Nebraskans are always wishing for a national championship — not only in college football or other collegiate athletics, but also in other aspects of life.

In 2022, the state could claim national championships and top 10 rankings in numerous categories of the yield competitions for grain.

Corn. Far ahead in participation level by Nebraska producers, the National Corn Growers Association 2022 yield contest had Husker participants in six different categories — including conventional nonirrigated and irrigated; no-till nonirrigated and irrigated; and strip, minimum, mulch or ridge-till irrigated and nonirrigated.

Out of those categories and state winners, Nebraskans owned the irrigated categories, taking national championships with John Panowicz, Cairo, harvesting 325.5161 bushels per acre in the no-till irrigated category.

Dalton Peterson, Bertrand, took first place nationally in the conventional irrigated category with 336.7485 bushels per acre. In the strip, minimum, mulch and ridge-till irrigated category, Miles Peterson took the national title with 357.9817 bushels per acre. Rocky Peterson, Bertrand, took the runner-up spot with 353.6465 bushels per acre.

Second place in no-till nonirrigated went to a Nebraskan, Mike Scholting of Louisville, with a yield of 322.4631 bushels per acre. Third place in the same category went to Marvin and Glenn Wiles of Plattsmouth with 313.0475 bushels per acre.

To participate in the 2023 yield contest, visit ncga.com.

Sorghum. In the dryland no-till west category of the National Sorghum Producers 2022 yield contest, Robison Brothers and Joe Schnuerle, Harlan County, took second place nationally with a yield of 167.4 bushels per acre, followed by Mark Bloss, Pawnee County, with a yield of 159.23 bushels per acre, garnering third nationally.

Matthew Bloss, Pawnee County, took second nationally in the dryland tillage west category with a yield of 153.24 bushels per acre.

For more information on the 2023 contest, visit sorghumgrowers.com.

Wheat. Nebraska producers participated in two categories in the National Wheat Foundation yield contest in 2022, but no national placings came out of the Nebraska fields.

Fritz Kain in Red Willow County had the top Nebraska dryland winter wheat yield in the contest with 44.82 bushels. Matt Thorson in Sheridan County won the winter wheat irrigated contest in Nebraska with a yield of 121.86 bushels per acre.

For details on the yield contest for 2023, visit wheatfoundation.org.