Sorghum Yield and Management Contest Accepting Entries

Grain sorghum is a relatively new crop to the Carolinas, and National Sorghum Producers is pleased to have entries from the southeast in their yield and management contest. Tim Lust, CEO of National Sorghum Producers:

“For a number of years we have had a yield and management contest, and our contest is a little different than some of the other commodities in the fact that our growers compete against averages and historical averages. High yields are still very important to win, but how you compete compared to historical numbers for the area is also very important in our contest. The contest remains open through the 20th of November.”

There are two different ways to enter the yield and management contest explains Lust:

“We have either a 30 day process where growers that enter under a traditional entry need to do so thirty days before harvest. We also have an express entry, that you have to enter ten days before harvest. That is one of the things that we have done by popular demand from growers to allow them to move forward at a little faster time period if they have a field that looks like its going to be a good field.”

With widespread sorghum production so new to the Carolina’s, Lust explains how those county by county averages are handled:
 

“If there are not any county averages we revert back to some national averages in order to calculate that. Specifically in the Carolina’s we have a good number of entries that have already come in and we are looking forward to a lot more. They do compete first on their county level and then on the state level. Finally from a national level.”

Lust recalls that South Carolina has had several yield and management contest winners in the past:
 

“We have had a number of winners from SC over the years. Its one of those situations where there is very good ground in certain areas and mother nature has blessed them with moisture and I’m sure there are some good fields out there. The process to enter isn’t very labor intense and provides them some good opportunity to highlight what they have been able to do.”

Lust explains the entry fee:
 

“You have to be a current member, and most of our seed companies are willing to pick up that cost. So it depends a little on what variety they are growing.”

To learn more about the Grain Sorghum Yield and Management contest visit www.sorghumgrowers.com .
 

Tim Lust, CEO of National Sorghum Producers.