‘Most Crop per Drop’ winners introduced

In terms of the annual Arkansas Irrigation Yield Contest, much less means extra.

The annual College of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture program — known as “Most Crop per Drop” — promotes the usage of irrigation administration practices and rewards growers who exhibit the very best water use effectivity in corn, rice and soybean manufacturing.

Winners had been introduced throughout the thirty fourth annual Arkansas Water and Soil Schooling Convention not too long ago held in Jonesboro. This 12 months’s high winners share one thing in frequent. They’ve all beforehand gained high honors in one other crop class. This 12 months, the highest three finishers in every crop class every acquired greater than $20,000 in money and prizes from business sponsors.

“The competition is a chance for farmers to discover their particular person aptitude to cut back vitality, water use, labor and enhance profitability,” mentioned Chris Henry, affiliate professor and water administration engineer for the Division of Agriculture.

Final 12 months, 29 producers from 16 counties all through the Arkansas Delta competed. Two of the growers entered a number of crops and fields. Every producer — apart from flooded rice entries — used not less than one irrigation administration software akin to computerized hole-selection, multiple-inlet rice irrigation, soil moisture sensors or surge irrigation.

Jefferson County producer Chad Render has competed 4 years. On his first attempt, he didn’t place. The next 12 months he gained the corn class after utilizing Delta Plastics’ Pipe Planner program, watermark sensors and canopy crops, all of which assist in conservation efforts. Final 12 months, he gained the soybean class, and this 12 months he took high honors within the furrow rice class. He’s additionally the general winner within the rice division.

“Chad has turn out to be comfy with managing his water and never overwatering,” mentioned Russ Parker, a program affiliate based mostly on the Rice Analysis and Extension Heart, a part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. “He’s very concerned personally in scheduling the irrigation of his fields.”

Mississippi County producer Cody Fincher, who farms in Dyess, beforehand gained first place in rice final 12 months, and is that this 12 months’s soybean winner. He achieved a water use effectivity of 4.25 bushels per inch – the very best water use effectivity for the reason that contest started 5 years in the past.

Newcomers Rieves Wallace and his father, John Wallace, of Crittenden County positioned in three crop classes, second place in row rice and soybean, and third place in flooded rice.

The primary-place winners in corn and soybean acquired $8,000 every; second-place winners, $3,000; and third-place winners, $1,000. The general rice winner acquired $2,000 and a Ricetec seed credit score value $11,000.

Here’s a record of all winners:

Corn Winners

1st place — James Wray, 12.43 bushels/inch, Poinsett County
2nd place — Heath Donner, 7.23 bushels/inch, Mississippi County
third place — Terry Smith, 6.11 bushels/inch, Greene County

Soybean winners

1st place — Cody Fincher, 4.25 bushels/inch, Mississippi County
2nd place — Rieves Wallace and John Wallace, 3.65 bushels/inch, Crittenden County
third place — Karl Garner, 3.57 bushels/inch, Cross County

Flooded Rice Winners

1st place — Karl Garner, 7.66 bushels/inch, Cross County
2nd place — Mark Felker, 6.56 bushels/inch, Crittenden County
third place — Rieves Wallace and John Wallace, 4.57 bushels/inch, Crittenden County

Furrow Rice Winners

1st place — Chad Render, 7.94 bushels/inch, Jefferson County
2nd place — Rieves and John Wallace, 6.38 bushels/inch, Crittenden County
third place — Matt Morris, 6.22 bushels/inch, Lonoke County.