By MEGGIE I. FOSTER.
Assistant Editor FLORA, Ill. — Despite volatile weather conditions, results from a recent corn hybrid seed trial showed promising yield data for a site in southern Illinois.
The average yield in the full-season test was 226.5 bushels per acre, and the average moisture content was 20.8 percent.
The early-season trial was similar. The average yield was 220.8 bu. per acre, and the average moisture content was 19.4 percent.
The test was conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) earlier this month. The trial was a Clay County farm with Hoyleton-Cisne, silty, clay loam that was moderately-to-poorly drained, and was not irrigated.
Minimum tillage methods were taken, including no tillage in the fall of 2008. During the previous harvest season, this site was seeded to Roundup Ready soybeans.
F.I.R.S.T. manager Kent Warren planted the field with various corn hybrids on June 2 at a rate of 28,000 seeds per acre.
Warren finished harvest on this field with a commendable stand of 26,900 plants per acre on Nov. 3.
“After a wet year and a June planting date, where did these great corn yields come from,” questioned Warren. “The tall plants and the weight of high-yielding ears coupled with constant wet soils and a few thunderstorms produced some root lodging.”
But despite the unruly weather conditions, Warren was quite pleased with the overall results.
“This site had excellent grain quality,” he added. “The plants were very tall, up to 12-feet in some areas.”
The full season test was won by Kruger Seed K-6213VT3, with an average of 240.3 bu. per acre. This variety had a moisture content of 18.9, one of the lowest moisture levels in the test. This seed plot produced an estimated gross income of $923.70 per acre.
Channel Seed’s 210-61VT3 came out on top of the early season (108-112 day corn) test with an average of 238.9 bu. per acre.
This variety featured a moisture content of 19.1 percent and is estimated to generate $916.40 of gross income per acre.
There were 66 corn hybrids tested at this location.
A list of all the hybrids in this test is available at www.firstseedtests.com |
