Skip Navigation
PIONEER.COM
Home / 2021 Yield Contest Winners Share Insights Into Achieving Top-end Corn and Sorghum Yields
 3/10/2022

2021 Yield Contest Winners Share Insights Into Achieving Top-end Corn and Sorghum Yields

Something went wrong. Please try again later...

Hear From Top Finishers Across the Country in Both the National Corn Growers Association and National Sorghum Producers Yield Contests

Access and download individual soundbites on the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) newsroom or contact Kasey Anderson at kasey.anderson@corteva.com

NOTE TO MEDIA: This audio news release features audio soundbites from corn and sorghum growers representing several different regions of the country. It is set up for you to select the soundbites that are most relevant to your listeners and/or readers.

Each year, thousands of growers enter plots into yield contests run by the National Corn Growers Association and National Sorghum Producers. While these contests are designed to showcase the genetic yield potential of modern hybrids, they also serve as an opportunity for growers to learn from their peers. Growers who use Pioneer brand products are consistently atop leaderboards, with Pioneer® hybrids helping to deliver the highest overall yield in the National Corn Yield Contest and 8 in 10 national NSP Yield Contest winners over the last five years. Several of this year’s winning growers shared advice — from genetics to soil health — to successfully achieving top-end yield performance across a diverse set of geographies.

Judd O’Connor, President, U.S. Commercial Business for Corteva Agriscience, congratulated all the winners.

Audio Filename: Judd OConnor Soundbite 1

As we see every year in the National Corn and National Sorghum Producer Yield Contests, when today’s top farmers plant best-in-class seed products and apply intensive management practices, the results can be truly remarkable. We congratulate all the winning growers for once again pushing the envelope to deliver incredible yields in corn and sorghum. (:20)

ANNCR VO

O’Connor says that while contest results are inspiring, especially given the challenges growers face each season, he’s more excited about what higher yields can mean for growers’ bottom lines. (:10)

Audio Filename: Judd OConner Soundbite 2

If you talk to any of this year’s winning farmers, none will tell you that they had perfect growing conditions. At Pioneer, we give farmers the confidence that they’ll have the right hybrid to deliver on their yield goals – even in the most challenging conditions and across all environments. Because while more bushels at harvest can mean a top finish in a yield contest, our ultimate goal is to help create stronger income opportunities for farmers. (:24)

ANNCR Note

Transition to select winning grower soundbites from the 2021 National Corn Yield Contest and/or National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest.

National Corn Yield Contest Winners

National Corn Yield Contest winner David Hula, Charles City, Virginia
Highest Overall Yield; 1st place no-till irrigated class, 602.17 bu/A.

ANNCR VO

David Hula, of Charles City, Virginia, was one of this year’s biggest winners, breaking the 600-bushel mark in corn for only the second time ever, registering 602.17 bushels per acre to win the no-till irrigated class and overall highest yield in the National Corn Yield Contest. And he did it using a brand-new corn hybrid, Pioneer P1222YHR brand corn. (:15)

Audio Filename: David Hula Soundbite 1

Now, to have a hybrid, first year out of the gate, produce the yields that we saw in 2021, that to me was phenomenal because I've never seen that before. We see these good yields, but to see a tremendous yield like that? So, I give credit first and foremost, it goes to the genetics. (:20)

ANNCR VO

While Hula stresses the important role genetics plays in delivering top-end yields, he says growers still need to put in the work. (:05)

Audio Filename: David Hula Soundbite 2

When a grower says, "Hey, David's got this magic piece of dirt." No, we don't have a magic piece of dirt. It's the management. It's the team that we have surrounded ourselves with. A grower does what a grower wants to do, and you’ve got to be willing to spend the time and more importantly, the grower has to see his own shadow out in the field. And if he does that, he's going to become a student of his own crop. (:23)

ANNCR VO

There’s one more simple tip Hula says many growers tend to overlook in preparing for a successful season. (:05)

Audio Filename: David Hula Soundbite 3

When I think about all the growers that I have worked with across the country and even across the world, the one most important thing that growers overlook is their planter. They need to fix their planter and spend time in the winter time making sure the planter does all it can possibly do. (:17)

National Corn Yield Contest winner Don Stall, Charlotte, Michigan
1st place conventional irrigated class, 465.78 bu/A.

ANNCR VO

David Hula, of Charles City, Virginia, was one of this year’s biggest winners, breaking the 600-bushel mark in corn for only the second time ever, registering 602.17 bushels per acre to win the no-till irrigated class and overall highest yield in the National Corn Yield Contest. And he did it using a brand-new corn hybrid, Pioneer P1222YHR brand corn. (:15)

Audio Filename: David Hula Soundbite 1

Now, to have a hybrid, first year out of the gate, produce the yields that we saw in 2021, that to me was phenomenal because I've never seen that before. We see these good yields, but to see a tremendous yield like that? So, I give credit first and foremost, it goes to the genetics. (:20)

ANNCR VO

While Hula stresses the important role genetics plays in delivering top-end yields, he says growers still need to put in the work. (:05)

Audio Filename: David Hula Soundbite 2

When a grower says, "Hey, David's got this magic piece of dirt." No, we don't have a magic piece of dirt. It's the management. It's the team that we have surrounded ourselves with. A grower does what a grower wants to do, and you’ve got to be willing to spend the time and more importantly, the grower has to see his own shadow out in the field. And if he does that, he's going to become a student of his own crop. (:23)

ANNCR VO

There’s one more simple tip Hula says many growers tend to overlook in preparing for a successful season. (:05)

Audio Filename: David Hula Soundbite 3

When I think about all the growers that I have worked with across the country and even across the world, the one most important thing that growers overlook is their planter. They need to fix their planter and spend time in the winter time making sure the planter does all it can possibly do. (:17)

National Corn Yield Contest winner Don Stall, Charlotte, Michigan
1st place conventional irrigated class, 465.78 bu/A.

ANNCR VO

Don Stall of Charlotte, Michigan, was the top finisher in the conventional irrigated class of the National Corn Yield Contest, with an incredible yield of 465.78 bushels per acre. Stall grew Pioneer P0720AM brand corn for his winning entry and says he gathers plenty of input when selecting the hybrids he plants. (:10)

Audio Filename: Don Stall Soundbite 1

The process that we use, I participate with Pioneer on their PKP plots and their IMPACT plots. So, we kind of get a heads-up as to what hybrids are working good in our area by doing that. And then we kind of rely on our seed sales representative and our account manager and all the point people that we can within Pioneer to get us the right product for the right acre. (:22)

ANNCR VO

PKP or Product Knowledge Plots and IMPACT plots are used by Pioneer to test hybrids in local environments. Even still, Stall says that every season is a learning experience. (:10)

Audio Filename: Don Stall Soundbite 2

We went from drought to flood and drought to flood and just bounced back and forth. So, from an irrigation standpoint, it made it pretty difficult because the rain we got was heavy rain. So, then it's a guessing game on how much of that water we can use and how much of it we lost. But, all the years are challenging. We just have to kind of learn from what we do and learn from the products we use so that we can mitigate that stress and try to maximize our yields. (:29)

ANNCR VO

Stall shares the tried-and-true process for how he manages his corn each season to get the highest yields. (:05)

Audio Filename: Don Stall Soundbite 3

We start with our soil tests in one-acre grids and then we'll apply fertilizer based on those soil tests. So, our fertility is really good. Then, of course, you’ve got to get it planted uniformly and prepare a good seed bed. After that, you just start scouting and we have our base program that we use and we'll start tissue testing. Our first tissue test will be at about V6. That's a critical one for us. If we hit our numbers, it tells us that we are open to ultra-high yields. And we do that on all the acres, regardless of whether they're contest acres or not. The goal is to just do five or 10 percent better with everything. And the yields will show. (:44)

 

National Corn Yield Contest winner Ashton Peterson, Bertrand, Nebraska
3rd place conventional irrigated class, 338.23 bu/A

ANNCR VO

Ashton Peterson of Bertrand, Nebraska, took third place nationally in the National Corn Yield Contest, conventional irrigated class, with a yield of 338.23 bushels an acre. Peterson chose Pioneer P1847AMXT brand corn for his winning entry for a couple reasons. (:10)

Audio Filename: Ashton Peterson Soundbite 1

I'd say we chose the Pioneer hybrid we did because we were looking for a wet corn hybrid that stood good, had great plant health throughout the whole year, had good staygreen and had a great top-end yield. (:12)

ANNCR VO

Even though Peterson selected P1847 because of its high yield potential, his final results took him by surprise. (:05)

Audio Filename: Ashton Peterson Soundbite 2

Was I surprised by the yield? Yeah, I was. Once we got going into picking corn, we started pulling into fields and we were seeing yields we'd never really seen before pretty consistently across the whole farm. And after we started picking, day after day after day the yields kept rolling in. (:17)

ANNCR VO

Peterson says you must have a plan if you want to hit on higher yields. (:05)

Audio Filename: Ashton Peterson Soundbite 3

One tip I'd give farmers. I'd tell them make a plan in the off-season. Pick the right hybrid for the right field and never let that plant have a bad day, and you'll have them high yields. (:12)

National Corn Yield Contest winner Kelly Garrett, Arion, Iowa
3rd place no-till irrigated class, 387.93 bu/A

ANNCR VO

Kelly Garrett of Arion, Iowa, took third place nationally in the National Corn Yield Contest, no-till irrigated class, with a yield of 387.93 bushels an acre. Garrett planted Pioneer P2089AM brand corn for his winning entry. (:10)

Audio Filename: Kelly Garrett Soundbite 1

We chose 2089 because of the top-end yield potential that it possesses being a 120-day hybrid. Typically, that hybrid is not grown this far north, but under intensive management, it's very much okay to move it up here. We knew if we managed it intensively, what it could reach up and do. I mean, it's the highest yield we've ever produced. (:22)

ANNCR VO

Garrett says he manages contest acres as a means to improve his production acres. (:05)

Audio Filename: Kelly Garrett Soundbite 2

Our irrigation acres, our contest acres, really what they are is research acres. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, because then on that research, what we learn with that intensive management, if we learn something that we can scale, we'll take it to the rest of the production acres. (:14)

ANNCR VO

For Garrett, there’s one place growers should start if they’re looking to chase higher yields. (:05)

Audio Filename: Kelly Garrett Soundbite 3

The first thing you need to start to do is you need to balance the soil and improve your soil health. That's where you have to start, because if you don't do that, all the other things that you do, that's a wasted investment. And then you build upon that. And that's not just for contest acres that's for all crops, normal production, high yield, everything. (:22)

National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest Winners

National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest winner David Knoll, Charles Mix, South Dakota
1st place dryland tillage class — Western, 170.21 bu/A

ANNCR VO

David Knoll of Charles Mix, South Dakota, took first place nationally in the National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest for the dryland tillage class with a yield of 170.21 bushels per acre. But to hit that number, Knoll says he had to overcome less-than-ideal conditions. (:15)

Audio Filename: David Knoll Soundbite 1

We had a dry season and not a lot of moisture. So, the stand didn't come up very good. But the milo tillered out well, you know, it adapted to the conditions that were there and surprised us with the plants we had. It tillered out even and that’s always a big thing with milo. (:15)

ANNCR VO

Knoll credited his choice in hybrid for helping him succeed even in challenging conditions. (:05)

Audio Filename: David Knoll Soundbite 2

89Y79, it's a white milo and that's kind of what I grow. And I always grow white milo and I picked that one because it has more flexibility than the old white milo I used to grow. It can adapt to more weather and environmental conditions than the number before. I never dreamed that we would pull that kind of yield out of the conditions we were going through. (:22)

ANNCR VO

Surprisingly, Knoll says he doesn’t manage his contest field any differently than the rest of his acres.

Audio Filename: David Knoll Soundbite 3

We don't do anything special and say, well, we're going to do just this for contests. It's just doing the best you can that year with what you got. Weed control and grass control is a key, milo doesn't compete with it well. Your weed control, I would say would be your number one thing it is going to be your biggest issue to have good yields. (:18)

National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest winner Ki Gamble, Kiowa, Kansas
3rd place dryland no-till class, 244.03 bu/A

ANNCR VO

Ki Gamble took third place in the dryland no-till class of the National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest. Gamble planted Pioneer 85P44 brand sorghum, and he says things fell into place from the start. (:10)

Audio Filename: Ki Gamble Soundbite 1

We didn't have any field challenges this year. Planting went great. Emergence was great, the milo never suffered any stress at all because we had timely rains throughout the summer. And we actually probably got our average annual rainfall in late June, July and August when the sorghum needed the moisture the worst, and it never did stress. I knew it was really, really good milo. You could tell it anytime the branches with the berries on them on the head, start to hang down and droop and not just stay vertical, you know, it's really good milo. (:40)

ANNCR VO

Gamble rotates his sorghum with wheat, and says the mulch created is key. (:05)

Audio Filename: Ki Gamble Soundbite 2

We're all no-till, strip till, and we grow many years of continuous no-till wheat until we start to have a cheatgrass issue and can no longer grow wheat. And then we'll rotate to sorghum for a year to clean that up. So, the field had a tremendous mulch on it to conserve moisture, and that is why we get the yields we get is because of that mulch, that mulch is thick. Like you would mulch your garden with. (:37)

ANNCR VO

Gamble also says that if farmers want to get high-end yields, they can’t be afraid to dedicate the necessary resources. (:05)

Audio Filename: Ki Gamble Soundbite 3

Some farmers would probably tell me I have unrealistic management practices because we operate on the theory, you’ve got to spend money to make money. And we spend a lot of money on our sorghum and fertility, it's sprayed with a fungicide, it's sprayed with an insecticide. If you're going to grow high-end crops, you're going to have to spend money to do it. You will get a return if you do. (:28)

 

National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest winner Harry P. Johnston, Fulton, Pennsylvania
1st place dryland tillage class — Eastern, 221.50 bu/A

ANNCR VO

Harry P. Johnston of Fulton, Pennsylvania, took first place nationally in the National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest for the dryland tillage class with a yield of 221.50 bushels per acre planting Pioneer 84G62 brand sorghum. (:10)

Audio Filename: Harry Johnston Soundbite 1

I've been growing sorghum for about 10 years now and I've grown different hybrids and I've found the Pioneer works best for my location, my soils, and I've tried different varieties and it seems like Pioneer was the one at the top of the ladder all the time. (:15)

ANNCR VO

Like many farmers in his area last spring, Johnston had to overcome some challenges at planting, but then was rewarded with almost perfect conditions at harvest. (:05)

Audio Filename: Harry Johnston Soundbite 2

Our planting was delayed a little bit just because we had a cool, wet spring. I mean, I had trouble with all crops: soybeans, corn and sorghum. And of course, it was planted late and then just had a little trouble getting everything out of the ground. Then, the fall was just perfect conditions for harvest, had good test weight, had good moisture between 13 to 15 percent at harvest time. And everything just sort of fell into place for a pretty good yield this year. (:28)

ANNCR VO

Johnston said he does manage his contest acres differently than his production acres — to see what’s possible. (:10)

Audio Filename: Harry Johnston Soundbite 3

My contest plot I pampered a little bit compared to everything else. I take soil samples every three years and I adjust my pH accordingly. We usually put manure on and try to get the P and K levels up to where they need to be. And then I plant the crop and then I take some tissue samples and I decide what kind of nitrogen I want to put on based on the tissue samples. So, I mean, I sort of just micromanage everything the whole way through to get the optimal yield that I can out of just that the contest plot. (:33)

More complete results from this year’s yield contests can be found on Pioneer.com.

About Pioneer
Pioneer, the flagship seed brand of Corteva Agriscience, is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. Pioneer provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere.

Join the discussion and follow Pioneer on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About Corteva Agriscience
Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA) is a publicly traded, global pure-play agriculture company that combines industry-leading innovations, high-touch customer engagement and operational execution to profitably deliver solutions for the world’s most pressing agriculture challenges. Corteva generates advantaged market preference through its unique distribution strategy, together with its balanced and globally diverse mix of seed, crop protection, and digital products and services. With some of the most recognized brands in agriculture and a technology pipeline well positioned to drive growth, the company is committed to maximizing productivity for farmers, while working with stakeholders throughout the food system as it fulfills its promise to enrich the lives of those who produce and those who consume, ensuring progress for generations to come. More information can be found at www.corteva.com.

Follow Corteva on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

#   #   #

03/09/22

Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents.

™ ®Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company. Liberty®, LibertyLink® and the Water Droplet Design are trademarks of BASF. Agrisure® is a trademark of, and used under license from, a Syngenta Group Company. Agrisure® technology incorporated into these seeds is commercialized under a license from Syngenta Crop Protection AG.

Media Contact:
Kasey Anderson
989-941-1572
kasey.anderson@corteva.com

Recent News