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New bermuda yield record set, twice!
Arkansas
Two Benton County producers in the University of Arkansas-sponsored Quality Forage program, using different varieties and farming across the county from each other, share the new state yield record for non-irrigated bermudagrass hay.
Larry Miser and Jim Singleton were honored at the Quality Forage Awards program held recently in Decatur after each produced 10.5 tons of hay per acre. Miser used Vaughn's No. 1 variety, which he established on his farm near Pea Ridge in northeast Benton County in 2000. Singleton hit the mark with the Midland-99 variety established in 2001 on his farm near Maysville, not far from the Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas borders.
Singleton had set a previous record in 2003 of 9.4 tons per acre.
Both varieties have consistently produced forage yields of 12 tons on Benton County extension demonstration sites, exceeding the yield of the more popular Greenfield variety by 30 percent.
A number of producers involved in the Quality Forage program have documented
Greenfield yields ranging from 7.5 to 8.25 tons per acre. The math indicated that 10 tons of hay from either the Midland-99 or Vaughn's No. 1 variety was possible with a producer's fine-tuned management.
The potential to increase yields by 30 percent under the same fertilizer investment has caused many producers to take notice. Until recently it didn't matter how varieties performed at small demonstration sites if producers weren't willing to grow them under intensively managed field conditions.
What's next? If the weather cooperates in 2005, Miser and Singleton both agree that Midland-99 and Vaughn's No. 1 have additional genetic potential to tweak. However, both will be looking over their shoulder throughout the year. It's a natural obligation of other bermudagrass producers to try to relieve Miser and Singleton of their "highest yield" titles.
Date: 1/27/05
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