About
The Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board is happy to announce the third annual Grow It. Show It. Win It. Mississippi Soybean Yield Challenge. Growers from all across the great state of Mississippi will have the opportunity to showcase their outstanding production practices in various soybean yield divisions. The purpose of the Mississippi Soybean Yield Challenge is to recognize and reward the top soybean growers in Mississippi and to pass along production information from the contest to soybean producers across Mississippi.
Entry deadline is August 1, 2024.
The Grow It. Show It. Win It. Mississippi Soybean Yield Challenge is funded and administered by the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB).
How to Apply
Submit the following forms in one of the following ways: mailing to 3103 Bethel Road Starkville, MS 39759, scanning and emailing to dennisr@bellsouth.net, OR completing online via PDF Filler.
Entry form – Deadline: August 1, 2024
Complete the Entry Form in one of the two ways listed below:
Summary of Production Practices Form – Deadline: November 1, 2024
Complete the Summary of Production Practices Form in one of the two ways listed below:
Certification of Yields Form – Deadline: November 1, 2024
Complete the Certification of Yields Form in one of the two ways listed below:
Yield Challenge Details
Divisions
- Delta Region - Irrigated
- Delta Region - Non-irrigated
- Non-Delta Region - Irrigated
- Non-Delta Region - Non-irrigated
Irrigated: Use of any mechanical or man-made system that allows for watering of crops outside of natural rainfall.
Non-irrigated: Will use no artificial means of irrigating (i.e. diverting rainwater from ditches or streams)
Awards
- 1st Place winners in each division will receive $7,500
- 2nd Place winners in each division will receive $5,000
- 3rd Place winners in each division will receive $2,500
All growers entered in the Yield Challenge are asked to submit a Certification of Yield and complete the Production Practices forms. Any growers who submit the required forms and do not place in their division will be awarded $100 for entering and have their names placed in a drawing for $1,000.
Eligibility
- Each contestant submitting a soybean yield challenge entry form must be at least 18 years of age on or before August 1, 2024, must be actively engaged in the day-to-day operations of the soybean entry field, and a certified FSA/operator of the submitted entry field. Grower must attach a copy of FSA Form 578 when submitting the Production Practices form by the November 1, 2024 deadline.
- Contestants must complete Entry Form, Summary of Production Practices Form, and Certification of Yields Form to be eligible for cash awards. Summary of Production Practices and Certification of Yields Forms will be completed after the entry form and can be located at mssoy.org/yield-challenge.
- Prize winners agree to allow the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB) to use field data and production practice information and to appear in person in promotional and educational activities.
- Contestants agree to release a full description of management practices, including but not limited to, fertility, crop protection products, and irrigation practices used on the contest field. Contestants may be contacted for a winner interview and photo.
- Current directors of the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board and Mississippi State University personnel are not eligible to enter the contest.
Field Criteria
- Contest field must be located within the land boundaries of the state of Mississippi.
- Contest field must be owned or operated by the contestants and easily accessible by a Yield Contest Official (YCO). An YCO includes a Mississippi State University Extension Service County Agent, Area or Regional Extension Specialist, or Mississippi State University Extension Specialist.
- A grower may enter only one field per division per year; however, growers can enter multiple divisions if applicable to their operation.
- Harvest area must consist of 4 straight sides and harvest area must have 4 right angles forming a square or rectangle. One header pass removed on each end and one pass along each side must be removed before starting a supervised harvest. Measure each pass through the field. Reference Certification of Yield Worksheet.
- Harvest area must consist of a minimum of 5 contiguous acres and a maximum of 10 contiguous acres.
- Field must have been planted to soybeans at least one of the last 4 production years prior to 2024 and contestant must have paid the appropriate checkoff assessment on soybeans.
Yield Contest Rules:
- Harvested soybeans must meet minimum Federal Grain Quality Standards.
- State certified scales including on-farm state certified scales and certified moisture testers must be used for all weighing and measuring processes. Original weigh ticket (no photocopies) must be attached to the Harvest Information Form. Weigh ticket must depict percent moisture and initialed by the YCO.
- If mailed, then entry forms must be postmarked by August 1, 2024. All incomplete forms will be returned.
- Contestants are officially entered only after the Entry Form has been received and processed by the MSPB.
- Contest field location must be submitted to YCO 7 days prior to harvest. YCO and contestant will establish and designate the boundaries of the contest field prior to harvest.
- All YCO’s and the contestant will sign the Harvest Report and attest and certify the following: harvested area, percent moisture to nearest tenth percent (00.0%), yield in pounds and final yield (adjusted to 13% moisture on a per acre basis) with 4 decimal points (0.0000). Yield Certification Forms must be submitted by the YCO within 14 days of harvest. Forms must be emailed to dennisr@bellsouth.net or postmarked by November 1, 2024 and mailed to MSPB C/O Dennis Reginelli 3103 Bethel Road Starkville, MS 39759.
- No yield information will be released to the media unless verified by MSPB.
- No experimental varieties are allowed. Variety selected must be commercially available and be listed in the company’s sales literature for Mississippi.
- All contestants must follow labeled directions on crop protections products. The number of applications and rates must be in accordance with the label directions.
- Contest officials may require proof of previous planted crops (FSA, Crop insurance records, etc.) from entered producers.
For more information or questions, please contact MSPB Executive Director, Dr. Dennis Reginelli at 662-418-4480 or dennisr@bellsouth.net.
2023 Results
We want to commend all of the entrants and congratulate the winners for the 2023 Grow It. Show It. Win It. Mississippi Soybean Yield Challenge! We appreciate the participation of all the producers entered in the contest and the sharing of their production methods and management practices with the rest of the Mississippi soybean industry. Learn more about our winners by reading the full report on the 2023 Results and Production Information Summary.
Delta Irrigated Division
- Adron Belk, Sunflower County | 95.3463
- Rob Baker, Washington County | 94.2196
- Bubba Deloach, Leflore County | 92.7240
Delta Non-Irrigated Division
- Lawanda Morris, Bolivar County | 69.1279
- Collins Fyfe, Tunica County | 69.0464
- Matt Williamson, Sunflower County | 62.5146
Non-Delta Irrigated Division
- Rodney McGill, Noxubee County | 97.9898
- Philip Good, Noxubee County | 93.7998
- Brandon Litwiller, Monroe County | 93.7199
Non-Delta Non-Irrigated Division
- Philip Wedel, Noxubee County | 88.9246
- Sheldon Litwiller, Monroe County | 86.3227
- Rodney McGill, Noxubee County | 82.7000
Past Yield Challenges
The Grow It. Show It. Win It. Mississippi Soybean Yield Challenge is funded and administered by the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board (MSPB).