Kron Farms near Evansville, IN has been long-time users of LG Seeds products. Over the years their son, Ben, has become increasingly involved with the operation as dad, Randy, is serving as President of the Indiana Farm Bureau. With Ben’s interest in trying new management practices, he has also taken on the challenge of the NCGA Corn Yield Contest. While NCGA notoriety is great, Ben is more interested in finding practices that he can adapt and apply to his entire operation to increase ROI at Kron Farms. 

Ben got his feet wet in the 2019 NCGA contest with a third-place state finish for Indiana with LG62C02. His success in 2019 increased his interest in doing even better, so he sat down and made a game plan for 2020. Ben maximized yields by thoroughly researching his hybrids and closely reviewing their strengths and weaknesses. He landed on LG62C35 for his 2020 NCGA entry because of its workhorse type performance that he could build on with high management.

Ben won in the Strip, Minimum, Mulch, Ridge-Till Irrigated class. He states in his winning article in the NCYC Contest Guide that strip till was a new practice for him, so he leaned on consultants to maximize his use of the strip-till bar. Kron also mentions that he still has some learning to do with sprinkler irrigation. This season he adjusted to apply less water, more often.

Overall, Ben states that they were willing to experiment, and they were blessed with a good growing season. Keys to High Yield as listed in the NCYC Contest Guide are as follows:

• Make regular trips to the field to scout and observe how products are working.
• Be open to try something new and make adjustments if needed.
• Use biologicals through the planter to help enhance the soil.

Check out the full article about Ben’s win in the NCYC 2020 Contest Guide published by the National Corn Growers Association. If you’re interested in participating in the 2021 NCGA Corn Yield Contest, head to their Frequently Asked Questions section for an overview, and contact your local LG Seeds team for hybrid selection and management. #WeMeanBusiness

Download a copy of this technical bulletin here: Winning the NCGA Contest with LG Seeds