Despite Mother Nature, a record five entries in the National Corn Growers Association's 2013 National Corn Yield Contest broke the 400-bushel yield mark. And the new all-time high of 454.9837 bushels per acre was set by the perennial champ David Hula of Charles City, Va.

"While this contest provides individual growers a chance for good-natured competition with their peers, it also advances farming as a whole," says Don Glenn, chairman of NCGA's Production and Stewardship Action Team. "The techniques and practices provide the basis for widely used advances that help farmers across the country excel in a variety of situations, including drought."

BIG EARS, BIG YIELDS: Channel, DeKalb, Mid-Atlantic Seed, Pioneer and TA Seeds had yield-toppers in Northeast state contest classes.

Hula's top entry came in the No-till/Strip-till Irrigated class using Pioneer P2088YHR. While no Northeast yield entry topped 400 bushels, a number yielded well above 275 bushels. Here's a quick peek at some of the top entries for the nation and Northeast states.

* My Ladys Manor of Monkton, Md. topped the national Class A Non-irrigated with 302 bushels on Mid-Atlantic Seeds MA8102-VT3P.

* Gary Swede Farms of Pavilion, N.Y., took second in the national Class A No-till/Strip-till with 322 bushels from DeKalb DKC63-42.

* Harrison Rigdon, Jarrettsville, Md., took third in the same class with 296 bushels on Pioneer P1339XR.

Northeast bests in Class A Non-irrigated
* Cohen Farms of Ellington, Conn., topped entries with 246 bushels on Pioneer P1498HR.
* Benjamin Snow of Smyrna, Del., topped state entries with 244 bushels on Pioneer P1319HR.
* Jeff Zgrodnik, Hatfield, Mass., produced the top state entry with 258 bushels on DeKalb DKC46-17RIB.
* L. York of Farmington, Maine, won with a 232 bushel entry of Pioneer 39B22.
* Sam Santini, Stewartstown, N.J., won this state category with 283 bushels of Pioneer P1319HR.
* Henry Everman, Dansville, N.Y., won the state category with 293 bushels of DeKalb DKC63-42.
* Anthony Bombgardner, Lebanon, Pa., had a 268-bushel entry to top the state with DeKalb DKC58-83.
* Vern-Mont Farm, Vernon, Vt., topped state entries with 223 bushels of Pioneer P0993AM1.

Northeast bests in Class A No-till/Strip-till Non-irrigated
* Cohen Farms of Ellington, Conn., topped entries with 253 bushels on Pioneer P1184AM.
* Christopher Wyatt of Harrington, Del., produced 250 bushels with P1319HR.
* Greg Zgrodnik of Hatfield, Mass., had the top state entry of 288 bushels on DeKalb DKC58-83.
* Herbert York of Farmington, Maine, topped the state class with 214 bushels on Pioneer 39B22
* Mary Llewelyn, Northfield, N.H., won this class with 166 bushels of Pioneer P0210AM.
* Chris Santini, Stewartstown, N.J., won this state category with 274 bushels of DeKalb DKC61-88RIB.
* Cliff Charles, Lancaster, Pa., topped the state with 280 bushels of DeKalb DKC63-33RIB.
* Dan King, Vernon, Vt., won this category with 227 bushels of Pioneer P0216HR.

Northeast bests in Class E No-till/Strip-till Irrigated
* DMC Farms, Laurel, Del., topped the state with 288 bushels on DeKalb DKC62-98.
* Thomas Calabrese, Southwick, Mass., topped the state with 268 bushels of DKC52-61RIB.
* Tuckahoe Farms, Denton, Md., won the state category with 277 bushels of DKC62-97.
* Five Point Farm, Northfield, N.H., topped the state category with 208 bushels of Pioneer P0210AM.
* New Village Farm, Phillipsburg, N.J., won the state with 282 bushels on Pioneer P1395.
* R.L. Jeffres & Sons, Wyoming, N.Y., topped the state with 278 bushels of Pioneer P0533AM1.
* Jordan Martin, Stevens, Pa., topped the state with 264 bushels using TA Seeds TA683-22DPRIB.

Northeast bests in Class I Irrigated
* Joe Calabrese, Southwick, Mass., topped the state with 276 bushels of DeKalb DKC46-20.
* Mark Collins, Laurel, Del., won this state category with 295 bushels of DeKalb DKC62-08.
* William Llewelyn, Northfield, N.H., won this class with 209 bushels of Pioneer P9519AM.
* Willin Farms, Seaford, Md., topped this state category with 281 bushels on Channel 214-13VT2PRIB.
* New Village Farm, Phillipsburg, N.J., won the state with 286 bushels on Pioneer P1395.
* Charles Campbell, Nichols, N.Y., won the state category with 274 bushels of DeKalb DKC52-04
* Doug Scipioni, Newmanstown, Pa., topped the state with 243 bushels of Pioneer P1339XR.