Corn Relative Maturities and Yield Potential in Ohio

Hybrid selection is one of the earliest decisions made in corn production. Corn hybrids differ considerably in yield potential, standability, maturity, and other agronomic characteristics that affect profitable crop production. Hybrid selection should be based on proven performance from multiple test locations and years.

The Ohio Corn Performance Trials (OCPT) evaluate hybrids for grain yield and other important agronomic characteristics. Results of the trials can assist farmers in selecting hybrids best suited to their farming operations and production environments and can complement recommendations made by seed companies and breeding programs. Going into the 2026 growing season, hybrid selection should be prioritized to maximize crop yield and ROI, especially when input costs are high, crop prices are low, and weather patterns continue to insert variability.

Regarding hybrid selection, recent questions have surfaced regarding the yield potential of shorter versus longer relative maturities in Ohio. In this article, we provide an overview of the Ohio Corn Performance Test for the past three years (2023 to 2025) and prior research. This should help in the decision-making process when considering changes to relative maturities.  

Yield Results for the Early and Full Season Trials in 2025 (OCPT by county/region)

Corn yield range and average yield at each trial location for the early maturity and full season trials, 2025 season. Colored cells show a higher numerical average when comparing early vs. full season trial. For more details, access the Full 2025 article here

*Southwest/West Central/Central: early maturity trial was 111 days or earlier; full season trial was 112 days or later. This applies to 2023, 2024, and 2025 results.

*Northwest and North Central/Northeast: early maturity trial was 108 days or earlier; full season trial was 109 days or later. This applies to 2023, 2024, and 2025 results.

Yield Results for the Early and Full Season Trials in 2024 (OCPT by region)

Corn yield range and average yield at each trial location for the early maturity and full season trials, 2024 season. Colored cells show a higher numerical average when comparing early vs. full season trial. For more details, access the Full 2024 article here

Yield Results for the Early and Full Season Trials in 2023 (OCPT by region)

Corn yield range and average yield at each trial location for the early maturity and full season trials, 2023 season. Colored cells show a higher numerical average when comparing early vs. full season trial. For more details, access the Full 2023 article here

PRIOR RESEARCH - Short Season vs. Commonly Grown Hybrid Maturities in Ohio

Field experiments were conducted on a farm near Bucyrus from 2016 to 2018 and at the Wooster Campus from 2017 to 2018. The ultra-early hybrids represented eight seed company brands, and they were characterized by relative maturities ranging from 90 to 100 days, corresponding to GDD ratings of 2056 to 2450. The objectives of this project were to compare the agronomic performance and partial economic returns of ultra-early hybrids with commonly grown hybrid maturities. The results are summarized in Figure 1 (planted mid-May) and Figure 2 (planted late-May/Early June). More details on these results are available here!

Early vs. Longer relative maturity corn: some of the Key Implications

In the U.S. Corn Belt, full-season corn hybrids generally produce higher grain yields than short-season hybrids when planted in April and early May. The yield advantage of full-season hybrids decreases with later planting dates and may be negligible by June. Corn breeders have improved the agronomic performance of short-season hybrids by making them more competitive with the commonly grown maturities within adaptation zones.

In Ohio, commonly grown maturities range from 104 to 114 days, which is approximately 2500 to 2800 growing degree days (GDDs). Short-season hybrids, or ultra-early hybrids, are more typically planted in northern areas (e.g., Michigan and Wisconsin) and are usually associated with relative maturity and heat unit ratings less than 100 days and 2500 GDDs, respectively. However, relative maturity values are based primarily on differences in grain moisture at the time of harvest (rather than GDDs only). It is possible that an earlier maturity hybrid could have the same GDD requirement as a full-season hybrid, but it could have a lower grain moisture content at harvest resulting in an earlier maturity rating.

Planting early corn hybrids that are adapted to shorter growing seasons and earlier fall frost dates in Ohio could result in an earlier corn harvest or lower grain moisture content at maturity, which could help reduce drying costs and reductions in grain test weight. Earlier harvest could also promote earlier winter annual crops or cover crop seeding and establishment prior to winter.

Hybrid evaluations play a key role in selecting high yielding hybrids, given the variability in yields evident in these tests. Several early maturity hybrids have produced yields comparable or better in some cases to those of commonly grown maturity hybrids in past and recent research in Ohio. Earlier maturity hybrids may incur less drying cost and have higher test weights but may have yield disadvantages compared to longer relative maturity hybrids. The OCPT results are available online and may be a useful resource as hybrid selections are being made this winter.

Resources

• Ohio Crop Performance Trials Archive (2000 to 2025): https://u.osu.edu/perf/archive/
• Short Season Corn vs. Commonly Grown Corn Hybrid Maturities for Planting in Ohio: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/anr-94