By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

BLOOMDALE, Ohio — Becks 5779VT3 was at the top of the field in a late-season corn hybrid test plot farmed by Larry Bishop, Wood County. The hybrid yielded 154.7 bushels to the acre, outdoing Crows 4688VT3 at 152.1 bu./acre and AgriGold A6489VT3 which yielded 152 bu./acre.

The corn, which had a gross income average of $741, was grown on moderately well-drained clay loam soil with a 0.5 percent slope. The fertilizer Bishop applied was 5 gal. 9-18-9 as a starter and 150 lbs. of nitrogen as a 28 percent sidedress.

The 32,000 seedling crop was planted on May 23 after wheat; 30,000 plants were harvested on Oct. 22.

“He had a later planting date because they had extreme wet conditions early in the season,” said F.I.R.S.T. Manager Rich Schleuning. “With the wonderful monsoon season we had this spring it was tough to finally get the crop in the ground. His site didn’t get the intense flooding and water sitting in the field as compared to some other locations.

As time went on, the dry July and August did start to take a toll on it as it basically went from complete saturation to no water at all, Schleuning said.

In an early-season test on Bishop’s farm AgriGold A6394VT3 edged out the competition with 152 bu./acre yield and a gross income of $738.4. Nearest competitors were LG Seeds LG2545VT3 yielding 148.5 bu./acre and AgriGold A6399VT3 with 146.9 bu./acre.

In a soybean variety test plot on Bishop’s farm Crows C3418R, planted May 6, yielded 45.4 bu./acre over Ebberts Field 1314RR with 44.7 bu./acre and LG C3031 RR yielding 43.1 bu./acre.

“With the extreme late planting date for that particular area, it’s surprising that the beans did as good as they did,” Schleuning said. “Getting off to a start was tough for the beans and counting the wet weather they had to start with. They didn’t do too badly for having a dry July and August.

Heavy rains led to some ponding in the plot which shortened plant height and stacked the pods.

“The beans are actually shorter than normal and behind an average yield,” Schleuning said.

For complete test results, visit www.firstseedtests.com