The 2012 Farm Science Review celebrated 50 years, while the crops faced the worst drought conditions in that same 50 years. There were two OSU ag deans present at the event as Bobby Moser continued the process of handing the reigns over to Bruce McPheron. One university president (Gordon Gee), two ag secretaries (Tom Vilsak from the USDA and Dave Daniels from ODA), one governor (John Kasich) and one two-time Heisman Trophy winner (Archie Griffin) were also all at the 2012 FSR. Three high achievers were inducted into the FSR Hall of Fame and temperatures ranged from the 40s to the 70s. It also should be noted that there were several very tired ag media representatives when it was all said and done. All of these numbers added up to yet another fantastic Farm Science Review. Here are some more pertinent 2012 FSR numbers.

Nathan Ratliff, 4, and James Ratliff, 6, from Plain City, found some evidence of the struggling corn yields in the demonstration fields.

Yields

Corn yields were averaging 100 to 105 bushels going into the final afternoon of harvest demonstrations. In the final afternoon, corn yields ranged from just over 20 bushels to almost 220 bushels in the harvest plots. The moisture was around 18% for much of the corn. Soybeans were averaging between 30 and 35 bushels.

Here is a look at the extreme yield variation and conditions at the field demo’s:

Attendance

Tuesday: 23,000
Wednesday: 62,500
Thursday: 28,824