By ANN HINCH
Assistant Editor

DU QUOIN, Ill. — Yield results for early- and full-season corn tests on the same farm in Illinois last year were similar, as conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) of Owaneco.

The southern Illinois Perry County farm of Don Polczynski in Du Quoin was the site of the two tests, which were both planted on May 24, 2010, at 27,000 seeds per acre. Yields were slightly higher in the early-season test, with Horizon variety 71PR29R taking the top spot with 179.5 bushels per acre. It also showed the best gross income, at $766 per acre.

Coming in second at 178.5 bushels per acre in the same test was LG Seeds variety LG2555VT3, which also was second in income, at $760.40. Third was Great Lakes 5939G3VT3, showing a yield of 174.4 and a per-acre gross income of $744.30.

The average yield of the top 30 varieties in this 54-variety test was 152.8 bushels per acre, and average income was $651.10. The “control” seed (previously tested for comparison) in this early-season test was Beck 5716A3 CK, which yielded 149.2 bushels.

Eric Beyers, F.I.R.S.T. manager for central and southern Illinois, observed plant populations were higher than normal since the site had excellent uniform seedling emergence – plants harvested per acre on Oct. 14 were 26,700.
“A local elevator calculated a 60-pound test weight on the harvested grain,” he added. “They were also checking for aflatoxins in the grain. Most hybrids’ kernel depth and quality were excellent, but a few experienced low kernel quality.”
Channel corn variety 213-32VT3 took the top spot in the full-season test, planted and harvested on the same dates, with a yield of 175.2 bushels per acre. It also had the highest gross income per acre at $742.

FS Seeds FS65U41 followed that with 172.2 bushels per acre, and Stone variety 6413VT3 came in third with 171.8 bushels. Curiously, the Stone seed ranked second in gross income per acre, at $727.60, while FS Seeds was third with $725.40.

The average yield for top 30 varieties in this 60-variety test was 148.1 bushels per acre, and average income was $627.30. Beck 5716A3 CK was the control in this test (as it was in the early-season test), yielding 151.6 bushels per acre.
Average moisture for the early-season test was 14.6 percent; in the full-season test, it was 15.6. Soybeans were previously planted on this test site, which is Cisne clay loam, moderately poorly drained, non-irrigated and no-till.