Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
February 3, 2022

Scott Jirgens of Kalamazoo, Michigan, earned statewide recognition in the 2021 National Corn Yield Contest, an annual competition conducted by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

Jirgens yielded 310.9938 bu/A with Golden Harvest® corn G08R52-3220 E-Z Refuge® brand, winning him second place in the Strip-Till Irrigated category, which includes Minimum-Till, Mulch-Till and Ridge-Till.

The top finish indicates that the elite corn genetics and cutting-edge trait packages in the Golden Harvest corn portfolio result in strong performance come harvest.

“Golden Harvest provides corn hybrids and technologies that are competitive and provide value,” said Jirgens.

Farmers who plant Golden Harvest hybrids also benefit from working with Golden Harvest Seed Advisors who use local agronomic know-how to help identify custom solutions for each corn acre. Golden Harvest Seed Advisor Dan Heasley of Heasley Seeds in Byron Center, Michigan, worked closely with Jirgens to identify the right hybrid and management practices for his operation.

Heasley said that he and Jirgens took a systematic approach throughout the season, starting with choosing a hybrid with strong agronomics and planting in good conditions, followed by providing adequate nutrition and applying fungicide to protect the crop from tar spot and other major diseases.

“G08R52 is a very reliable hybrid with solid agronomics that can adapt to different yield environments,” said Heasley. “The hybrid’s agronomics paired with fungicide applications were crucial to fight some of the heavy disease pressure we can get in west Michigan.”

Jirgens added that he valued his relationship with Heasley and appreciated Heasley’s commitment to education.
 

Scott Jirgens’ cornfields in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Source: Scott Jirgens, 2021.

“In addition to looking for products that best fit my farm, Dan also provides many learning experiences about farming practices and the business of farming,” Jirgens said. “He educates customers through meetings, plot days and field scouting to help farmers make decisions throughout the season.”

Heasley said that Jirgens’ willingness to learn and experiment with management practices also contributed to his success this season.

“Scott is a progressive farmer who does an outstanding job pushing the limit to get the most out of his crop,” said Heasley. “He is not afraid to try new practices to achieve those extra bushels.”

To find better solutions for your corn and soybean acres, contact a Golden Harvest Seed Advisor at GoldenHarvestSeeds.com.

Website: http://www.syngenta-us.com/corn/golden-harvest

Published: February 8, 2022