With improved seed varieties, advanced production techniques and innovative growing practices, corn growers achieved impressive yields despite weather-related adversity in the National Corn Growers Association 2018 National Corn Yield Contest.

For the first time in several years, yield champions David Hula and Randy Dowdy weren’t mentioned in the list of national or state winners. This year they jointly launched a national crop consulting program, Next Level.

Hula, a longtime no-tiller from Charles City, Va., harvested the highest yield ever recorded in the national corn yield contest at 542 bushels per acre, followed by Randy Dowdy with 521 bushels per acre on his Valdosta, Ga., farm. Both Dowdy and Hula entered these top yields in the no-till/strip-till irrigated category.

In the class “AA” No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated category, Shawn Kalb of Dubois, Ind., took first place with 343.2 bushels an acre, followed by John Ruff (343 bushels) of Monona, Iowa (333 bushels), and Brad Wehr of Jasper, Ind. (331 bushels).

In the class “A” No-Till/Strip-Till Non-Irrigated category, Middletown, Md., grower Drew Haines won with 366.2 bushels an acre, followed by Bruce Huber of Berlin, N.D. (299.7 bushels) and William Davis of Sparta, Tenn. (297.6 bushels)

In the No-Till/Strip-Till Irrigated category, which has only one class, Nolan Mills of Boardman, Ore., was first with 360.3 bushels, followed by Roger Danz of Mesa, Wash. (354.2 bushels) and Dean Harris of Umatilla, Ore. (343 bushels).

The 18 winners in six production categories had verified yields averaging more than 349 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 178.9 bushels per acre in 2018.

While there is no overall contest winner, yields from first-, second- and third-place farmers’ overall production categories topped out at 477.6877 bushels per acre.

Please visit National Corn Growers Association website www.ncga.com for the complete list of National and State winners.