FAYETTE, Ohio — The wet spring conditions resulted in a non-uniform stand of corn on Randy Carothers’ Fulton County farm, but left no time for a replant. Then the combine broke down during harvest.

Yield results were variable but statistically valid for tests conducted by Farmers’ Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST), said Rich Schleuning, who was FIRST’s site manager.

Yield averages were, respectively, 134 and 160.3 bushels of corn to the acre for early- and full-season tests on Carothers’ farm. Comparative relative maturity (CRM) was 103-108 days for the early-season varieties and 109-112 days for full-season.

The sandy-loam soil was well drained with minimum fall tillage, and the ground was non-irrigated. Planting took place on May 23 at a rate of 35,000 seeds to the acre with 30-inch spacing. The crop was harvested on Nov. 7, with 29,600 plants to the acre.

Doeblers variety RPM 629 AMXT topped the field in the full-season test, with198.8 bushels to the acre and a gross per-acre income of $645. Ebberts 7510VT3PRIB was second, yielding 192.5 bushels and $634.

Close behind in third place was Select 4995SM RIB, yielding 192.4 bushels to the acre and $615 gross income. The average gross income for all 36 varieties was $516 an acre.

NuTech/G2Gen was significantly above the early-season test average of 134 bushels per acre, with 163.8 bushels. It had a gross income of $546 per acre.

Beck variety XL 5131AM ranked second at 155.5 bushels to the acre and income of $525, and Select 4534SM RIB was third in yield with 155.2 bushels and income of $516. The average gross income for all 36 varieties was $445 an acre.

"The lodging may have been a little less if not for a combine breakdown November 3 that left the test exposed to wind until we could get the combine running again," Schleuning reported.

Average lodging for early-season varieties was at 10 percent, and for full-season, only 3 percent.

Average moisture content for the full-season test was 26.1 percent, and not much less at 22.1 for early-season varieties.

"Stalks were not in good shape as anthracnose, crown rot and some leaf blight were present," Schleuning added.

For a complete list of all brands tested and a searchable database of information, visit www.firstseedtests.com