PRINCETON, Ky. — The Kentucky Soybean Board honored its yield and quality contest winners at the Kentucky Commodity Conference on Jan. 19. Dennis McKay Farm of Daviess County had the top full-season entry in the state, with 112.18 bushels per acre, setting a new state soybean yield record.
To commemorate this accomplishment, the Kentucky Soybean Board presented Dennis McKay Farm with two “100 Bushel Club” jackets, personalized with their farm name and crop year in addition to the standard trophies and prize money. Second in irrigated full-season beans was O’Bryan Grain Farms of Daviess County with 96.07 bushels/acre.
In non-irrigated full-season soybeans, MW Thomas Farms of Hardin County took top honors with 100.73 bushels/acre. O’Bryan Grain Farms of Daviess County came in a close second with 100.15 bushels/acre. Both operations received the coveted 100-Bushel Club jackets.
In double-crop soybeans, Ken-Maur Farms of Daviess County won the Irrigated Division with 71.65 bushels per acre, followed closely by Dixon Farms of Graves County with 71.63. The Goetz Brothers were in the winner’s circle again for Non-Irrigated double-crop soybeans with 73.72 bushels/acre, followed by MW Thomas Farms of Hardin County with 73.37 bushels/acre bushels per acre. Double-crop beans are sown into the stubble of winter wheat, which is harvested in the spring. This process gets its name because the farmer gets a “double crop” from the field, as opposed to full-season soybeans, which yield only one crop per year.
District yield contest winners include Andrew Bullock of Muhlenberg County, Greenwell Acres of Union County, Western Kentucky University in Warren County, and Peterson Farms of Marion County. For complete yield and quality contest information, visit www.kysoy.org.
In the 2022 soybean quality contest, Meredith Farms of Henderson County had the highest percent oil again with 21.46 percent, while second place in oil went to PPJ Thompson Farms of Daviess County with 21.25 percent. In protein, Andrew Bullock Farms had the highest percent at 35.46 percent, while Beanland Farms of Daviess County took second with 35.13 percent.
These contests would not be possible without the county contest supervisors. Michael Mullican was recognized as the supervisor with the state championship entry and the supervisor with the top three average yield, while Clint Hardy was the supervisor with the most entries submitted. Troy Muse, Jessica Buchman James, and Brett Mitchell each had three or more entries.
The Kentucky Commodity Conference is the annual meeting of soybean, corn and small grain growers in the state. The Kentucky Soybean Yield and Quality Contest is sponsored by the Kentucky Soybean Association, the Kentucky Soybean Board and the University of Kentucky with support from Owensboro Grain, AgriGold, Pioneer, FMC, DeKalb/ASGROW, Beck’s Hybrids, CGB, and Channel.
— Kentucky Soybean Board