Co-Owner of Regenerative Ag Company Breaks U.S. Dryland Corn Yield Record

Russell Hedrick, the co-founder of Soil Regen, a provider of education, regeneratively grown grain, and regenerative-verified products to farmers and ranchers, has submitted yields of 459.51 bushels per acre to the North Carolina Corn Growers Association. The standing national yield record is 442 bushels per acre, and the average corn yield for Catawba County is 100-124 bushels per acre, according to USDA NASS data.

Hedrick began planning the previous season, planting a cover crop mix to offer nutrient availability, weed suppression, and moisture conservation. By February, soil samples from the plots were tested by Regen Ag Lab, giving Hedrick a snapshot of the microbial state of his soils.

Hedrick chose to plant AgVenture 9916 - a full-season 116-day corn variety. Prior to planting he then pulled additional cover crop biomass samples to run nutrient analysis - something that Hedrick noted were critical in reaching yields of 400-bushel corn. These results indicated what applied nutrients would be needed during the growing season. Hedrick then tested different populations throughout his farms from 32,000-45,900 plants per acre to achieve his record breaking yields.

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