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KyCGA News
For Immediate Release
January 29, 2010
KENTUCKY CORN GROWERS CELEBRATE RECORD 2009 CROP
Farmers are Producing More with Less Impact on the
Environment
(EASTWOOD, KY) Kentucky corn farmers were honored by their
peers for their outstanding yields on January 22 during the
Kentucky Commodity Conference in Bowling Green, Ky. While no
individual yield broke a state record, the average of the
winning yields far exceeded past average winning yields and
provided a snapshot of success of Kentucky’s 2009 record
corn crop.
The Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service (KASS)
estimated early this month that Kentucky farmers produced
190 million bushels of corn for grain, and had an average
yield of 165 bushels per acre. The previous record crop was
produced in 2004, with 173 million bushels produced and an
average yield of 152 bushels per acre.
KASS also reported that this record yield was achieved on
1.15 million acres, two-thirds less acreage than was in
production 100 years ago. Only 88.5 million bushels of corn
were produced on 3.5 million acres in 1910, and the average
yield was only 25.5 bushels per acre.
“The technological advances that farmers have made in the
last century are amazing,” said Kentucky Corn Growers
Association (KyCGA) president Philip McCoun. “Statistics
show farmers are producing far more with less impact on the
environment. This is a testament of how farmers are
dedicated stewards of the land and have the ability to
produce for all food, feed and fuel needs.”
Outstanding
in His Field
Marcus Huffman, a farmer in Logan County, produced the
champion Kentucky Corn Production Contest entry. He achieved
a yield of 295.56 bushels per acre, planting DeKalb DKC63-42
brand seed using no-till. This yield also earned Huffman 3rd
place in the National Corn Yield Contest “A No-Till/Strip
Till” Category.
No-Till is the conservation practice where a farmer does not
till the ground prior to planting, thus reducing time, fuel,
input costs, and risk of soil compaction. While it was
assumed no-till practices would result in a reduced yield
for many years, recent research and yield contest results
have proven otherwise.
The Kentucky Corn Production Contest is administered by the
University of Kentucky College Of Agriculture and sponsored
by the Kentucky Corn Growers Association (KyCGA). Each
winner received a trophy and monetary award provided by
KyCGA. Whayne Supply Company/Lexion also provided the state
champion its “Best of the Best” award and took Huffman and
wheat and soybean contest champions to the Ag Connect Expo
in Orlando. Florida.
2009 Kentucky
Corn Production Contest Winners
State Awards
|
Division I & II (Conventional Tillage & No-Tillage Combined) |
|
Award |
Name |
County |
Variety |
Yield (Bu/A) |
|
Champion |
Marcus Huffman |
Logan |
DeKalb DKC63-42 |
295.56* |
|
2nd Place |
Paul Bickett/Bickett Farms |
McLean |
Pioneer 31P42 |
268.58 |
|
3rd Place |
PPJ Thompson Farms |
Daviess |
Pioneer 31D59 |
263.75 |
|
Division III (White Corn) |
|
Champion |
Cundiff Farms |
Trigg |
Pioneer 32B10 |
268.94 |
|
Division IV (Irrigated) |
|
Champion |
Armistead Farms |
Logan |
DeKalb C63-14 |
284.50 |
* Denotes National Corn Yield Contest National Winner
District Awards
|
Division I (Conventional Tillage & Minimum-Tillage Combined) |
|
District |
Name |
County |
Variety |
Yield (Bu/A) |
|
1 |
Jerry Griffith |
Graves |
DeKalb DKC62-54 |
258.22 |
|
2 |
No Entry |
|
|
|
|
3 |
Darrell Hagan |
Daviess |
DeKalb 6342VT3 |
259.77 |
|
4 |
Jerry Hardesty |
Breckinridge |
|
252.09 |
|
5 |
No Entry |
|
|
|
|
6 |
Donnie Poore/Cash Farms |
Cumberland |
Beck's 6733 |
260.24 |
|
Division
II
(No-Till) |
|
1 |
Jeremy Hopper/ Hopper Farms |
Fulton |
Pioneer
31D59 |
253.78 |
|
2 |
Frank Orndorff |
Logan |
Pioneer 31D59 |
222.68 |
|
3 |
Castlen Brothers Farms |
Daviess |
Pioneer 32N73 |
259.64 |
|
4 |
Donny Veatch |
Marion |
BioGene 83V08 |
234.14 |
|
5 |
Kevin M. Smith |
Shelby |
Wyffels 7387 |
259.74 |
|
6 |
Williams Farms |
Wayne |
NK N72Q |
254.14 |
A summary of the production practices used by the winners
and contest entrants is available at
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/GrainCrops/YieldContest/YieldContests2009.htm
###
Photos of the winners can be obtained by calling
502-921-2625 or emailing
Jennifer@kycorn.org.
Founded
in 1982, the Kentucky Corn Growers Association represents
500 dues-paying corn farmers and the interests of more than
2,000 growers who contribute through the Kentucky corn
checkoff program.
KyCGA works with the National Corn Growers Association to
create and increase opportunities
for their members and their industry.
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