WINGATE, Ind. — Of the 45 early-season corn varieties planted in last year’s Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) trial on Matt Stine’s Wingate farm, Augusta variety A5658GTCBLLC had the highest yield, with 177.1 bushels per acre.

This brand seed also produced a gross income of $1,309 per acre and had a crop moisture content of 19.4 percent. This compares with a yield average for all tested varieties of 146.2, income of $1,084 per acre and moisture of 18.4 percent.

Coming in second for yield in this test was Steyer variety 11004GENSS, with 170.3 bushels and a gross income of $1,263 per acre. Third-yielding was GS Genetics 5H-1005, at 166.4 bushels per acre and an income of $1,214. Moisture content for these were at 18.3 and 23.2 percent, respectively; the GS Genetics variety exceeded the grain moisture limit for this particular test, according to F.I.R.S.T. Test Site Manager Rich Schleuning.

“In a drought year, things we cannot see or know about under the surface will show,” he said. “Rust and some light fusarium ear rot was present. Things in this area looked good until July, with only 0.8 inch of rain for the month.”

This test was harvested on Sept. 27 at 32,600 plants per acre; it and a full-season corn test on the same farm were each planted April 19 at 36,000 seeds per acre. The Montgomery County soil was a silty clay loam, well drained and no-till and non-irrigated, with high P and K and a pH of 6.5. The previous crop was also corn.

In the full-season test, plants were harvested on Sept. 27 at 28,400 per acre. The high yielder of those 63 varieties was Channel 212-09STX, at 166.5 bushels per acre and a gross income of $1,224 per acre.

Coming in second for yield was Ebberts variety 7712VT3P with 159.9 bushels and income of $1,180 per acre. Third was NK Brand N74R-3000GT with 159.5 bushels per acre and a gross income of $1,161 per acre.

The yield average for all varieties in the full-season test was 139.2 bushels per acre, and income average was $1,024. Average crop moisture was 20.7 percent; of the top three, Channel and NK Brand exceeded that.

Schleuning reported for these tests, plant height went from 7-11 feet, and stalk lodging was “very sporadic” across the plot. “This was one of the first locations that had good brace roots,” he added.

Farms to host 2013 F.I.R.S.T. test plots are now being selected. To obtain a corn and/or soybean application, contact General Manager Joe Bruce by email at joe.bruce@firstseedtests.com

Complete corn applications are due by Feb. 15, and soybean applications must be in by March 1.