MAZON, Ill. — With full-season, early and ultra-early tests on the Grundy County farm of Lynard Tryner, yield averages were consistent, ranging from 220.2 bushels per acre to 222.4, to 223.5, respectively.

The tests were conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST). In the full-season test, with comparative relative maturity (CRM) of 110-113 days, the top hybrid was LG Seeds LG5618STXRIB, yielding 255.9 bushels per acre with 24.2 percent moisture and an estimated gross income of $876 per acre.

Beck’s XL5828AMX yielded 247.8 bushels, and Channel 213-59STXRIB ranked third for yield with 246.2.

In the early test, with 106-109 day CRM, the top-yielding variety was Renk RK791SSTX at 247.7 bushels, 18.2 percent moisture and an estimated gross income of $893 per acre.

Tied for the second-highest yielder at 240 bushels were Golden Harvest G06N80-3111 and AgriGold A6416STXRIB. The No. 3 variety was Wyffels W5138RIB, at 239.4 bushels.

In the ultra-early – 101-105 day CRM – test, the top variety was Cornelius C457SS with a yield of 252.9 bushels per acre with 18.6 percent moisture and an estimated gross income of $908 per acre. No. 2 in that test was Renk RK752SSTX at 251.9 bushels, followed by Dairyland DS9305RA at 242.5.

The full-season test included 60 varieties and had an average moisture content of 21.5 percent for the entire plot. The early-season test included 60 varieties and reported an average moisture content of 18.5 percent, as compared to the ultra-early test with 48 varieties and even lower moisture at 17.1 percent.

FIRST Site Manager Jason Beyers planted at a rate of 37,500 seeds per acre with 30-inch spacing on May 21, and harvested on Nov. 7. The full-season test yielded a stand of 36,500 plants per acre; the early-season, 36,900; and the ultra-early, 36,200.

Beyers said the Grundy County plot caught a break after not faring well with rainfall for the past five years. "The trials started off great, corn was uniform at the V3 growth stage and continued to receive timely rainfalls and experienced excellent pollination."

He said stalk quality was good at harvest, with about 30 percent failing a pinch test. Beyers said 90 percent of the nitrogen was sidedressed. "With the cool, wet spring, there was a large amount of nitrogen lost in certain areas where it was applied early," he explained.