World Record for Corn, Bushels per Acre

If you live anywhere in the midwest, chances are you have looked out your window and guestimated what the crops in the local fields might yield come harvest time. I do it a lot. There's a problem with that, you can't see the whole field, you can't control how much water the crop is going to receive in the process. The variables are endless. But still, we look and guess. And talk about when we see our farmer friends.

I recently sat down with the man who holds the WORLD RECORD for Bushels Per Acre growing Corn. His name is Dave Hula from Charles City, Virginia. Hula farms on the north bank of the James River in Virginia. The same river Captain John Smith floated his ship on in 1607 I met up with Hula at Ag Ph.D. Field Day on their farm near Baltic, South Dakota. It wasn't the first time I've talked with Hula, and he didn't disappoint. He smiled the whole time!

So, what does it take to get a world record like this? Try 616 bushels per acre.

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Nationwide, the average for dryland corn is a bit under 180 so a number like 616 is pretty incredible.

For those keeping track at home, Hula planted Pioneer 1197 on his 10-acre test plot. 30-inch rows and planted a seed population of 50,000. Normally farmers plant around 30,000 for the population so his ground was planted to produce, but it was the details he paid attention to that made for this incredible number. 

Hula told me, it's really not too hard. Pay attention to details, put your shadow in the field and see what's going on. 

616 per acre. With a hungry world, you can bet that other producers who know about Hula will learn from him and help maximize their yields.