GRAND RIDGE, Ill. — In full-season, early and ultra-early tests on the LaSalle County farm of Don and Ralph Walter, whole-test yield averages ranged from 276.3 down to 247.6.

The tests were conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST). Site Test Manager Jason Beyers said overall, the location was high-yielding.

"The Walter brothers are excellent managers of their fields, maintaining the highest quality of crop management you can find," he said. "This particular area (Grand Ridge) has a history of winning the National Corn Growers yield contests on occasion, as well."

In the full-season test, with comparative relative maturity (CRM) of 110-113 days, the top hybrid was NuTech/G2 Gen 5F-713, yielding a whopping 313.9 bushels per acre with 23 percent moisture and an estimated gross income of $1,055 per acre. Beck XL 6365AMX was the second-highest yielder at 301.1, and third was Cornelius C621SS at 300.3 bushels.

In the early test, with 106- to 109-day CRM, the top-yielding variety was another NuTech/G2 Gen variety, 5F-709, producing 299.4 bushels with 21.6 percent moisture and an estimated gross income of $1,019 per acre. The second-highest yielder, Burrus Power Plus 4J95, came in at 298.5 bushels. Third in line was LG Seeds LG5548STXRIB, at 286.4.

In the ultra-early test, 101- to 105-day CRM, NuTech/G2 Gen claimed the first and third spots. At the top was 5K-0208 at 294.4 bushels per acre, 17.2 percent moisture and $1,040 estimated gross income per acre. In the third spot was 5Z-504 with 268.1 bushels, and in second was an Axis variety, 54A50RIB, at 276.1.

The full-season test included 54 varieties and had an average moisture content of 22 percent for the entire plot. The early-season test included 60 varieties and reported an average moisture content of 20.3 percent, as compared to the ultra-early test with 42 varieties and 17.8 percent moisture.

Beyers planted at a rate of 41,000 seeds per acre on April 22 and harvested all three on Sept. 22.

"This plot was in a field with extremely high P and K levels due to decades of applying cattle manure to the field," he said. "Soil tests recommend that they not apply any fertilizer to this field for another 10 to 15 years."

Although the test site received an excessive amount of rainfall in June, Beyers said July was dry. He said the soil has a vast amount of water-holding capacity, allowing for good plant growth during the drier month.

"At harvest, plants were still standing rather well considering there was some charcoal rot, Northern corn leaf blight and a large amount of common rust," Beyers said.