By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

WALNUT, Ill. — Wyffels W7381 hybrid outperformed the competition for the highest bushels per acre in a late season corn hybrid test plot on the Alan Dale farm in Bureau County, Ill.
Wyfells W7381 yielded 217.1 bushels per acre, edging out Trisler T-6N52VTS (216.9 bu./acre) and DeKalb DKC62-54 (214.8 bu./acre).

The Wyffels hybrid was valued at an estimated $960.80 of gross income.

Approximatly 35,200 seeds per acre were planted May 6, with 35,700 plants per acre harvested on Oct. 3. Moisture level averaged 28.7 percent.

Farmer’s Independent Research of Seed Technologies (F.I.R.S.T.) plot manager Jason Beyers said that in addition to utilizing an excellent hybrid, Dale’s bountiful harvest was helped by the Walnut farmer’s unique home composting technique.

Dale’s fertility program included 80 pounds N as Fall NH3 in addition to a half-ton of his homemade compost.

“Al’s compost seemed to make the field more mellow, with no compaction to speak of,” Beyers said. “His field is kind of unique compared to other (F.I.R.S.T. test plots).”

Dale told Farm World he is EPA-permitted to blend his own compost utilizing three materials, including crop residue from his own soybean, corn and alfalfa fields.

He also collects landscape waste from nearby Princeton and Kewanee municipalities, including tree trimmings, grass clippings and garden refuse. In addition, Dale trucks in liquid hog manure from a nearby operation to complete the brew.

“We take all these things and have them analyzed as individual feedstocks so we know the carbon/nitrogen ratio of each,” Dale said. “we put them together just like baking a cake an we’re looking for a carbon/nitrogen ratio of about 30-to-1, when we start the process.”

A ton of Dale’s compost, which he markets under the name Rare Earth Diversified Services, contains around 1 to 1.2 percent nitrogen, .6 to .8 percent phosphorous and .8 to 1.0 percent potassium. “20-16-18 would be the analysis, but I only use half that on my fields,” Dale said.

“This plot had an excellent start, (and) emergence was almost perfect on every hybrid,” Beyers reported. “Heavy early season rainfalls produced ponding over most of the plot for a short period of time, but almost all hybrids recovered well. Disease and insect pressure were minimal.”

In a soybean variety test conducted at the Dale farm, Prairie Brand PB-2907NRR yielded 66.0 bu./acre to take top honors. “Stands were good and all varieties were standing straight,” Byers noted. “This location received a large amount of rainfall at different times of the growing season...surprisingly, there was little evidence of any diseases.”