If crooner Frank Sinatra were a Mower County grain farmer, he wouldn’t have been singing “It was a very good year” in the combine at harvest.

Heavy rains following spring planting caused crusting and impaired emergence.

Cool temperatures delayed corn maturity and worried growers a frost could further impact maturity and expected yields.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service advised growers in late-September, when heavy moisture combines to delay field drying, their problems would be exacerbated. That, in turn, meant growers would be spending more time and money managing corn dryers and storing wet or frost-damaged corn.

As farmers pushed forward into the 2008 harvest, the 1,000-pound gorilla that was the growing financial crisis hit the Corn Belt of the Midwest United States.

Corn, soybean and wheat prices plummeted from their historic highs reached earlier this year.

An abundant supply of grain from the recent better-than-expected harvest yields left growers wondering, “What will happen next year?”

The annual Corn/Soybean Market Comparison Test Plot Results report compiled by Dave Marr may have some answers when growers consider their 2009 planting intentions.

Marr, a member of the RCC farm business management team, issued his usual disclaimer about the report.

“Every year we caution to use the results from any test plot with caution,” Marr advised. That’s because weather, field location and other growing conditions could influence yield results, according to Marr.

“This will also be true for the 2008 results,” Marr said. Marr’s advice: “View our results carefully and combine our results with several other sources of test plot information before making decisions about varieties and hybrids,” he said.

The growers participating in the RCC farm business management test plot comparison included Carl and Alan Srp, Francis, Dick and John Miller, Gene and Brandon Tapp, Al Akkerman and Ron Akkerman, Dan Thompson, Burton Ruhter and Brad Sheely.

Here are highlights of the 2008 yield results report:

Dry yield corn hybrid comparison:

First Place: Mycogen 2P483: 191.12 dry yield bushels per acre.

Second Place: Stine 9417VT3: 186.77 dry yield bushels per acre.

Dry yield soy bean hybrid comparison : First Place: Croplan RC2257: 47.30 bushels per acre all farms.

Second Place: Pioneer 92Y30: 46.56 bushels per acre.

Also included in the report are corn and soybean yield results from the Minnesota Corn Growers Association/Mower County Corn Growers Association test plot, Howe Farms, Dexter.

The report has numbers as well as dent corn results from five farms and Roundup Ready soybean results, also from five farms, plus individual corn and soybean test plot results.

Marr expressed his appreciation to the five farms, who participated in the 2008 test plot comparison and the seed companies and their representatives.

For more information, contact Marr at 507 438-7076.

Copies of the 2008 report are available for $5 each.