PAXTON, Ill. — The USDA recently upgraded its projected 2014 corn yield for Illinois to 200 bushels per acre. Early- and full-season hybrid trials recently concluded at the Mike Short farm in Putnam County seem to support federal projections for corn with average yields of 197.7 and 197.8 bushels per acre, respectively.

Fifty-four corn hybrids were scrutinized during the early-season test conducted by Farmers’ Independent Research of Seed Technologies (FIRST) on the Short farm, planted following soybeans in silty clay loam, moderately well drained with fall tillage and non-irrigated.

Seeded on May 5 and harvested on Oct. 7, the trial was led by FS InVISION’s FS 57QX1RIB variety with a yield of 232.6 bushels per acre and gross income of $732 per acre.

Finishing more than 10 bushels behind the FS brand, at 222.4 bushels per acre, was runner-up Channel’s 209-53STXRIB variety.

Dairyland’s DS9610 product finished a close third with 220.8 bushels. All brands averaged an 18 percent moisture content.

FIRST Field Manager Eric Beyers said yields could have been even better, notably during the early-season test, had weather conditions been a little more optimal.

"Mike (Short) noted that 6 inches of rain fell within hours of planting these tests. This excess rain reduced stands, especially in the early-season test with a different poorly drained soil than the full-season test," said Beyers, adding that one replication was removed from the early-season test "as population was 3,000 to 20,000 plants per acre."

FIRST’s full-season test at the Short farm in east-central Illinois was paced by Dyna-Gro, whose D51SS54 variety registered a yield of 226.7 bushels per acre and gross revenue of $708 an acre. The product features SmartStax technology, as does second-place finisher Wyffels W7158, which yielded 225.3 bushels.

Renk RK860VT3P, with 220.5 bushels an acre, finished third in the test of 63 corn hybrids.

Overall weather conditions proved beneficial to crop growth after heavy early-season rains subsided, Beyers concluded. "Abundant rains all season made low-populated hybrids display excellent ear flex," he said, adding "minor root lodging was noted."

Moisture content for the full-season test was estimated at 23.4 percent for all products. Pest management used for both trials were Force, Corvus and atrazine.

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