ST. LOUIS (March 1, 2013) – An area corn grower has been honored as a state winner in the 2012 National Corn Yield Contest, sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association .

Loren Lucas of Johnson, Kan. , placed third in the state in the Irrigated Class with a yield of 272.2748 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer P1625HR .

The local grower was one of 421 state winners nationwide. The 2012 contest had 8,263 entries from 46 states. Of the state winners, 18 growers – three from each of six classes – were named national winners, representing 13 states.

The average yield among national winners was 316.3 bushels per acre – greater than the 2012 U.S. average of 122.3 bushels per acre. Nine of the national winners recorded yields of 300 bushels or more per acre.

The winners were recognized March 1 at the 2013 Commodity Classic – the premier convention and trade show of the U.S. corn, soybean, sorghum and wheat industries – held in Kissimmee, Fla.