NSP Awards National Yield and Management Contest Winners
The National Sorghum Producers (NSP) recognized national and state yield and management contest winners at the closing banquet of NSPs joint conference with the Southern Seed Association held in Santa Ana Pueblo, N.M.
National winners in six categories were awarded a trophy from NSP in addition to receiving awards and prizes from sponsoring seed companies. State winners were recognized with certificates.
The NSP Yield and Management Contest winners are the cream of the crop sorghum producers, said NSP President Dale Murden of Monte Alto, Texas. The contest levels the playing field by scoring a contestants yield against the National Agricultural Statistics Services 5-year county average.
We know that sorghum has a fit in the producers cropping rotations because it makes more crop per drop, said Murden.
In the reduced till, irrigated category, Hill Farms, Inc. of Sheridan County, Kan. was awarded a national first place trophy. The crop of Pioneer 84G62 yielded 166 bushels compared to the countys five-year average of 82 bushels. Second place honors went to Monte Wright of Ochiltree County, Texas who also planted Pioneer 84G62. Jim Nagel of North Bluff Commodities in Lancaster County, Neb. placed third by planting DEKALB DKS 53-11.
Raymond DeBey of Mitchell County, Kan. took first place honors in the no-till, non-irrigated category. His Pioneer 84G62 yielded 169 bushels compared to the five-year county average of 70 bushels. Glen Henneke of Gasconade County, Mo. placed second with Pioneer 84G62. Taking third place honors were James and Dana Born of Ochiltree County, Texas who planted NC+ 5B89.
In the mulch-till, non-irrigated category, the HRB Farming Partnership in Livingston County, Mo. placed first with DEKALB DKS 54-00. The crop yielded 165 bushels compared to the 88-bushel five-year county average. Placing second was D&M Farms in Jackson County, Ark. Third place went to Bonnie Chandler of Westmoreland County, Virginia. Both the second and third place winners planted Pioneer 84G62.
Pshigoda Farms in Ochiltree County, Texas got top honors in the conventional-till, non-irrigated category. The plot of DEKALB DK 39Y yielded 132 bushels compared to the five-year county average of 46 bushels. Steven C. Gamble, Jr. of Clarendon County, S.C. placed second and Jerry Guenther of Wilson County, Kan. placed third. Once again, both the second and third place winners planted Pioneer 84G62.
Randy Cain Farms in Curry County, N.M. won the conventional-till, irrigated category with a plot of NC+ 7R83 that yielded 172 bushels compared to the five-year county average of 82 bushels. Second place went to Ki Gamble of Kiowa County, Kan. who planted Pioneer 84G62. Felts Farms in Mississippi County, Ark. took third place honors with Pioneer 84G62.
Michael Fischer won the non-irrigated category for food-grade sorghums. The plot of Fontanelle W-1000 in Thayer County, Neb. yielded 141 bushels compared to the 78-bushel five-year county average.
Prior to the awards ceremony, yield and management contest winners and other conference attendees learned about herbicide resistance from Stanley Culpepper with the University of Georgia. They had also had the opportunity to participate in a one-day session highlighting recent sorghum research findings. Other national experts including Robert White of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and John Ashworth with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo. spoke to the group about sorghums role in the U.S. renewable fuels industry. NSP CEO Tim Lust updated sorghum attendees on the 2007 farm bill and the national sorghum checkoff initiative.
To learn more about the contest or to view complete results and management practices of the winners, visit
www.sorghumgrowers.com
.
NSP represents U.S. sorghum producers. Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, in the heart of the U.S. Sorghum Belt that stretches from the Rockies to the Mississippi River and from South Texas to South Dakota, the organization works to ensure the profitability of sorghum production through market development, research, education and legislative representation.
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Note: For pictures of winners, go to
http://www.sorghumgrowers.com/Production/Yield+Contest
State/National Winners group photo
National Winners group photo
1st Place National Winners group photo
Individual Pictures of 1st Place National Winners
1.
Raymond Debey of Cawker City, Kan.
2.
Randy Cain of Texico, N.M.
3.
Micheal Fischer of Hebron, Neb.
4.
Jerry Hill of Hoxie, Kan.
5.
Ben Beetsma of Mooresville, Mo.