The National Corn Growers Association’s 2023 yield contest reaped impressive results. For southeast Minnesota grower David Heublein, a total of just seven inches of rain proved not to be the detriment a corn grower might expect. He yielded a whopping 314.93 bushels last growing season despite the drought. In fact, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed Heublein’s area was enduring moderate (D1) to extreme (D2) drought before his corn was harvested on October 11.

The grower credits his high-yielding hybrids and a “knowledgeable and caring” team who helped him make agronomic decisions. Careful planting and harvesting practices, timely fertilizer and fungicide use and moderate temperatures that barely made it above 90 degrees over the summer certainly helped.

Read more on the Minnesota farmer’s winning yield here.