One farmer produced a corn yield of 521 bushels per acre
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
The National Corn Growers Association announced the winners for its 2016 National Corn Yield Contest.
More than 7,900 farmers from across the United States use the latest in seed technology, tillage techniques and machinery to achieve the highest yields possible.
Randy Dowdy from Valdosta, Georgia, used AgriGold A6499 STX/RIB to achieve the highest yield in his category (No-Till/Strip-Till Irrigated). He also had the highest among those recorded with a yield of 521.3968 bushels per acre.
Officials say not only does the contest highlight the abilities of farmers, but it also showcases the tremendous technological advances in the agriculture industry.
“The contest provides farmers more than just an opportunity for friendly competition; it generates data that impacts future production practices across the industry,” Brent Hostetler, chair of NCGA’s Stewardship Action Team, said in a release. “The techniques first developed by contest winners grow into far-reaching advances, helping farmers across the country excel in a variety of situations. Our contest emphasizes innovation both from growers and technology providers, thus enabling us to meet the growing demand for food, feed, fuel and fiber.”
Other national winners include:
| Category | Name | Location | Hybrid Brand | Number | Yield |
| A Non-Irrigated | Heath Cutrell | Chesapeake, VA | DEKALB | DKC64-69 | 347.2323 |
| AA Non-Irrigated | Kevin Kalb | Dubois, IN | DEKALB | DKC68-26RIB | 339.0287 |
| A No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated | Dan Gause | Scranton, SC | Pioneer | P1916YHR | 346.0533 |
| AA No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated | Tim, Dan and Joe Durick | Council Bluffs, IA | Pioneer | P1751AMT | 333.5025 |
| Irrigated | Kevin Dowdy | Valdosta, GA | AgriGold | A6499 STX/RIB | 501.0196 |
A list of state winners can be found on the NCGA website.
Farms.com has reached out to Randy Dowdy to get a brief look at some of his growing methods.