DUNKIRK, Ohio — Yielding 176.5 bushels to the acre, Specialty variety 4644GENVT3P came out on top in a full-season corn test on Jerry McBride’s Hardin County farm in Dunkirk.

Gross income for this variety was $1,270 per acre and the moisture content was 23.3 percent. The west-central Ohio test was conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies, (F.I.R.S.T.), with an average of three replications. Soybeans were the previous crop on the field.

G2 Genetics variety 5Z-1204 ranked second in the same test, yielding 168.6 bushels per acre with a moisture content of 23.8 percent and gross income of $1,211. Third in the field was Steyer 11203-3000GT, yielding 167.9 bushels with moisture content of 23.3 percent, and income of $1,208 per acre.

The soil was well-drained, no-till, non-irrigated silt loam. The field was seeded on May 3 at a rate of 32,500 seeds to the acre and the stand was harvested on Nov. 6 with an average stand of 27,400 plants for all 36 tested varieties.

Thirty-inch row spacing was used. Pest management included Harness Xtra and glyphosate, Aztec. Base moisture was 15 percent and shrinkage was 1.3.

“For that particular area for the year, the crop was decent compared to other places. If there ever was a good year to have a stand reduction, a drought year is it,” F.I.R.S.T. Site Manager Rich Schleuning reported.

“The location did get some timely and spotty rains at just the right time. There was some light anthracnose stalk rot present, which made for some weak stalks. Jerry said that area yields had been running in the 150 bushels-to-the-acre range in 2012.”

In an early-season test on the same farm, Buckeye variety RR9021VT3Pro GC came in first, yielding 166.7 bushels to the acre with a gross income of $1,201. Coming in second was LG Seeds LG2549VT3 with a yield of 164.3 bushels and a gross income of $1,182 per acre.

It was followed by Buckeye variety RR9158VT3Pro GC, yielding 161.9 bushels to the acre and a gross income of $1,166. The moisture content of all three varieties hovered around 23 percent.