By ANN HINCH
Assistant Editor

TIFFIN, Ohio — A different seed company took each of the top three spots in early- and full-season corn tests in a Semeca County Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) test plot in Tiffin, Ohio.
Instead of one company taking more than one spot in each test, six shared honors. In the early-season test, the Steyer 10701VT3P corn variety yielded 190.6 bushels per acre, beating out FS Seeds’ FS59SX1 GC at 181.3 and LG Seeds’ LG2529VT3Pro at 180.8 bushels.

These were the top yielders out of 45 varieties tested, and Steyer also came out on top in gross income per acre, at $840.40, followed in order by FS Seeds and LG Seeds at $799.90 and $798.20, respectively.

Average yield of the top 30 corn varieties was 165.8 bushels per acre, and average income was $700.90. The “control” for the test – or the seed whose performance was already known and used as the yardstick to gauge the new, tested varieties – was a Dekalb seed, which produces 159.4 bushels, by comparison.

In the full-season test, also at the farm of Chris Magers, Channel 210-61VT3 took top honors with 183.1 bushels per acre and a gross per-acre income of $806.20. Coming in second was Beck 5442VT3 with 178.3 bushels and a $787.20 income, and third was Rupp XR8500 with 176.5 and $779.20.
For the full-season test, average corn yield was 165.9 bushels per acre and income was $730.70. The same control seed was used under the same conditions, which produced a yield of 170.7 bushels and $755.20 in income.

Both tests were planted May 10 at a rate of 33,000 seeds per acre. The early-season test was harvested Oct. 12 with 30,400 plants per acre, and the full-season on the same day, with 30,100 plants. The sandy clay loam soil, previously planted to soybeans, was well-drained and non-irrigated, cared for with conventional fall tillage.

F.I.R.S.T. Manager Rich Schleuning noted the test location had ideal seeding establishment conditions. “Rains continued to provide good conditions in June,” he added, but “pollination was hampered by July weather patterns.”

Severe August storms flattened and twisted stalks in several plots, which he said increased yield variability. Average plot yield was similar to others reported in the same area, Schleuning stated.

Would you like your farm to host a test plot for F.I.R.S.T.? Testing locations are opening for 2011; bookmark and monitor www.firstseedtests.com/news.htm to learn more and to see if and when you may sign up.