SALEM, Ill. — Winners in both the early- and full-season tests enjoyed yields of more than 200 bushels per acre during a corn hybrid test in southern Illinois this year.

The average yield for the 66 hybrids tested in the early-season trial was 179.6 bu. per acre. In the full-season test, the average yield was 199.4 bu. per acre.

Finishing first in the early-season test was AgriGold hybrid A6458VT3 with an average of 207.6 bu. per acre. This hybrid had a moisture content of 18.1 percent and an estimated gross income of $805.20 per acre.

The test was conducted by Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) on the Marion County, Ill. farm of Tom Beyers. The field had a Hoyleton silty clay loam soil.

The non-irrigated field was moderately poorly drained, and it was conventionally tilled. F.I.R.S.T. test manager Eric Beyers planted the corn hybrid trial on June 9 at a rate of 27,000 seeds per acre.
He harvested the plot on Oct. 5 at a rate of 26,825 plants per acre.
“The site had excellent harvested grain quality,” Eric Beyers reported.

This test site survived some weather challenges.

“Tom (Beyers) said that a thunderstorm near pollination time root-lodged plants giving them a goose-necked stalk,” Eric Beyers added. “The overall lodging score is a combination of stalk and root lodging.”

The average lodging score for all of the tested hybrids was 5.8 percent.

Other top finishers in the early-season test were: Channel 210-57VT3, 206.8 bu. per acre; Croplan 6125VT3, 202 bu. per acre; and Heritage 4676VT3, 200.2 bu. per acre.

Full-season test

Fielders Choice hybrid NG6866 topped the competition in the full-season test with an average of 221.1 bu. per acre.

Other top hybrids in this test include: Channel 216-63VT3, 216.7 bu. per acre; Arise 730VT3, 212.7 bu. per acre; and Mycogen 2V732, 212.5 bu. per acre.

A list of all the varieties in this test is available at www.firstseedtests.com