Croplink

Sorghum, the red-berried, lesser-known cousin of corn, is picking up fans across the country.

Most recently, a Pennsylvania grower, Ella Johnston, Fulton County, set a new U.S. record for dryland sorghum production with a field that hit 245.86 bushels per acre (bpa) in the National Sorghum Producers 2020 Sorghum Yield Contest. Johnston planted Pioneer variety 84G62, which netted the contest's Bin Buster award.

The Sorghum Yield Contest, now in its 35th year, recognizes seven categories of national winners, broken down by region, tillage, irrigation and sorghum type. Here are the first-place winners from each category:

> Dryland No-Till East: 245.86 bpa, Ella Johnston, Fulton County, Pennsylvania, Pioneer variety 84G62

> Dryland No-Till West: 186.84 bpa, Jerry and Sue Long, Long Farms, Washington County, Kansas, Pioneer variety 84G62

> Dryland Tillage East: 203.94 bpa, Santino Santini Jr., Warren County, New Jersey, Pioneer variety 84G62

> Dryland Tillage West: 205.32 bpa, David Knoll, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, Pioneer variety 89Y79

> Irrigated East: 200.71 bpa, Jeffrey Barlieb, Warren County, New Jersey, Pioneer variety 84G62

> Irrigated West: 223.51 bpa, Kimberly Gamble, Kiowa County, Kansas, Pioneer variety 84G62

> Food Grade: 189.10 bpa, Stephanie Santini, Warren County, New Jersey, Sorghum Partners variety SP 33S40

To see a full list of national, state and county winners, visit the 2020 yield contest results at bit.ly/3rlvT8i.

> Follow the latest from Pamela Smith, Crops Technology Editor, by visiting the Production Blogs at dtnpf.com or following her on Twitter @PamSmithDTN.

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