LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and the Arkansas Soybean Association are pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Contest. The winners were announced at the annual meeting on Feb. 6. The contest divides state soybean producers into nine groups, seven geographic regions, one all-state conventional (non-GMO) category, and a Champions category consisting of all previous 100-bushel winners. Cash prizes were awarded to the top three in each division achieving a minimum of 60 Bu/A with the exception of the Champions.
We want to commend all of the 79 soybean producers who entered the 2023 Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Contest, and we are proud to announce that two of these producers reached and exceeded the 100 bushel/acre milestone in 2023. The Race for 100 Yield Contest began in 2007, and in 2013, the first three producers reached the goal. The newest members of the 100-bushel club are Jeff Wells and Mark Williams. Over the years the average yield of those who enter the contest has increased. In 2023, almost half of those reporting harvest yields were over 90 bushels per acre.
“I continue to be genuinely impressed by the incredibly high-achieving performance that our soybean producers manage to accomplish year after year. This year is no exception,” said Derek Helms, a farmer from Clark County and Arkansas Soybean Association president. “This contest not only helps our mission to improve the agronomic practices of producers in Arkansas, it also serves as a platform to showcase the innovation and industry leadership consistently demonstrated by our producers across the state.”
Congratulations to the following winners of the 2023 Grow for the Green Soybean Yield Contest. We appreciate the participation of all the producers who entered the contest and the sharing of their production methods and management practices with the rest of the Arkansas soybean industry.
| Division | Producer | Variety | Final yield (bu/ac) |
| Northeast Delta | Jeff Wells | Pioneer 47A64X | 102.424 |
| Casey Hook | Agrigold 4094XF | 96.094 | |
| Roger Reddick | Pioneer 48A60X | 94.332 | |
| Northeast | Mark Williams | AG 46X6 | 101.611 |
| Adam Fisher | Pioneer 42A84E | 94.635 | |
| Nick Ragsdell | Asgrow 47XF2 | 91.136 | |
| White River Basin | Richard Walker | Pioneer 45A40LX | 93.011 |
| Isaac Davis | Becks 4885 | 81.573 | |
| Terry Fuller | Pioneer 45A40LX | 81.289 | |
| Central/Grand Prairie | David Strohl | Asgrow 47FX2 | 96.282 |
| Taylor Burdett | Pioneer 47A64 | 93.224 | |
| East Central Delta | Allen Culp | Asgrow 48X9 | 99.365 |
| Blake Culp | Asgrow 48X9 | 95.928 | |
| Parker Rohrscheib | Asgrow 48FX0 | 90.614 | |
| Southeast Delta | John Allen McGraw | LS 4795XS | 85.521 |
| Western | Blake Mans | Pioneer P48A14E | 92.256 |
| Ronnie Cross | Agrigold 4707 | 86.333 | |
| Justin Crow | Pioneer P48A14E | 82.277 | |
| Conventional | Dennis Stephens | Virtue 4520 | 87.153 |
| Riley Stephens | Virtue 4520 | 82.585 | |
| Champions Group | Tim Fisher | Pioneer 42A84E | 102.090 |
The Grow for the Green Yield Soybean Yield Challenge is funded by the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board using producer checkoff funds. The contests are administered by the Arkansas Soybean Association in cooperation with the University of Arkansas System Division Of Agriculture. Many thanks to the county extension staff and independent consultants who help producers achieve these yields and serve as harvest judges. Complete contest harvest information is available on the websites of the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board and the Arkansas Soybean Association.
For additional information on the soybean yield contests in Arkansas, please contact the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board (www.themiraclebean.com) or the Arkansas Soybean Association at 501-666-1418 or swsoy@aristotle.net. Information will also be available on both websites www.arkansassoybean.com and www.themiraclebean.com.
