MASON, Mich. — A litany of adverse factors could have hindered the growth of plants further in two corn seed trials on Tony Igl’s farm in Mason, located in Ingham County. As it was, there was a spread of about 30 bushels per acre between the top-yielding varieties in the early-season and full-season tests.
"This site was planted later than normal due to wet conditions," reported Rich Schleuning, site manager for testing firm Farmers’ Independent Research of Seed Technologies, or FIRST. Both tests went into the ground May 29 at a rate of 36,000 seeds per acre, and were harvested Nov. 27 at 35,200 plants per acre.
The early-season test of 36 varieties was led by NuTech/G2 Gen product 5Y-196, with a yield of 200.7 bushels per acre and a per-acre gross income of $678. Coming in second was NK Brand N45P-3011A with 194.2 bushels and an income of $630.
In third place for both yield and income was Renk variety RK605SSTX, with 185.4 bushels per acre and income of $620. These compare to the average of all early-season varieties tested producing 170 bushels per acre and average income of $552.
Average moisture for all varieties stood at 25.1 percent, with only two of the top 30 brands falling under 20 percent. Moisture for the full-season test on the same farm was even higher, with an average of all its 36 varieties coming in just under 30 percent; several in the top 30 had higher moisture content.
"The cooler-than-normal growing season slowed heat-unit accumulation, delaying crop maturation," reported Schleuning. "A July 21 visit found anthracnose, gray leaf spot, northern corn leaf blight and some light slug feeding.
"This was a tough harvest due to rain, snow, soft cobs, lodged corn and high grain moisture."
And this showed more in the full-season yields. The top producer was Rupp variety xrD05-04, with 172.7 bushels per acre and gross per-acre income of $559, well below NuTech’s early-season lead. Coming in second was Renk RK699SSTX with 172.6 bushels and income of $547.
NuTech/G2 Gen variety 5H-502 ranked third for yield, at 168.1 bushels per acre, but fourth for per-acre income at $539. Third in income was Channel 202-64STXRIB, at $542, while it ranked sixth in yield at 165.9 bushels.
These test plots were previously planted to soybeans treated with Liberty, in clay loam soil, moderately well-drained, non-irrigated and no-till. Nutrients included moderate P and K, with a 6.4 pH. Pest management included Lumax, Force and glyphosate.
Find more test results online at www.firstseedtests.com
