No-tillers and strip-tillers once again had a positive showing as the national winners were identified in the National Corn Growers Association’s 2012 National Corn Yield Contest.

Tops in the no-till/strip-till non-irrigated category for A-level corn-growing states was Craig Hula, Charles City, Va., with a yield of 308.9 bushels an acre. David Wolfskill of Wenersville, Pa., finished second with 307.3 bushels, and Mike Pikarski of Mooreton, N.D. was third with 294.7 bushels.

In the AA-level corn-growing states, Robert Little of Hebron, Ind., won the no-till/strip-till non-irrigated category with 297.1 bushels. David Oberbroeckling of Davenport, Iowa, was second with 284.4 bushels, and Ridge View Farms in Clyde, Ohio, finished third with 284.3 bushels.

In the no-till/strip-till irrigated category, David Hula of Charles City, Va., won first place with 384.3 bushels an acre, followed by Harold Rother farms of Arapahoe, Col., with 324 bushels, and Kip Cullers of Purdy, Mo., with 322.7 bushels.

Class AA categories include the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Class A categories include all other states.

The National Corn Yield Contest is in its 48th year. Despite a severe drought that plagued most of the Corn Belt, entrants continued to far surpass the national average corn yield, even doubling it in some circumstances.

The 18 winners in six production categories had verified yields averaging more than 316.3222 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 122.3 bushels per acre in 2012.

Notably, while the national average declined significantly from a projection of 146.7 bushels per acre at this time in 2011, the contest average rose by more than three bushels per acre. While there is no overall contest winner, yields from first, second and third place farmers overall production categories topped out at 384.3609.