476VT3 came in first with 148.2 bushels of corn per acre and a gross income of $635 an acre. This was followed by Wyffels W7071 at 146.4 bushels and $627.30 gross income per acre in second place; in third was Beck’s 6179VT3 production of 144.7 bushels per acre and a gross income of $619.70.

Beyer explained this and the full-season plots were originally planted on April 21, but a cold rain of five inches of precipitation killed the young corn and required a replant on May 25. Though these tests’ top yields weren’t nearly as high as other F.I.R.S.T. corn test sites this year, Beyer said that Warren reported other replanted corn in his area yielded only around 60 bushels per acre.
“The field surrounding the (test) plot was not replanted and yielded around 160 to 175 bushels per acre,” Beyer said. “The plot’s harvested ear sizes were about 1.5 inches in diameter and four inches in length.”

In the full-season test – seeded at 27,000 per acre, also on May 25, and harvested Oct. 8 at 26,700 plants – taking the top spot was LG Seeds variety LG2642VT3, with a yield of 153 bushels per acre. The per-acre gross income was $651.40. (See details below.)
Coming in second place was Croplan’s 7575VT3P variety at 149.3 bushels per acre, and third was Dyna-Gro variety 57V21 at a slightly lower 149. Their gross income per acre, respectively, were $634.20 and $633.60 – despite being the second-high yielder, Croplan’s income ranked third out of the 60 varieties tested, with the fourth-place yielder (Channel 216-63VT3 with 148.5 bushels) taking second place.

These plots were formerly planted to soybeans and were seeded in moderately poorly-drained Hoyleton/Cisne silty clay loam, non-irrigated and minimum without fall till, with moderately high potassium and phosphate. For further details and treatments used, visit www.firstseedtests.com