High corn yields are often associated with specialist contest plots and stacked-trait seed. Georgia brothers James and Jonathan Hitchcock took a different route: non-GMO corn grown under the same management approach they apply across their commercial acres.
Yield built on measurement and timing
In the 2021 National Corn Growers Association contest, Jonathan submitted a no-till irrigated yield of 324.95 bushels an acre, the highest submitted from Georgia, while James recorded 306.15. Their broader results were also strong, with yellow corn averaging 271 bushels an acre against a reported state average of 182.
The system relies on 2.5-acre grid soil sampling, variable applications of lime and potash, poultry litter, frequent tissue tests, irrigation moisture sensors and nutrients delivered through fertigation. The brothers emphasise that the contest acres receive the same treatment as the rest of the crop; the value lies in learning what can work commercially, not creating a one-off show plot.
Non-GMO is a market decision as well as an agronomic one
The farm grows both yellow and white non-GMO corn for premium markets. That premium can improve the economics, but it also changes weed management: residual chemistry and timely applications are important because the crop cannot rely on a glyphosate-tolerant trait.
Their experience is a farm case study, not a universal recipe. The numbers reflect irrigated Georgia conditions, strong management and a particular market opportunity. The practical takeaway is the way production data, market choice and return on investment are considered together.
Read the original report: Farm Progress.