1-9 IAN Corn Contest

 NCGA Announces National Corn Yield Contest Winners for 2011. Advanced production techniques, informed growing practices and improved seed varieties helped corn growers achieve high yields in the National Corn Growers Association 2011 National Corn Yield Contest. Despite the challenging weather conditions that plagued the Corn Belt throughout the year, entrants continued to far surpass the national average corn yield, even doubling it in some circumstances. NCGA Susan Rommel explains some of the reasons for such good yields by participants. “We did some research based on past data from corn yield contests and corn yields are up but they also talked about management practices. If there were anything in particular that lent to increased yields and how maybe the winners of the contest are the guys and gals who are a little bit ahead of the curve and how they maybe foreshadowed the way the industry was moving.” The 18 winners in six production categories had verified yields averaging more than 313.107 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 146.7 bushels per acre in 2011. While there is no overall contest winner, yields from first, second and third place farmers overall production categories ranged from 277.5 to 429.0 bushels per acre. Even though corn production was way up in Idaho, nobody from this state won.  Nuts and bolts.