BROWN CITY, Mich. — Two all-season corn tests in the northern part of southeastern Lower Michigan yielded very different results.

The first was conducted at the farm of Dwight Bartle in Brown City, in Lapeer County. Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) oversaw the tests. For the Brown City test, FIRST Site Manager Rich Schleuning planted 35,000 seeds an acre on May 24, with 30-inch spacing. He harvested 34,900 plants per acre on Nov. 15.

The top three yielding varieties were all from different companies. Great Lakes 4879STXRIB (shown in above chart) took the top spot, at 243.5 bushels per acre and $810 per acre in income. Hyland 4425 was No. 2, at 239.7 bushels and $807 in income.

No. 3 was Channel 197-68STXRIB, at 237.3 bushels per acre; however, it ranked fourth in gross income, at $788. Rupp xrD90-64 ranked third in gross income, at $796, and fourth in yield at 232.2 bushels per acre.

The average yield for this test was 210.4 acres. In the report Schleuning noted a "nice, uniform seedling emergence due to some nice showers. A dry spell in July made for good deep roots. A nice 2-inch rain over two days came in early July.

"On a July 23 visit at crop stage V15 to V17, some light diseases, consisting of northern corn leaf blight, rust and gray leaf spot, were observed."

The second corn test was done at the farm of Bill Hunt in Davison, in nearby Genesee County. Schleuning planted 32,500 seeds per acre on June 1 and harvested 33,200 plants per acre Nov. 16.

The top-yielding variety was Steyer 9203VT2PRIB at 192.2 bushels per acre. It ranked first in gross income as well, at $616 per acre. Second for both yield and income was Steyer 9801, at 190.3 bushels and $609 in income.

Channel 196-06VT3PRIB was No. 3 for both yield and income, producing 185.5 bushels an acre and $601 per acre. Average yield for this all-season test was 165.6 bushels an acre.

Schleuning visited the test plot July 24 when the crop was at V10 and found feeding from deer, with some plants clipped down past the tassel. There was some side wall compaction from sidedness, he noted.

The lack of heat units and an early frost resulted in high grain moistures and a lighter test weight, he noted.

Complete results for these and other tests can be found online at www.firstseedtests.com