The 2001 corn production season is in the books. Both grain and silage yields were above normal in southern Wisconsin. In northern Wisconsin, variable grain and silage yields were encountered. Dry conditions during April allowed corn planting to progress faster than the five-year average until early May. Planting progress slowed in May with much of northern Wisconsin corn acreage delayed significantly. Cool, wet conditions during most of May and early June slowed corn development. Dry, hot weather during pollination lowered yields with drought conditions existing in northeastern Wisconsin. Favorable rainfall patterns occurred during late August and September and helped some late planted fields. Growing degree unit accumulation was normal throughout the entire growing season. Corn silage harvest started slightly later than normal. A killing frost did not occur until mid-October. Excellent plant standability was observed in most trials. During the fall harvest season, yields were generally good to excellent, and moisture was low decreasing drying costs and somewhat offsetting low corn prices for many farmers.

The UW Corn Performance Hybrid Trials usually are a good reflection of what farmers encountered when producing corn in Wisconsin. Table 1 gives a summary of corn performance for grain and Table 2 reports corn silage performance. For example in Table 1, a total of 1809 corn hybrids have been tested at Arlington between 1991 and 2000 and have produced an average of 194 bu/A. In 2001, a total of 170 hybrids were tested at Arlington and the average yield of these hybrids was 220 bu/A. The production year of 2001 was 13% better than the 10-year average. Significant drought occurred at the Valders location, while flooding during May and June delayed planting and affected corn yields at Marshfield and Fond du Lac.

Table 1. 2001 Wisconsin Corn Performance Trials - Grain Summary
	1991-2000		2001		Percent
Location	N	Yield (bu/A)	N	Yield (bu/A)	Change

Arlington	1809	194	170	220	+ 13
Janesville	1809	184	170	219	+ 19
Lancaster	1809	177	170	185	+ 5

Fond du Lac	1592	169	155	156	- 5
Galesville	1592	160	155	206	+ 29
Hancock	1591	181	155	214	+ 13

Chippewa Falls	1472	149	145	153	+ 3
Marshfield	1062	149	137	147	- 1
Seymour	972	150	145	152	+ 1
Valders	1472	152	145	75	- 51

Ashland	161	129	16	143	+11
Spooner	1887	127	159	150	+18
White Lake	630	94	53	100	+ 6
Note: Seymour average includes New London 1991-1992.

Table 2. 2001 Wisconsin Corn Performance Trials - Silage Summary
	1991-2000		2001		Percent
Location	N	Yield (T/A)	N	Yield (T/A)	Change

Arlington	463	9.5	75	10.5	+ 11
Lancaster	386	7.8	75	8.0	+ 3

Fond du Lac	352	8.6	68	8.2	- 5
Galesville	352	8.3	68	9.6	+ 16

Marshfield	428	6.8	55	7.3	+ 7
Valders	387	6.7	57	4.1	- 39

Ashland	125	6.8	16	7.3	+ 7