Two local farmers recently won several awards in the 2005 National Corn Growers' Association's (NCGA) Corn Yield Contest in Oklahoma.

Steve Sloan and his mother, Phyllis Sloan, of Sloan Farms Inc. in Gore won the awards. Steve Sloan won first place in the "A Ridge Till Non-irrigated division" with Pioneer brand hybrid 31G66, which yielded 148.6 bushels per acre. Phyllis Sloan won second place in the "A No Till/Strip Till Non-irrigated division" with Pioneer brand hybrid 34K78, which yielded 146.9 bushels per acre.

The NCGA corn yield contest is an annual competition among corn producers with the goal of producing the highest yields. In the contest, growers compete within a broad range of corn production classes.

Steve Sloan planted his winning entry on March 16, 2005, in fields grown to corn in 2004. He planted the crop into 30-inch rows using a John Deere 1700 eight-row planter at a rate of 26,000 seeds per acre. He harvested the winning plot on Sept. 10.

Phyllis Sloan planted the winning entry on March 10, 2005, in fields grown to soybeans in 2004. She planted the crop into 30-inch rows using a John Deere 1700 eight-row planter at a rate of 24,000 seeds per acre. She harvested the winning plot on Sept. 2.

The Sloans earned two of the 342 state titles won by growers planting Pioneer hybrids. The NCGA awarded 539 state and national titles in this year's contest. Growers planting Pioneer hybrids dominated the contest and won 68 percent of all awards presented, according to the company.