Twenty-six growers planting Garst® brand corn hybrids won at the state or national level in the 2006 National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest announced recently.

The NCGA Corn Yield Contest is an annual national competition between corn producers with the goal of producing the highest yields. Growers compete in a number of production categories, including non-irrigated, no-till/strip-till non-irrigated, no-till/strip-till irrigated, ridge till non-irrigated, ridge till irrigated and irrigated classes.

National yield winner James Lee of Flaggy Run Farms in Courtland, Va., planted Garst brand 8292YG1 to earn second place in the ridge till non-irrigated category. His corn yielded 248.7 bushels per acre.

To qualify for the national competition, Lee won the division in the Virginia state competition.

Lee planted his corn on March 29, 2006 in 36-in. rows and 28,000 plants per acre. Garst brand 8292YG1 has a 118 general relative maturity (GRM) date and helps protect against European and Southwestern Corn Borer. Lee harvested his corn on Sept. 22, 2006.

“We’d like to congratulate James on doing so well with his Garst hybrid in this national yield competition,” says Scott Hart, corn product manager for Garst Seed Company in Slater, Iowa. “His excellent management practices from planting through harvest, plus his seed selection resulted in exceptional field performance. Garst focuses on delivering hybrids with traits for optimal performance while offering the technical and agronomic support to ensure growers select the right products on the right fields.”

Hart adds that the company continues to bring to market a larger number of hybrids with its Agrisure™ traits, providing growers more weed management and insect control options.

Other winners placing first, second or third at the state level who planted Garst brand hybrids include:


First-Place State Winners

• Clarence Adams, Jasper, Fla., non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8248RR, a 117 GRM hybrid, 198.7 bushels per acre

• Leonard Ash, Owosso, Mich., ridge till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8770YG1, a 99 GRM hybrid, 190.1 bushels per acre

• Kenneth Barnes, Union City, Tenn., non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8295YG1/RR, a 118 GRM hybrid, 261.3 bushels per acre

• Bruce Baumgartner, Lena, Ill., ridge till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8379RR, a 113 GRM hybrid, 238.2 bushels per acre

• Lewis Chanek, Ganado, Texas, non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8304YPL, a 115 GRM hybrid, 152.9 bushels per acre

• Chris Elliott, Nichols, S.C., ridge till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8292YG1, a 118 GRM hybrid, 230.8 bushels per acre

• James Lee, Courtland, Va., ridge till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8292YG1, a 118 GRM hybrid, 248.7 bushels per acre 

• Tim Moss, Selden, Kan., ridge till irrigated division, Garst brand 8380IT, a 115 GRM hybrid, 251.7 bushels per acre

• Kenneth Oswalt, Plantersville, Miss., ridge till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8294YG1/IT, a 118 GRM hybrid, 159.0 bushels per acre

• Carly Santini, Stewartsville, N.J., ridge till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8313CB/LL, a 114 GRM hybrid, 232.2 bushels per acre

• James Thompson, Hartly, Del., no-till/strip-till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8376YG1, a 115 GRM hybrid, 232.4 bushels per acre

Second-Place State Winners

• Charles Gray & Sons, Elizabeth City, N.C., non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8294YG1/IT, a 118 GRM hybrid, 260.5 bushels per acre

• Howard Hadden, Hysham, Mont., no-till/strip-till irrigated division, Garst brand 8881RR, a 95 GRM hybrid, 207.6 bushels per acre

• William Jameson, Elloree, S.C., irrigated division, Garst brand 8248RR, a 117 GRM hybrid, 282.3 bushels per acre

• Kristian Lindvig, Glendive, Mont., ridge till irrigated division, Garst brand 8922YG1, a 90 GRM hybrid, 162.0 bushels per acre

• Kathy Pikarski, Mooreton, N.D., no-till/strip-till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8880YG1, a 96 GRM hybrid, 230.2 bushels per acre

• Alec Solberg, Volin, S.D., ridge till irrigated division, Garst brand 8533YPL, a 108 GRM hybrid, 220.2 bushels per acre

• Kayson Strickland, Nichols, S.C., non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8295YG1/RR, a 118 GRM hybrid, 226.9 bushels per acre

• Randy Svendsen, Volin, S.D., no-till/strip-till irrigated division, Garst brand 8533YPL, a 108 GRM hybrid, 243.9 bushels per acre

• Aaron Thompson, Hartly, Del., no-till/strip-till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8376YG1, a 115 GRM hybrid, 223.9 bushels per acre

Third-Place State Winners

• Edward Dail, Kenansville, N.C., no-till/strip-till irrigated division, Garst brand 8294YG1/IT, a 118 GRM hybrid, 190.3 bushels per acre

• Rob Garey, Harrington, Del., no-till/strip-till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8294YG1/IT, a 118 GRM hybrid, 220.5 bushels per acre

• Mark Gueck, Haxtun, Colo., no-till/strip-till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8881RR, a 95 GRM hybrid, 51.0 bushels per acre

• Harry and Bruce Howell, Morrill, Neb., no-till/strip-till irrigated division, Garst brand 8827CB/LL/GT, a 96 GRM hybrid, 180.6 bushels per acre

• Will Hudgins, Winton, N.C., irrigated division, Garst brand 8294YG1/IT, a 118 GRM hybrid, 217.6 bushels per acre

• Merle Nelson, Centerville, S.D., ridge till non-irrigated division, Garst brand 8548YG1, a 110 GRM hybrid, 164.6 bushels per acre

For more information about Garst corn hybrids and other high-performing Garst products, growers should contact their local Garst ProSeller or call toll-free 1-888-GO-GARST (464-2778). Growers may also visit www.garstseed.com for additional information on Garst products.

Garst Seed Company, with headquarters in Slater, Iowa, provides innovative seed solutions for growers across North America with high yielding corn, soybean, sorghum, alfalfa and sunflower products. For more information about Garst products, contact your local Garst ProSeller or visit Garst’s Website at www.garstseed.com.

Garst Seed Company is affiliated with Syngenta, a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2005 were approximately $8.1 billion. Syngenta employs more than 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT). Further information is available at www.syngenta.com. 

Agrisure™ is a trademark of a Syngenta Group Company.