In the 2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest, growers from across the United States demonstrated the crop’s versatility and performance across a range of growing conditions. Discover the management strategies and decisions that helped these producers achieve top yields and earn national recognition in this year’s contest.

Chris Santini earned the 2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest Bin Buster Award with an irrigated yield of 239.93 bushels per acre with Pioneer 85P58.  On the Santini farm, sorghum is grown as part of a rotation that also includes corn and soybeans across approximately 1,600 acres in northwest New Jersey.

“Our main market here is birdseed,” Santini said. “We have a large birdseed market, so that’s where most of our sorghum goes.”

Local wildlife activity also plays a role in how the crop is used in the area. With a strong pheasant hunting community nearby, sorghum fields are sometimes valued as cover for birds, making the crop beneficial beyond its grain value.

The Santinis typically aim to plant sorghum between May 10 and May 20 when conditions are favorable. The crop is planted in 15-inch rows, with seeding rates ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 seeds per acre depending on field conditions.

Ahead of planting, Santini applies approximately two tons of poultry manure per acre to provide base fertility. Additional nutrients are supplied during the growing season, including roughly 100 units of nitrogen to support crop development.

Disease protection is also an important component of the Santinis’ management program. Fungicides are often applied once or twice during the season to help maintain plant health and protect yield potential.

“A lot of people don’t believe in fungicide, but I definitely think you need to apply it at least once or twice,” Santini said.

Weather conditions during the 2025 growing season included periods of heat and drier conditions than usual. However, timely rainfall helped the crop continue developing during key growth stages. Santini believes sorghum adapts well to the region’s environment. Advances in sorghum genetics have also contributed to improved performance over time.

“It seems like it’s doing better and better with the newer varieties coming out from the seed companies,” Santini said.

Although the Santinis have entered the yield contest for at least 15 years, predicting sorghum yields can still be challenging.

“They looked great going into harvest,” Santini said. “But it’s always hard to look at a sorghum crop and know what it’s going to yield.”

Winning the Bin Buster Award represents both recognition and validation of the Santinis’ long-term management approach.

“It’s an honor,” Santini said.

For growers hoping to improve their sorghum yields, Santini emphasizes careful preparation and attention to detail.

“Prepare the ground right and make sure the planter is set correctly,” Santini said. “Getting the seed spacing right and managing disease can make a big difference.”

Berks County, Pennsylvania, producer Jon Stutzman received first place in the 2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest with a yield of 211.5 bushels per acre. Stutzman planted Pioneer 85P58 on May 25 in 15-inch rows at a seeding rate targeting 100,000 plants per acre, though final stands were closer to 110,000. 

While sorghum is a newer addition to Stutzman’s 160 acre eastern Pennsylvania farm, he said strong local markets and a favorable basis in the region made it an appealing option. 

Stutzman applied two tons of pullet manure in early winter over a growing wheat cover crop to build fertility ahead of the season. In the spring, he broadcast about 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre prior to planting and followed with a sidedress application as needed in early July.

Operating in a no-till system, weed management started with a Roundup burndown before planting. He then applied a pre-emergence herbicide program of Bicep plus Sharpen, followed later in the season with a Huskie FX application to control broadleaf weeds.

Stutzman also applied a fungicide at early heading to help manage anthracnose pressure, which is common in his area. He said the application likely played a role in the crop’s final performance.

“We’re in an area with a lot of anthracnose pressure,” he said. “There’s probably no fungicide that’s great on it, but they definitely help. I don’t think we would have had the same results without it.”

The growing season brought fairly dry conditions, and the farm does not use irrigation. However, Stutzman said the crop benefited from timely rains and adequate heat units, which helped the sorghum develop despite the dry weather.

Bird damage remains a challenge in the region, with some localized areas experiencing heavier losses, though most of the field performed well.

Stutzman credits long-term soil health improvements as a major factor behind the strong yield. After nearly two decades of using cover crops and no-till practices, he believes his soils are better able to capture and retain moisture during dry periods.

“It just validates what we’ve been trying to do with improving our soils,” he said. “I’m not just trying to win a contest. I want to grow high yields.”

Jeffery Barlieb, a producer from Warren County, New Jersey, achieved a strong performance in the 2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest, recording a yield of 226.73 bushels per acre with Pioneer 85P58.

Barlieb farms approximately 2,500 acres in northwest New Jersey, producing corn, soybeans, sorghum, hay and rye straw. Sorghum has been a consistent part of his crop rotation for more than 15 years, and he said the crop has proven to be a reliable performer on his operation.

“We’ve had great luck almost every year that we’ve been planting and harvesting sorghum,” Barlieb said.

For his contest entry, Barlieb planted Pioneer 85P58 on May 18 in 15-inch rows at a population of 120,000 seeds per acre, following soybeans the previous season. He noted the hybrid’s consistent performance and the company’s support as key reasons for its continued use on the farm.

“We like how much Pioneer stands behind their product, and it’s always done really well for us,” he said.

To support crop establishment and fertility, Barlieb applies poultry manure in the spring and uses biologicals and starter fertilizers at planting. Throughout the growing season, the crop received two fungicide applications to help protect plant health, along with a Bicep II Magnum herbicide program for weed control.

The 2025 growing season brought challenging conditions, including one of the hottest summers in recent years and a relatively dry start. However, timely rainfall later in the season helped sustain the crop through key developmental stages.

“It was probably one of the hottest summers we’ve had consistently in a while,” Barlieb said. “We had a semi-dry beginning, but a lot of consistent moisture fell when needed.”

Barlieb attributes much of his success to long-term soil management and continuous improvement across his fields.

“Starting from the ground up is what makes things successful,” he said. “Preparing the soil year after year and finding the right herbicides, pesticides and fungicide program has been very beneficial. The poultry litter we spread to help build the soil is also a big part of that.”

He also emphasized the importance of experience and trusted advisors in making management decisions.

“We rely on our agronomy team and results from the past to make key contributing factors,” Barlieb said. “But in the end, Mother Nature is the boss.”

The crop maintained a strong, consistent appearance throughout the season, and Barlieb reported no significant challenges during harvest.

Winning in his category is both meaningful and motivating as he looks ahead to future seasons.

“It obviously means a lot,” he said. “We’re always looking for ways to make things even better and hope for another great growing season to come.”

Ki Gamble of Gamble Farms GP in Kiowa County, Kansas, earned national recognition in the 2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest with a yield of 199.14 bushels per acre. Gamble planted Pioneer 85Y88 on June 22 at a population of 31,000 on an operation that spans more than 10,000 acres. The field followed three years of wheat, which Gamble said helped create a thick mulch layer ahead of sorghum planting.

Gamble said long-term residue management played a major role in the field’s performance.

“No-till and strip-till practices, along with multiple years of wheat, built a tremendous mulch on the ground to conserve moisture,” Gamble said.

A strong herbicide program also contributed to the field’s success, including a quart of Lexar 30 days before planting, followed by two quarts of Lexar, or two quarts of a full pre-emerge program.

While the field delivered an impressive yield, Gamble said the season brought challenges that ultimately limited the crop’s full potential.

“We had over 40 inches of rain, and the crop was not what it could have been,” Gamble said.

He added that cooler weather also played a role.

“I really believe we were limited by the rainfall and the cooler weather,” Gamble said.

Looking ahead, Gamble said his operation is focused on maintaining efficiency while managing input costs in a tight farm economy.

“We’re going to cut our fertility by about 25% this year,” Gamble said. “We already have a strong program in place, and we want to conserve some dollars in this tough farm economy.”

Even with those challenges, Gamble said long-term success comes down to discipline and attention to detail.

“I’m a perfectionist by trade,” Gamble said. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to win the yield contest year after year. It comes down to consistency, paying attention to the smallest details and trying to do everything exactly right.”

Kenny Rathjen of Cimarron County, Oklahoma, achieved a yield of 237.15 bushels per acre in the 2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest with Pioneer 85P75. The field followed wheat stubble and was planted in 30-inch rows.

Rathjen said crop rotation is a key part of the operation.

“We have corn, wheat and sorghum,” Rathjen said. “Sorghum does really well on a little bit less water.”

Rathjen added that hybrid selection has remained consistent over time.

“That’s about the only hybrid we use,” Rathjen said. “It’s done well for us in the past five or six years. It’s just done really well.”

Fertility and planting practices also contributed to the field’s performance.

“We strip-tilled it and put 30 gallons of 28-0-0-5 down with the strip-till, then planted it,” Rathjen said. “We used 15 gallons of 10-34, with two to three gallons in-furrow and the rest off the back of the planter.”

Weather conditions during the season required some adjustments, particularly with nutrient application.

“We got more rain than we were expecting, so we had to fertigate through the sprinkler instead of side-dressing,” Rathjen said.

Weed pressure was minimal due to the wheat stubble, allowing for a simple management approach.

“We didn’t have many weeds because it was in stubble,” Rathjen said. “We sprayed it one time with a little bit of dicamba.”

Despite strong management practices, Rathjen said there were moments of uncertainty during the growing season.

“I was kind of worried because heads just weren’t popping out,” Rathjen said.

He added that cooler conditions may have played a role.

“Sorghum likes heat, and last year we only had about two days at 100 degrees, which is very uncommon,” Rathjen said.

Even so, the season ultimately delivered strong results.

“We try to grow good crops, and last year was an unbelievable year,” Rathjen said.

Rod Stewart of Stewart Family Farms LLC in Washington County, Kansas, achieved a top yield of -_____in the 2025 National Sorghum Producers Yield Contest with Pioneer 84G62. The field was planted May 20 following soybeans as part of a three-crop rotation that includes corn, soybeans and grain sorghum.

Stewart said that rotation plays an important role in the operation’s success.

“We raise corn, soybeans and grain sorghum, so we just have a three-way rotation that we run,” Stewart said.

The contest field was planted in 15-inch rows at a population of 91,000 seeds per acre, a decision Stewart said helps maximize efficiency in both moisture conservation and weed control.

“We use 15-inch rows, and our population was 91,000 seeds per acre,” Stewart said. “That helps shade the ground, conserve moisture and reduce weed pressure.”

Fertility management also played a key role, with a system tailored to each field’s needs.

“We run anhydrous for the nitrogen and then use two different fertilizer products with our planter, one in-furrow and one out the back,” he said. “We base that on what the soil tests show that we need for the field.”

Stewart said favorable weather conditions throughout the growing season helped the crop reach its full potential.

“We had some timely rain starting about the first of July,” Stewart said. “We didn’t get excess moisture, but the rains came when we needed them, so the plants never really suffered. We never really saw any environmental stress.”

In addition to weather, Stewart said adjustments to the fertility program helped push the crop to a higher yield.

“We made some adjustments to our fertility program with our planter,” Stewart said. “I like to think that helped put the top end on it to achieve that extra high yield.”

The win marks back-to-back success for Stewart and his family, something he said reflects their ongoing commitment to improvement.

“It means a lot to us. This is the second year in a row that we’ve won that category,” Stewart said. “It lets us know we’re doing something right, but we’re always trying to achieve the highest yield we can.”

That mindset carries into how the operation approaches each season.

“Don’t be afraid to plan for a good crop,” Stewart said. “If you’re going to plan for a failure, you might as well stay home. We do everything we can to shoot for the maximum yield, and Mother Nature will determine a lot of it, but if you don’t have the plants and fertility program in place, you’re not going to achieve what you hope to achieve.”

Stewart added that the operation’s legacy also plays a role in its long-term focus.

“My son farms with us, and he’s the fifth generation on our farm,” Stewart said.

Looking ahead, Stewart said the goal remains the same.

“We hope we can see if we can get another high-yield event this year,” Stewart said.