Hiawatha farmer sweeps 2022 soybean yield contest; highest value entry out of Abilene

Another growing season has passed and the 2022 Yield and Value Contests entries paint a picture of the growing conditions measured in regions across the state. A decrease in the average contest yield is indicative of drought pressures and high heat indexes throughout the 2022 summer.

“Even though the growing season created challenges for growers across the state, we were pleased with the steady participation in the contest,” Gail Kueser, KSA yield contest committee member, says. “We had twenty-four entries submitted into the Yield Contest bringing the average yield to 81.04 bushels per acre.”

Ryan Patton of Powercat Land Company in Hiawatha fared well during the season and managed to clinch first place in the irrigated and dryland categories of the yield contest. Those yields reached 98.82 bushels per acre and 94.96 bushels per acre, respectively. Lyle Longenecker, Abilene, won the value contest with a premium of $1.74 over cash value – an increase of 37 cents over the top value in the 2021 contest.

Falling second in the statewide conventional-till irrigated division is Arganbright Farms LLC of Waterville with a yield of 97.86 bushels per acre. Olson Family Farms, Everest, earned third with a 92.20 bushel-per-acre entry.

In the statewide no-till irrigated division, Love and Love Farms of Montezuma came away with a first-place entry of 96.49 bushels per acre. Grimm Farms Inc, Morrill, earned second place with 95.99 bushels per acre and Tony Spexarth, Colwich, came in third with a 90.65 bushel-per-acre entry.

In the north-northeast corner of the state, Powercat Land Company took first in the conventional-till dryland category with the same entry that topped the statewide dryland division, 94.96 bushels per acre. HBJ Farms, White Cloud, earned second with 86.98 bushels per acre. Kyle Jeshke, Highland, came in third with a yield of 86.31 bushels per acre.

In the no-till dryland category of the north-northeast division, Henry Farms, Robinson, submitted the top yield at 86.86 bushels per acre. Johnson Ag, Bendena, took second with a yield of 84.06 bushels per acre.

In northeast Kansas’ no-till dryland division, Bigham Farms of Grantville submitted the winning entry of 68.16 bushels per acre. Phil Halling, Lancaster, earned second in this division with 64.79 bushels per acre.

Brandon Litch of Melvern topped the east central no-till dryland division with a yield entry of 66.74 bushels per acre. Robert Litch, Melvern, earned second at 60.03 bushels per acre.

Rod Watson took first in the southeast conventional-till dryland division with a yield of 61.32 bushels per acre.

In the north central conventional-till dryland division, Rod Stewart of Washington took first with a yield entry of 61.09 bushels per acre.

Ryan Stewart of Washington topped the north central no-till dryland division with an entry of 63.34 bushels per acre.

Aaron Pauly topped the south central conventional-till dryland division with an entry of 62.22 bushels per acre.

Twenty-six individuals across Kansas entered the 2022 value contest. Following the top entry from Lyle Longenecker, Scott Kennedy of Hoxie earned second place in the contest with a sample that was a $1.73 premium over the cash price. Powercat Land Company had the third-place entry at a premium of $1.65. The value contest analyzes a 20-ounce sample for its value-added qualities and calculates a value.

The Kansas Soybean Commission provides monetary awards to finalists each year. The highest dryland and irrigated yields in the state each receive a $1,000 award. In each district and the value contest, first place receives $300, second receives $200, and third receives $100. New to the prizes this year, first-place entrants also earned a trip to Commodity Classic in March.

Winners received recognition at the 2023 Kansas Soybean Expo January 11. Full results and production practices are listed in the official contest document at www.kansassoybeans.org/contests.