By KEVIN WALKER Michigan Correspondent SILVERWOOD, Mich. — Two different corn tests in Michigan not too far from each other geographically ended up with significantly different yields this fall. The tests were conducted in the Thumb area of the state and somewhat south of there by Farmers’ Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST). The FIRST site locations were overseen by manager Jason Byers and took place at the farms of John Ferkowicz of Lapeer County (in Silverwood) and Lyle Martin of Sanilac County (Decker). Byers said the soils in each place were different, with the Decker farm having a heavier soil with more fertilizer in it. It helps that there are more dairy farms in that area with more manure to spread on the fields, he explained. “As you put on more manure, you increase the phosphorus and potassium in the soil,” he said. “Also, as I remember, Decker got a real shot of water around the third week of August, which Silverwood did not get.” Any of the sites in Michigan will have different yields due to the soil type and weather, he added. “That’s why we do these tests in different soil types. You can go a mile down the road and get a different result, depending on the soil.” Byers manages more than 100 FIRST test sites. At the Silverwood location, Dekalb seed variety DKC50-84RIB GC was the highest-yielding corn, at 209.3 bushels per acre. It had a lodging score of 1, a stand of 35,000 plants per acre and gross income of $614 per acre. The second-highest-yielding brand was Rupp xrD00-51, with a yield of 207.9 bushels, a lodging score of 1, a stand of 34,400 and gross income of $614 per acre. Taking third place at this site for yield was Renk variety RK608DGVT2P, with a yield of 204.6 bushels, a lodging score of 1, a stand of 33,500 and gross income of $603. Its overall ranking was 3. At the Decker farm, the top-rated brand was Great Lakes 4988VT2PRO, with a yield of 253.5 bushels per acre, a lodging score of 1, a stand of 35,300 and gross income per acre of $734. No. 2 in this test was NuTech/G2 Gen variety 5F-196, with a yield of 248.3 bushels, a lodging score of 1, stand score of 35,300 and gross income of $721. Taking third for yield was M&W Seeds variety 45M21, with a yield of 244.7 bushels, lodging score of 1, stand of 34,400 and gross income of $698. Its overall ranking was fourth; Rupp seed xrD97-95 scored No. 3 overall with a gross income per acre of $700 but was fifth in yield with 240.8 bushels per acre. Complete results for these and other tests can be found online at www.firstseedtests.com |
