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| Leon Corzine,
President
National
Corn Growers Association |
The 2004 crop year
was, without a doubt, the most productive year the
corn industry has ever experienced. Not only did growers harvest the largest
corn crop on record, but they also experienced tremendous average yields
of 160 bushels per acre.The weather was nearperfect across most of the
Corn Belt for much of the growing season, and advancements in production
technology continued to push yield trend lines even higher. The productivity
of U.S. corn growers in 2004 was clearly reflected in the results of the
National Corn Yield Contest. Entrants in the contest recorded incredible
yields, and all but one of the 27 national winners surpassed the 250-bushel-per-acre
mark. In fact, six of the national winners even crested the 300- bushel-per-acre
mark. While there is no one overall winner in the contest, David Hula
of Charles City, Va., submitted the contest’s highest yield for
the second year in a row. Hula’s entry of 339.4827 bushels per acre
was tops among the contest’s 3,382 entrants. Entries were submitted
from 46 states, making the 2004 competition one of the most successful
ever. The top yields from farmers who placed first, second and third in
the nine respective categories ranged from Hula’s yield of 339.4827
to 248.6521 bushels per acre by Stephanie Santini of Stewartsville, N.J.
Advancements in production technology not only continue to drive yields
higher, but also contribute to improvements in environmental quality.
New tillage techniques and the increasing adoption of biotech hybrids
led to improved soil quality and decreased use of pesticides and herbicides.
Thanks to hard work of contest supervisors in your communities, the Corn
Yield Contest continues to be the top agricultural production competition
in the nation.The National Corn Growers Association would also like to
thank our many industry partners who encourage their customers to participate
in this exciting contest each year. Special thanks go to BASF, John Deere
and Gustafson Seeds for sponsoring this guide.Finally,we congratulate
all of this year’s contestants and look forward to seeing more amazing
yields in 2005.
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