Texas producers recognized in National Wheat Yield Contest
Two Texas wheat producers were recognized as national winners in the National Wheat Yield Contest, earning top honors in the dryland winter wheat category.
Shawn Kimbrell, pictured with his wife, was recognized at the National Wheat Foundation reception at Commodity Classic. Royce O’Neal was unable to attend the event. (Courtesy photo.)
Shawn Kimbrell, of Sunray, and Royce O’Neal, of White Deer, were honored during the National Wheat Foundation reception at Commodity Classic on Feb. 24.
Kimbrell earned first place in the percentage over county average category with a yield of 70.04 bushels per acre, or 448% above the Moore County average. He planted WestBred WB4595 and credited variety selection and management practices for the result.
Kimbrell uses a no-till system and crop rotation, dividing his acreage among dryland wheat, dryland cotton and fallow ground to conserve moisture. He emphasized the importance of allowing fields to rest to retain limited rainfall.
“Don’t plant fence to fence. Lay out ground,” Kimbrell said. “During that resting time, we’ve learned that the moisture, what little moisture we get, is stored.”
He also manages inputs by timing fertilizer applications with forecasted precipitation and has experimented with drone technology for weed control, including treating mustard in the contest field.
O’Neal placed third in the same category with a yield of 89.14 bushels per acre, or 220% above the Carson County average. He planted WestBred WB4792 and credited variety selection, certified seed and timely fungicide applications.
In addition to his yield result, O’Neal was recognized as a top quality winner in the hard red winter wheat category.
O’Neal said the contest provides an opportunity for growers to exchange management practices and learn from one another.
“It’s a good program to be a part of because you can learn more about what other people are doing, and other people can learn from what you’re doing,” he said.
Ben Scholz, secretary/treasurer of the National Wheat Foundation, said the contest highlights growers working to improve production in their regions.
Now in its 10th year, the National Wheat Yield Contest is hosted by the National Wheat Foundation, a nonprofit affiliated with the National Association of Wheat Growers. The contest includes winter and spring wheat categories, with divisions for dryland and irrigated production.
Entries are evaluated for both yield and grain quality, including protein and test weight, and must meet quality standards to qualify for awards.
