Brian Carlson (center) of Dysart, IA, accepts a trophy on behalf of Mike Kaufman of Dysart, who placed third nationally in the AA Non-Irrigated Category of the 2015 National Corn Yield Contest sponsored by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA). The trophy was presented during the annual Commodity Classic held in early March in New Orleans. From left, are Martin Barbre, Carmi, IL, chairman of the NCGA Corn Board; Carlson; and Wesley Spurlock, Stafford, TX, first vice president of the Corn Board. Kaufman’s field entry yielded 328.6876 bushels per acre and also placed first in the state contest.

An area corn grower has been honored as one of 18 national winners in the 2015 National Corn Yield Contest sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association.

Mike Kaufman of Dysart, IA, placed third in the nation in the AA Non-Irrigated Class with a yield of 328.6876 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer P1498AM.

The 2015 competition included 7,729 entries from 45 states. The contest consists of six classes.

In the national competition, three placings are awarded within each class. The 18 national winners represented nine states.

The average yield among national winners was 386.4 bushels per acre greater than the 2015 U.S. average of 169.3 bushels per acre. Six of the national winners recorded yields of 400 bushels or more per acre.

“This harvest, the world witnessed the incredible bounty U.S. corn farmers can provide to meet the growing need for food, fuel and fiber both in our nation and around the world,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling, a corn grower from Newburg, MD. “Our contest participants demonstrated that America’s farmers continue to strive for excellence while adopting state-of-the-art tools which help them meet those goals,” Bowling said.